how do you afford it?
Road Captain
Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 687
Likes: 1
From: Texas
I dont understand why the OP would pose this question. Are you also curious when you drive around town and see newer BMW's and Mercedes or when you drive through a neighborhood with large, expensive houses? Some people make more money and some people make less. Of course there are some that overextend themselves to obtain certain things too. Pretty simple really...
Outstanding HDF Member
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 2,306
Likes: 39
From: Everywhere
Income, priorities, and willingness to go into debt -
I make a decent enough wage. My wife doesn't work. We have 1 car and 1 bike. Only debt is mortgage. We carry credit cards and cringe when we have to pull them out of the wallet. We have an emergency fund that will cover 4 months of current expenses if my income stopped and working on getting it up to 6 months. Sometimes Beans and Rice is what's for dinner.
Then I see the guy down the road who I know makes less than me in wage, has new truck every 2 years, a camper, a bmw auto, 3 bmw bikes, 2 ATVs, 2 snowmobiles. And I wonder what I'm doing wrong and come to the conclusion absolutely nothing! Very thankful for what I have. I am blessed.
I make a decent enough wage. My wife doesn't work. We have 1 car and 1 bike. Only debt is mortgage. We carry credit cards and cringe when we have to pull them out of the wallet. We have an emergency fund that will cover 4 months of current expenses if my income stopped and working on getting it up to 6 months. Sometimes Beans and Rice is what's for dinner.
Then I see the guy down the road who I know makes less than me in wage, has new truck every 2 years, a camper, a bmw auto, 3 bmw bikes, 2 ATVs, 2 snowmobiles. And I wonder what I'm doing wrong and come to the conclusion absolutely nothing! Very thankful for what I have. I am blessed.
Road Warrior
Joined: Feb 2013
Posts: 1,625
Likes: 123
From: Meridian, Idaho
Maybe I'm one of them "wallet bikers"....
Hell I don't know.
What I do know, is I ride the f*ck out of my 2013 yearchanged every chance I get.... when I can't ride, I'm fiddling with it...
Truth is, I could give a crap what another man rides, but I don't. If you're riding and you're happy, I'm happy for you.
I ride what I want, for my own reasons, reasons I don't expect ANYone to understand... and I'll help anyone I can, be it an oil change, or a hard to chase problem, just because I love motorcycles.
Hell I don't know.
What I do know, is I ride the f*ck out of my 2013 yearchanged every chance I get.... when I can't ride, I'm fiddling with it...
Truth is, I could give a crap what another man rides, but I don't. If you're riding and you're happy, I'm happy for you.
I ride what I want, for my own reasons, reasons I don't expect ANYone to understand... and I'll help anyone I can, be it an oil change, or a hard to chase problem, just because I love motorcycles.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Aug 2014
Posts: 35,239
Likes: 19,070
From: 40.2444° N, 75.6419° W
Income, priorities, and willingness to go into debt -
I make a decent enough wage. My wife doesn't work. We have 1 car and 1 bike. Only debt is mortgage. We carry credit cards and cringe when we have to pull them out of the wallet. We have an emergency fund that will cover 4 months of current expenses if my income stopped and working on getting it up to 6 months. Sometimes Beans and Rice is what's for dinner.
Then I see the guy down the road who I know makes less than me in wage, has new truck every 2 years, a camper, a bmw auto, 3 bmw bikes, 2 ATVs, 2 snowmobiles. And I wonder what I'm doing wrong and come to the conclusion absolutely nothing! Very thankful for what I have. I am blessed.
I make a decent enough wage. My wife doesn't work. We have 1 car and 1 bike. Only debt is mortgage. We carry credit cards and cringe when we have to pull them out of the wallet. We have an emergency fund that will cover 4 months of current expenses if my income stopped and working on getting it up to 6 months. Sometimes Beans and Rice is what's for dinner.
Then I see the guy down the road who I know makes less than me in wage, has new truck every 2 years, a camper, a bmw auto, 3 bmw bikes, 2 ATVs, 2 snowmobiles. And I wonder what I'm doing wrong and come to the conclusion absolutely nothing! Very thankful for what I have. I am blessed.
Last edited by Super Glidester; Feb 17, 2015 at 09:27 AM. Reason: Spelling/typos.
Road Warrior
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 1,920
Likes: 77
From: dallas
This exactly. I have a 4,000 square foot five bedroom, five bath house in Dallas for $350K. If I was back in NY where I am originally from, there is no way I would have the same house and be able to afford a new bike. Hell, I probably couldn't even afford a car.
Intermediate
Joined: Aug 2009
Posts: 42
Likes: 0
No wife, no kids, my car is a 12 year old Ford. Once the '13 Limited is paid off, I'll buy a newer car. I'll probably be riding this bike for a good long time, I like to get my money's worth out of my vehicles. I still have my last bike that I bought new in '03.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2011
Posts: 27,097
Likes: 4,676
From: Frozelandia, Minnysota
Seems there are a lot of folks that trade in for a new one frequently; sometimes more than once a year. I'm not criticizing, it's their money, but wonder, why? It's not like Harleys have frequent design and engineering changes to keep up with, so what do you really get with a year or two newer bike most years? Guess I just get too comfortable with what I have and don't want to let go; I'd even have happily kept my 94 Pontiac Bonneville as long as I could drive if Minnysota salt hadn't dissolved it.
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Elite HDF Member
Joined: Oct 2008
Posts: 3,555
Likes: 119
From: Brockport, NY
Own '09 UC that's paid for. Have Mortgage Payments and the daily bills. Drive '01 Buick LeSabre to work on Daily Basis that I brought up from Florida.
...And 5 more years of Child Support payments. Probably will go out and buy me a new bike in Celebratory DWTS Style.
Just remember...Who cares if someone's got it all made, but they are not happy at their end. Make the best of yourself and enjoy what you can w/o having to bury yourself in debt.
Thorey
P.S. For those who wonder what DWTS stands for...Done.With.This.****.
...And 5 more years of Child Support payments. Probably will go out and buy me a new bike in Celebratory DWTS Style.
Just remember...Who cares if someone's got it all made, but they are not happy at their end. Make the best of yourself and enjoy what you can w/o having to bury yourself in debt.
Thorey
P.S. For those who wonder what DWTS stands for...Done.With.This.****.
Road Captain
Joined: May 2014
Posts: 682
Likes: 197
From: Raleigh, NC
I've managed to harness the power of crazy. A couple of ex-girlfriends are now producing enough energy to power a medium-sized city. I sell that back to the local utility, and I blow the proceeds on chrome.
GM
GM