What's your reason

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For me it was the thrill of going fast, I was 12 or so when I rode the first time...and I crashed riding too fast through a gravel road without knowing where the brakes were. I had access to small cc 2-strokes (like RS100) and smaller displacement vehicles in general, which were fun to ride around the country roads without getting into too much trouble.

Long gone are the days of riding like a maniac on the streets, but I still have a preference for sport and super sport bikes. I hope to get into track riding, and do some club races here and there.
 
thwak said:
It’s like meditation for me. The minute i’m on the bike I become totally focussed on riding. My technique, threats, and occasionally surroundings. Daily problems and issues are completely gone.
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This right here
 
Chicks dig guys who ride.
 
It was cheaper, and much quicker to go to and from high school in Toronto by motor-bike than to go by the TTC, bus and street-car.
Bike was a used '57 Ariel Colt 199cc, 10 hp. Insurance was $32/year. Gasoline was just under 9 cents per liter., parking free in the school yard.
Sold the bike, after finishing grade 13, in 1959 for $50 less than I had paid for it (second hand) a year before.
Got out of motorcycling until 1969 when I bought a dismantled (but pretty well complete but all in pieces) 31 year-old bike for $170.
Still have that one - now with sidecar, and on the road - and a few other old ones.
AFJ
 
most of my riding is just within the city. i have absolutely zero interest in riding around in ontario. i did a bunch of that when i first started riding (initially the forks and eventually out to the highlands etc etc) and i'm sorry but its just boring and i dont feel like having to ride 2-3 hours just to start actually riding. just not into cottage canadiana scenery i guess. when i go overseas somewhere, i feel thats when i love riding the most.

but i no longer work from home and riding to and from work makes the commute tolerable, even with the traffic and all that nonsense. i'd still rather be on a bike than the TTC.
 
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Always wanted to ride, and it made me really happy to go out for a full day ride with nothing to worry about except the road, idiots on the road, and the scenery.

No schedules, no timelines, no obligations that needed tending to.

Then life happened. Wife, kids, responsibilities.

I found that the ride was fun, but in the back of my mind I was worrying about 'what happens if I get injured? Will my wife be ok? What about the kids? What about that XYZ that needs to be done?'

The the kids started seeing the news of accidents and 'daddy we don't want you to ride because we don't want you to get injured'.

The fun was gone. The worries started creeping in.

Sold the bike.

I miss it, but I spend more of my time with them so there's that.

I'll get back into it. Just a matter of when.
 
mimico_polak said:
Always wanted to ride, and it made me really happy to go out for a full day ride with nothing to worry about except the road, idiots on the road, and the scenery.

No schedules, no timelines, no obligations that needed tending to.

Then life happened. Wife, kids, responsibilities.

I found that the ride was fun, but in the back of my mind I was worrying about 'what happens if I get injured? Will my wife be ok? What about the kids? What about that XYZ that needs to be done?'

The the kids started seeing the news of accidents and 'daddy we don't want you to ride because we don't want you to get injured'.

The fun was gone. The worries started creeping in.

Sold the bike.

I miss it, but I spend more of my time with them so there's that.

I'll get back into it. Just a matter of when.
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Similar for me. I didn’t ride much after kids came along, once they hit 15 and I built up some financial security, I felt comfortable they could get along without me. So I jumped back in hard, those next 20 years were all bike, all the time.

Now grandkids are here and coming. I find I’m riding a lot less as my time gets devoted to them, and helping my kids. Less about the grandkids needing me alive, more about them taking a much higher priority on my spare time calendar.
 
Mad Mike said:
Similar for me. I didn’t ride much after kids came along, once they hit 15 and I built up some financial security, I felt comfortable they could get along without me. So I jumped back in hard, those next 20 years were all bike, all the time.

Now grandkids are here and coming. I find I’m riding a lot less as my time gets devoted to them, and helping my kids. Less about the grandkids needing me alive, more about them taking a much higher priority on my spare time calendar.
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Awesome to hear! And I'm glad I'm not alone in my thinking.

Kids are annoying, but they're mine, and they're awesome. I'm continually searching for the next bike, but not with such enthusiasm / urgency as before.
 
mimico_polak said:
Awesome to hear! And I'm glad I'm not alone in my thinking.

Kids are annoying, but they're mine, and they're awesome. I'm continually searching for the next bike, but not with such enthusiasm / urgency as before.
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You should consider buying a couple of dirt bikes and riding around the trails with your kids when they're able to ride. Trailer it to different places and make it a family thing. Fun way to connect with them and keep riding as well.
 
voyageur said:
You should consider buying a couple of dirt bikes and riding around the trails with your kids when they're able to ride. Trailer it to different places and make it a family thing. Fun way to connect with them and keep riding as well.
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Mrs MP has a VERY different idea on this item...trust me it has been brought up multiple times.

I want to buy them a small electric dirt bike / ATV for the cottage...that can be a pathway forward.
 
Where this is a will, there is a way. I found with kids, they want to spend time with me no matter what we are doing and that includes motorcycles. Changing the oil, looking things over, noting what is needed for the next service etc. Kids can be inquisitive and enjoy being involved. Cleaning tools and putting them away etc.

Even with more than one kid, they appreciate the one on one time and going out for a test ride/drive stopping for ice cream. Playing with the radio/play list etc.

It’s a completely different world and they enjoy being exposed to it. Yes, teenagers can’t be bothered with old people but, they grow out of it and return.

You just have to be willing to find a way to include them in your hobby and make it interesting enough for them to want to spend time with you.

Spouses typically set the agenda with activities which excludes the garage and especially motorcycles but, Dad or grandpa can get away with being a rebel at times and most spouses/mothers will take Dad/grandpa spending time with the kids no matter what they do so, they have some free time of their own. And they love hearing the stories from the kids that Dad took us to the dollar store and bought candies and told us to keep it a secret etc.

It’s the same with mothers and gardening and home Reno’s and anything else. From grocery shopping to getting stuff done around the house, including the kids with positive support can be a gift of memories that keeps giving anytime you talk to other family members and get to tell the stories or let the kids tell them.

Friends always mention the danger aspect but, that is part of it. They learn to recognize it, understand it and respect it.

I always make time for beach days and places to take the kids too. But, it doesn’t always have to be what mom and the kids want every time.
 
Enjoy your kids while they are still young, when they become young adults your will cherish every moment you had with them.

I've been lucky enough to always have a sled or motorbike,

not always getting to ride them didn't bother me as i know if i needed to scratch an itch i could always jump on and go.
 
nakkers said:
Where this is a will, there is a way. I found with kids, they want to spend time with me no matter what we are doing and that includes motorcycles. Changing the oil, looking things over, noting what is needed for the next service etc. Kids can be inquisitive and enjoy being involved. Cleaning tools and putting them away etc.

Even with more than one kid, they appreciate the one on one time and going out for a test ride/drive stopping for ice cream. Playing with the radio/play list etc.

It’s a completely different world and they enjoy being exposed to it. Yes, teenagers can’t be bothered with old people but, they grow out of it and return.

You just have to be willing to find a way to include them in your hobby and make it interesting enough for them to want to spend time with you.

Spouses typically set the agenda with activities which excludes the garage and especially motorcycles but, Dad or grandpa can get away with being a rebel at times and most spouses/mothers will take Dad/grandpa spending time with the kids no matter what they do so, they have some free time of their own. And they love hearing the stories from the kids that Dad took us to the dollar store and bought candies and told us to keep it a secret etc.

It’s the same with mothers and gardening and home Reno’s and anything else. From grocery shopping to getting stuff done around the house, including the kids with positive support can be a gift of memories that keeps giving anytime you talk to other family members and get to tell the stories or let the kids tell them.

Friends always mention the danger aspect but, that is part of it. They learn to recognize it, understand it and respect it.

I always make time for beach days and places to take the kids too. But, it doesn’t always have to be what mom and the kids want every time.
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Well said.

I'm tossing around the idea of just buying a scrap / project bike to tinker with in the meantime.

Nothing overly complicated. Just something to keep in the garage and muck around with when I find some time.
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