Well, guys and gals, never thought I'd say this...
 

I'm going to be hanging up my helmet for a while. Not permanently (hopefully) but for at least the foreseeable future. Two little ones at home and another due in August have sorta put things in perspective a bit for me.

Don't get me wrong, I still love riding and I'll still ride occasionally if I can but I've had way too many encounters with idiots who are paying less and less attention on the roads around here.

It seems that the smarter cars get, the dumber drivers seem to get... despite riding defensively, I've had way too many close calls over the past year and I want to be there for my wife and kids while they grow up. My wife already wants me to get a bigger bike for touring that she can ride with me once the kids are out of school so that's the goal on the horizon.

No tracks around here to speak of so that isn't an option. Maybe I'll go 100% off-road for a bit just for something different.

Either way, I'll be around :)

Condoms. What are those?

Sometimes you just have to step away from riding. I did the same several years ago for about a year or so just because it felt wrong for some reason. I don't argue with the vibes!
As for a bigger bike to tour with, you have a huge variety of bikes to choose from when the time comes!
Any Concours.
ST1100
FJR1300
Vstrom
Super Tenere'
Most cruisers
Tigers
Etc.......

Good luck!

Completely understand.
I dealt with it by limiting my riding to early morning on the weekends. Out the door between 4:30AM and 5:30AM on a Saturday or Sunday and I have the roads to myself. No cars. No cops. Nobody. Only thing I have to worry about is deer in some spots.
I'm usually back home from my ride just in time to make everyone breakfast.
Once I start see more than a handful of cars on the roads I frequent I call it a day.

Occasionally (really rare at this point) I'll go riding during normal hours but usually it's shortlived. I'll return home all disgusted and judgemental of everyone else on the road.

Nowadays, if the temperature is right and its a Saturday or Sunday I will automatically wake up around 3:30AM. I LOVE leaving the house on a summer morning when its pitch black out. Not one car on the road. A little bit into the ride, park and enjoy the sunrise then head back out to enjoy some hijinks.

If I didn't have that option, I would have probably hung my helmet as well.

gotta do what ya gotta do

i don't ride as much because i p/u the kids everyday from school. and i do activities w/ them on the weekend.

was looking for a sidecar hack to pick them up from school w/, but most people are very proud of their rigs.

keep on keepin on!

Are you going to sell what you have or store it?

Had a friend wreck on our wqy bavk from vacation and he's leaving the two wheel scene. Sucks.

I haven't even got mine out yet this year. I wanted to ride to work today, but yesterday was my daughter's birthday so I didn't have time to get it out and give it the once over.

I really should sell mine. Don't have much desire to ride any more. My daughter said something to my wife last year as I pulled out of the driveway that really got to me, so I think about leaving on the bike and not coming home a lot. It get's to me.

That sucks and perhaps understandable...

Yeah, priorities as an adult suck. I haven't ridden much since Lily was born as well. I have definitely slowed my pace.

It's crazy how much their words mean, mine just said Dada a few weeks ago. Definitely the best thing I have ever heard.

I have to admit that I've thought about it too, though I don't have any responsibilities beyond myself. I still haven't gotten the bike out this year. I will get it out, but I just won't ride anywhere near as much. When I stared riding there were good, empty roads that I could get to in 20 minutes. Now the roads within an hour are in subdivisions.

We'll ride for you while you're caging it.

Depends on the day. I want to keep it but I'm leaning toward selling it...

Nick, my almost-2-year-old walked over to me, put her arms up, and said "daddy" so I'd pick her up... Then she gave me a huge hug. I don't want to miss that stuff.

Bikes need to be ridden. Especially a bike with over a decade + miles on it.
If you are not going to ride it, sell it to someone who will.

However, I will say again that switching to an early Sat-Sun schedule was one of the best things I ever did. I don't ride as much as I used to but I have much better rides now.
2hr rides with roads all to myself, only risks are my stupidity and suicidal Bambi.

I'm starting to do my homework on finding a second car to sell my bike towards now. Finally settling down as an adult with the girl and puppy, so with everything around the new house, I'm never on my bike anymore and the drivers around here are god awful. New plan is to find a toy car for when I do have time and have it paid off before a family starts.

I hear ya man. I keep thinking bagger, but with the minimal use my 1125 sees, I can't justify the cost of a new ride. With the little one around, my time is going to get less before it gets more, so who knows.

Looking more at putting the money into the Cutlass instead...

I sold my VFR a couple of months ago. I wasnt riding regularly. Ive never been the type to take frequent joy rides, I mostly used my bikes as transportation to work/school with the occasional joy ride sprinkled in. In my current situation riding to work is a big hassle and most of the year its either too hot and humid or cold for me to ride when I could take my comfortable car. Theres a couple weeks a year when the weather is perfect and thats when I usually feel the urge to wheel out my bike. But when I do theres always some problem that keeps be frm riding anyway to I just got tired of it and sold it.

That being said, Im planning to get a new bike. Theres a good chance ill be getting a new job in socal where weather wont be an issue anymore and Ill be near some of the best riding in America. Im planning to get a new BMW GS and do some touring out west. If I dont get the job I might get the bike anyway to make myself feel better. :D

Between the boys Track meets and helping a friend train for a 1/2 marathon and work my bike has been sitting way more than I'd like. I haven't even gotten it inspected yet.

Definitely looking at a low mileage year. At least I have a couple of newly paved roads to play on this year.

particle don't take it the wrong way, just a different look on things.

if you get out of cycling, enjoy your next passion. you'll be back. LOL sometimes you have to step away for a bit to understand how much or even if you really enjoy something.

I never understood the whole I have kids now thing myself. my son started riding on my dirtbike with me when he was 1 1/2 and on street at 4. it was just the way I raised him, and the way I was raised. biking brought us closer, it was the "thing" we share. as he aged he rode dirt, than got a street bike. etc. now days he and his girlfriend have a kid, he he he just waiting to find a little 50 that I can sneak home so he has something to do when they come visit. he is after all 3 already. LOL son's girlfriend understands that if the kid comes by me, he will be on bikes and she is cool with that.

Everyone just has different priorities. There is a lot of things to do out there. Bikes have just taken a back seat on some of the other things I want to do in life. For me, it's not that I am scared to get on a bike and not come home to my kid. I have dialed down my stupid on bikes a good bit. It's that I rather do other things first with the limited time I have free from an 8 month old.

LOL....My Buell hasn't been inspected in 5 years.

But you can still renew your plates tabs?

You're basically riding dirty then?

What would happen if pulled over and cop noticed? Impound?

Guess its up to us to keep riding. Work and kids have realy cut into my riding time, but I still commute to work withthe bikes. Even got out for my first track day in about 5 years and had a good time. Still want to do the big daytrips and touring rides.

Would love to get back down south to ride with a bunch of the old TWF crew.

Yeah, plates are renewed every year. Cop would just write an additional fine if he noticed.

They won't even give us our plate stickers til we do the emissions test. Motorcycles are exempt from emissions testing though.

Come on down big fella!

No emissions testing for cycles here either...or for automobiles in my county.

Haha 3 years away n thus forum so gay my kids blah blah loll lol u know how many people die in cages a year, grow some balls, this site the old one who shall not be named groomed me n got me started, this is a shame, no wonder this mf dead

Three years later and the English language is still a mystery.

Wait!?.....That was English?

qft.

Same in ny, they usualy just look at the bike and slap a sticker on it. Its only 6 dollars, Most shops have to offer them but they make it hard to do. Some only do them on certain days and others are from like 10:08 to 10:14 on every 6th Tuesday.

Next time, stay away longer.