We had the talk....... | Page 6 | GTAMotorcycle.com

We had the talk.......

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Loved your post except this

you're still probably gonna get hurt eventually.
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two thirds of riders never get into an accident ...I'm 55 years riding and in that group and I've had my hooligan moments but audio books keep the agression way down. Of course the CB500x does not cater to stop light fun but the CBF1000 sure did tho it wouldn't pass a gas station without a hello :rolleyes:
 
MacDoc said:
Loved your post except this



two thirds of riders never get into an accident ...I'm 55 years riding and in that group and I've had my hooligan moments but audio books keep the agression way down. Of course the CB500x does not cater to stop light fun but the CBF1000 sure did tho it wouldn't pass a gas station without a hello :rolleyes:
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my dad still rides and hes your age too! but not like hardcore ride just here and there for leisure if you will. he seems ok.
 
rinomato1 said:
my dad still rides and hes your age too! but not like hardcore ride just here and there for leisure if you will. he seems ok.
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There is always a risk to riding Motorcycle's. It's not always the young guy, or the fast guy that bites the bullet.
 
rinomato1 said:
OLD!?!? Brother I'm only 32! lol I just dont have patience for stupid people. that being said riding is probably same old same old it's the people that ruin it for us good riders/drivers. we more or less have to keep an eye out for ourselves you know.
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That's the same old same old. Traffic as usual. It hasn't changed at all
More millennials texting.
You always had to watch the other guy.
Same old. Same old
 
MSRP said:
Similar situation to yours. When I got married, I told my wife that the bike is off the books, and not for discussion.
AGATT
Make sure your accidental death insurance is reasonable. ($14/month)
The main concern I have with pending offspring is the "half in, half out" situation where you:
- have less spare time to go riding, don't get the "repetitions" in like you used to when riding every week
- more distractions in life
Both combine to an increased likelihood of just not riding "in the zone" which I think is incredibly dangerous.

I would hesitantly recommend a cool sports car only if you have an interest in doing lapping days/club lapping days/autox/drag racing. If not, having a fast car in flat roads of Toronto would bore the **** out of me. Being on 2 wheels makes it marginally more palatable to get to the twisties outside of GTA. Now if we were talking about Europe or California, this would be a completely different story. For the fella that is contemplating sports cars, definitely stick with the top 3: Miata, BRZ, non-zo6 Corvette. Maybe BMW M3 or 911. Anything else is far too niche, and when you show up at the local lapping/autox day, and you are the only person with that platform, it gets boring even in that competitive landscape. If you compare that to a Miata, there will be 5+ others at any event, and the brotherhood/friendly competition makes it so much more enjoyable--I'd say even more so than riding 2-wheels with friends since you can LEGALLY compete with your friends in addition to the cruise in/out.

If I had a kid show up on my doorstep tomorrow, I think I would store both bikes, get Tesla to get my heart rate up from stoplight to stoplight, and probably pick up a little city scooter or electric dirt bike. Saw one ($4k usd though) from Segway earlier, and that really looks like fun. But the above mention of "nowhere to dirtbike for fun" would certainly make me backpedal that stupidly expensive decision and probably settle for some cheap to insure scooter. Though I bet an electric dirtbike would be fun on regular bicycle trails if that's permitted... Certainly would fit the same use cases as my bike currently: "terrorize the streets and neighborhood parks before 8am, back home by the time the household wakes up"

If I were in Cali, I would 100% get a Tesla. I did 2500km earlier in August over 3 days, $0 for gas, autopilot between LAX to Fresno to Lake Tahoe to Yosemite to Big Sur back down to LAX via PCH. No way I could have enjoyed the twisties if I had to "drive" interstate. Bank your awareness and attention to when the elevation changes with twisties. The only thing that would come close in the GTA would be a MC or something electric 2-wheels on a hitch of a Tesla that would auto-pilot you to/from something cool.
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" If not, having a fast car in flat roads of Toronto would bore the **** out of me. Being on 2 wheels makes it marginally more palatable to get to the twisties outside of GTA"


That's your issue. Just driving my Porsche to work had me entertained every day. Mississauga to downtown is a hoot for me every day whether on bike or in car.
You have to know how to have fun.
 
I'm around the OP's age and have four children. My wife is very understanding when it comes to me riding motorcycles because I've shown her that its just a hobby and family comes first. During the years between my second and fourth child, I found myself making excuses not to ride. The typical reasons like no time, spending time away from family, bad drivers cropped up on the regular. It was only after I sold my motorcycle and went a full year without one that I had time to reflect on the real reasons responsible for my lack of saddle time. My greatest fault was that I expected to be able to ride like I used to and not being able to do that weighed on me and made me feel guilty and frustrated. Instead of long trips I had to accept the reality that I could only ride an hour or two at a time, mostly in the mornings or at night once the kids were in bed. The bike I had no longer fit my riding habits so I ended up buying one that did. I also bought gear that fit my new riding lifestyle which made it much more enjoyable. The shift in perspective will help you make sense of everything.

To reiterate, show your wife that family comes first by adapting your riding habits around your family life, not the other way around. Show her that you're responsible and take the necessary precautions by purchasing good gear and riding only when it makes sense to.

Edit: I had initially posted this message in the wrong thread, but now I've re-posted in the correct one.
 
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rinomato1 said:
I know my wife knows how much riding means to me. She didnt MAKE ME sell my bikes, I did it because it was the right thing to do. that being said my little ones mean the world over. where does the bike come into this? the bike is still a great part of who I am.... But it's now become an internal struggle as to am I REALLY going to leave my wife and kids for a weekend or a night to go riding alone on with friends and what if God forbid the worse happens, a crash or date i say worse. is it worth keeping my wife in a state of high anxiety every time I go out for a blast? that's what I'm wrestling with. it's so tough ?
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If you are thinking about these things when you don't have a bike, this is ALL that you will be thinking when you are on it!

you are not ready yet , IMHO...
 
Now i'm just impressed how some of you are in your early 30's with multiple kids, homes, families, and the time/money left over for a bike+sports car, and freedom to contemplate it. I gotta grind some more, late 20's here single, no home, and every penny I earn goes to bikes, If I had a kid I'd be on the street, a house, not even an option for atleast a two decade if I can ever pay the 6 figure student loans I owe. Someone once told me a joke, to sell the bike and be responsible, they weren't kidding o_O:eek:
 
I'm sure the suggestion has been made by now, but get a dirt bike. It's an amazing hobby that the whole family can enjoy really quickly. Kids can start riding as soon as they are big enough for a bicycle and of course the wife can ride too. MX tracks are great because dad can go rip a few laps and then come back and ride the peewee track with the little guy/girl. I was 34 when I got my first dirt bike and my kids were 12 and 8. I got my son (12) a bike too and we started riding/racing together. He took a break a few years later and I got my daughter a bike. Then my son got back into it and now all three of us ride/race/camp just about every weekend from April-September. My only regret, as with most things in life, is that I didn't start earlier.
 
Robp said:
I'm sure the suggestion has been made by now, but get a dirt bike. It's an amazing hobby that the whole family can enjoy really quickly. Kids can start riding as soon as they are big enough for a bicycle and of course the wife can ride too. MX tracks are great because dad can go rip a few laps and then come back and ride the peewee track with the little guy/girl. I was 34 when I got my first dirt bike and my kids were 12 and 8. I got my son (12) a bike too and we started riding/racing together. He took a break a few years later and I got my daughter a bike. Then my son got back into it and now all three of us ride/race/camp just about every weekend from April-September. My only regret, as with most things in life, is that I didn't start earlier.
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I've read a few posts now that dirt biking is the way to go if not the street. Seems more accessible than track riding, and may be a good way to get the little guy into it (turning 3 in a few months).

I'll have to do some research on dirt bikes as we've got Simcoe County Forest basically next door to the cottage so plenty of space to ride there.

Congrats on getting the kids into it, seems like an awesome way to spend time with them.
 
nobbie48 said:
IMO the best thing you can teach your kids is risk assessment, not how to hide under a bed. Safe riding. Safe canoeing. Safe flying. Safe swimming. Safe friends.

Set safe examples. Kids get bored and if they don't get some release from your things they will go wild with someone else's stuff or turn into a couch potato.
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I like that. My kids are in their 20s, many of their friends were "bubblewrapped" -- they were discouraged from playing contact sports, riding dirtbikes and sleds -- pretty much anything 'dangerous" -- instead they played video games. I never did that. I encouraged my kids to play full contact hockey and football, ride dirtbikes, they all got boat operates cards around their 12th birthday, learned to canoe, sail and drive kayaks.

My kids learned about risks and safety. There were a few injuries and mistakes along the way y, about the same number I and my friends experienced growing up. Today they are all pretty good at assessing risk -- and even better at taking risks.
 
mimico_polak said:
I've read a few posts now that dirt biking is the way to go if not the street. Seems more accessible than track riding, and may be a good way to get the little guy into it (turning 3 in a few months).

I'll have to do some research on dirt bikes as we've got Simcoe County Forest basically next door to the cottage so plenty of space to ride there.

Congrats on getting the kids into it, seems like an awesome way to spend time with them.
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I started my boys out with "little Red Riders", a Honda sponsored introductory riding school for kids. They had a blast, after the first day my 6 year old was bombing around the Markham Fairgrounds, shifting thru gears on a CRF110.
 
MacDoc said:
Loved your post except this
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I totally agree with you. It was supposed to come across half-jokingly. I aim to never get hurt, but every few minutes before and during the ride, a voice in my head says "you know you could die any second here, right?"
I think I drive more carefully as a result. I remind myself and other riders that it's not fun and games. It's fun and danger and a serious activity. Don't let your guard down.

Aim to never get hurt. Someone on this board said "become a master at car chess". Telling myself that I'm gonna get hurt on the bike has helped me with that. Do what works for you.
 
"you know you could die any second here, right?" <- Every time I get in the passenger seat and my wife or daughter is driving.
I feel way safer on my motorcycle and always have.
 
mimico_polak said:
I've read a few posts now that dirt biking is the way to go if not the street. Seems more accessible than track riding, and may be a good way to get the little guy into it (turning 3 in a few months).

I'll have to do some research on dirt bikes as we've got Simcoe County Forest basically next door to the cottage so plenty of space to ride there.

Congrats on getting the kids into it, seems like an awesome way to spend time with them.
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If electric dirt bikes will become similar to what EV's are like, meaning low maintenance, just "gas and go", that's music to my ears.
Maybe not this first round, but hopefully in 2-5 years when the second or third iterations are being produced, they will really be refined and reliable enough to plunk down some cash for one. I can see it already: A versahaul on the back of the SUV with 2 of these on a quick trip. Or even just a "coffee run" in the mornings before the household wakes up, jump onto a silent version of 2 wheels, no need for insurance, call it a ninja coffee run.

Not looking forward to taking off insurance on the road bikes.
 
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