To sell or not?
- Thread starter LazyKB
- Start date
luangtom
US Veteran
LazyKB, sell the bike. I went through the same decision-making a few years back. I was in a car-wreck that broke my neck and made it difficult to ride. Hands would go numb due to side-effects of the broken-neck. I could either give up the ride and live with it as it was or I could do fusion-surgery and try riding again. I gave up the ride, as I had seen my mother do the fusion thing and it did not work.
Now that I am living in GA and around so much traffic and poor driving, I am happy to not have the ride any longer. Sell it and enjoy whatever else it is that you do. Live on memories............rocking-chair memories are good.
I also like to look at Life as alot of stepping-stones. My quarter-century of riding was one big one....
Now that I am living in GA and around so much traffic and poor driving, I am happy to not have the ride any longer. Sell it and enjoy whatever else it is that you do. Live on memories............rocking-chair memories are good.
I also like to look at Life as alot of stepping-stones. My quarter-century of riding was one big one....
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Thanks for the advice, all of it. The jury is still out. This is going to take some time. Here she is, 02 model. Sitting here thinking about letting her go and realized it is more than just a motorcycle I am saying goodbye to.
You make a valid poit, KB. Those of us who ride know full well that a motorcycle is a whole heck of a lot more than just transportation. It's a way of life. An entire culture all to itself. I met, got to know and formed life long friendships in my years of riding. A very generous, fun loving, and adventurous kind of folks. I can NOT imagine what my life would have been like had I not had the passion that I did for "scootin'".
Even though I don't ride anymore I have a life-time of memories to sustain me. I wouldn't trade anything for that.
beaverislander
US Veteran
KB, that is a beautiful bike!
You have a great bunch of guys laying their hearts out here for you. Hopefully someone has said something that will help you make the right decision. Good luck....
P.S. It is amazing how S&W's and Harleys seem to go together.
You have a great bunch of guys laying their hearts out here for you. Hopefully someone has said something that will help you make the right decision. Good luck....
P.S. It is amazing how S&W's and Harleys seem to go together.
My grandfather would occasionally talk about a cross country motorcycle trip he took in 1919. My grandmother would correct him and say it was not cross country, he went from Ohio to California and back but he never went from Ohio to the East coast. I remember him riding up until a week or so before he died at 79. By then he was riding a Honda 350 and just puttering around country roads on nice days. The CB 350 was probably a larger and better bike than he was riding in 1919 though. I sold my last bike about 10 years ago. Every spring I miss it for a few weeks but then I get busy and move on. I'm seriously looking at an older Honda right now with sidecar to run errands on weekends. I second the suggestion to look at smaller bikes.
Quality, Class, and American pride will shine through every time.
I'm '62 and as much as I love riding motorcycles I wouldn't get on one today, with as many close calls as I have had due to people not paying attention to what they are doing while I've been driving a car or truck I'd hate to think of being on a bike. I rode motorcycles for years and had my share of accidents, busting yourself up at 22 is a lot difference than 62. I'm quite sure that if I was involved in the accident I had when I was 22 today that I would ever really recover and certainly would have been out of action a good year or more. I think you have to take all that into consideration, I see how popular the newer three wheelers are but in the end you might as well be driving a Corvette, which is a good option for us older guys. I have an old '51 Ford hotrod that I drive, I call it my four wheeled Harley. Hanging up your spurs hurts for a short while and you can always remember the good times you had, while still enjoying your ability to get around without the aid of a walker or crutches, let alone a *******ed wheelchair.
lonejacklarry
US Veteran
Well, you shot yourself in the foot w/ the first word. When it comes to motorcycles there really is not any objectivity to it. Quite the opposite actually--lots of emotions and personal bias to the whole deal.
I recently gave it up after 49 years. The orthopedic surgeon strongly suggested I find another hobby after a knee replacement. Since my first Sportster in 1963 to my 2003 Road King Classic which I just sold, there have always been at least 2 bikes around here and sometimes as many as 5.
All I could suggest to the OP is that you should do what you really want to do. Don't factor in insurance or storage or what the neighbors think. You will know when it is time, I think.
Me? I'm looking strongly at a side hack setup but don't tell my surgeon.
wilkoi
Member
Get a smaller, lighter bike. To take a motorcycle from a man is like taking the wings off a bird once it has learned to fly.
Wee Hooker
Member
It's a personal choice but I'll say this: Been there -done that. For me, it was more than the expense. It became a near constant reminder that I wasn't young and wild anymore and that as much as I wanted it too, a bike just didn't fit my lifestyle any longer. I now cared if I got caught in the rain. I now cared if I had a near miss accident. I now cared that i didn't heal like I used to if I had more than a near miss. I now cared that I needed to run errands on the way home. I now cared about comfort on long rides. I now cared about riding in the rain and cold. Coupled with the fact that I just didn't love riding itself enough to override those cares, I let it go. No regrets.
p.s. Bought a jeep wrangler immediately afterwards. With the top down and the doors off, I actually loved it more than a bike for allot of reasons mentioned above.
M3Stuart
Member
I sold my Honda XR250L dual sport this year. I wasn't riding offroad anymore and somebody made me a good offer on it. I'm too old for that. I have nooooo problem saying that.
doublesharp
Member
I'm 62. I sold my BMW r1100r last year but kept my Honda Silverwing 600 scooter. I sold it this year. Too many fools on the road and I kinda lost interest in riding on 2 wheels. I like boats better for blowing my hair.
Faulkner
Member
It's too bad that youth is wasted on the young.
JJEH
Member
I would sell it.
BigBill
Absent Comrade
I parted with my reworked 1200 Suzuki bandit only because I love speed.
She had a detained Suzuki 1100 GSXR engine that I returned it close to its close cousin. I loved spanking these foolish kids on there rocks. At 50 yo back then I could wheelie with the best of them. I could handle it at any speed. Everyone was shocked when I took off my helmet as they saw I was older. I learned how to ride chasing my son thru the woods on our dirtbikes. Even then I wouldn't hesitate to do 100mph down the straights on my vintage husqvarna 390CR dirtbike. But the hunger for speed made me give it up. Becoming one with a machine was awesome. I just couldn't do that on the slower motorcycles. I'm lucky to have lived thru it all. But I do yearn for the new 1250 Suzuki bandit. My old '99 bandit just made me feel alive.
I have had a few jeeps and there fun too.
Now I'm in search of getting or building a new toy. It maybe an old school street rod, maybe a 1,000 HP old style straight front axle gasser. Something me and the misses could enjoy together. In my younger days I built drag race engines and drag cars. I'd like to do it one more time. I really excelled in tuning too I can do it all.
At 62yo now life went by so fast. Bill
She had a detained Suzuki 1100 GSXR engine that I returned it close to its close cousin. I loved spanking these foolish kids on there rocks. At 50 yo back then I could wheelie with the best of them. I could handle it at any speed. Everyone was shocked when I took off my helmet as they saw I was older. I learned how to ride chasing my son thru the woods on our dirtbikes. Even then I wouldn't hesitate to do 100mph down the straights on my vintage husqvarna 390CR dirtbike. But the hunger for speed made me give it up. Becoming one with a machine was awesome. I just couldn't do that on the slower motorcycles. I'm lucky to have lived thru it all. But I do yearn for the new 1250 Suzuki bandit. My old '99 bandit just made me feel alive.
I have had a few jeeps and there fun too.
Now I'm in search of getting or building a new toy. It maybe an old school street rod, maybe a 1,000 HP old style straight front axle gasser. Something me and the misses could enjoy together. In my younger days I built drag race engines and drag cars. I'd like to do it one more time. I really excelled in tuning too I can do it all.
At 62yo now life went by so fast. Bill
You guys that posted pictures....
Man, those are some PURDY bikes. I'm the one with the piano. I'm attached to it also, it is the cream puff piano of my dreams and I'd love to keep it. But things change...
Man, those are some PURDY bikes. I'm the one with the piano. I'm attached to it also, it is the cream puff piano of my dreams and I'd love to keep it. But things change...
mkk41
US Veteran
The downside to selling now is that used bike prices , even Harleys , are in the toilet! 
Good for buyers , bad for sellers.
10-15yrs ago , Harley prices were in the stratosphere.
Dealers who were once selling for $5000 over MSRP if you were willing to wait a year or two on a list , are shutting their doors , or selling at fire sale prices.
I'm not a fan of the new Twin Cam motor. I'll keep my old Evo , and my Shovelhead , and my Panhead , and my Flathead!
Good for buyers , bad for sellers.
10-15yrs ago , Harley prices were in the stratosphere.
Dealers who were once selling for $5000 over MSRP if you were willing to wait a year or two on a list , are shutting their doors , or selling at fire sale prices.
I'm not a fan of the new Twin Cam motor. I'll keep my old Evo , and my Shovelhead , and my Panhead , and my Flathead!
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