Selling the Bike When You ‘Settle Down?’
I often see bikes for sale with taglines such as, “I’m only selling because I’m getting married,” or “I had to choose between the bike and the wife, so the bike had to go,” “I just had a kid so it’s time to settle down,” or something along those lines. Part of me understands people’s inclination to do the ‘responsible thing, ‘ but the rest of me can’t help but be a little perplexed when I see this ads, because they make me question me the seller’s motives in including something like that in the ad.
First of all to use such a statement as a substitute for advertising a well-kept, reasonably-priced, bike in good condition is a bullshit move and you shouldn’t be trying to take advantage of people’s emotional responses. Advertise the bike for what it is. If it’s a good deal on a good bike, then advertise it as such, and let the bike speak for itself. If you’ve thrashed the shit out of it, and beat it to hell and back, then say so, and let the buyer make a decision with his or her money.
Much more worrisome are people who honestly believe that by giving up riding, they are somehow being responsible. I recognize that riding a motorcycle, especially a sportbike, brings with it a certain level of danger, and I am not trying to minimize that inherent danger at all. However it seems to me that if one believes that he or she must give up riding in order to be responsible, then it would follow that they see riding as an activity that is in and of itself reckless. When I hear people like this talk about riding, they make it sound like motorcycling is more a game of survival and luck than it is a steady development of good habits, control, and skill. I don’t know if they do it to make themselves seem more badass for riding or if they’re really just squids that never evolved, it does a lot to put people off when it comes to motorcycling. To be honest, they’d be doing the world a much larger favor, in my opinion, to work on their skill set and responsible riding than they would be pawning off their ‘death machine’ on somebody else.
Even sadder to me is the truly passionate motorcycle enthusiast who really is selling their bike because his or her significant other demands it. I don’t think a person is worth being with if they would force somebody they supposedly love to choose between their passions. It takes a special kind of heartlessness to demand that somebody give up one thing they love for another, and it takes a special kind of masochistic spinelessness to give in and set oneself up for such self-inflicted misery in the future. Man up, drop your nuts, and resist the ultimatum before it’s too late. Whether they realize you’re serious or actually leave, you’ll be better off standing up.
The Shadetree 
March 18, 2010 at 6:14 am
This reminds me of the “you’re not an adult until you quit playing video games” criterion. We have weird and pretty arbitrary criteria for what constitutes being “responsible”, if you ask me. Oh, and the “you’re not supposed to have fun because you’re over 21” rule.
March 22, 2010 at 5:46 am
we can’t pretend all hobbies are created equal, some are riskier and deadlier than others, and quite frankly, if one is considering marriage and children it’s pretty selfish to hold onto some dangerous hair splitting dare devil past time which could take you away and burden your significant other with the responsibility of raising the kids/shouldering the bills alone, adult committed relationships require sacrifice and compromise, I wouldn’t particularly advocate eliminating bike riding entirely but considering the risks, the objections of family and love interests isn’t trivial, maybe they do have your best interest at heart, I also don’t think everyone who gives up the lifestyle is pressured into it, humans do things for that feel good or feel responsible affect, even your bike riding ‘Drea makes you feel exhilarated and powerful which maybe a feeling you lack in reality hence that is your escape, giving up bike riding =/= wimp.
March 22, 2010 at 1:52 pm
If you’re physically or mentally unable to ride, then giving it up may be a good idea, however the article doesn’t apply to either of those. Motorcycling is as dangerous as you make it. If you ever get a chance, watch a supermoto or motogp race, and you’ll see riders go down at speed far greater than anything anyone in their right minds should be doing on the streets, and they get up, curse, kick at the dirt, and walk away. Why? Because they calculated the risks and prepared themselves accordingly. Many times, the person who thinks giving up the bike is part of ‘settling down,’ frankly never should have been riding in the first place. Usually their ‘dangerous hair splitting dare devil’ moments come not from the inherent danger of the activity, but from their lack of situational awareness, safety preparedness, and priorities. There is no standard component on a bike that dictates that a rider rides beyond his or her abilities, nor is there any mandate that a person has a time limit on taking the time to know his or her machine. Good gear is not some ancient secret, jealously guarded by the motorcycle gods. However, common sense is not all that common. Responsibility is not running from life, but instead responsibility is doing what is necessary to make sure that living doesn’t kill you before your time. I know that every time I throw my leg over my bike, there are people that I want to come back home to. And subsequently, every time I throw my leg over my bike, I’m taking every step necessary to increase my chances of coming back home. A favorite poem of mine reminds us that “running from it will not save you,” and at some point we all have to be introspective enough not to blame inanimate objects for our own irresponsibility and frailty.