"Life events" and their impact on riding

[screwtop]

Maybe I need to see a moto-psychologist. I'm finding myself less interested in riding these days. I didn't go on any long trips this year. I usually do at least 2. I'm finding that I just don't like to be away from my son (who just turned 1 last month) and wife for several days at a time anymore. As a result, my rides have been short hops here and there, and the GS is not getting as much exercise as it used to (only 2,500 miles this year :dunno).

So, I guess riding is one of those priorities that is "waning" a bit as the life event of parenthood "waxes". I guess it's a good thing. How have life event(s) (i.e, births, deaths, new jobs, moves, etc.) impacted your riding frequency, habits, or general attitude about our sport?

[userw5]

Maybe I need to see a moto-psychologist. I'm finding myself less interested in riding these days. I didn't go on any long trips this year. I usually do at least 2. I'm finding that I just don't like to be away from my son (who just turned 1 last month) and wife for several days at a time anymore. As a result, my rides have been short hops here and there, and the GS is not getting as much exercise as it used to (only 2,500 miles this year :dunno).

So, I guess riding is one of those priorities that is "waning" a bit as the life event of parenthood "waxes". I guess it's a good thing. How have life event(s) (i.e, births, deaths, new jobs, moves, etc.) impacted your riding frequency, habits, or general attitude about our sport?


Don't worry you're normal.

I'm in the same boat. I have two sons. Between school, soccer, scouts, etc there is very little time to ride.

Would I love to have more time to ride.......you bet. But if it comes down to camping with the scouts or attending a soccer game.....the bike just sits. See my signature.

My wife wonders some times why I even have it.

[Belquar]

Maybe I need to see a moto-psychologist. I'm finding myself less interested in riding these days. I didn't go on any long trips this year. I usually do at least 2. I'm finding that I just don't like to be away from my son (who just turned 1 last month) and wife for several days at a time anymore. As a result, my rides have been short hops here and there, and the GS is not getting as much exercise as it used to (only 2,500 miles this year :dunno).

So, I guess riding is one of those priorities that is "waning" a bit as the life event of parenthood "waxes". I guess it's a good thing. How have life event(s) (i.e, births, deaths, new jobs, moves, etc.) impacted your riding frequency, habits, or general attitude about our sport?

I commute on my GS. That is the bulk of my riding. I put about 10k miles a year on the bike. Mostly commuting, with a weekend trip here and there. I went on two weekend trips this year. The Square Root Rally and the bike giving event we did over in Lancaster for Doug. Beyond that, my riding is to work and back.

Parked now. Transmission crapped the bed on me so I am bikeless. May ride my Dad's RT home from Thanksgiving until my ride is fixed. Or his GS. He didn't really say what bike, just said I could steal one of them.

I have a 2 year old and a 7 month old. I work nights and am a stay-at-home dad during the day. The wife and I hand the kids off in the parking lot at her office in the mornings and I come home for the day. We have dinner together and then back to work on the nights I work. I always work one day of the weekend either a 17 hour shift on Saturday or a 24 hour shift on Sunday. The off day is spent with the family since we don't get to spend a lot of time together any other time.

I look forward to the days when one of my girls can join me but until then, I am mostly a commuter.
Wouldn't trade my time with my kids though. All anyone can ever say is how fast they grow up. I will have time to ride more later.

[sachiwilson]

My riding went up and down over the years, including one year when I could barely get myself in the saddle. But never fear - if you want to ride, you will!

[2beers]

I think my riding has impacted my riding. After the crash I asked Cass if we were done riding. When she said "no" i knew this was a life long hobby(?). Give it time. I felt the same about racing and gave that up completely. But as the kids get older they may just say "Dad, lets go for a ride". You may enter a whole new level of riding Zen if you will. My daughters are looking to learn how to ride and I look forward to riding with them.


:thumb

[kewlmoose]

Well here's my take on this.
Things change over time and your priorities shift accordingly. I'm 'getting back' into riding after a 15+ year hiatus as I've taken to calling my lack of riding the last 15-17 years. During that point in time my wife and I raised 3 kids, one who is currently a freshman in college and twins who are juniors in high school. I went back to school and got a bachelors degree and my wife just finished her masters degree. I was a den leader and cubmaster in a cub scout troop for 5 years and am currently in my 6th year as an assistant scoutmaster in a boy scout troop. I also started an archery themed venture crew. In between I would only manage to get a few hundred miles on my bike in a year.
Now that I have more free time I've gotten back into riding and put a little over 2200 miles on in about 4 months.

You don't need a moto-physiologist or anything, you're just adjusting to a change. Some free unrequested advise - stay involved in your son's (and future kids) life and enjoy the time with him/them!
And keep the bike around 'for running errands' and things! ;)

[Rapid_Roy]

My daughter got encephalitis in 2002, she was almost 5. This has cut my riding to much less than half of what I used to do, but I have a feeling kids would have done that somewhat anyway. Remember the "Cats in the cradle" lesson. Once they are grown up (or better, maybe), there will be more room for other things.

[Braddog]

There are priorities to consider. You hear about people giving up riding when they become parents, or read "For Sale" ads that say, "New baby on the way, toys must go.." I don't like those ads, because I think the people are lying. However if the message is really, "My priorities need to be realigned..." then I'm okay with it. They still don't have to sell their motorcycle, though.

To me, family is first, and always has been. Now that my kids are older, and I'm down to only one at home full time, I've got a lot more time to give to riding motorcycles. My interest has waned over the past year as well, and I know exactly why. The majority of my miles have always been commuting miles. I took a new job in November of 2005, which provided a new commute route to me. The new job pretty much requires that I ride at least 8-10 miles on one of the major freeways here in town. The commute to my old job was pleasurable, and pretty much worry-free. Riding freeways at high speed during rush hour while people in cars are busy talking on the cell phone, or sending text messages just isn't fun.

Never have regrets about choosing spending time with your family over almost ANY activity. You can ride another day, but every day with family is one you can never get back if you miss it.

[lamble]

on one particularly bland bachelor shopping trip with a fellow sad git (Chris), I was in our local Sainsbury supermarket calculating the cost advantages of four-pack variety yoghurts over individual tubs. Whilst the 2 pence saving was attractive, the addition of Apricot as a flavour was a less appealing element and this unwanted fruit flavour would mean the saving was a false economy.
But wait!
You are experiencing the same sense of “what the hell” that I had at that very moment.
This isn't what I was working my butt off for, Chris maybe, but not me. I was dangerous, proactive, a go getter, for Christ sake I'd been a centre spread in Computer Weekly and on Anglia TV News, after the item on a junior school's attempt at the longest knitted scarf and before the weather report, dull and overcast if I recall. So, I was Big Time.
To be honest, I was so distraught at my current situation I don't remember which yoghurts I bought. What I do remember is that I found myself, with Chris, sitting on every one of the motorbikes in the nearest dealers and ordering a BMW K75S on the spot (I may have been dangerous in my mind, but this was the safe option).
Now all I had to do was pass my test.

extract from my forthcoming downloadable book...unchained across the USA. Not available in any good book shops, or crap ones come to think of it. Will be serialised on unchainedworld.com along with pictures of an apricot yoghurt pot.

[BubbaZanetti]

I hear ya on this. I've only been riding for 4 "seasons". 04' was my first year and i wasn't really exposed to the Iron Butt crowd yet nor did i commute much. 05' was close to a 25,000 mile year. 06' less, but still at lot at 16K or so. this year, between moving to NYC and not doing any IBA events, i think i only managed about 8 or 9K, with barely any miles since late august.

I don't mind, other things are keeping me busy, but i definitely didn't feel the urge to pile the miles on this year like i had in the past, besides, tires are expensive.:thumb

[The_Veg]

You're genetically programmed to sacrifice everything for the good of, and to obsess over, your child- regardless of your previous values. This is a mechanism that ensures survival of the species. Now that our species is in no danger of going away, my advice is to keep the bike. With a little luck the kid might share the interest in a few years too, and could eventually blossom into one heluva great riding-buddy. Even if you never ride beyond the edge of town ever again, you'll prize taking a ride now and then when you need some alone-time to be meditative.

But hey, what the hell do I know- I'm just a crazy bachelor who's probably better-off staying that way. :laugh

[hlothery]

My son just got married, has graduated from TCU (go Frogs!) and has a good job. Things were looking up for my wife and I, now alone in our empty nest. However, my right knee did not cooperate, so the knee replacement ruined this past summer's riding. Now the left is scheduled to be replaced on Dec 17th - Merry Christmas! - but I'll be back in the saddle by spring. Just bumps in the road.

[adamceckhardt]

Riding seems to be the only real luxury in my life right now. I JUST finished a remodel on my 3 unit rental. Between working 50 hours a week at my job, and close to 40 a week on that remodel, I logged about 2000 miles this summer. Go ahead, poke fun! Now that I'm done, I owe my girlfriend big time- and I'd rather spend time with her than ride. Thats why I talked her into buying an F650GS- we can now ride together.

We just got close to a foot of snow last night, so the bike will sit for at least a week or two while the roads dry off. My goal for next summer is to find more time for riding- I'd like to do at least 10,000 miles AND spend time with the lady. Without remodeling going on, its definately possible. Who knows what "life events" might come up in the mean time!?!

[henzilla]

I , as many here came back to riding after a major "event". I sold a bike in 1981 and raised kids for awhile, seemed right for me to concentrate on that...I knew I would come back some day. I rode bicycles to keep that two wheeled feeling.

Today I finalized my intent and signed papers to retire Dec 31st after 23 years here in Austin and 30 and change total in the electric utility business. My 3 kids are all over 26 years of age, one 30 married with two grandkids, the twins are still doing school part time, one on the left coast, the other the gulf coast.
I intend on travelling ALL of next year by bike(s) to see places and people I need to. My GF rides and is why I tried the BMW's to start with, so that works out great for me. Then when I need some tires,or that NEW bikeI may do something FUN again for a part time job.

[dancogan]

And I'm kinda like Steve. My wife and I decided that the bike would wait until the kids were through college, wedding paid for, etc. I rode a friend's bike occasionally, but no bike in the garage. Then one day it happened. I suggested the motorcycle to my wife and she said "yes" with no hesitation. The time was right.

As I've told employees who have worked for me, you never regret the time you lose from work to spend with your family. Go to the baseball games and the soccer games. Those days pass far too quickly!

[PGlaves]

My dear wife Voni learned to ride so that, with 2 kids, 8 and 10 at the time, we could take motorcycle trips as a family. Two-up on two bikes, one kid on each bike. Our first trips were only 100 to 200 miles on 250cc Yamaha RD250s. Then I got a 750 and she got a BMW R60/5 and life has never been the same since. For about 8 years our summer vacations were always a motorcycle trip with the kids - one or both.

When Mt. St. Helens blew its top our son, then 14 had just been studying volcanoes. I concluded that he might never again have the chance to see a real volcano and its aftermath, so we jumped on my motorcycle and took a trip from Iowa to Washington to see Mt. St. Helens. We were nearby when the little second (or third) eruption happened.

With your son now 1, it will be a few years but if you want it to your motorcycle can open up lots of father-son stuff not available to most American children. Maybe even a volcano!

[terham]

I think this is fairly typical, especially as your priorities change. I used to ride a lot and did't even own a car. Then I met my wife to be (who had a car:dance ), and though we'd ride together, we tended to go places in her car. After I had (2) children, I rode very little, and didn't really want to. There were some years I went less than 100 miles, but vowed to always hold onto the bike. I even got to the point where I only insured the bike for 6 months and actually, say it ain't so, put the bike away in the winter. I've only started riding more in the last 3 years, and my daughter even rides with me from time to time now. I would say hold onto the bike because the time will come when you have the time and desire to ride more, and enjoy your time with your family when you're not riding.

[beemerred]

I had ridden in various stages since `75 . In `98 I had a bout with melonoma (skin cancer) and sold the bike I had at the time which was a Honda CX650. After I got better the next spring,( the treatment was worse than the cancer itself because we got it early), I rode with a friend down to T.W.O. in Suches, Ga. on his `79 Triumph Bonneville. I WAS BACK AND WITH A VENGENCE! My point is to enjoy motorcycling in any way you can while your life changes because in the end you`ll have more time to enjoy it the way you remembered when you started out. By the way, my wife won`t ride with me anymore because of health reasons (back) but she still understands my need to get away from it all and "focus" on the road which takes your mind off other things. Motorcycling for me is like a mini-vacation of 3 hours to 3days after which I am a better person. Good Luck with those "life events" because it ain`t gonna git any eazier for awhile. beemerred: wave

[osbornk]

We have an incurable disease. It may go into remission but it always returns. I got my first motor scooter in 1963 and have "quit" riding six or seven times. I was a claims adjuster for 30+ years and I my disease tended to go into remission every time I had to handle a claim on a dead or crippled rider who was not at fault for the accident (which was all of the claims I handled with an auto company). I would handle the claim and sell my motorcycle. However, in a few years, I would buy another bike and start all over again. I did this several times before I realized I had an incurable disease and simply decided to keep a bike or two always.

The desire does rise and fall with personal events but there is nothing worse than having the urge to ride and having no way to act on the urge.

[john1691]

Sold my bike when we became parents at age 23 and needed the money. I was without a bike for 13 years when I finally got back in the saddle. Now my oldest (17) has his own bike, and the youngest (13) loves to ride with me on the K12. I thought I'd go nuts every spring that I was without a bike, but it probably helped me keep my priorities straight and spend that time with the kids. If anything, I wish I could have worked less and been home even more, they grow up too fast! My oldest heads off to college next fall, and the 13 year old will be gone in 5 short years, so at 46 we will be empty nesters with plenty of time to ride. For now I do 1 or 2 overnights a year, the rest of the time is pretty much Sunday afternoon riding, as I work construction and can't commute.

If you love riding, you'll come back to it, if it isn't a passion, you'll be content doing other activities. Enjoy life, it is too short to worry about the little stuff!

[jstanco]

Maybe I need to see a moto-psychologist. I'm finding myself less interested in riding these days. I didn't go on any long trips this year. I usually do at least 2. I'm finding that I just don't like to be away from my son (who just turned 1 last month) and wife for several days at a time anymore. As a result, my rides have been short hops here and there, and the GS is not getting as much exercise as it used to (only 2,500 miles this year :dunno).

So, I guess riding is one of those priorities that is "waning" a bit as the life event of parenthood "waxes". I guess it's a good thing. How have life event(s) (i.e, births, deaths, new jobs, moves, etc.) impacted your riding frequency, habits, or general attitude about our sport?

Don't worry.. I was off my bike for 14 years.. Then the "girl" got to be 14 and wanted to ride.. OOOH I am back on.. We took the MSF course as mom and daughter and now she has a 250 Rebel she affectionately calls "gidgit" We are able to stay together now as a family when most 14 year olds don't want to be seen with parents, hers are "the cool parents"

Keep the faith buddy..

[wsteinborn]

My daughter turns 16 this weekend.

I'd ride 24 hours a day if I could, until she goes to college and returns. Hopefully by then her 'tude will fade........

[jstanco]

My daughter turns 16 this weekend.

I'd ride 24 hours a day if I could, until she goes to college and returns. Hopefully by then her 'tude will fade........


'tudes are normal.... No Drivers License for my kid if the 'tude continues....I test them everyday, that's my job in Oklahoma...Keep a smile and keep riding happy!

[screwtop]

I appreciate all the posts on this thread and the different perspectives. It would appear (and it's very refreshing to see) that in this group, alot of folks put family first.

I plan on keeping the bikes for sure. My love affair with this sport started when I was 5, so I suspect in 4 short years, my son's will begin. Until then, I'll enjoy the short hops and let my "weel kept" bikes age gracefully.

Happy Tanksgiving all,

Screwtop

[Rapid_Roy]

I appreciate all the posts on this thread and the different perspectives. It would appear (and it's very refreshing to see) that in this group, alot of folks put family first.
I plan on keeping the bikes for sure. My love affair with this sport started when I was 5, so I suspect in 4 short years, my son's will begin. Until then, I'll enjoy the short hops and let my "weel kept" bikes age gracefully.

Happy Tanksgiving all,

Screwtop


Thank you and the same to you. :thumb

[wsteinborn]

.... No Drivers License for my kid if the 'tude continues....

That is my position, too. And she has to learn to follow my rules, to drive my car.
(A great kid overall, making great grades, but darn what a 'tude.)

And I ride a lot......... I do at least on M/C trip a year, without the family.

[Motor31]

I've had a bike constantly since 1972 except for a 6 week period when I sold one before getting the replacement. Having said that, I also had a bad crash that ended my career in 93. I got back on a bike slowly in 94 after the last surgery was over and my arm was out of the cast. I kept my bike but rode it very little for the next several years. I now ride regularly since we're retired and am getting comfortable with the new to me bike. I miss the old glove feel I had with a K75RT I had for 14 years.