DH finally bought himself a toy!

[Deleted]

DH bought a motorcycle. He used to have a Ducati, but they are quite fragile, and we don't have a garage (our house was originally the garage of the house next door.) He sold it 15 years ago soon after DS3 was born, because we don't have a garage, and it wasn't happy sleeping in the rain. 

He has been talking about buying a new, less fragile bike for at least 6 or 7 years now. He has taken us into stores countless times over those years, and he always walked out with ... nothing. 

Recently he checked out a bunch of used bikes, including ones from 2006. I told him, for ONCE in your life you are buying yourself something, just buy new. He told me, what a ridiculous waste of money, why would I do that?! He didn't like the used ones he saw. He probably would have bought one of them which was very recent, but the first buyer who saw it bought it, DH had the second appt.

Last Sat, he said, I heard about two bikes I'm considering in a sister store to the two stores I've been to, about 30 min away. Would you go with me next week? I'm thinking, I have 10 million papers to mark, why bother spending 2 hours there YET AGAIN to walk out with nothing?! But I didn't say that, I said sure. I went. Amazingly enough, he finally bought one!

He got a great deal: a 5.5K loan at only 14%!!!



















J/K, DH paid cash! The shop gave him 500e for equipment, he bought 2 helmets (one for each of us) and a pair of summer gloves for himself. He also bought a helmet for DS3. DD can borrow mine, it fits her perfectly.

My helmet is black with hot pink (my favorite color). I'm a biker chick again!!!   

It's so funny, tons of people are absolutely horrified, they tell DH, but what will Debthaven say?! He says, hey, she's the one who finally got me to get over my fears and just do it! We are a one-car family, so it's great to have 2 vehicles again, even if one of them can only seat 2 people!

[milee]

I'm green with envy. Kawasaki green, that is.

What kind of bike did he buy?

[Deleted]

Thank you Milee!

DH bought a Suzuki Gladius. He REALLY wanted a Bandit, that's the bike he's wanted for forever. But he really liked the Gladius too, and he was hesitating between them, so I made him try both to see which one worked better for him (since his left hand is deformed).

The Gladius was easier to manoeuver, and it's also significantly lighter, so I encouraged him to go with that. 

[Deleted]

Sorry Shaun LOL. 

[milee]

Enjoy the bike.

Not sure we have the Gladius over here, so I'll look it up.

Edited to add - looked it up and it's a good looking ride.  Have fun!

[Deleted]

I was wondering if they had the same models over there LOL. 

[milee]

I think some models are the same and some aren't but since we moved to Florida a motorcycle is not an option, so I've stopped reading all the magazines and try not to look too closely at what buzzes past. Seeing them only makes me miss them more.

[Deleted]

Why aren't they an option there Milee? 

ETA: I've been to FL on vacation several times but never lived there. 

[milee]

90% of the drivers on the road at any given time are Octogenarians (or their parents) or tourists who may be well meaning but are completely lost and not paying attention to their driving while they try to find the sign for the beach, take a picture out their window or stop their sunburned kids from arguing in the back seat.  Driving around here is horrifyingly scary. When they do the statistics of most per capita pedestrians and bikers killed in cities around the US, the top 3 or 4 are always cities in Florida.

And I'm saying this as someone who used to ride a Ninja in Phoenix, where the traffic is similar to LA. Lane splitting at 80 mph? Awesome.  Riding in FL? Suicide.

I'm glad I drive the vehicular equivalent of a tank. 

[Deleted]

OK, Milee, now I understand. Ouch!

You can ride?! I'm impressed! I'm very happy on the back but I have ZERO desire to ride one myself (it helps that I don't have a license LOL). DH is now telling me that I should get my license too, but I'm DEFINITELY not there yet, and I'm not sure that I'll ever be, I'm blissfully happy on the back of his bike. 

[Malarky]

DH has his toy in the garage.  I've just barely kept the insurance on it to cover it if it got stolen in the past few years.  

Back story.  DH had a motorcycle long before he met me and had to sell it for rent money.     Not.  

Fast forward..not having the third kid, DH got a motorcycle, I got a kitchen.  Win.  

Seven?  Eight? years ago, DH dumps the motorcycle on Thanksgiving! with his whole family coming for dinner.  Twenty minutes before they were supposed to arrive, he came home with a seriously separated shoulder.  Bitch that I am, I made him take his own ass to the ER.  He was home before I served pie.  Two surgeries and a bunch of PT later, it will never be the same.

My objection?  I didn't sign on to raise these kids alone.  Once they are out of college, everything is fair game.  Just don't leave me now.  

[busymom]

You both enjoy the new bike!  And Debt, go ahead & take lessons so you'll feel comfortable enough to get your license.

Oh, & make sure that bike is NOISY!  (Around here, if you buy a Harley, you ALWAYS break the baffles so traffic can hear you coming, even if they can't see you...) 

[Deleted]

Motorbikes are so common in Paris. I remember seeing alleyways filled with these long rows of bikes, mopeds and motorcycles. Have fun.

[kent]

Sept 14, 2014 17:20:44 GMT -5 Sum Dum Gai said:

Sept 14, 2014 17:18:42 GMT -5 milee said:

I think some models are the same and some aren't but since we moved to Florida a motorcycle is not an option, so I've stopped reading all the magazines and try not to look too closely at what buzzes past. Seeing them only makes me miss them more.

Drivers there too dangerous? Seems like the weather would be perfect for it?

The weather is great, the problem is half of the drivers can't see over the dash!

[GRG a/k/a goldenrulegirl]

Sept 14, 2014 18:18:38 GMT -5 busymom said:

You both enjoy the new bike!  And Debt, go ahead & take lessons so you'll feel comfortable enough to get your license.

Oh, & make sure that bike is NOISY!  (Around here, if you buy a Harley, you ALWAYS break the baffles so traffic can hear you coming, even if they can't see you...) 

Reminds me of the South Park episode about obnoxiously loud bikers.  

[milee]

Sept 15, 2014 8:44:08 GMT -5 @tbird said:

I am imagining you in mrs kensingtons black leather

Not sure if it is me or Debt you're imaging, but I did have full leathers for weekend riding.  The leather is awesome and I used to love it until I realized that it can be almost impossible to get off quickly, which can be a liability in certain situations.

One time we were out for a ride with several biker friends and rode to the top of South Mountain park area.  It's a twisty, windy road that ends in the desert overlooking Phoenix.  We sat for a while enjoying the view and then rode home.  I must have unknowingly picked up a "hitchhiker".  On the ride home, I'm thinking that it's the most glorious day imaginable - low 60s, clear - and I'm feeling really sleek on my Ninja with my full leather including high heeled boots.  Life is good.  Until at a stoplight 2 miles from home when the little friend I picked up in the desert decides he's uncomfortable.  A scorpion or spider must have crawled up my boot into the leather pants and got quite far up before I shifted position to sit down at the light, which made him angry - so he bit me on the butt.  It was like being hit with a burning poker and there wasn't a darn thing I could do about it.  Although I was screaming inside my helmet, nobody could hear me; I couldn't pull the leather off nor could I get inside it to remove the thing and sitting in traffic, I couldn't even get off my bike.  The only thing I could think to do was to stand up, still straddling the seat, and beat my butt to try to kill whatever was biting me.  I can only imagine what all the other bikers and cars around thought I was doing.  And I still have a big scar on my patootie from that stupid bite/sting. 

Tres elegant, non?

[milee]

Sept 15, 2014 8:44:08 GMT -5 @tbird said:

[busymom]

Sept 14, 2014 18:40:26 GMT -5 Sum Dum Gai said:

Oh, & make sure that bike is NOISY! (Around here, if you buy a Harley, you ALWAYS break the baffles so traffic can hear you coming, even if they can't see you...)

No study that's been done on motorcycle accidents has found a lower incidence of crashes involving louder bikes.  All you do by breaking the baffles is piss off your neighbors and others when you ride through residential areas.  I have no idea why bikers purposefully do stuff to give themselves an obnoxious reputation among non-bikers.

Think about it logically, cops and ambulences have incredibly loud sirens, giant flashing lights, and you still see bozos cruising down the road totally oblivious to them coming up behind them.  Not occasionally, but literally all the time.  Cars these days are much quieter inside than they used to be, and that's because they're better at blocking outside noise.  The people in the car have the radio going.  Your loud Harley isn't being heard by other drivers, it's just pissing off all the pedestrians, houses, and business you ride by.

   Having a noisy bike is good to have on the highway.  The reason I mentioned this, is the current car I drive has some huge blind spots.  I've had a couple of close calls with motorcycles, on lane changes, even with checking my mirrors, because I can't always see them.  But a nice, noisy Harley, I can hear, & I would NEVER want to get in an accident with someone on a motorcycle.  (BTW, I've got a couple of neighbors who own those nice, noisy Harleys.  And yes, it's a bit annoying when they're warming them up on a Saturday morning before they go on a ride with a group of their friends.  But, if that noise gives them an extra chance to be safe, then I'm o.k. with it.) 

[Deleted]

OMG Milee what a story lol!