Are motorcyclists transients unable to be satisfied?

[the Ferret]

I belong to a couple motorcycle forums, and lurk several others. One thing I notice in common on all the forums is guys buy bikes, farkle the blazes out of them, keep them a year, then sell the bike they just finished making "theirs" and buy something else and repeat the process over and over again.

I have motorcycling friends who always seem to have a new motorcycle in their garage. So much so, that a common question is the next time you see them is "So, what are you riding now?"

It's not like the bikes they get rid of are bad bikes. There are no bad bikes anymore. Bikes have gotten so good any of them could last someone their entire riding career for the most part, with very few issues.

No, it seems to be a case of the wantsies.

Hey, I'm bad at it myself. In the last few years I have owned a Triumph Bonneville, a Honda CB 750 Nighthawk, 2 Yamaha FZ-1's, 2 Honda CB 1100's, 2 Yamaha Majesty 400 Scooters, and a Honda ST 1300. I've never come close to wearing one of these motorcycles out. I think the highest mileage is my current ST 1300 at 53,000 miles, one FZ in the 30,000 mile range, an FZ, the Nighthawk and the Bonnie in the 20,000 mile range, the 2 CB 1100s in the 10,000 mile range and the two scooters in the 5000 mile range.

I've lived in the same house for 21 years. I worked at the same place for 25 years. Been married to the same woman for 41 years. Always put over 200,000 miles on my cars before getting a new one.

So why the motorcycle leap frog? :huh:

How about you? Are you guilty?

 

[ClassicVW_imp]

I too, am very guilty and I don't know why either! (jeez, this sounds like a rehab meeting opening line)
I also don't act this way with cars. I own four SUVs. Three have 120,000 miles or more. The "new' one has 74,000.

I see nothing that would make me sell my CB. But over the past 14 years I kind of lost count on how many bikes I've bought and sold. My guess is 12, including owning two or even three at the same time. I now have two. I would sell the other Honda (a touring bike) before I part with the CB. I may respect some other modern bikes, and appreciate what the manufacturers are accomplishing, but mostly the style and riding position of them does nothing for me.

 

[HikerToo_imp]

nah....'86' 900 Ninja for >25 years, now CB1100 til I die.

 

[the Ferret]

Smart man Hiker!

 

[Powerdogg55]

Drove my last truck 1986 F-150 24 years (gave it to my son-in-law still driving it.). Wore out every bike I ever owned. Got out of riding motorcycles for a while and bought the CB this year. Most likely will own it until my last ride in a Hearst!

 

[hb9400_imp]

Have had a few models more than once, '75 Honda CB400F (2), '96 & '98 Honda 750 Nighthawk, '06 & '05 Suzuki Boulevard M50 (3) & '09 VStar 950T (2) but my unicorn is the '08 Kawasaki Versys. Bought and sold 6 times between '08 & '14, 1 of those times I bought back the 1 I sold. Just thought it was the ultimate do it all bike but I had too many negatives

It's a Kawasaki (I know brand loyalty is a factor for some)
Being 5'8" it was just tall enough to make you think about your footing every time you stopped
It had so much lean it made you feel like you were falling through curves
The passenger seat was just too high for my wife's liking.

Other than that I just thought it was awesome Made me rethink the negatives of a parallel twin.

 

[Cormanus]

I have no idea of the answer to your question, Ferret. I suspect there's a whole range of reasons. I also suspect there are people who buy and sell cars at the same sort of rate.

For the dedicated farkles, I think what happens is that the farkling is the mission and when it's complete they get bored and want to move onto the next thing. Time for a new bike and a new set of farkles before that, too, is complete and round they go again.

 

[CIP57_imp]

I think for the most part motorcycles are for enjoyment not transportation. You can buy a bike for 10-15K ride it for two years at a cost of about 2g's a year. Can't do that with a car or people would trade them in too.

Most bikes I have owned recently have a 2 year life span before I'm tired of them and trade up for something else. I posted in a thread today I almost pulled the trigger on a Wing, probably for the first time I though hard and didn't go through trading in the CB1100. Had it been any other bike i think i would have done the deal. Its usually a very quick decision not something I think about very long. I'll admit I'm compulsive, I want what I want and I want it now.

I'm sure a lot of us have traded bikes for new ones and said, I should have kept that bike, I know I have.

 

[redbirds_imp]

Guilty as charged. Having the CB1100 has changed my outlook however. I like looking at and riding other bikes and might even buy a second ride down the line (sure like that Ducati Scrambler) but I'm so pleased with the CB I can't imagine ever selling it. Other than the Puig screen and 2014 CB sprocket cover I've found no reason to change it. It's as if Honda designed this bike with me in mind.

 

[the Ferret]

Hb900 .. You sound like my buddy Jim. He's had 3 or 4 Versys. Last one he sold, backed out of the deal and gave the guy his money back, rode it another couple months, and then sold it again. He say's it's still his favorite bike ( He's had 3 FZ-1's, 2 Fatboys and and FJR among plenty of others) Just sent me video clips of the 2015 Versys and a youtube of " 3 years with a Versys" documentary by some English fellow THIS MORNING! This after giving up riding " for good" a short time ago. Lol

 

[metallyguitarded_imp]

I've only been riding about eight, going on nine years now. In that time frame, I've owned a Kawasaki Vulcan 900 (my first motorcycle) on which I changed out the exhaust, put on a Corbin saddle, changed out the grips, added hard bags and I'm sure more mods I simply don't remember. Then, I traded it in. There was absolutely nothing wrong with the bike. It was comfortable, easy to ride, enough get up and go for my style of riding. Of course, I was still learning and the learning curve was rather steep. I got it in my head that I wanted something faster and lighter but I was still a bit wary of going with a full super sport. After about 15,000 miles on the Vulcan, I bought a Kawasaki Ninja 650.

It was the first year the 650 was offered and the "Ninja" tag was, in my opinion, more of a marketing ploy to give the bike an air of sportiness that it truly didn't deserve. It was a fine motorcycle. An upright, standard with decent power but I soon found that something about the bars positioning didn't feel right. It verged on being uncomfortable and over time I came to the conclusion that it wasn't the bike for me. Although, I appreciated how much lighter it was than the cruiser. I'm not sure how many miles I put on the 650 but it wasn't much before I decided I had to trade it in. This time, I pulled the trigger on a full on super sport.

If there was any consistency to my madness, it was brand loyalty. From the Ninja 650, I landed on a Ninja ZX6R. In lime green no less. I actually loved (and miss) that bike. Everything was better about it, except, of course, the ergonomics. Handling was amazing. The ability to change directions, effortless. The brakes, phenomenal. The gear box was so smooth and that slipper clutch was a great addition. I rode that bike everywhere. It was my daily commuter. My weekend canyon carver. I rode it through the mountains with winter snow on the ground and through the hills above Malibu in the peak of summer. If there was a drawback to that motorcycle, it was definitely the comfort. Or lack thereof. My wrists would kill me on any ride over 40 minutes. An ache that would last for days at times. My aging back started to complain more and more about the aggressive forward lean to the bars. And, if I'm being completely honest, the bike simply lacked a low end. Mid- to high-end power was face peeling. Down low, it was pitiful. It wasn't until I'd hit 5 to 6K rpm that it would even start to come alive. It redlined at 15.5K! Or was it 16.5? It wasn't happy unless it was screaming between 8K and 11K. One day, as I walked to the spot where I had left it, I found my monster chain cut, left open around the post that had secured my motorcycle overnight. Someone had made off with my baby.

I suspect she ended up in Mexico as many of our motorcycles stolen in Southern California end up crossing the border which is only 20 minutes away from downtown San Diego. That, or one of many chop shops that unfortunately operate in the area. I've never seen her again. Once the insurance gave me the value of the bike, I decided I wanted something more classic. Less sporty. Something with character but something less likely to attract thieving eyes. I found a slightly used Bonneville which I paid cash for and happily rode home. Such a different bike from anything I'd ridden up to that point. I was in love with the styling. Although not a true classic, I appreciated the lines and its nakedness. In my eyes, it looked like a true motorcycle. It's the motorcycle I owned when I first met my (second and last) wife. We went for rides up and down the coast. I begrudgingly added a backrest for her comfort even though I thought it destroyed the classic lines. It was fun. But something about the bike left me wanting. This new iteration of a classic motorcycle seemed to lack soul. Or, at least, that's what I told myself. Looking back, I know it was a great bike that to this day would serve me well. I sold it after about a year.

Between 2006 and 2009, I owned the Vulcan 900, the Ninja 650, the Ninja ZX6R, and the Bonneville. Four motorcycles in just as many years. Ridiculous. My habits changed when I found the VFR. A sport-tourer! What a perfect concept! Long-range comfort but with decent power and handling. And, being a fan of many things retro, the revived red, white and blue color scheme of the 2007 Anniversary Edition spoke to me. The sales manager who, by this time, had gotten to know my buying habits rather well, called me before the VFR was put out on the floor. It had only 419 miles on the odometer and had mostly sat in a garage, unused for two years. I've owned it since 2009.

Another confession ... I've gone back and forth with the idea of selling the VFR to more easily afford the changes I'd like to do to the CB. I feel that I'd regret selling the VFR, however, and at least if you were to ask me today, I'd tell you that I'm holding onto the VFR and the CB. My wife prefers riding on the back of the VFR over the back of the CB. That alone is good reason to keep it. It's paid off, insurance is relatively cheap, it has a good sized tank, although somewhat portly, it's much sportier than the CB. I suppose I'll take my time with the modifications to the CB. One motorcycle I hope to have for the rest of my time here on earth. I'm also hoping that's a very long time from now.

So, my answer: Yes.

Unfortunately for all of you. I've taken the next few weeks off from work. That means, you are likely to get many more rambling, lengthy posts such as this. Especially if it continues to rain as it has been!

 

[the Ferret]

Wow, after reading that whole thing, I had to scroll back up to see who wrote it....

J/k MG... And I think it's a familiar story round these parts apparently. I know it sounds familiar to me.

Enjoy the vaca.

 

[metallyguitarded_imp]

Wow, after reading that whole thing, I had to scroll back up to see who wrote it....

J/k MG... And I think it's a familiar story round these parts apparently. I know it sounds familiar to me.

Enjoy the vaca.

Haha! That's ok. So did I.

 

[ClassicVW_imp]

I should have packed a sandwich along to read that whole thing!--- Just kidding ya too! Enjoy your vacation! :beerchug:

 

[flynrider]

I belong to a couple motorcycle forums, and lurk several others. One thing I notice in common on all the forums is guys buy bikes, farkle the blazes out of them, keep them a year, then sell the bike they just finished making "theirs" and buy something else and repeat the process over and over again.

I have motorcycling friends who always seem to have a new motorcycle in their garage. So much so, that a common question is the next time you see them is "So, what are you riding now?"

It's not like the bikes they get rid of are bad bikes. There are no bad bikes anymore. Bikes have gotten so good any of them could last someone their entire riding career for the most part, with very few issues.

No, it seems to be a case of the wantsies.

Hey, I'm bad at it myself. In the last few years I have owned a Triumph Bonneville, a Honda CB 750 Nighthawk, 2 Yamaha FZ-1's, 2 Honda CB 1100's, 2 Yamaha Majesty 400 Scooters, and a Honda ST 1300. I've never come close to wearing one of these motorcycles out. I think the highest mileage is my current ST 1300 at 53,000 miles, one FZ in the 30,000 mile range, an FZ, the Nighthawk and the Bonnie in the 20,000 mile range, the 2 CB 1100s in the 10,000 mile range and the two scooters in the 5000 mile range.

I've lived in the same house for 21 years. I worked at the same place for 25 years. Been married to the same woman for 41 years. Always put over 200,000 miles on my cars before getting a new one.

So why the motorcycle leap frog? :huh:

How about you? Are you guilty?

Not guilty. I tend to do a lot of research before I buy, then stick with what works. Before the CB1100 was my '93 CB750 which I bought new in '96 and rode for 17 years (and still ride several times a week). The main reason for picking up the CB11 last year was because I didn't think the 750 would last me the rest of my life. Neither of these bikes is going anywhere soon. I'll probably leave them to my nephews in my will

It's not just bikes either. I've been driving the same truck for 15 years and flying the same plane for 20 years.

I do know a few people that have incurable cases of the wantsies. A pilot friend in Tucson buys a plane, spends a fortune to "make it his own", then sells it for something else in a year or so. I've known him for about a dozen years and he's at least that many planes.

 

[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.)

 

[lola_imp]

In a Span of a 18 months My Coworker had 4 bikes from a Harley Fatboy that he sold to get a KTM990 adventure then felt the ktm was too much for the daily grind so he sold that to get a bmw Rt1200... After a couple of months with the RT he Got bored with that and replaced it with a 2014 BMW R1200GS. I don't really over analyze what the next guy is doing or why their mototrcycles are going through revolving doors.. funny things is today While on lunch break kicking it under a tree both of us looking at our bikes my coworker blurts out that he'll be selling the GS soon to get a KTM 690 enduro!?! I then look at him in disbelief and just said cool man another bike for me to test ride.... I love the enthusiasm of these type of motorcycle nuts! if they could only have them all

 

[Rocky_imp]

I'm not guilty either, but I have a couple of friends who are - and I don't get it - but that's just me.
I've owned all my modern bikes since new and intend to keep them.
I've owned the vintage Triumph since 1995 and the BSA since 2000.
I just turned 77, but as long as I can swing a leg over them, they will be in the stable until I can't.

 

[CIP57_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.

 

[Tezza_imp]

Only ever sold 1 bike and I still have all the rest. I seriously regret selling that bike. It was a 1942 WLA Harley. sold it for $3k and ended up helping the guy restore it. I still have CB1100,Kawasaki Z1, Suzuki T500, Suzuki T350, Suzuki T250,3 x DS6 Yamaha, 2 X 250 SRX Yamaha, Honda XR400R, Honda S110, Honda CB550F and XLCH Sportster.