My bike won't start unless it is 72 degrees or higher

 

I have no problem with wealthy people buying a motorcycle and only riding a low number of miles per year. For one thing, they are our brothers in a lot of ways. They do get on a motorcycle occasionally, unlike the other 99% of the people out there. They understand the issues regarding riding on a personal level. When I talk with them, they respond from a place of knowledge regarding what it is like to ride a motorcycle.

And they are doing some of us a favor. Most of my close riding buddies ride a lot. They put many miles on their bikes in all sorts of weather. And then there is this one fellow I know. He rides about 500 miles a year, mostly on Sundays to and from the various bars and restaurants around the city.

Every five years, he trades his Harley with all of 2,500 miles on it a new bike. He has done this at least three times that I know (he moved away several years ago and I lost touch with him). What this means is that at least three times someone has bought a very low mileage five year old Harley in excellent condition for a lot less then they could have bought a new bike. I imagine the three guys who bought those bikes was quite happy that this guy only rode 500 miles a year and they were able to find a low mileage used bike.

I once spoke to him about this unusual practice. He said this was his hobby. He worked long hours in an office where he had to think a lot during the day. He liked being able to turn it all off on Sundays. He figured this cost him about $2,000 a year. When he traded in his five year old bike, he would usually lose about $5,000 on it, or $1,000 a year. The rest was insurance, gas and maintenance. His maintenance was, btw, close to zero. He always got the dealer to throw in the 1,000 mile service and he traded in the bike when it was due for the 2,500 mile service.

 

I went out one too many times this month. Thursday morning about 30 minutes into the ride in a small town called Geneseo, a lady in a SUV at a T intersection ran the stop sign ( she was looking down at something) and T-boned me.

I was not hurt and the tough HD trike was still operable though nasty looking. After the police concluded their investigation what did I do? I finished the ride and stopped in at the dealers and got my needed estimate to send to the lady's insurance carrier.

Rode 161 miles today and with the heavy storm warnings for tomorrow and Sunday I will have done a little over 2,300 miles in the cold inhospitable north western Illinois.

I have been riding since March of 1956. I have never dropped a bike or had an accident. Almost 49 year record. One 74 year old lady in a moment of neglect ended that streak. Her birthday was almost the same as mine.

Since the trike stayed upright ( no thanks to her as she was slow to react. I was pushed sideways for about 30'. I was cussing so hard that the face shield fogged up and I was horse the next morning.

Nevertheless I still love winter riding.

 

One of the primary reasons I moved from New York City to San Francisco in 1976 was for the riding weather. I knew it was likely I could easily ride all year round and that has proven to be so. We've been in a multi year drought here in California and what that has meant is that almost every day during the winter is perfect riding weather. Tomorrow, Saturday, I'll probably join a buddy who is a member of the San Jose HOG chapter and will probably go on their ride tomorrow. On Sunday this buddy and I will ride with a couple of other friends. It's not only not raining but it is unusually warm this weekend. Temps might hit about 70 in some areas tomorrow.

So most of us don't put away the bikes in the winter.

 

First, very happy to hear are ok and not hurt. That's the only thing that really matters. Secondly, I just lost my streak, too and it was almost as long as yours. Mine started in the mid 1960's and I never had a claim on my car or auto policy ever for anything. Last September I ran into a buddy's Road King at low speed. It is amazing how much damage can occur at only a couple of miles an hour. Insurance took care of everything but I lost my 50 year streak and it was really my fault.

 

Yep

Its not at all uncommon for highly successful people to have yachts in the marina that rarely go out, toys in garages that rarely get driven/ridden and vacation tickets that end up not getting used. Still, if a guy works all the time, its gotta be for something, so money goes into extravagances that provide necessary, if rare, diversion. Not everyone who owns a motorcycle is a seasonal worker with a loan at the credit union and all day long to ride. Not that there's anything wrong with a guy's situation either way but if you're in the camp that considers certain riders "wallet bikers", perhaps there's another camp of riders who thinks you're a looser. "It is what it is, right"?

 

Funny thing about that comment is till the flash their money and status crew got into it there was no class distinction on 2 wheels, something to think about.

 

Fair enough. I gotta say though that, upon perusing this forum, and others, it sure appears that within the motorcycling fraternity there is more **** being shoveled up hill than down. Derogatory threads aimed at "Poser" bikers, "Wallet" bikers, "Not Real" bikers and so on are very common no ? I don't really see any "fat cats" starting threads downing those who aren't enough "Like Them".

 

Hard to look down with your nose pointing skyward. Not aimed at you, by the way.

 

Personally and I'll restate this for the upmteenth time , biker is about the man not miles pounded out, money or his toys and there's some in here but not nearly as many as most believe themselves to be . The divide and class wars came about when the disposable income crew started trying to gentrify the biker culture by their shear numbers and trying their best to look and act the part but retiring to the house on the hill and hanging up the trappings for their regular lives every night, that whole alter ego thing comes into play here. Were a lot of the resentment comes from because of the success of the brand name being funded by the big money crew the average & poor guys have been about priced out of market. Progress ? Maybe who knows.....

Not only this sport but any if you look at it, be it boat people , hot rodders , shooters, whatever just human nature when the better financed come to play the soul of whatever it is changes forever.