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How long to keep a bike

how long between bikes?"

  • 1 year

    Votes: 5 7.5%

  • 2-3years

    Votes: 21 31.3%

  • 4-5 years

    Votes: 11 16.4%

  • 5+ years

    Votes: 18 26.9%

  • I've kept them all!

    Votes: 12 17.9%
  • Total voters
    67
Papi-C

Papi-C

DOGS = WIN
Joined
Mar 18, 2004
Location
Little Bangalore
Moto(s)
Many
Name
Luis
On average how long do you keep your bike before you either trade it in or buy a new one and keep the old one.

My average is 3-4 years between new (new to me anyways) bikes.
 
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I wish I coulda kept them all, My FJ 1100/1314 is an '84 model, now that I'm old n grey I'm finally building the bike I wanted then.
 
I still have the Royal Enfield Interceptor I bought as a basket case in 1972. It's on it's 3rd incarnation, and awaiting #4.
I also have the Kawaski 500Triple I bought new in 1975, the 1959 Royal Enfield Indian (badged as an Indian motorcycle, not made in India) that I bought in 1980, the 1965 BMW R69S that I bought in 1991, the BSA 441 Shooting Star that was given to me in 1993 and restored in 1995, the 1982 BMW R100RT that I bought in 1999, and the Aprilia Caponord that I bought in December 2003.
Oh, and I still have the 1968 Honda CL125 Twin that I bought about 1981, and the 1965 Honda CB 160 that someone gave me about 10 years ago.
I also have a large garage and a barn.

I put down that I don't get rid of my old bikes. Not really true, I was given a 1970 Honda CL350 that didn't run, and I sold it for $175 after I fixed the torn carb diaphragm.
 
The 749 is my sixth bike in six years, but I bought it new in 2004. Took me a while to find the one. I'm looking at the Hyper, but I'm not planning to ever sell her. Except to a good friend.

My four year old bike is still a handful, still about ten percent unusable unless I'm having a great day, and still looks beautiful to me. She's just getting broken-in at 24K smiles.
 
most bike purchaces i have made with the intention of keeping them "forever" (10+ years), however i have never owned a bike for more than 3 years. usually, it'll end up i buy a bike thinking i will like this or that about it, then decide it really wasnt all it was cracked up to be, and sell it.

the bike i kept for 3 years was my 1998 zx6R, it was the 2nd 98' 6r i owned, first one i had for more than 1 year, so maybe you could say i really rode that make/model for 4 years. then sold it for a TZR250 (street legal) thinking it would be lighter, cheaper and more fun. well it was 2 of those things, you guess which two..

looking back (always 20/20 aint that great?), i shoulda kept that damn 98' 6r. i'd still have it today and i would have had it for 7 years now.

Last bike i had was a 10R, bought it expecting to never sell it, credit cards fucked me and had to sell it. been saving for another one ever since, cant wait to buy it flat out with cash then keep it "forever" ..... this time for realz tho !!!


EDIT: how could i forget my NSR50 !??!?! bought that (ok more like assembled) about a year ago, more as a trophy/garage candy/collector bike than anything else. i bought it with the plan of keeping it forever.... thats still the plan.
 
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SpeedyCorky said:
most bike purchaces i have made with the intention of keeping them "forever" (10+ years), however i have never owned a bike for more than 3 years. usually, it'll end up i buy a bike thinking i will like this or that about it, then decide it really wasnt all it was cracked up to be, and sell it.

the bike i kept for 3 years was my 1998 zx6R, it was the 2nd 98' 6r i owned, first one i had for more than 1 year, so maybe you could say i really rode that make/model for 4 years. then sold it for a TZR250 (street legal) thinking it would be lighter, cheaper and more fun. well it was 2 of those things, you guess which two..

looking back (always 20/20 aint that great?), i shoulda kept that damn 98' 6r. i'd still have it today and i would have had it for 7 years now.

Last bike i had was a 10R, bought it expecting to never sell it, credit cards fucked me and had to sell it. been saving for another once since, cant wait to buy it flat out with cash then keep it "forever" ..... this time for realz tho !!!
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Got a friend who always swears "this bike is perfect for me, I'm keeping it forever", then within 6 months, he's sold it (taking a bath on depreciation every time!).
It always starts with some minor complaint that eventually turns it into the "worst bike he's ever had".
My opinion is that there's nothing you can buy that will be perfect in every way, and you just have to learn to live with the imperpections you can't fix, and deal with the ones you can fix with ingenuity or aftermarket parts.
My problem is that the old timers I've had with me for more than 10 years have become absorbed into my identity, and I the thought of selling them is like the idea cutting off an arm. I'd only do it to save my life.
 
Never.

I do my research and buy the right bike. When the next right bike comes along, I will just add its technological distinctiveness to my others, in pursuit of perfection. I have Borg, on my Mothers side.
 

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try to keep them all

My goal is to try to keep them all, but my wife wants to put a limit on the number, selling off bikes before I get a new one. I'm trying to convince her that I need multiple bikes for different reasons. For example I need a supermoto, a lighter bike, with power, to throw around. I think I'm finally breaking ground here cause she says I can get a supermoto, and not have to sell off any of the other bikes (although I might get rid of the old xt250, might not though)

I would eventually like to have a nice collection of bikes. I'm also thinking about getting a BSA. Haven't talked to her about that one though. A 60's BMW would be fun too, and a Ural would be interesting.

I have sold a couple of bikes in the past that I wish I hadn't. An RD400 and my first bike, a Honda CL125. Wish I had them both still :cry. I got rid of my second bike, a Honda cb360, but it blew a valve or something. Other than that I still have all the bikes I've bought.
 
Me: I am keeping this one forever.
My wife: :rolleyes yeah right.

(repeat 2-3 times every 6 months... once for each bike in the garage. :teeth)

My current 03 R1 is the first bike I bought 'again'... so this one is true love, I guess, and I will most likely keep it forever. (see above 'yeah rrright'.)

The R1100S has been a love affair that started since the first time I saw it in the BMW line up. I have gotten so many complements from totally hot women who don't know shit about bikes that I will keep it forever. (again, see the above 'yeah rrright' comment.)
 
Keep them until they need to be rebuilt or repair exceeds the time and money alotted to the lifestyle, then sell at a huge loss. I wish I would have kept several of my old bikes.
 
Whenever I buy a bike, I'll just buy it used. It's less of a financial burden in the long run and if you take the proper steps and search carefully, reliability is no problem. I have a 2007 KLR650 that I bought brand new and really regret it. Not buying it used, that is. And I have a 2004 GSX-R600 that I did buy used with some cosmetic damage and got for a really good price, and I've been carefully converting it to a streetfight with lots of performance goodies. I really don't see myself getting anything else or selling these two for a very long time. The KLR is a great commuter, and I beat squidlys and more experienced riders on new liter bikes all the time with my little streetfighter, so what would be the point in getting rid of them? People just get it into their heads that they need the latest and greatest gadgets and such and don't take the time to really get to know their bikes abilities. I guess it's good for sensible people like me, because the market for low-mileage used bikes will always be vast.
 
bte320 said:
Whenever I buy a bike, I'll just buy it used. It's less of a financial burden in the long run and if you take the proper steps and search carefully, reliability is no problem.....

.... I guess it's good for sensible people like me, because the market for low-mileage used bikes will always be vast.
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Thats quite true. Every bike aside from my current one I've bought used. I bought this one new because I had promised myself that when I had a safe place to put it I would get myself something nice and new. Prior to that I was buying bikes based off of them not being on the "hot list" as I was living in an apt. My next bike will probably be used tho
 
bought used 2000 nighthawk 750, 4K miles. sold it at 20K miles (1.5 years later) to upgrade to a better bike.

used 2002 bandit 1200, 11K miles. still have it at 19K (1 year later) and am absolutely in love with it. i will probably ride this bike till it busts, which should take a long long time.

:)
 
bte320 said:
People just get it into their heads that they need the latest and greatest gadgets and such and don't take the time to really get to know their bikes abilities.
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Some people do, but there are some that simply do it to enjoy something different. I get bored very easily with cars/bikes and I kinda sorta 'need' the change... everyone of the bikes I owned (including the ninja 250) could be ridden a lot harder than I ever could, so there was never a need to upgrade.
 
Forever! They should be kept forever!

Then again I kind of like picking a particular model with a lot of aftermarket modifications and building up a moto from there once I feel I can justify the mechanical upgrade.
 
i usually get a new one every 4 - 5 years, and keep the old ones as space and parking permits. i am overdue for a new one. i will keep the the old ones when i get a new one and continue customizing them.
 
sixtytwo said:
Wow, how much did you pay to get infinite garage space?
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A soul (not mine) and sometime spent in the Army. Besides, I only plan on owning three motorcycles.

One for the street, One for Dirt and one for picking up Jail bait :thumbup

:twofinger
 
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