Other obsessions?

[larry kahn]

I've enjoyed and continue to enjoy a very moto-centric life. For over 50 years something moto-related has almost always been in mind one way or another. Mixed in with dogs and Hippie Chicks but I digress. I know there are others of like moto-mind here, but what other things do a noticeable size group of people get as obsessed about? Music comes to mind, but my narrow scope draws a bit of a blank otherwise.

 

[ST Guy]

For me, many of the things that occupied my time were mechanical. When I was a kid, I rebuilt my father’s 2 stroke lawnmower. I then rebuilt the flathead V8 for my ‘49 Ford. Later I built a race prepped Porsche engine for my VW bus that made over 200 hp. I then rebuilt my Suzuki transmission with under cut gears. And later I spent my career designing, building and testing minimally invasive medical devices for start ups. Even my home projects were often mechanically oriented. I guess I’ve always been a mechanically oriented kind of guy.

 

[larry kahn]

For me, many of the things that occupied my time were mechanical. When I was a kid, I rebuilt my father’s 2 stroke lawnmower. I then rebuilt the flathead V8 for my ‘49 Ford. Later I built a race prepped Porsche engine for my VW bus that made over 200 hp. I then rebuilt my Suzuki transmission with under cut gears. And later I spent my career designing, building and testing minimally invasive medical devices for start ups. Even my home projects were often mechanically oriented. I guess I’ve always been a mechanically oriented kind of guy.

You have healthy diversity there, so things mechanical occupy your mind but I've been pretty much motorcycles only since my first scary ride on a mini-bike. Luckily there had been plenty of good motorcycle magazines I devoured so I got some education despite dropping out of high school.

 

[AidanDawn2000]

Mountain biking!!

 

[ST Guy]

Never limit what you can do based on your schooling or lack of it. I barely got through high school. I graduated with a D- average. And did not attend college. But I went on to become a principal engineer in the medical device field with over 200 patents to my name.

There are no limits on what you can do with your life.

 

[bikeama]

Camping and travel. I have made two trips all around the good old USA, camping. 10 trips to Europe, 3 trips on motorcycle tours.

I still enjoy fixing and making things. I have never been a carpenter. But I do love metal fabrication and electrical. First person to finish college in my family and grew up with people in the trades. My father was a mechanic and a welding instruction in WW2. Running a bead just came natural to me. Made a tube frame dune buggy when I went to JC. Modified many motorcycle frames to lower the engine for flat track. Build what we called a Maszu, took my brother's Maico with a blown motor and put a 350 Suzuki in it. Damn it ran nice.

 

[tzrider]

I started riding when I turned 30, so a lot of life had already transpired before then. My passions to that point had included rock climbing, skiing, backpacking, making music and woodworking. After I began riding, I’d say I was all in, but kept adding other things, including ice climbing, ski mountaineering, martial arts, welding, tree felling and milling lumber.

I’ve always appreciated this quote:

A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.

-Robert A. Heinlein

 

[bmwbob51]

PICKLEBALL Retired and past 70 I can't ride all day long like I used to. I tried a health club to stay in shape but boring! I used to love playing ping pong, but I can't find anyone to play with, then I discovered pickleball and I'm obsessed! I would play every day if my elbow and shoulder would hold up. It's so much fun!

 

[CDONA]

Yep, there it is, I did think about posting Pickle Ball for all the print I've seen about it, for and against.
For a whiffle ball and a oversized ping pong paddle ?
The obsession comes from all the glitter of tennis, fancy whites, and tennis bracelets, pro teams on tv. Already? Joe Lunchbox has been shoved out, indoor warehouses with PB courts, with AC
Karens in Kommand

 

[budman]

I think I am pretty much like Larry. Very Moto Centric.

I do enjoy listening to good music and hanging with friends a lot so I suppose that is not fully moto centric, but those moto conversations do come up. Specially when the bikes are parked near after a good day riding.

 

[Pushrod]

Obsessions, eh?

Not until the statute of limitations runs out on some of my history for me. What I can talk about is that I keep chewing at a completion of an entire 'USA Today' book of crossword puzzles, each has 200 puzzles, with no errors, done in ink.

So far I have to settle for completing a final puzzle of one book exactly as the ink ran dry on the last letter of the last answer. That was as good as turning a six digit odometer over to zero.

 

[cg_ops]

Motos are one of the VERY FEW hobbies/interests that have stuck with me for a prolonged period of time. Outside of motos, it's... Gadgets. I hate that I love them so much, especially with ADHD, which means I become obsessed for days/weeks then move on like I never had an interest. I've dipped my toes into Arduino, RaspberryPi, networking/smart home stuff, PC gaming, RGB LED lighting, flashlights (yes, "enthusiast" grade flashlights), RC cars, FPV Drones, auto/moto accessories, etc to name a few...

My most-current obsessions are (including some of the above):

• RC trucks/crawlers - I'm now up to 5 + 1 drone;
  • Axial Ryft 1/10 rock bouncer (bought to "crawl" with my nephews who are big enthusiasts... it... doesn't crawl, it sprints like a rhino)
  • Axial Capra 1/16 crawler (actual crawler... just bought it this weekend on a labor day sale. my favorite terrain to crawl is our sleeping dogs )
  • Arrma:
    • Granite 4x4 3S Brushless
    • Vorteks 4x4 3S Brushless
    • Mojave Grom 4x4 2S Brushed
  • DJI Avata - it's always a hit when I pull it out at events, parks, etc.
• eBike(s) - Took my Bulls Adventure Evo to Bass Lake/Yosemite last week and borrowed my daughters RadPower for the (ha, finally get to say) wife . She never understood why I became such a big fan of eBikes till she used one... in the Yosemite valley no-less. Within 10 minutes she was HOOKED! Now I can't wait for us to get one for her so we can go on rides all over. I just need to find a good one for her and a decent hitch rack b/c, at 65lbs, it's a b--- to toss into the truck bed with 1-hand without scratching up the bike/tailgate
• Photography - I used to be into it when I was younger, I could even develop my own 35mm film. But halfway into college I lost interest. I've wanted a DSLR for YEARS but couldn't justify the price. Fortunately, Canon had some decent deals on refurbs so I picked up an R50 mirrorless 18-45mm kit and a 24-240 zoom lens. Good god have I forgotten everything about shooting (choosing ISO, Aperture, speed, etc) but I have a good eye and modern cameras do pretty damn decent jobs of filling in the skill gap with auto settings and/or tutorials or suggestions
• Home/Landscape lighting - I'm a sucker for vibrant, colorful lights. So the Mrs has supported my obsession with 20+ Atomi RGBW spot/path lights that I can individually control for fun lighting for various holidays/events (they all green/purple currently for the new Beetlejuice movie!). I also picked up the Govee permanent lights that Costco is currently selling. I'm putting them up on the gutters for year-round mood/decorative lighting but, particularly, holiday goofiness.
• Tools - Every damn hobby seems to require its own set of niche tools. But most tools can be bastardized for other uses... so I've got tons of tools thanks to motorcycles, and have expanded the collection for electronics (DMMs, GaN chargers, bench PSU, Hakko soldering machine/parts, precision drivers, wago connectors, solid/threaded wires, lots of magnets for holding things), RC/Drones (powered precision tools, workspace mats, tool organizers), cleaning products for all the messes I make (shop-vac and dry/wet accesories like a 20ft hose, dustbusters, blowers [instead of canned air], cleaning chemicals, steam cleaners, dozens of microfiber cloths, etc)

 

[GAJ]

A/V; got my firstm5.1 setup in 1985.

5.1.4 today.

 

[larry kahn]

Interesting to see those that go all-in for multiple things. I remember being about 15 years old and really could not understand how not everybody wasn't interested in motorcycles. I've had some diversions from time to time and attempts to find other interest but pretty much moto all the time. So be it.

 

[ThumperX]

I like motorcycles for the way they force my brain to stop and focus. My one true love is airplanes. When I moved to the Bay Area airplanes no longer provided peace. I was used to flying out of a grass strip in rural Virginia. Airspace was open compared to the Bay Area's congested air traffic.

 

[Wolf]

Running

 

[larry kahn]

Running

But does anyone get tattoos of their sneakers?

 

[budman]

Please splain. I have no clue.

 

[Wolf]

But does anyone get tattoos of their sneakers?

 

[tuxumino]