Insurance statistics (and the odometers on plenty of old motorcycles) shows that across Canada the average number of kilometres per year per motorcyclist is about 1000.
Remember that’s an average, so for all of us who ride 10, 20, 30,000+km a season there are the majority who ride a few hundred to reach those statistical averages. There are lots who haven’t even pulled their bike out of their garage in years.
GTAM aside, the overwhelming majority of riders are fair-weather perfect conditions types who ride to the nearest Tim Hortons and back home again. I know it’s a bit of a stereotype, however it is actually reality for many.
And to what you quoted me saying: "Who wouldn't still be riding? It's beautiful out, and this is Canada. If you don't ride in 10 degrees do you even like motorcycling in this country?!"
I'd say that the majority of motorcycle owners that you mentioned, they don't really like motorcycling in Canada.
They just like having a motorcycle in Canada.
It's a very big difference. I've kept a motorcycle "retired" in my garage for the better part of a decade. It was my "coming-of-age" bike. I like having it. Not a big fan of riding it these days. But I love motorcycling so I ride my other bikes instead.
Hmmm... I've never considered it a hobby. Maybe that's the trick?
Sometimes motorcycles are just an every day method of transportation, other days it's a method of recreation, or a mental health strategy, or an challenge or adventure to conquer, or any number of things... Anything but a hobby though.
A "hobby" is just so... passive, I guess? A motorcycle is more like something you can weave into every day in a million different ways.
Like my Swiss army knife I never leave the home without. I don't know what I'll use it for today, but there's a good chance I'll use it for something so I take it, and because I took it I always find something else to use it for.
Bikes are kind of like that. Maybe just take yours out every day, and figure out why it was a good idea later lol
10 deg. is my cut off, generally.
My "season" usually ends Oct. 31st. That's when I usually put the bike up for winter.
'Not so much because of the weather and shorter days, but more so because that's about when I get busy with other things that preclude riding.
Oct. 31st is more of an administrative decision.
When the kids grow up and move out, you get some time on the weekends. But I'd gladly give up that time to have them young again. I drown this out of my mind by riding.
I'm sure this will be the case also for me. Right now I actually feel GUILTY for taking a ride on a weekend when I could be spending time with the kids...or doing reno...or doing a host of other things.
Reno is 95% complete so that's being tidied up, and I'm hoping to find more time next season. Not like the bike appears to be going anywhere! LoL
I'm sure this will be the case also for me. Right now I actually feel GUILTY for taking a ride on a weekend when I could be spending time with the kids...or doing reno...or doing a host of other things.
Reno is 95% complete so that's being tidied up, and I'm hoping to find more time next season. Not like the bike appears to be going anywhere! LoL
It was an Iron Butt Association special memorial ride that was only certified for people who rode a minimum 1000 mile trip to get to his funeral. He was extremely active, respected, and insanely decorated in the LDR community, so he had a lot of the IBA crowd come out to his service from across the continent and even a few from Australia I believe.
Hmmm... I've never considered it a hobby. Maybe that's the trick?
Sometimes motorcycles are just an every day method of transportation, other days it's a method of recreation, or a mental health strategy, or an challenge or adventure to conquer, or any number of things... Anything but a hobby though.
A "hobby" is just so... passive, I guess? A motorcycle is more like something you can weave into every day in a million different ways.
Like my Swiss army knife I never leave the home without. I don't know what I'll use it for today, but there's a good chance I'll use it for something so I take it, and because I took it I always find something else to use it for.
Bikes are kind of like that. Maybe just take yours out every day, and figure out why it was a good idea later lol
Motorcycles are a hobby for me, they are not necessary. My car... not so much - I need that.
My MCs are my primary mode of transportation, I don't put my girls to sleep because there is no set seasons for me - the roads need to be free of ice and snow, it rarely gets too cold to ride in the GTA. Most years I'm over 20,000km/year, albeit most is between April and December. That's 12K commuting, 3 trips to Northern ON, and another few weekend trips each year.
I have a bunch of them in my garage because as a hobby I need two things: Stuff to work on (fix, rebuild), and a good range of riding experiences.
I keep plates on all my bikes, rotating insurance between a DR750 (dual sport), Vstrom650 (ADV), and FJR1300 (ST) which all see miles. My other bikes are old girls from the 60's, 70's and 80's - none particularly interesting to anyone but me.
I’ve watched a lot of coworkers over the years decide they’d “Do that sort of stuff later” or “When I retire”, either to not make it to retirement, or to be so physically busted when they did reach retirement to not be able to do all that stuff they’d planned to do.
I'm sure this will be the case also for me. Right now I actually feel GUILTY for taking a ride on a weekend when I could be spending time with the kids...or doing reno...or doing a host of other things.
You’re just being a good father and you should be commended. Saturday was a beautiful day for riding, but I spent most of it having brunch, doing some errands and visiting Sainte Marie among the Hurons, all with the wife and our 19- and 17-year old sons. I did squeeze in an hour or two towards the day when they wanted to play a board game with their Mom.
I joked to them that it was a sign of how much I loved them, that I would choose to spend my day with them instead of going for a ride, but it’s true. I WOULD rather be with my kids than do anything else. Our time with our kids is precious. Cue Harry Chapin’s “Cat’s in the Cradle”.
I'm sure this will be the case also for me. Right now I actually feel GUILTY for taking a ride on a weekend when I could be spending time with the kids...or doing reno...or doing a host of other things.
Reno is 95% complete so that's being tidied up, and I'm hoping to find more time next season. Not like the bike appears to be going anywhere! LoL
You’re just being a good father and you should be commended. Saturday was a beautiful day for riding, but I spent most of it having brunch, doing some errands and visiting Sainte Marie among the Hurons, all with the wife and our 19- and 17-year old sons. I did squeeze in an hour or two towards the day when they wanted to play a board game with their Mom.
I joked to them that it was a sign of how much I loved them, that I would choose to spend my day with them instead of going for a ride, but it’s true. I WOULD rather be with my kids than do anything else. Our time with our kids is precious. Cue Harry Chapin’s “Cat’s in the Cradle”.
I ride Spring to Fall, which is realistically 6-7 months.
Wife and I have standing arrangements, summers I ride whenever scheduling allows. In winter she gets her turn to go out to shows, dinners, etc.
That said, a few caveats:
kids are in their teens now. They're much more self-sufficient.
Family still comes first - I missed riding during ALL of last week's beautiful weather because wife was out-of-country; can't risk something happening while I'm single-parenting
I ride Spring to Fall, which is realistically 6-7 months.
Wife and I have standing arrangements, summers I ride whenever scheduling allows. In winter she gets her turn to go out to shows, dinners, etc.
That said, a few caveats:
kids are in their teens now. They're much more self-sufficient.
Family still comes first - I missed riding during ALL of last week's beautiful weather because wife was out-of-country; can't risk something happening while I'm single-parenting
I thought when my kids got older they wouldn’t want to have anything to do with us. I know I was like that as a teen, so I was looking forward to having lots of free time when that happened. In fact part of the reason I got back into riding was the knowledge that my kids didn’t need me the same way they did when they were younger.
I was wrong though; we’ve been lucky to have two boys who still enjoy spending lots of time with us. Cuts into my “me” time for sure.
If it had turned out differently I would have been OK with it all , but I count myself lucky on this count
I took all my kids out on Saturday because I thought it was going to be the last nice day this season... I guess I am going to have to do it all over again this weekend! Have to start thinking about winter prep as it can sneak up on you quickly!
- Add stabilizer
- Fill tank with gas and ride home
- Back into garage
- Plug in battery tender
And inevitably when I ride it a few weeks later, all winter long, I do those same 4 things again until the next ride.
I could probably honestly even get away without bothering with the stabilizer, but I suppose if we actually got a real winter unexpectedly and I couldn't ride for 8+ weeks, it's at least serving a purpose at that point. Who knows anymore.
4c when i got out the door this morning in the dark, still 4c when i got to the office...
thank god for heated grips.
the advantage of doing winter sports: (and also being a crazy man that trains/runs outside every 2nd winter) i've got a bunch of gear to keep me warm under my moto gear
enough that i had to open my visor a few times over when i'd slow down in speed (under 60kph) and it felt goooood
I could probably honestly even get away without bothering with the stabilizer, but I suppose if we actually got a real winter unexpectedly and I couldn't ride for 8+ weeks, it's at least serving a purpose at that point. Who knows anymore.
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