Talking about bikes or Riding them?

bwolfie said:
Jean, now that's funny "being retired i'm too busy"

I have a similar problem.
When I worked outside the home, I rode as much as possible. Managed one summer to ride 32 days straight.
Other years it was from first clean roads in the spring until first snow.

Since kids entered the picture, and I am a stay at home dad, the riding has gone down to a trickle.

This year was about 100 miles, many 1 mile laps around the neighborhood and 3 trips to the store on the Norton.

I can't wait until spring, my youngest is now in all day Kindergarten. So I have from 8:30 am until 4:20 pm free.

But then again there is a house to clean, sick days with the kids, and self employment to get in the way of that too.

Never enough time to ride.
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The only difference is my kids are 29 and 32 years old :!: you have a long way to go :mrgreen: may you be lucky enough to be still a "dad" when you retire :D

Jean
 
ludwig said:
The days that a bike was my daily transport are long gone .
Now I use them almost exclusively for traveling .
Not much fun riding on the crowded , speed camera infested Belgian roads .
I average 10 -12000 km a year .
2013 was a good year , with trips to Spain , Italy and Austria , totalling around 15000 km .
I do not really keep count , but in 40 + years I must have totalled well over 400 000 km on Nortons , 100000 in the first 4 years . Evenly split between my Commando and my N15 . I have owned other Nortons , but these two I owned from new , and will be burried with me .
I occasionally post short trip reports and pics here , in an ( futile ? ) attempt to persuade others to do the same .
A motorcycle is , IMO , the nicest way to travel .

Al-otment : about your remark in another thread : " rich guys riding from hotel to hotel " :
Here is a pic. of my 900 gr. 4 star hotel with view over Lago Magiore , after a rainy night .
The snails in my shoes where a nice attention of the managment .
Because the lakeshore terasses are still moist , breakfast will be served in bed ..:

Talking about bikes or Riding them?


Talking about bikes or Riding them?
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I do around 500o miles a year, almost always during camping trips to Europe, I managed 2 trips to Spain Portugal this year.

Ludwig, you do really need a better tent!
 
After 37 years of owning my Norton I have clocked up over 140,000 miles, it was a every day ride, with 2 complete engine rebuilds and 1 engine rebuild to just replace the crank cases, (hairline cracks around the main oil seal) and of course new main bearings, so I average about 6,000 mile each year, but my Norton is now semi retired (but still ride it) this year when I brought my new Triumph Thruxton, I just had it's 10,000 ks service this week and I still have another 6 weeks before its 12 months old and I do like sitting in my shed with friends having beers and talking about our bikes, its all about our life styles we choosed to do and enjoy so much.

Ashley
 
In 1975 I bought a new 750 BMW, it's still in the fleet, 175,000 miles.

In 77 I bought a new 75 MKIII it's still in the fleet, 80,000 miles.

In the early 90's I acquired a BSA 441 Shooting Star, it was not in the best of shape but after a alittle work I've ridden it 15,000 miles. If not in a hurry it's a pleasent ride.

There's been two 4 cyl BMW's pass through my hands, both got about 50,000 miles.

I currently ride a newer BMW that has 25,000 miles on it. I don't ride as much as I used to, age and weather has slowed me down but I still ride 7 to 10,000 miles a year. Yah the old ones spend more time in the shop resting now days, club rides and a few weekend miles is all they get. But they all run and are ready to go.
 
I am also retired and I rarely ride my Seeley 850. I'm just completing a rebuild of the gearbox area to get the bike working with a TTI 6 speed box. I've run out of money due to other more mundane activities involving a rental property. I need to find a couple of hundred dollars to get the bike to a practice day. Also there is an opportunity next May to have a go at the local heros in a certain historic race class with it. That involves getting a $280 licence from the controlling body as there is no mutual recognition of race licences, and the one used for practice days is not accepted. It ends up that the race meeting can cost about $700. My problem is that I am 72 years old, so I am running out of time if I ever want to do this. I know the bike is good enough to win, and I can still ride it well enough for that. So what are my choices ? Should I wait for a relative to die and leave me money ? Should I sell an asset ? Should I go further into debt ? You are all smart young fellas - what would you do ?
 
Acotel,

At what age do they stop giving you Racing licenses?........probably sometime between 75 and 80?

So your Seeley 850 has another few years of racing use in it by you, when you can no longer race it what do you do, rather than hanging on to it I suggest that you sell,, the more recent race wins it has when you sell it, the more valuable it will be so going (further) into debt to pay race fees is a good investment in the future value of your Seeley.
 
chasbmw said:
Acotel,

At what age do they stop giving you Racing licenses?........probably sometime between 75 and 80?

So your Seeley 850 has another few years of racing use in it by you, when you can no longer race it what do you do, rather than hanging on to it I suggest that you sell,, the more recent race wins it has when you sell it, the more valuable it will be so going (further) into debt to pay race fees is a good investment in the future value of your Seeley.
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If Acotrel decides to continue racing the bike it should be because he enjoys it, not because his bikes going to be worth more when/if he sells it. Classic bike owners talking about 'investments' are really missing the point of classic bike ownership. :(
 
He wanted to know if he should get into further debt by paying the $700 costs of his next race....I was giving him a financial rationale for racing his bike and enjoying it.

Mind you the calculations might change if he should bin it :roll: :roll:
 
You have previously shown another race bike project, or 2 ?
Flog them off, and put the funds towards some race miles. ??
Better one bike that gets used than more than one that don't get used ?

The used CR gearbox that came out and was replaced by the TT Industries box could raise most of that too, if its not already gone.
Whats under the bench that could go too - stray wheels, carbs, old fairings, etc . ??
Jist a suggestion...
 
My late friend and racing mentor, Malcolm "BritBodger" Dixon started vintage roadracing in the 'states at age 70 (he had grass-track raced in England as a young man), and was still winning races and improving lap times right up 'till his last race at age 75.

Although his nickname was well-earned and his motorcycles were going in the wrong direction relative to the money he was spending, he was LITERALLY living to go racing. We discovered in clearing out his estate that he hadn't cashed sizeable paychecks, tax returns, or dividend checks for many years; as he had no need of more money, just MORE TIME (which none of us are guaranteed). rest in peace, Malcolm.
 
Paul as you know I have 3 old Triumphs,1 Modern Triumph and now this Norton. I would say that I only put 500 miles per year on my Triumph Caff,1500 miles per year on my Hardtail,3000 miles per year on my 79T140E,and only about, 2000 miles per year on my 2000 Sprint St. I'm guessing that when the Norton is done I'll sell one of the others. If I do 2000 miles a year on the Norton it will be a lot......Skip
 
The title of this post reminded me of a recent Doctor visit, where the doctor told me I have to give up half my sex life. I asked him, which half, thinking about it or talking about it?

Sorry if this is inapproiate, thought it was funny.
 
I ride to work most days, 40 km round trip, I buy and sell BMW's to fund my racing and for a bit of fun. Last year started off with a Yamaha 200 scooter, then an R65, R100RT mono, R90/6 and now its a Ducati ST4s some days and R90s others.
Did about 10 000 kms last year.
The Commando is more for weekends but its been used to commute on, you get some funny looks.
 
Good one kneepuck. We are past the peak of winter harshness so get grace days in the clear bright if windy 50's next couple months, but I can only talk and think about motorcycles after dog pack Graveled out my SV650 and too chilly to work on it yet. Every now and then I ask wife about a date and she says yes, then we get involved online or other stuff and just crash and sleep, but at least we both know we could of got laid : ) But when she's asleep I'm in living room with my motorcycle mistress, thinking up things and doing em....
 
I can relate to that. I finally embraced it and just built a spare bedroom in the shop. The down side is, now, the only thing the gf makes for dinner is reservations.
 
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