What to do....

[Publius]

Almost always I will take performance over comfort, but lately I am coming to the harsh realization that my riding time is severely cut because it is not comfortable for my wife to ride along with me. She likes to ride but only for short distances. Next weekend we were going to do a charity ride for March of Dimes (over 100miles). She doesn’t think she can ride for that long so I am riding solo and she will be volunteering at the event. Almost everything else we do together, but riding has always been my thing. I tried to talk her into getting a bike but she is uninterested. She does like motorcycles and likes to watch AMA races with me; it is just not practical to actually come along. We have been through a lot in the last couple years and I really want to include her more. With a newborn at home our “adult time” is very limited. I have been toying around with the idea of getting a sport touring bike thinking that my riding time should at minimum double. As it is now the only time I seem to ride is to work (with a few detours through some back roads). I have a real problem getting rid of my 03 Gixxer1k, I love my bike. I still have just under 2 years left to pay on it. After it is paid off I could buy another and just have two bikes, but that seems like a long time to wait to be able to get in some decent riding time. I was going to pay it off early but now I have a mountain of medical bills and on top of that I got penetrated by the IRS this year. Anyone here go from a race replica liter bike to something a little better for 2-up riding? I still want something that can keep up and be able to do an occasional track day. The love of rolling on the throttle and getting a good drive out of a corner will always be flowing through my veins so a cruiser or a goldwing is not really my style. I am not real sure what to do. I have only put about 500 miles on my bike in the last couple years but I am ready to get back into it as long as God does not pull the rug out from under me again (long story). At this point I no longer know anyone who shares the same love of motorcycles that I do. No one I have talked to seems to understand my dilemma. Any thoughts/ideas.  

~Ryan  

[jude]

Any thoughts/ideas.  

Um, paragraphs might be nice, otherwise, nope.

[CBRXXBLACKBIRD]

Sure I have a idea buy a Goldwing its a RV on two wheels.

[DNA]

Your wife does not enjoy riding a few hundred miles on the back of your GSXR?  Why not?  Sounds like paradise to me.  Duh.
Look at an XX, FJR, or Sprint. All winners here.

[IrishFazerBoy]

Yup, for 2up, what he said.   My preference is FJR, but the bike's not for me.   Also consider the new ZX14, or it's sister the new Connie.   Dare I mention HD     Have fun shopping with the wife...you are going to bring her shopping...right?

[JoelCool]

First of all, WELCOME!!!

Only having put 500 miles on in the last couple years would make me seriously consider making a change, especially considering the financial issues you bring up.  The cheapest option is always going to be keep what you currently have.

For me, I switched to the open classers once we had kids.  It's such a PITA to get the babysitter over, gear up then go for a ride that we just never did that.  I consider open class bikes pretty much one-up machines.  I suspect in a few years my wife will once again be up for riding, but the kids will be nearly teens by then, and they can be left at home for periods of time.

I'd say give it a couple years and see where things go.  Your GSXR is more valuable to you than it would be to anyone you sell it to.

There ya go, $.02.  Keep the change.

[GusinCA]

Interesting.
My wife and I have a three-year old, so together time is VERY important to us.
I have a 1998 ZX-11 that I am selling, and it has genmar risers, a corbin gunfighter-lady seat with backrests, electric vests, etc.
I'm assuming this bike is far more comfortable than the GSXR, and it is still too uncomfortable to me and her.
I am selling it, and buying something far more comfortable (within my budget). Of course if I had the money I would go for a ST1300, FJR1300, BMW. But as I only have about 6k to spend, I'm thinking about a cruiser. Very unsporty, I know, but I would rather go slow with her than fast by myself...

[Sport]

A full time pillion ALWAYS picks the bike or else you'll never be happy!  Its all about the rear seat comfort.

[1moreroad]

   Is your riding time cut because of the bike or because of the kid?  Will she have time/interest to do more miles if you had a more comfortable bike or is that just one of many reasons?

If you've ridden 500 miles in 3 years, I'd cut your losses and sell the bike instead of paying for 2 more years -- that's, what, another $5k (assuming financed) for 400 miles?  More than $10/mile just in payments!  I'd think you could net $2k - $3k after selling it to apply towards those bills.

[Sarchi]

The reason kids come along is to change your priorities.  

Motorcycles, bills, family time.  Something's gotta give.

[MarcS]

Interesting.
My wife and I have a three-year old, so together time is VERY important to us.
I have a 1998 ZX-11 that I am selling, and it has genmar risers, a corbin gunfighter-lady seat with backrests, electric vests, etc.
I'm assuming this bike is far more comfortable than the GSXR, and it is still too uncomfortable to me and her.
I am selling it, and buying something far more comfortable (within my budget). Of course if I had the money I would go for a ST1300, FJR1300, BMW. But as I only have about 6k to spend, I'm thinking about a cruiser. Very unsporty, I know, but I would rather go slow with her than fast by myself...

Concours?

[Publius]

   Is your riding time cut because of the bike or because of the kid?  Will she have time/interest to do more miles if you had a more comfortable bike or is that just one of many reasons?

If you've ridden 500 miles in 3 years, I'd cut your losses and sell the bike instead of paying for 2 more years -- that's, what, another $5k (assuming financed) for 400 miles?  More than $10/mile just in payments!  I'd think you could net $2k - $3k after selling it to apply towards those bills.

Not to kill the positive mood in the forum but I lost my 1st born in 05, that is the main reason I have only put 500 miles on the bike. My life feels like it has been on hold the last couple years. I will refrain from getting too deep into the subject because it seems to make a lot of people uncomfortable. For anyone curious www.waylandsimpact.com

Before that it was no big deal, when I would go ride she would just do something else. We didn't have much other responsibility. We just had our 2nd child a couple months ago and there is just not time for us to have separate hobbies now. Besides, I would rather spend my time with family that with most of the squids I see running around town.

As for my financial situation we have a lot of unexpected bills but we are not about to go bankrupt or anything.

I am not one of those people who buy a motorcycle, ride it for a year, and sell it because it is never ridden. I have been riding for over 10 years now. I will never go more than a month or two without a bike unless I am physically able to ride.  

I can’t get her honest feedback because she doesn’t want to be the reason I sell something I love. She will just have to go look at bikes with me, maybe that will help spark the conversation.

Thanks for the responses guys. I will post more later; I just got the green light to head up to the local bike night for an hour or so.

[johne]

First of all, WELCOME!!!

Only having put 500 miles on in the last couple years would make me seriously consider making a change, especially considering the financial issues you bring up.  The cheapest option is always going to be keep what you currently have.

For me, I switched to the open classers once we had kids.  It's such a PITA to get the babysitter over, gear up then go for a ride that we just never did that.  I consider open class bikes pretty much one-up machines.  I suspect in a few years my wife will once again be up for riding, but the kids will be nearly teens by then, and they can be left at home for periods of time.

I'd say give it a couple years and see where things go.  Your GSXR is more valuable to you than it would be to anyone you sell it to.

There ya go, $.02.  Keep the change.

By far the best response I've seen yet. I know you want to include your wife in riding but it may be better for you to still do it solo for a while. Unless you have family close by to watch the munchkin it's gonna be hard to plan riding time not to mention having to pay for a babysitter. Until my son turned 5 and he and I started riding together it was always me solo on the majority of rides. Once he turned 8 I got play bikes for all of us to ride (read dirt bikes TTR125 for mom TTR250 for me and PW80 for the ankle biter) It's really hard to get time to do things with a child that young. Just wait a few years and then see how things go. Good luck with whatever you do and welcome to the forum.

[GusinCA]

That's the main reason my wife and I sold the quads and bought a Rhino with a rear cage. Now our little toddler sits back there in her full five point harness and loves to go along on slow sedate rides. When she gets chilly I even have an electric vest I put behind her and turn on low. Heated seat!

And before my wife got preggo we were looking into a Corvette convertible, but now we have a Mustang GT convertible with a rollbar and her little car seat back there.

You can do fun things, but you have to adjust how you do them. The best way to have fun is to hire grandma to watch her, of course...

[kendenton]

Not to kill the positive mood in the forum but I lost my 1st born in 05, that is the main reason I have only put 500 miles on the bike. My life feels like it has been on hold the last couple years. I will refrain from getting too deep into the subject because it seems to make a lot of people uncomfortable. For anyone curious www.waylandsimpact.com

My heart goes out to you, and you're an inspiration for turning something so tragic into a positive force in your life.

[Willie G]

In the 9 months since I got the Busa, the wife has never even set on it.  But she adamantly refuses to let me even consider selling it because, heaven help me, I enjoy it sooooo much.  

Her solution is for us to eventually purchase a K-LT for both of us to ride.


I reckon I'll just have to suck it up and be a good sport about it.....    

[Flyer]

I say:
Rescue a well used (cheap) Concours, and all three of you wrench it back to life. In a few years time, add a sidecar for Junior.
Result (eventually):
Two rides in the garage, and a family hobby.

[Publius]

That's the main reason my wife and I sold the quads and bought a Rhino with a rear cage. Now our little toddler sits back there in her full five point harness and loves to go along on slow sedate rides. When she gets chilly I even have an electric vest I put behind her and turn on low. Heated seat!

And before my wife got preggo we were looking into a Corvette convertible, but now we have a Mustang GT convertible with a rollbar and her little car seat back there.

You can do fun things, but you have to adjust how you do them. The best way to have fun is to hire grandma to watch her, of course...

I have a 92 5.0 convertible that is laid up right now (not primary vehicle). I have to fix an electrical problem to get it going again, I just haven’t had the time. Maybe when this colicky faze is over I will get that done so we can all go for a ride.

 We have a lot of family in town so we pretty much have people fighting to baby-sit.

My heart goes out to you, and you're an inspiration for turning something so tragic into a positive force in your life.

Thanks, I don’t want to look back on my son’s life and it be a negative thing. Although it is still painful, when I look back on his life I can now see a lot of positive things.


Thanks for the responses. I thought about getting some www.convertibars.com to hold me over but I hate to spend that much without ever seeing them or knowing how well they work. Then in a couple years I can have two bikes. I have a feeling that I would still be in the same boat because my dad would always want to borrow the sport touring bike.  

How do the bigger bikes handle in the twistees? All of my riding experience has been on lighter bikes. Also, with some of the less common bikes like the BMW for example, there is not a dealership within 100 miles or so. I usually do most of the basic maintenance myself. When you do need maintenance is it a problem getting parts or finding someone to work on it?  

[Bunbun]

GT bikes (ZZR1200, CBR1100XX, Busa, etc) handle pretty well and you can easily hang with the most 600 riders on the street.  It takes a little more effort to slog it around (sharp transitions, chicanes and the like) but its doable without much of a problem.  

Last year at the Gap I have my 1100XX completely loaded up (3 full givis plus stuff strapped onto the seat) and was able to hang with a 600 right in front of me.  Granted it wasn't a mind blurring speed, but it was quite spirited and I did scrape some peg.  90% of the time the bike will do more than the rider.  Even if you are on the track.

Bun

[Norwegian Blue]

Just read through Wayland's story. My heartfelt condolences to you, from one who understands:  http://www.marchofdimes.com/prematurity/b.asp?band_id=30324

[evilmedic13]

Sounds like she won't be a long haul passenger for awhile. If she likes short rides take her on short rides, is it because of the bike or some medical/body issues?
  Those questions go a long way towards helping you out. The GT's are fun, but your Gixxer will walk away from my FJR unless the other has no clue, which I don't think is the case here. My wife loves the feej so much she actually helped me w/ the rebuild when she didn't have much time, once she got some extra time she was chomping at the bit to get it rolling. She even helped me install the SSbrake lines and bled the clutch after all that .
  Before you get a new/different "couples" bike make sure the bike would be the difference or has her passion for the ride changed w/ the family size? Just my .02, hope it all gets better(especially the IRS part). Congrats on continuing on after losing the little one, most couples aren't strong enough for that kinda test.

[zzr pilot]

I am very sorry for your loss.

You were asking how the bigger GT type bikes handle, check the pictures in this link for the answer!!!  Not to blow my own horn, but these things do handle and will more than "hang with a 600" on the street in the right hands.

http://www.sport-touring.net/forums/index.php/topic,7882.0.html

[joema]

Maybe the cheapest thing would be keep the GSXR, but add a more comfortable passenger seat, plus peg lowering kit for the passenger. Do those exist for the GSXR?

[ridetherejk]

Sorry to hear about all the crap you and your wife have had to deal with. Sometimes life just sucks. As for your bike question, you have to ask both you and her, what will make US happy. I can't answer that and no one else can either. If you're not happy, she won't be either. I can tell you this, when my girlfriend had a stroke and couldn't ride her own bike, I was ready to sell my BMW GS for a LT or Goldwing. Whatever she wanted. However, she didn't want me to do that because she knew I loved to ride that thing. After talking it over with her, she knew I would rather ride a "moped" with her, then a GS without her. After we started looking, she decided she wanted to get a sidecar rig. For us, that is what worked. Just remember, if you're not happy, she won't be either. I hope life paves a smoother road for you and yours.  John

[cbsnbiker]

Here's my recommendation: sit down with your wife, and do some brainstorming:

• Would you do more riding if you had a different kind of bike?
• Would your wife go for more rides with you if she were more comfortable, or is her heart really not in it?
• If she would go for more rides if she were more comfortable, what would help her be more comfortable?
  • An aftermarket seat?
  • Something else? If so, what?
  • A new bike? If so, what kind of bike?
• What can the two of you afford?

Honest, heartfelt answers to these questions may help guide you towards the right decision.

[Bodhi]

I think it's perfect justification to get a second bike - so the squeeze can ride pillion for charity rides.

[Publius]

Just read through Wayland's story. My heartfelt condolences to you, from one who understands:  http://www.marchofdimes.com/prematurity/b.asp?band_id=30324

My condolences to you also… Before our loss I had no idea how common these things happen.  After we lost our son people all around us started sharing their stories. I guess it is just too hard to talk about unless it is to someone who has been there. You can never really move on, but you have to move forward.





As far as the handling question, I don’t have to be the fastest guy out there and don’t plan on riding too fast with a passenger. One of the guys I ride with occasionally has a 305hp busa and can drag his knee, so I am not even going to try. It is all about doing the type of riding you like while staying within your skill level.  I see people on 1000s revving the engine and burning the tire but when they go to turn out of a parking lot they have to duck paddle to get out. There are a few good roads around here but mostly there are long sweepers. It’s Florida; most people don’t even need a kick stand because the tire is so flat in the center.  

The charity ride this Saturday starts at a dealership. Maybe we can sit on a couple different bikes and see what she thinks.  If anything, maybe I can talk her into paying the gixxer off early so we can get a bike for us. If I do that I will have to probably let her pick the bike. She is a Jake Zemke fan so she will probably try to talk me into a Honda. I ask her flat out if she liked riding and she said yes. She doesn’t really have many hobbies so I think she could get into it.