Featured First Year Biking - Shhhhhhhh

Try doing those sums with a new car and see where it comes out ...........

 

Its always front end loaded, hopefully this year will be relatively cheap ! as you have all the gear and mods already done (well some of them ...)

 

Don't forget servicing cost, then the biking holiday. Of course there is the option to upgrade your bike. The list goes on.....

 

My bike is the only hobby passion I enjoy doing other than of course spending time with family and friends . As long as I am on top of my family responsibilities...... I don't give it much thought on the bike related spending I do. Also the fact that I take very good care of my purchases. My motorbike leather kit was purchased 15 years ago. Even today it looks like brand new. After every ride I'd spend 15 mins wiping my gear with baby wipes and dry it. Once a year all my gear gets a proper wash and treated.

As long as you can afford it comfortably then enjoy it with a big grin.

We all deserve ... Smiles... Happiness ... Love...

 

And then you realise you want a second and third bike, try getting that past your wife.

 

Second bike try 5 LOL

 

The expenditure has reached its peak. (keep saying that). As for value for money, difficult call. Depends on your life style, I don't drink or smoke so between those 2 I think I cover my biking costs.
The biggest cost to me is my European tours. I find them addictive, but the memories. What price can you put on them.
Enjoy your biking.

 

Do more miles, brings the cost per mile down a little!

 

Ha, ha! If you think that expensive come and have a good at racing, I've got good at hiding the bank/credit card statements or I'd be in big trouble with Mrs Bad Billy (and she's way badder than me ).

 

Sorry to trip down memory lane, but when I were young, biking couldn't have been that expensive. I took my test at 18 after riding an old DT100 and doing the test ("ride round the block, come back, and I'll step out in front of you so you can do an emergency stop" said the tester). Upgraded to a GSX750 which cost the equivalent of 3 weeks of my clerks wages. Insurance was quite high, about £100 I seem to remember. It's why bikers are mostly old gits like me nowadays.

 

Any tips on this welcome - I keep trying to broach the subject. "Why do you need another bike?" - how do you start explaining?

 

You could explain that advancing years demands softer, more modern suspension while selling an appreciating classic would be plain foolish.

You’ll need one of these too

 

Good morning and welcome in. I agree that getting started from a standpoint of no basics, is always costly! You have that out of the way. Remember to always ride safe and enjoy.

 

Hey Chris, what an incredibly good value hobby, eh?

Year two is all about personalising with accessories and modifications.

 

I honestly can’t put a dollar/pound value on my bike. It’s something I’ve wanted since I first saw a Bonnie on an old poster. I may get another but there’s nothing like your first. Don’t tell the missus!

Nurse! Where’s my meds!

 

It’s a fine art, I’ve managed it by changing bikes and being so lazy selling the old one that in the end she just becomes used to there being two in the garage, then a local project is acquired to keep me out of the pub and then a little 125 to work on with my son, bugger me we’ve now got four, so two is now never going to be a problem.

Simples!

 

It's the same as"why do you need yet more shoes (boots/bag/make-up)"?

Plus, remind her never to knock your decisions, because she's one of them!

 

Simple answer is that you aren't riding it anywhere enough. Here's the equation:

£expensivebike / Low_mileage = £an_upsetting_result

However if we play with some of the variables we get a better result. For example:

a) £expensivebike : Pretend to the wife/yourself you didn't spend as much as you did and this figure will decrease. If you are an accountant then I am sure there are plenty of ways to amortise costs efficiently!

b) Low_mileage : Well this is the easiest to remedy. Dividing £expensivebike (numerator) by a far bigger mileage number (denominator) will result in better cost per mile outcome. You therefore need to ride it a lot more - Clearly there are variable costs for riding more (fuel/service etc) but constants (cost of the bike/insurance) are large and static.

c) Don't do the maths - just enjoy being a biker

Edit: Sorry Hippo-Drones - you got in there first with the drive it more gag