Are motorcyclists transients unable to be satisfied?

[Guth_imp]

Such behavior doesn't just apply to motorcycles. I feel that the Internet is at least partially to blame (and yes, I get the irony here). There are plenty of other forums out there for just about anything you can imagine: cameras, hi-fi gear, guitars, etc., etc.. On pretty much all of those forums you'll find stories of similar purchasing tendencies. When people start chatting it up with others about a shared interest that they are all fairly obsessive about, their perspective begins to change. Every shortcoming is now being scrutinized not just by themselves, but by all these other guys as well. In addition, when someone acquires the latest and greatest example of whatever it is they are obsessed about, the differences are usually built-up to the extreme (this one blows the old model away in every respect, blah, blah, blah).

Next thing you know, people are itching to do away with something that that they had been pretty happy with in search of something supposedly much better only to end up repeating this cycle over and over again. Behavior which might have struck someone as excessive when examined in isolation no longer seems so abnormal in a forum of like-minded individuals. In turn, for many it becomes easier to justify actions that might not have seemed so normal in the past.

On the extreme side of things, forums like this one are to obsessive-compulsive personalities as taverns are to alcoholics. It's typically more fun to hang out with those who share your vices than those who don't.

(Interestingly, I lifted some of the above text from a post I made on a guitar forum a few years back. The topic was why guys buy so many guitars.)

I have to personally disagree with the above comments. From a personal prospective I have never been influenced of justified my actions because someone else was either doing it ( on a forum) or said it was okay to do the same. I believe this is the first forum I've been on which a topic like this has even come up for discussion.

What you are talking about is justification, how one persons sickness can make you justify your actions. I would consider it more of a compulsive hobby than an addiction and to put it in the same class as a alcoholic to a tavern is just incorrect. The alcoholic or addict has three paths in life, Recovery, jail or death. I don't see someone buying a guitar, surf board, camera equipment or motorcycle going to jail or following those three paths.

Addiction works in the complete opposite of your post, addicts will find people who are as sick as them or worse, then comes isolation, if your one of the lucky one's there will be intervention and recovery.

You of course make some very solid points. I now recognize that my analogy makes light of just how serious the struggle is that any alcoholic or addict faces — I do know a few myself. For this I publicly apologize.

You are also correct, to a point, that what I was referring to is justification. In the post I referred to (from the guitar forum), I believe that I was probably more clear about that. That is something that I do find to be very common amongst many forums that I visit where people are obsessed with subject matter that can be bought and sold.

I do find that this goes beyond simple justification for many. While an addict will find others who are as sick as they are or worse, so it goes for many of the obsessive folks that make up online forums, only now the measurement becomes the level of obsession. I'm not trying to rain on anyone's parade. I'm familiar with this type of behavior as I can see it in my own actions at times. I do believe that a lot of people end up spending a lot more money under the influence of other like-minded individuals on the web than they would if they were to pursue their hobbies/passions in relative isolation, again at times myself included. Obviously this does not take on the life or death aspects of alcoholism as CIP57 points out. But I'm guessing that it has more of a financial impact on many people than many might realize.

To try and boil things down in a different way: For better or worse, most people that sign up and participate on forums to discuss objects like motorcycles, guitars, cameras, etc. are not exactly representative of the "average guy". It's easy to loose sight of this. The average guy, if he owns a motorcycle, probably owns just one and more than likely doesn't swap out bikes on a regular basis. Of course, the average guy probably doesn't own a motorcycle here in North America. He probably has just one car or truck for that matter, unless married then odds increase that the family owns more than one vehicle. The same goes for guitars, cameras, bicycles, etc.. Chances are, this guy isn't signed up on any forums to discuss any of these things. But if he happens to have a passion for something like fly fishing or firearms, then the odds increase that he owns more of these things than the next guy and might even be a member of a forum or two that discusses these things in depth. He probably doesn't care much what anyone else has to say about cars or bicycles, but can discuss in great detail various aspects something like fly reels or vintage Winchester rifles and there's a decent chance that he owns multiple examples of whatever it is that floats his boat. Not that here's not anything wrong with this. We all have our "thing" or our passions if you will.

The thing is, even if this guy owned a motorcycle, if you were to ask him a question such as the one the ferret posed, he'd probably answer simply "no". But if you asked a similar question about some fishing gear or guns, then he'd more than likely have a similar "transient" experience.

So now that I've called most all of us out as extreme weirdos, just remember that I'm pointing the finger at myself first and foremost. After all, who is more troubled or problematic than the guy that starts one of these forums to begin with?

Just meant as some food for thought, that's all.