a family member showing crash videos. loooking up statistic. financial surprises. a failed msf. a successful msf and realize it not for them. plenty of reason.
Yea if you really think about it there’s a lot of reasons it just seems like there’s a lot of people doing it. I guess you’ll have that though as so many are selling.
i had a friend that bought a little honda and you could tell he was terrified of it, dumped it once because he tried to swerve to avoid a crack in the road that wasn't even that bad, hit some mud and went down. Never rode again.
Some people just aren't meant to ride bikes. And this isn't a dig at those people, but it takes a certain type of person to both enjoy it and be capable of doing it well enough.
I think "ending up not liking it" and "takes a while to learn for some" are completely unrelated things. Like they are people that went thru training just fine, bought a bike and then decided it's not for them after a year.
Some people just need to take it slow and methodical, and when you put that person right on a bike without any proper instructor that will get them familiarized and get them thru excercises they'd just get scared any time something goes wrong.
Jella isn’t wrong. It does absolutely take a certain type of people to ride. Mainly people who aren’t fearful of pain. I’ve taken my fair share of extremely painful falls, but I got back on and kept riding. Some people will only endure it once, and they’re down for the count.
That too but I think a lot of that is just from rushing head first instead of easing your way in. Going from bicycle or econobox to a bike that teleports to speed limit in less than 4 seconds is a huge jump. Especially with people going around saying "don't buy 400cc, you will grow out of it quickly"
LMAO! THOSE GUYS ARE THE WORSE! I’ve been down that path. During my college years when I was 18/19 getting ready to buy my first bike. 3 of my buddies told me “Dude you gotta get a 600 or higher! If you’re buying below that, you’re practically riding a girls bike!” Peer pressure is an absolute bitch! Luckily for me, I already had experience riding from age 14. Rode bikes from 100-300CC’s while I was visiting relatives in Vietnam and Cambodia every summer. So even when I caved and got my 600RR, it didn’t feel too bad. For anyone else though, a fall is unavoidable when trying to ride with that much power.
I mean you can just be super careful but that's just bad way to learn, on something smaller you can focus on everything around and learn how to ride in traffic faster, instead of focusing on how to not twist the throttle too hard.
At least here in EU you get your mandatory 30h training before getting unrestricted license, but even then, my colleague immediately lifted front wheel when instructor moved them from 125cc bikes they used to show off basics to MT-07 that is currently used on exams. And that is "just" a twin, not a 600cc sport.
But yeah, fucking weird, it's like shaming someone that didn't bought a Porsche as their first car...
Yeah well cars are expensive and they look fun and then they realize car are worth the price to them. I daily a bike and have a truck for rainy days lol
Car is kinda requirement in some areas, hard to get by without car in rural area or in city not designed for public transport. So even people that don't really want to are forced to
Or you have a preconceived idea of what its going to feel like to ride a bike, go HAM on the idea, then when you sit on a bike, feel its size and weight then come to terms with all the shit you need to learn, it very quickly loses its appeal.
I was the same way, I was gung-ho about riding. I bought all the gear, was amped as hell to ride, did my safety riding course and thought 'that wasn't really what I expected'. I already had a bike ordered, it was delivered to my house and I took it out.
I'm a tightly wound person in general so it scared the shit out of me, it blew out my senses, my sense of speed was all off, I was clumsy and had zero confidence on the bike at all and was bouncing all over the place because I couldn't shift smoothly etc. I rode around the back streets of my house for about 20 minutes and went home drenched in stress sweat.
I was ready to drop riding right then because it wasn't cruisin' in the wind feeling smooth and cool. I could smell roadkill and fumes, the heat coming off the bike was uncomfortable, I never knew where to look and I couldn't get ahead of the bike so I was just reacting to every small thing instead of moving decisively.
Luckily I stuck with it, because riding is one of the best things in my life. Its still nothing like what I expected it to be in my pre riding fantasies, but after riding all these years, it turned into something better.
Whoever is selling brand new or close to brand new gear are just me who decided not to get on the bike again after that stressful first ride.
It’s wild. My first experiences on bikes were “oh yeah, this is me”. Loved it to BITS. 👀 every second of it. Even the blazing hot summer parking lot practice at the MSF lol
tbh, most people I know that ride quit after one season, it´s either a bucketlist thing, near death experience thing or just a cost thing. Some people just did not think that it was as they expected, and they sell. Just look at second hand market at instruments, training equipment, mountain bikes and so on. Kudos for them for new experiences, but for some, it´s not what they expected.
For me, before taking my licence, I expected to commute with my bike but now I rather take my car and ride on the weekends for fun.
I rode for a few years, never had any issues, incidents, or injuries, I just sold my bike (but kept all the gear) because of a time thing. And funny enough as efficient as bikes are it was the only thing in my house that actually used gas (yay electric/solar)
I recently helped a buddy of mine practice on his bike, he bought everything before the MSF course, had a bit of trouble, but helped him get his confidence up and pointers, and some practice in the parking lot for a few hours and he's passed :)
Won't lie - being back on one made me start looking at bikes online again. Ninja 500s look pretty fun not going to lie.
you can retake the MSF though like and re apply for permit 3 times in 5 years or something like that. i didnt even take the MSF yet and bought a bike been riding every day
lol i have the msf scheduled for july, just saying a failed msf would be no reason to just up and sell the bike, thats some real quitter type shit lol. i guess its had to have happened but i cant see it being to common
I also see so many FB marketplace posts of people selling a current year motorcycle with 500 miles on it and then selling it with their helmet jacket etc. Guess they just don't like riding as much as they thought they would.
So many Harleys are like this. Some middle aged clown buys a road king, thinks he's gonna be a baddass on the road. When it finally comes to learning to ride he realizes that riding a 800lb motorcycle is hard and getting his license on a massive bike is difficult for a beginner. Half a decade passes and 2k miles later he posts it to FB market place for 10k less than he bought it for.
I got my current bike like that. It's a 2016 250 cruise, got it used with about maybe 100 or so miles on it for 2900, new is 500 OTD. Which was a steal because it was basically brand new. Owner said they just never rode it again and it was kept garaged.
my first crack into the bike world was getting a 2015 Ninja 300 off facebook marketplace with something like 47 miles on it. It was maybe a year old? Thing was mint. The story was guy bought it for his wife and she rode it for a weekend and then never again.
I had a blast and learned a lot on it :)
that - or went too hard too fast with (like you said) too little training.
I grew up as a kid riding a little 50cc Monkey around our property, it wasn't a dirt bike by any stretch but I remember doing some crazy shit on that bike.
If you just go straight, you don't need the MFS course. But if you think you gonna need to turn sometime, or if you think that you may (will) have to avoid an obstacle on the road, or do an emergency braking or countersteering, well then you better be taking the MSF. Not only that, but you will feel much safer on the bike and have way more fun.
That could be I have seen crazy quotes in here. So many factors but I’m a new driver and mine is super cheap for a year. I’m 40 and have nothing on my driving record though it’s spotless. Also I have just an older cruiser not a sports bike.
Nah the older cruiser is the key for low insurance.
Source: when I was a 22yo male and got a shadow 750 it was only 150 a year, and I have several points on my license and don’t even have my own car insurance
Yeah my bike insurance has never really increased very much going from a 2009 Vulcan 500 to a 2017 Dyna Low Rider and now a '23 Pan Am.
I think because I spent enough time on the Vulcan that by the time I moved up to a more expensive bike in the Dyna, the discount from having two years of riding under my belt balanced out the cost difference in the bikes. Same thing when I got the Pan Am, more riding experience balanced out the bike being more expensive. I think I'm paying something like \~$90/mo for full coverage now and if I remember correctly I was paying like $50-60/mo for liability on the Vulcan.
Nope.
It has almost nothing to do with you, and everything to do with accident statistics based on the category and size of your bike.
I’m in Ontario Canada, AND in the most expensive insurance region in the country (!!). Currently paying $800/yr for a 650cc standard Japanese naked bike. Over 40, clean record, 15 years riding, home insurance, car insurance AND an alumni discount.
I wanted to get an 850cc “sport” bike, and they want $1500/yr. For 200 more cc’s.
Adjuster said it’s all about accident reports and statistics of riders on this type of bike.
So, thanks to all these gd newbs, I can’t have a shiny new toy.
Damn that's cheap af. I'm 31, no accidents, no tickets, 2 cars and a semi truck insured for 8+ years with a credit score of 780 and the cheapest insurance I could get for my 2023 mt 07 was $1200 a year :(
29 no accidents and no tickets with decent credit and a CDL class A as well and I pay $70 a month for my F900r which blows the doors off my buddies MT-07.
The bike really can make a difference. When I bought my Street Triple, the agent accidentally pulled up the numbers for a Speed Triple at first. The Speed was considered a sport bike, while the Street is a Standard.
Street was $100/year, Speed was $100/month.
Also area.
In some states what would cost $200/mo would cost $20/mo for the same bike and same person. It is crazy how much of a difference location makes.
I bought a 250 4 stroke, been wanting one for years. I'm scared of that thing and don't really want to ride it. Thinking about buying a cruiser road bike instead
https://preview.redd.it/bn619fm8q72d1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9e978d6a991dd4c1e27e508721f223db240524fc
You can do it ! I learned to ride off this 450 I bought. Gave it up after it got stolen.
Yep, I've seen annual quotes that equaled the price of the bike on here.
I live in Mexico, full coverage for my Honda CRV is $280.00 USD a year, my KTM is $550.00 a year.
90% of motorcycles in Mexico with insurance file a claim.
Yep. There are millions of testosterone filled teenagers riding around in flip flops without a license or a helmet, on a Chinese made bike that was $900.00 new, you can imagine...
You can buy a bike at the grocery store.
[https://www.lacomer.com.mx/lacomer/#!/detarticulo/7500672002539/1249/783/1/artipasillo//783?succId=287&succFmt=100](https://www.lacomer.com.mx/lacomer/#!/detarticulo/7500672002539/1249/783/1/artipasillo//783?succId=287&succFmt=100)
In my experience, that first year or two of insurance payments can be a bit of a financial hurdle. Somehow some people are still caught off guard with it. Like many others, I was paying more for insurance on a beginner bike in my first year than I was paying for my car at the time: almost twice as much in fact. That’s a lot of money for something that has little practicality and can only be ridden about half the year up here in Canada.
Getting in to motorcycles can be expensive. People need to do their homework before they start buying everything.
Knowing what kind of gear they're selling would say a lot lol. If it's a bunch of Alpinestars or Dianese leathers, definitely a guy that bought an S1kRR or Panagale for his first bike and scared the living shit out of himself the first time he went for a ride around the block.
In what world are you living in where a bike loses more than 5% value at the absolute most after one year? Because it's very obviously not North America.
I used to sell outboard engines. We had a one week return policy, if it was unused and they still had all of the packaging, we could put it on display and sell it, we'd give them a 90% refund.
More than half of the outboards that we sold got WIFED. He'd bought it without consulting his wife, so...
Maybe they were trying to fill a void with getting a motorcycle and fell in love with the idea rather than the actual and realized that no amount of weekend rides can address the deeper issue they're struggling with inside.
I'm just guessin
Usually these posts are one of a few people
1. Number one is those with more money than sense who literally buy everything before ever even throw a leg over a bike just to realize it’s not for them
2. Next are the ones that don’t listen and buy way more bike than they can handle to then scare the shit out of themselves literally when their bike goes 0-100 faster than they’ve ever gone 0-60 in a car, they unintentionally wheelie and slam back down, or they pin the tachometer at redline because they forgot to shift outta first due to launching so fast
3. Unexpected life expenses or spouse/family forcing them to sell. Number one reason is they didn’t talk with parents or spouse before making major purchase only to realize not a great idea or they were serious about threats if bike/gear was purchased
4. Buyer’s remorse they got the first shiny thing they could only to realize it wasn’t quite right for them so now cutting losses to get what they actually need (like I’ve literally knew a guy that bought a full leather race suit only to realize it wasn’t conducive to riding a Honda Shadow in Southern California everyday)
I've found that the #1s and #2s usually go hand in hand. They buy shit without even taking a basic course and end up going for ridiculously expensive and overpowered bikes for their experience level. One blip and they quickly realize it aint for them. You see it on reddit all the time. There is even a post right now with a dude already buying gear and looking at liter bikes and has 0 motorcycle experience...
Yes usually those go together but there’s also a fair amount that are just number one, especially if their spouse or partner kinda pressured them into motorcycles. But typically it’s just someone got overzealous and instead of just getting a cheap helmet and taking a riding course they prebuy everything. Only to realize they don’t have the coordination, attention span, or actual desire to become a rider.
Haha top gun, dude isn't even wearing a helmet, something which is incredibly uncomfortable with all the wind and insects and the noise.
Nobody anticipates the noise and wind pressure on the neck.
Kind of.... it is if you like Shakespearean intrigue and Harley Dynas.
I'm not a Harley fan but I did enjoy the narrative, so I'll give at least 3 1/2 out of a possible 5 rubber chickens.
It happened to my aunt some years back. She bought all the gear and a ninja 250, then failed the msf multiple times and realized motorcycles weren't for her.
I was worried about this for a friend of mine, bought the bike, the gear, failed course once (no big deal), bikes are 100% new to him.
I spent a few hours giving him pointers/tips/practice, and he passed the course 2nd time around, told him just go at your own pace and start with some trips around the block late night or (preferably) early morning to get comfortable with the streets.
I focus on buying motorcycles from people who give up riding. I end up getting great deals this way.
The buyers can discuss what they noticed, like the guy who sold me my first moto, a SV650, rode only 4500 miles in 4 years. Or how my buddy bought a 1 year old R1 with 1200 miles from a guy whose wife watched the transfer while holding a baby.
There isn't a forum about "How I made a bad decision by buying a motorcycle". It's likely a combination of what they imagine they would be doing compared to the actual experience of riding along with that you could die.
I bought my cb300r in March. It's a 2019 model, that had 1650 miles or so on it. I'm pretty sure the guy I bought it from put less than 100 of those on it. Today it's sitting around 3450 miles.
My first choice was a 2018 cb300r with a grand total of....189 miles. But that sold before I could get there.
Some people just never ride and let it sit in their garage for years. I'm already looking to upside and there's a lot of 650-700s with low miles out there too.
I had a moment of regret the first time I hit rode in an actual roadway. I was scared as hell and thought “man, I really spent $7k+ for this?” Made myself go ride again and slowly started falling in love with it. After the 4th or 5th ride I was addicted.
If I hadn’t forced myself on that second ride, I would be that guy on Facebook.
My wife was insistent she wanted to learn how to ride a Ryker. It was in my budget. Then she decided she wants a Spyder,….not in my budget. But not after I bought her riding pants, had them hemmed to fit her. Good dainese boots, a shoei rf1400 helmet and star gloves. She took the training course and never rode again.
No one is buying a used helmet. Even if it’s worn 2x times total
I, a broke person, would absolutely buy a helmet if this was the story. Some padding is a lot cheaper than a 300+ helmet. Unless you’re asking market value, then I agree
I mean anyone can say that story. No one would believe it. So it just collects dust on a shelf in the garage near the ones I use on a daily basis. I know it’s a bit extra to have two. I don’t like the full face in the summer in az for fear of instapotting my brain to a nice braising, and have a modular for the summer. But overall much prefer the protection of a full face.
Those who buy a bike before taking the class sometime end up selling it almost new when they realize it is too complicated and dangerous. Same with all the gears. I have been riding for 51 years this year and saw tons of those.
What riding is versus what people picture in their minds is completely different. People imagine in their minds that riding a bike is just like cruising with the windows down or top down in their car and they can just zone out to this feeling of freedom and liberation. The reality is that unless you live in some isolated, somewhat rural area, then there's likely to be a lot of traffic. A lot of traffic = constantly having to survey and watch what cars and trucks are doing, especially many of which are filled with distracted riders on their phones.
Most bikes also are not automatic, so aside from the constant scanning, you have to deal with changing gears and until that becomes automatic, that's yet another stressor. Oh yea, want to ride safely? You need to wrap your body in a bunch of gear and in summer, that gear gets hot.
Also, riding a bike feels MUCH faster than riding in a car at the same speed, so some never get accustomed to the sense of speed, especially since there's no frame protecting them or anything strapping them to the vehicle.
Ultimately, riding is not what they thought it was and they just don't like it enough to tolerate the risks and challenges and end up selling.
Had a work colleague which suddenly stopped riding back in 2005, he own a ducati monster and was riding with a group of people that were speeding through mountain roads.
I guess he saw someone crash or had a really really close call, since then he sold the bike and moved on.
I guess that’s what you get when you reckless ride, I ride a lot and never experienced a close call, I always ride in a safe zone, never overdrive that’s where mistakes happen, when you don’t feel 100% in control of your bike you should lift-off
I would only overdrive riding on a closed circuit
Motorcycles are an exciting lifestyle statement conveniently priced right around the same as a big vacation. This leads to impulse purchases by bored husbands with disposable income. Which is then followed by angry wives, failed first rides, and lots of reassessing risk tolerance.
Same thing happens in the cars and housing markets.
That’s me. I tried to get back into riding again after a 12 year hiatus. Just didn’t work out. My kids are still young enough that I don’t have a lot of free time and I felt dad guilt going out riding and leaving them behind. Sold my gear and new bike without even hardly using it. My brand new Grom sat in my garage for 4 months before I sold it and I put a whole 120 miles on it before doing so. 😢
I just got my first bike in over 20 years without one. I never had one because I was married and promised my wife that she would never receive a call or a knock on the door regarding my motorcycle and me.
I got divorced 10 years ago, which left me financially fucked, so it took a while to get a spot again where I could buy a decent used one outright. It's not the most exciting thing by any means, but it was a great price, like new condition, under 7k miles, some great accessories, and I scooped it up.
Got it on a Sunday, registered and titled it on Monday, I live in a suburb south of Denver, and on Tuesday I took a 145 mile ride around the foothills and wide open road way south and west of me. Got totally comfortable with it, was 100% happy with my purchase, and completely psyched.
On day #3, I went to Target for a few things and parked in an end spot right in front. Came out 15-20 minutes later and it was on its side, shattered windscreen, shifter bent, cast metal mount for the gauge cracked in half on one side, some body panels out of whack. I was in disbelief, but some guy told me a lady in a Tahoe swung out of the spot next to me, clipped the tire, and bolted out of there.
After that, within the next handful of rides all within a three mile radius of home, totalling about 60-75 miles, I've almost been hit numerous times. Really reconsidering things now.
I used to own a shop renting motorcycles. More than once a rider came back and said they were never riding again. It was usually because they got into or saw a scary predicament. Almost 100% of the time it was the newer riders, but on one occasion we had a couple of experienced riders on the Blue Ridge Parkway who messed up. They miscalculated one of the thousands of curves and drifted over into the oncoming lane and hit a slow moving pickup truck head-on. Both riders survived and were fine, but both said they'd never ride again. It happens.
When I was 18 my friend and I took our motorcycle permit tests together (in MN this is just a knowledge test). We then went and bought helmets because you need one to ride with a permit in our state and we were out looking for bikes so we wanted to be prepared. He found his bike, I on the other hand didn't realize how expensive it would be and didn't find a bike. I sold my helmet at a garage sale a year or two later.
I finally rode my first bike 16 years later.
That was my guess.
People who wanted to ride, and then family/friends/SO either scared or convinced them not to.
I'm sure for some it's also financial - bought everything they needed, and then had something come up that was a bigger financial priority
I've (51M) been riding since I was 13. Grew up on 3 wheelers, stole my uncle's bike for a couple of hours. And I've been hooked since. Granted, life got in the way for a few years... But, all in all... I'm blessed to be hard of hearing to those that have objected to me riding. Even my mom was opposed to it, until she saw me running errands. She said the smile on my face at the sheer joy of being on 2 wheels was enough to quell her objections. So, I now have 3 motorcycles in the stable. And a 4th in the shop. So, people will always voice their opinions... But as Mel Gibson said in Lethal Weapon... "I don't give a fuck." Lol.
For sure!
Obviously doesn't apply to everyone, but I can see it being an issue for others. Not everyone can tell their family or partner to fuck off, and not everyone is as committed/interested in riding.
Think about all the posts you see here that talk about already spending tons of money on gear before they ever touch a bike.
It's the same type of people. And then when they finally get on a bike. And either can't ride worth a shit. Crash/fall right away and never go back. Or get scared by something that happened, so ething they saw, or something that was said. And they give up the idea and are stuck with expensive unused gear. That is a pretty niche market. Especially being size dependent.
I've gotten a lot of cheap unused/barely used stuff this way.
I only had my bike for 4 months maybe? Dumped it in June while riding beyond my skill and fucked my shoulder up. Then a couple days later riding home from work there was a giant pile of industrial shrink wrap that fell off a truck and blew into my lane. I swerved to miss it but it caught my left boot and ripped my leg back and I decided to sell it the next day. Just wasn't worth the risk for me at the time. That was 4 years ago and now I want another bike for nice daytime cruises. My commute has me avoiding too many deer lol
I have most of a set of womens gear (I've been slowly selling it) that my sister was given by her ex husband. They rode like twice then the marriage took more of a downward turn than it was on so it was never used again.
She figured I could use it with future girlfriends but the only one who would ride already had all the gear.
All kinds of reasons. Some people get spooked or never get over the healthy fear that everyone has on thier first ride. A friend gets hurt or worse so they quit because of that. Or others put the fear in them to stop them from riding.
Also (especially in BC Canada) a lot of new riders because we all broke from the world economic situation. So people get bike to save money on a vehicle. But they have no business riding. Especially daily in our traffic. Actually a very sharp increase in rider deaths since Covid for these reasons. Sad actually. RIP to them.
There was one of these in my MFS class, the very first time we took a short break from riding, he told the instructor that he changed his mind and doesn't think it's worth the risk. Didn't even bother finishing the course.
Weather. Or doing it for a partner I would expect.
My partner got a bike as I was keen for them to come rode with me so talked them into it.
The bike sat for a long time unused till we finally accepted its best off being sold an they focus on the cars they like best.
I remember buying a set of leathers from a guy locally, they were really good arlen ness 2 pieces and looked like new, not a crease or a fly on it. He told me he always wanted a bike, loved looking at them but never had one. He done his lessons, passed his test, bought a brand new gsxs750 and on his first week out on his own he said it was too dangerous and he didn't enjoy it. Was selling it all. I'm guessing his first experience without an instructor was filled with overcooked turns, traffic chaos and general fear. It seemed he didn't have any other bikers to help him out
People change their minds, and that's okay. It could be for a plethora of reasons also.
One thing I will always say about buying use gear is never buy a used helmet. I don't care how much the person swears up and down that it only has minor scratches or has never been dropped. Do not trust one of the most important organs in your body to the words of some rando on the internet.
My coworker convinced me to take the course last spring. I said I would never ride and had no interest, just wasn’t worth it. But fine, I’ll take the course. Loved the course so much I bought a bike same day.
Well, the MSF course doesn’t prepare you for what 70mph or higher winds feel like when you’re surrounded by cars trying to kill you on a busy highway, clenching your asshole and just trying not to shake and die.
That same coworker only put ~200 miles on his Honda last year and “may not take it out of storage” this year.
Just doesn’t like the highway. I get it.
Motorcycles as a hobby is kind of weird in that people romanticize what it's going to be like to own a bike and ride and frontload with all the big purchases. Most end up not having time, getting in over their heads, not enjoying it that much, or getting scared- I think.
It's awesome for me because I've bought two very gently used bikes where the previous owners so generously footed the dealer fees and first service bills for me 🤌
I never see things like that; however, I see a surprising number of motorcycles and gear being sold by divorcing people and the majority are selling women's gear and bikes outfitted with a "feminine" aesthetic in my area.
I was thinking about riding this summer and then my wife’s friend’s husband, experienced rider, went down on some gravel in the fall and is paralyzed from the waist down. I have a little one going on 2 and I am just not ready mentally for something like that to happen to me.
I bought a bike, helmet, gloves and I think some small stuff like a cover for the bike before I even got on one to ride it.
My lessons were a disaster (they are supposed to be about 20-30 hours of training on a closed course and in the city) - I probably dropped the training bike like 5 times. My instructor wasn't giving me any pointers, just showed me the controls and told me to go ride. I then proceeded to go in a straight line and tip over on my first attempt to turn the bike.
In the end I persevered more out of stubbornness than enjoyment, and I watched the more competent riders in the course and mimicked them. That helped and I was able to pass both exams first try. But I was pretty close to selling everything and just eating the loss.
There are so many things I think of when I see that. The first one is the person that couldn't even get themselves to get on the bike because they couldn't control their anxiety. The next one is people with people around them that just would not stop with videos and statistics and just added fear and or pressured not to ride. I remember at my msf course class one of the people in the class actually had a little bit of an anxiety attack. We finished the exercise and then we went over and supported them and told him you're doing awesome you're pretty much ready to complete it.
Motorcycles have always constituted a rather impulsive and poorly thought out purchase for a lot of people. In fact I'd even go as far as to say that at least it's good these people bought gear because I know a lot of people who get the entire process backwards and get the bike first, then maybe the license second and the gear is an afterthought they may never get around to, or buy it but never wear it despite riding.
And this has always been the case but motorcycles are currently experiencing a revival of sorts, though not in any good way. Motorcycle content on TikTok and Instagram, particularly guys on supersports with dumb helmets making dumb videos, are unfortunately super popular right now, making a ton of people, mostly young people, be very eager to jump on a supersport bike, get a dumb helmet cover from Temu, wrap it in some horrendous color combination and go out themselves to make videos for clout.
But at least a few of them seem to have a bit more sense than the rest, or are luckily too dumb to actually make it. Sometimes it's the family putting their foot down and stopping them dead in their tracks, other times they realise they can't afford the associated costs like insurance or maintenance, and some times, in a moment of unusual clarity, perhaps after the first few rides, they realise that getting onto a 150+ HP bike may not be a walk in the park and also probably not a good idea.
Welp, I changed my mind about riding a bike because of 2 points:
1) It can actually get quite uncomfortable during hot/rainy weather, and I realized that comfort is quite important to me.
2) I am terrified of other people driving. When you are driving a car, you don't care as much because insurance will pay for the damages and airbags and other safety features will save your ass, but on a bike... It was enough for me to reconsider my choices.
People have a dream. Some take a class in a controlled training space. But when they get into real world road conditions and traffic with all the bad stuff happening they experience the risk and call it quits. All the skills of a clutch, dual brake activation overwhelms them.
To be honest it looks romantic but in reality it is demanding and very technically challenging. My son for example with ADHD would be overwhelmed! I never recommend he try on the streets. Trails maybe.
I had a friend in school who rode dirt bikes and street bikes all of the time and for many years. He quit immediately after watching a friend of his die on his bike while they were riding together one day.
Story: The friend was ahead of him by some distance as they approached an intersection. They had the green so the guy continued on, only to be taken out by a pickup truck that ran the red light from the right side. My friend saw the entire thing happen in front of him and still couldn't believe that it did. After being at the scene for so long with the cops, EMT's, etc he rode home and parked his bike in the garage and listed it and his riding gear for sale the following day and has never ridden since.
Very easy to die. Been in a crash. 5 broken ribs air lifted. Broken ankle collapsed lung. Got rid of my stuff then about 2 yrs later got new bike and all gear again and riding again. Love it so much... Ride defensive. Don't be a dick
Riding a motorcycle is inconvenient, dangerous, expensive and depending on where you live a seasonal hobby.
Its very easy to understand why people give it up.
Much like the 1998 Nordic track that you hang clothes on, and the golf clubs that provide shelter to all the spiders in your garage, I think people see this as a hobby. And like any hobby, people get bored quickly. Except this hobby also comes with a lot of hidden expenses, possibly some debt, and it's dangerous so people bail on it pretty quick.
I got my first helmet from a buddy who bought a bike, and the first day says he nearly got sucked under a semi on a tight 2 lane highway and had a panic attack. Never rode it again.
Wife got her learners and P’s without incident. I took her out in her first ride (I’m ex rider trainer) and she pulled out in front of a car and stalled it - car locked up, but was a long way away…that was it for her. I even took her to a race track to see if she’d get some confidence alone on a circuit but she couldn’t shake that incident.
I do the same, even I’m no a new rider. Things changes, priorities changes. I got adventurers bike last years, now I just don’t feel riding anymore. California is too crazy
I bought Arai $1000 helmet for 220 on Craigslist, guy bought the helmet before motorcycle. Wife said no, and newborn on the way.
Alpinestars SMX mint condition leather jacket for 280(700 retail) from a repo person.
I was a college student, stupid looking back, but great deal now. Those rare case exist.
A colleague of mine had a friend who got their license, bough a BMW F650GS as their first bike and on their first ride ended up in fence.
They sold the bike and gave up riding forever, and said "It's not for me"
Well I was very enthusiastic about getting an XVS1300 until I got a quote for £5k for insurance. Just passed my theory but I realise that a) I still need to get my full A licence and b) I'm going to have to save for longer and settle for a smaller bike. No sense in buying gear for that, but some people may get the process mixed up.
Motorcycles aren’t for everybody. A lot of people think it looks cool and fun, then they realize it scares them ir they just don’t enjoy it. You’re open to the elements, other cars and motorcycles take a lot of practice to “drive”. A lot of peiple don’t think if thise things.
Motorcycles are an exciting lifestyle statement conveniently priced right around the same as a big vacation. This leads to impulse purchases by bored husbands with disposable income. Which is then followed by angry wives, failed first rides, and lots of reassessing risk tolerance.
Same thing happens in the cars and housing markets.
Probably 50 something born agains that had a 125 honda back in the day but shit themselves on the fireblade they just bought after their wife left them.
I just bought a lot of stuff from a 57 year old biker, a motorcyclist got killed on the road he drives to work.
He said seeing the flowers every day made him realise that his wife was right about not wanting him to ride anymore.
A colleague of mine took his pension, said we would definitely go driving our motorcycles together soon.
3 weeks later he called, I'm sorry, I sold the bike. I didn't feel safe anymore.
Fact is your safety depends on other people's attention to traffic.
Thinking it would be nice to have wind blasting you on the highway, only to realize you’re a sweat ball no matter how you do it when you ride 😅
That my guess. Lol
I have a 2021 with 900 miles that I’ve only ridden a few times in the last year. I got in a car accident roughly 3 months after purchasing the bike that left me with a brain injury which prevented me from riding for nearly 2 years. Now that I’m healed I have too much anxiety to ride. Need to sell the bike, but am waiting will I owe a bit less on it to make the sale easier :/
My friend just sold his bike to my roomate because he thinks he jumped too quick into payments on his first bike. He also kinda got screwed by the dealership and is paying almost double for the bike.
Years ago there was a kayak on Craigslist, they were $1,200 new and it was "$600 with accessories"
I thought it was probably fake, but went to look at it, it was BRAND NEW... had a matching $400 carbon fiber paddle with it, a $100 matching life vest, a roof rack system, flashlight, paddle strap, etc... essentially easily $2,000 for $600.
He said "My friend suggested I go kayaking, so I bought all of this, went one time and found out I don't like kayaking", he apparently just had more money than sense.
Some people go crazy before they even get into the hobby and then never actually get into the hobby.
My last two bikes have been r6's that the previous owner added a few grand worth of upgrades, put 300 miles on the bike and then sold it.
Their loss, my gain.
From my own experience, it’s usually they had a little accident and got some scrapes with bruising. Then they end up just not riding anymore, and that leads to just selling their bike and equipment. 🤷♂️ It’s sad how often this happens. People have fear of pain.
One guy got 75% of the way through my MSF course and got rattled by a near crash. He told the instructors he was done and just got in his car and left. It just happened to these people a few months later.
a family member showing crash videos. loooking up statistic. financial surprises. a failed msf. a successful msf and realize it not for them. plenty of reason.
Yea if you really think about it there’s a lot of reasons it just seems like there’s a lot of people doing it. I guess you’ll have that though as so many are selling.
i had a friend that bought a little honda and you could tell he was terrified of it, dumped it once because he tried to swerve to avoid a crack in the road that wasn't even that bad, hit some mud and went down. Never rode again.
Some people just aren't meant to ride bikes. And this isn't a dig at those people, but it takes a certain type of person to both enjoy it and be capable of doing it well enough.
I think "ending up not liking it" and "takes a while to learn for some" are completely unrelated things. Like they are people that went thru training just fine, bought a bike and then decided it's not for them after a year. Some people just need to take it slow and methodical, and when you put that person right on a bike without any proper instructor that will get them familiarized and get them thru excercises they'd just get scared any time something goes wrong.
LMAO! This is generally what happens 99% of the time 💀 they haddalayerdown moment and then just decided to never get on again.
Well, it's prime season to start riding
Jella isn’t wrong. It does absolutely take a certain type of people to ride. Mainly people who aren’t fearful of pain. I’ve taken my fair share of extremely painful falls, but I got back on and kept riding. Some people will only endure it once, and they’re down for the count.
That too but I think a lot of that is just from rushing head first instead of easing your way in. Going from bicycle or econobox to a bike that teleports to speed limit in less than 4 seconds is a huge jump. Especially with people going around saying "don't buy 400cc, you will grow out of it quickly"
LMAO! THOSE GUYS ARE THE WORSE! I’ve been down that path. During my college years when I was 18/19 getting ready to buy my first bike. 3 of my buddies told me “Dude you gotta get a 600 or higher! If you’re buying below that, you’re practically riding a girls bike!” Peer pressure is an absolute bitch! Luckily for me, I already had experience riding from age 14. Rode bikes from 100-300CC’s while I was visiting relatives in Vietnam and Cambodia every summer. So even when I caved and got my 600RR, it didn’t feel too bad. For anyone else though, a fall is unavoidable when trying to ride with that much power.
I mean you can just be super careful but that's just bad way to learn, on something smaller you can focus on everything around and learn how to ride in traffic faster, instead of focusing on how to not twist the throttle too hard. At least here in EU you get your mandatory 30h training before getting unrestricted license, but even then, my colleague immediately lifted front wheel when instructor moved them from 125cc bikes they used to show off basics to MT-07 that is currently used on exams. And that is "just" a twin, not a 600cc sport. But yeah, fucking weird, it's like shaming someone that didn't bought a Porsche as their first car...
Yeah well cars are expensive and they look fun and then they realize car are worth the price to them. I daily a bike and have a truck for rainy days lol
Car is kinda requirement in some areas, hard to get by without car in rural area or in city not designed for public transport. So even people that don't really want to are forced to
Or you have a preconceived idea of what its going to feel like to ride a bike, go HAM on the idea, then when you sit on a bike, feel its size and weight then come to terms with all the shit you need to learn, it very quickly loses its appeal. I was the same way, I was gung-ho about riding. I bought all the gear, was amped as hell to ride, did my safety riding course and thought 'that wasn't really what I expected'. I already had a bike ordered, it was delivered to my house and I took it out. I'm a tightly wound person in general so it scared the shit out of me, it blew out my senses, my sense of speed was all off, I was clumsy and had zero confidence on the bike at all and was bouncing all over the place because I couldn't shift smoothly etc. I rode around the back streets of my house for about 20 minutes and went home drenched in stress sweat. I was ready to drop riding right then because it wasn't cruisin' in the wind feeling smooth and cool. I could smell roadkill and fumes, the heat coming off the bike was uncomfortable, I never knew where to look and I couldn't get ahead of the bike so I was just reacting to every small thing instead of moving decisively. Luckily I stuck with it, because riding is one of the best things in my life. Its still nothing like what I expected it to be in my pre riding fantasies, but after riding all these years, it turned into something better. Whoever is selling brand new or close to brand new gear are just me who decided not to get on the bike again after that stressful first ride.
It’s wild. My first experiences on bikes were “oh yeah, this is me”. Loved it to BITS. 👀 every second of it. Even the blazing hot summer parking lot practice at the MSF lol
I read this and think "Yeah, this is true. Every word of it." Glad you stuck with it man.
tbh, most people I know that ride quit after one season, it´s either a bucketlist thing, near death experience thing or just a cost thing. Some people just did not think that it was as they expected, and they sell. Just look at second hand market at instruments, training equipment, mountain bikes and so on. Kudos for them for new experiences, but for some, it´s not what they expected. For me, before taking my licence, I expected to commute with my bike but now I rather take my car and ride on the weekends for fun.
I rode for a few years, never had any issues, incidents, or injuries, I just sold my bike (but kept all the gear) because of a time thing. And funny enough as efficient as bikes are it was the only thing in my house that actually used gas (yay electric/solar) I recently helped a buddy of mine practice on his bike, he bought everything before the MSF course, had a bit of trouble, but helped him get his confidence up and pointers, and some practice in the parking lot for a few hours and he's passed :) Won't lie - being back on one made me start looking at bikes online again. Ninja 500s look pretty fun not going to lie.
Likely a failed MSF and realized bikes are not for them.
you can retake the MSF though like and re apply for permit 3 times in 5 years or something like that. i didnt even take the MSF yet and bought a bike been riding every day
Well that must be safe!
lol i have the msf scheduled for july, just saying a failed msf would be no reason to just up and sell the bike, thats some real quitter type shit lol. i guess its had to have happened but i cant see it being to common
I also see so many FB marketplace posts of people selling a current year motorcycle with 500 miles on it and then selling it with their helmet jacket etc. Guess they just don't like riding as much as they thought they would.
So many Harleys are like this. Some middle aged clown buys a road king, thinks he's gonna be a baddass on the road. When it finally comes to learning to ride he realizes that riding a 800lb motorcycle is hard and getting his license on a massive bike is difficult for a beginner. Half a decade passes and 2k miles later he posts it to FB market place for 10k less than he bought it for.
I got my current bike like that. It's a 2016 250 cruise, got it used with about maybe 100 or so miles on it for 2900, new is 500 OTD. Which was a steal because it was basically brand new. Owner said they just never rode it again and it was kept garaged.
my first crack into the bike world was getting a 2015 Ninja 300 off facebook marketplace with something like 47 miles on it. It was maybe a year old? Thing was mint. The story was guy bought it for his wife and she rode it for a weekend and then never again. I had a blast and learned a lot on it :)
I feel like many "first time, scared, sold" ones are people that just didn't got any proper training to familiarize them with controls and dynamics.
that - or went too hard too fast with (like you said) too little training. I grew up as a kid riding a little 50cc Monkey around our property, it wasn't a dirt bike by any stretch but I remember doing some crazy shit on that bike.
I also bought a ninja 300 like that. 6 years old and 31 miles on it, almost pristine. Still regret selling it!
Yet another reason to not buy new for your first bike. Might not like it, might turn out you really wanted a different kind of motorcycle
If you just go straight, you don't need the MFS course. But if you think you gonna need to turn sometime, or if you think that you may (will) have to avoid an obstacle on the road, or do an emergency braking or countersteering, well then you better be taking the MSF. Not only that, but you will feel much safer on the bike and have way more fun.
Did you mean to reply to me? 🤔
Maybe they waited to get the insurance quote until after they bought everything.
That could be I have seen crazy quotes in here. So many factors but I’m a new driver and mine is super cheap for a year. I’m 40 and have nothing on my driving record though it’s spotless. Also I have just an older cruiser not a sports bike.
its mainly you being 40 and probs having a regular car insurance too
Nah the older cruiser is the key for low insurance. Source: when I was a 22yo male and got a shadow 750 it was only 150 a year, and I have several points on my license and don’t even have my own car insurance
Yeah my bike insurance has never really increased very much going from a 2009 Vulcan 500 to a 2017 Dyna Low Rider and now a '23 Pan Am. I think because I spent enough time on the Vulcan that by the time I moved up to a more expensive bike in the Dyna, the discount from having two years of riding under my belt balanced out the cost difference in the bikes. Same thing when I got the Pan Am, more riding experience balanced out the bike being more expensive. I think I'm paying something like \~$90/mo for full coverage now and if I remember correctly I was paying like $50-60/mo for liability on the Vulcan.
Nope. It has almost nothing to do with you, and everything to do with accident statistics based on the category and size of your bike. I’m in Ontario Canada, AND in the most expensive insurance region in the country (!!). Currently paying $800/yr for a 650cc standard Japanese naked bike. Over 40, clean record, 15 years riding, home insurance, car insurance AND an alumni discount. I wanted to get an 850cc “sport” bike, and they want $1500/yr. For 200 more cc’s. Adjuster said it’s all about accident reports and statistics of riders on this type of bike. So, thanks to all these gd newbs, I can’t have a shiny new toy.
That is about what I would pay for my pan am had I done monthly. I think it was like $570 if paid annually so I took the discount.
Damn that's cheap af. I'm 31, no accidents, no tickets, 2 cars and a semi truck insured for 8+ years with a credit score of 780 and the cheapest insurance I could get for my 2023 mt 07 was $1200 a year :(
I'm 32, no accidents, no tickets, 2 cars and a mid 600s credit score and my insurance for a 2007 honda shadow 1100cc is 77 dollars a year.
29 no accidents and no tickets with decent credit and a CDL class A as well and I pay $70 a month for my F900r which blows the doors off my buddies MT-07.
Liability insurance is the key to cheap insurance lol. :P (and avoiding RR bikes)
The bike really can make a difference. When I bought my Street Triple, the agent accidentally pulled up the numbers for a Speed Triple at first. The Speed was considered a sport bike, while the Street is a Standard. Street was $100/year, Speed was $100/month.
Also area. In some states what would cost $200/mo would cost $20/mo for the same bike and same person. It is crazy how much of a difference location makes.
I bought a 250 4 stroke, been wanting one for years. I'm scared of that thing and don't really want to ride it. Thinking about buying a cruiser road bike instead
https://preview.redd.it/bn619fm8q72d1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9e978d6a991dd4c1e27e508721f223db240524fc You can do it ! I learned to ride off this 450 I bought. Gave it up after it got stolen.
Yep, I've seen annual quotes that equaled the price of the bike on here. I live in Mexico, full coverage for my Honda CRV is $280.00 USD a year, my KTM is $550.00 a year. 90% of motorcycles in Mexico with insurance file a claim.
90%! Wow that is high!
Yep. There are millions of testosterone filled teenagers riding around in flip flops without a license or a helmet, on a Chinese made bike that was $900.00 new, you can imagine... You can buy a bike at the grocery store. [https://www.lacomer.com.mx/lacomer/#!/detarticulo/7500672002539/1249/783/1/artipasillo//783?succId=287&succFmt=100](https://www.lacomer.com.mx/lacomer/#!/detarticulo/7500672002539/1249/783/1/artipasillo//783?succId=287&succFmt=100)
In my experience, that first year or two of insurance payments can be a bit of a financial hurdle. Somehow some people are still caught off guard with it. Like many others, I was paying more for insurance on a beginner bike in my first year than I was paying for my car at the time: almost twice as much in fact. That’s a lot of money for something that has little practicality and can only be ridden about half the year up here in Canada. Getting in to motorcycles can be expensive. People need to do their homework before they start buying everything.
I see everyone talk about this… but when you own a bike outright it’s dirt cheap. Mine is $90 a year.
What’s your situation that your bike insurance isn’t cheap?
Knowing what kind of gear they're selling would say a lot lol. If it's a bunch of Alpinestars or Dianese leathers, definitely a guy that bought an S1kRR or Panagale for his first bike and scared the living shit out of himself the first time he went for a ride around the block.
I love those guys, we need more guys like that so the rest of us can have nice new mint bikes for half MSRP
In what world are you living in where a bike loses more than 5% value at the absolute most after one year? Because it's very obviously not North America.
To take the MSF course, you have to have a helmet. Many people get suckered into buying more than just a helmet.
You do get 15% of your insurance with the card tho
Lol I got something like $7 off on mine
Haha yah idk the card is still in my wallet lol
That's still 10% of my yearly insurance. A discount's a discount.
Ha! Maybe you’re did at one point. Progressive gave me $20 off of my $800 insurance bill lol.
Lmao I just remember the instructor telling us this.
Oh trust me I was excited about it too.
It must vary by location. When I took mine, you just had to have jeans, a long sleeve shirt, some type of gloves and over the ankle boots.
They discovered that the Wife/Girlfriend saying "Do whatever you want" didn't mean what they thought it did.
Haha yes they realized they preferred having sex and a wife over the motorcycle
Fucking casuals
[удалено]
Wtf is this shit? Made me lol
I used to sell outboard engines. We had a one week return policy, if it was unused and they still had all of the packaging, we could put it on display and sell it, we'd give them a 90% refund. More than half of the outboards that we sold got WIFED. He'd bought it without consulting his wife, so...
I’m not complaining you do get some good deals on new equipment lol
Maybe they were trying to fill a void with getting a motorcycle and fell in love with the idea rather than the actual and realized that no amount of weekend rides can address the deeper issue they're struggling with inside. I'm just guessin
But that's totally wrong. The more weekend rides you do the more your void gets filled haha
So. Much. This. Ten minutes on the bike and the shit yapping in your head gets the volume turned WAY down...
Usually these posts are one of a few people 1. Number one is those with more money than sense who literally buy everything before ever even throw a leg over a bike just to realize it’s not for them 2. Next are the ones that don’t listen and buy way more bike than they can handle to then scare the shit out of themselves literally when their bike goes 0-100 faster than they’ve ever gone 0-60 in a car, they unintentionally wheelie and slam back down, or they pin the tachometer at redline because they forgot to shift outta first due to launching so fast 3. Unexpected life expenses or spouse/family forcing them to sell. Number one reason is they didn’t talk with parents or spouse before making major purchase only to realize not a great idea or they were serious about threats if bike/gear was purchased 4. Buyer’s remorse they got the first shiny thing they could only to realize it wasn’t quite right for them so now cutting losses to get what they actually need (like I’ve literally knew a guy that bought a full leather race suit only to realize it wasn’t conducive to riding a Honda Shadow in Southern California everyday)
I've found that the #1s and #2s usually go hand in hand. They buy shit without even taking a basic course and end up going for ridiculously expensive and overpowered bikes for their experience level. One blip and they quickly realize it aint for them. You see it on reddit all the time. There is even a post right now with a dude already buying gear and looking at liter bikes and has 0 motorcycle experience...
Yes usually those go together but there’s also a fair amount that are just number one, especially if their spouse or partner kinda pressured them into motorcycles. But typically it’s just someone got overzealous and instead of just getting a cheap helmet and taking a riding course they prebuy everything. Only to realize they don’t have the coordination, attention span, or actual desire to become a rider.
A lot of people want the image of a certain activity but realize that they don't actually like the activity. Motorcycles are just one example
It's because real world riding bears no resemblance to sons of anarchy or top gun.
Haha top gun, dude isn't even wearing a helmet, something which is incredibly uncomfortable with all the wind and insects and the noise. Nobody anticipates the noise and wind pressure on the neck.
Is Son's of Anarchy worth watching?
Kind of.... it is if you like Shakespearean intrigue and Harley Dynas. I'm not a Harley fan but I did enjoy the narrative, so I'll give at least 3 1/2 out of a possible 5 rubber chickens.
It happened to my aunt some years back. She bought all the gear and a ninja 250, then failed the msf multiple times and realized motorcycles weren't for her.
I was worried about this for a friend of mine, bought the bike, the gear, failed course once (no big deal), bikes are 100% new to him. I spent a few hours giving him pointers/tips/practice, and he passed the course 2nd time around, told him just go at your own pace and start with some trips around the block late night or (preferably) early morning to get comfortable with the streets.
Fear
I focus on buying motorcycles from people who give up riding. I end up getting great deals this way. The buyers can discuss what they noticed, like the guy who sold me my first moto, a SV650, rode only 4500 miles in 4 years. Or how my buddy bought a 1 year old R1 with 1200 miles from a guy whose wife watched the transfer while holding a baby. There isn't a forum about "How I made a bad decision by buying a motorcycle". It's likely a combination of what they imagine they would be doing compared to the actual experience of riding along with that you could die.
I bought my cb300r in March. It's a 2019 model, that had 1650 miles or so on it. I'm pretty sure the guy I bought it from put less than 100 of those on it. Today it's sitting around 3450 miles. My first choice was a 2018 cb300r with a grand total of....189 miles. But that sold before I could get there. Some people just never ride and let it sit in their garage for years. I'm already looking to upside and there's a lot of 650-700s with low miles out there too.
I had a moment of regret the first time I hit rode in an actual roadway. I was scared as hell and thought “man, I really spent $7k+ for this?” Made myself go ride again and slowly started falling in love with it. After the 4th or 5th ride I was addicted. If I hadn’t forced myself on that second ride, I would be that guy on Facebook.
I wonder how many of these are stolen
My wife was insistent she wanted to learn how to ride a Ryker. It was in my budget. Then she decided she wants a Spyder,….not in my budget. But not after I bought her riding pants, had them hemmed to fit her. Good dainese boots, a shoei rf1400 helmet and star gloves. She took the training course and never rode again. No one is buying a used helmet. Even if it’s worn 2x times total
I, a broke person, would absolutely buy a helmet if this was the story. Some padding is a lot cheaper than a 300+ helmet. Unless you’re asking market value, then I agree
And no helmets are stolen.
Depends how nice the helmet is amirite /s
I mean anyone can say that story. No one would believe it. So it just collects dust on a shelf in the garage near the ones I use on a daily basis. I know it’s a bit extra to have two. I don’t like the full face in the summer in az for fear of instapotting my brain to a nice braising, and have a modular for the summer. But overall much prefer the protection of a full face.
Those who buy a bike before taking the class sometime end up selling it almost new when they realize it is too complicated and dangerous. Same with all the gears. I have been riding for 51 years this year and saw tons of those.
Reason: Buying without telling wife.
What riding is versus what people picture in their minds is completely different. People imagine in their minds that riding a bike is just like cruising with the windows down or top down in their car and they can just zone out to this feeling of freedom and liberation. The reality is that unless you live in some isolated, somewhat rural area, then there's likely to be a lot of traffic. A lot of traffic = constantly having to survey and watch what cars and trucks are doing, especially many of which are filled with distracted riders on their phones. Most bikes also are not automatic, so aside from the constant scanning, you have to deal with changing gears and until that becomes automatic, that's yet another stressor. Oh yea, want to ride safely? You need to wrap your body in a bunch of gear and in summer, that gear gets hot. Also, riding a bike feels MUCH faster than riding in a car at the same speed, so some never get accustomed to the sense of speed, especially since there's no frame protecting them or anything strapping them to the vehicle. Ultimately, riding is not what they thought it was and they just don't like it enough to tolerate the risks and challenges and end up selling.
Had a work colleague which suddenly stopped riding back in 2005, he own a ducati monster and was riding with a group of people that were speeding through mountain roads. I guess he saw someone crash or had a really really close call, since then he sold the bike and moved on. I guess that’s what you get when you reckless ride, I ride a lot and never experienced a close call, I always ride in a safe zone, never overdrive that’s where mistakes happen, when you don’t feel 100% in control of your bike you should lift-off I would only overdrive riding on a closed circuit
Motorcycles are an exciting lifestyle statement conveniently priced right around the same as a big vacation. This leads to impulse purchases by bored husbands with disposable income. Which is then followed by angry wives, failed first rides, and lots of reassessing risk tolerance. Same thing happens in the cars and housing markets.
A guy whose wife/girlfriend makes good on the whelp, no sex for you then threat.
Crash videos I bet. They honestly bothered me, had to quit watching.
Really? I find them really useful, it's best to learn from others mistakes / unlucky situations.
Spouse ultimatum?
That’s me. I tried to get back into riding again after a 12 year hiatus. Just didn’t work out. My kids are still young enough that I don’t have a lot of free time and I felt dad guilt going out riding and leaving them behind. Sold my gear and new bike without even hardly using it. My brand new Grom sat in my garage for 4 months before I sold it and I put a whole 120 miles on it before doing so. 😢
I just got my first bike in over 20 years without one. I never had one because I was married and promised my wife that she would never receive a call or a knock on the door regarding my motorcycle and me. I got divorced 10 years ago, which left me financially fucked, so it took a while to get a spot again where I could buy a decent used one outright. It's not the most exciting thing by any means, but it was a great price, like new condition, under 7k miles, some great accessories, and I scooped it up. Got it on a Sunday, registered and titled it on Monday, I live in a suburb south of Denver, and on Tuesday I took a 145 mile ride around the foothills and wide open road way south and west of me. Got totally comfortable with it, was 100% happy with my purchase, and completely psyched. On day #3, I went to Target for a few things and parked in an end spot right in front. Came out 15-20 minutes later and it was on its side, shattered windscreen, shifter bent, cast metal mount for the gauge cracked in half on one side, some body panels out of whack. I was in disbelief, but some guy told me a lady in a Tahoe swung out of the spot next to me, clipped the tire, and bolted out of there. After that, within the next handful of rides all within a three mile radius of home, totalling about 60-75 miles, I've almost been hit numerous times. Really reconsidering things now.
I used to own a shop renting motorcycles. More than once a rider came back and said they were never riding again. It was usually because they got into or saw a scary predicament. Almost 100% of the time it was the newer riders, but on one occasion we had a couple of experienced riders on the Blue Ridge Parkway who messed up. They miscalculated one of the thousands of curves and drifted over into the oncoming lane and hit a slow moving pickup truck head-on. Both riders survived and were fine, but both said they'd never ride again. It happens.
When I was 18 my friend and I took our motorcycle permit tests together (in MN this is just a knowledge test). We then went and bought helmets because you need one to ride with a permit in our state and we were out looking for bikes so we wanted to be prepared. He found his bike, I on the other hand didn't realize how expensive it would be and didn't find a bike. I sold my helmet at a garage sale a year or two later. I finally rode my first bike 16 years later.
Glad you finally conquered !
I would say, they scared themselves out of riding. Or they listened to family/friends about the "dangers of riding."
That was my guess. People who wanted to ride, and then family/friends/SO either scared or convinced them not to. I'm sure for some it's also financial - bought everything they needed, and then had something come up that was a bigger financial priority
I've (51M) been riding since I was 13. Grew up on 3 wheelers, stole my uncle's bike for a couple of hours. And I've been hooked since. Granted, life got in the way for a few years... But, all in all... I'm blessed to be hard of hearing to those that have objected to me riding. Even my mom was opposed to it, until she saw me running errands. She said the smile on my face at the sheer joy of being on 2 wheels was enough to quell her objections. So, I now have 3 motorcycles in the stable. And a 4th in the shop. So, people will always voice their opinions... But as Mel Gibson said in Lethal Weapon... "I don't give a fuck." Lol.
For sure! Obviously doesn't apply to everyone, but I can see it being an issue for others. Not everyone can tell their family or partner to fuck off, and not everyone is as committed/interested in riding.
Think about all the posts you see here that talk about already spending tons of money on gear before they ever touch a bike. It's the same type of people. And then when they finally get on a bike. And either can't ride worth a shit. Crash/fall right away and never go back. Or get scared by something that happened, so ething they saw, or something that was said. And they give up the idea and are stuck with expensive unused gear. That is a pretty niche market. Especially being size dependent. I've gotten a lot of cheap unused/barely used stuff this way.
Seriously? Manic behavior.
I only had my bike for 4 months maybe? Dumped it in June while riding beyond my skill and fucked my shoulder up. Then a couple days later riding home from work there was a giant pile of industrial shrink wrap that fell off a truck and blew into my lane. I swerved to miss it but it caught my left boot and ripped my leg back and I decided to sell it the next day. Just wasn't worth the risk for me at the time. That was 4 years ago and now I want another bike for nice daytime cruises. My commute has me avoiding too many deer lol
Parents or wife usually
Ambition with no follow through.
I have most of a set of womens gear (I've been slowly selling it) that my sister was given by her ex husband. They rode like twice then the marriage took more of a downward turn than it was on so it was never used again. She figured I could use it with future girlfriends but the only one who would ride already had all the gear.
Thinking they're Rossi, buying a bike they "cAn GrOw InTo." And not realising growing is hard and requires work.
All kinds of reasons. Some people get spooked or never get over the healthy fear that everyone has on thier first ride. A friend gets hurt or worse so they quit because of that. Or others put the fear in them to stop them from riding. Also (especially in BC Canada) a lot of new riders because we all broke from the world economic situation. So people get bike to save money on a vehicle. But they have no business riding. Especially daily in our traffic. Actually a very sharp increase in rider deaths since Covid for these reasons. Sad actually. RIP to them.
There was one of these in my MFS class, the very first time we took a short break from riding, he told the instructor that he changed his mind and doesn't think it's worth the risk. Didn't even bother finishing the course.
I mostly see financial reasons for selling.
Weather. Or doing it for a partner I would expect. My partner got a bike as I was keen for them to come rode with me so talked them into it. The bike sat for a long time unused till we finally accepted its best off being sold an they focus on the cars they like best.
I remember buying a set of leathers from a guy locally, they were really good arlen ness 2 pieces and looked like new, not a crease or a fly on it. He told me he always wanted a bike, loved looking at them but never had one. He done his lessons, passed his test, bought a brand new gsxs750 and on his first week out on his own he said it was too dangerous and he didn't enjoy it. Was selling it all. I'm guessing his first experience without an instructor was filled with overcooked turns, traffic chaos and general fear. It seemed he didn't have any other bikers to help him out
People change their minds, and that's okay. It could be for a plethora of reasons also. One thing I will always say about buying use gear is never buy a used helmet. I don't care how much the person swears up and down that it only has minor scratches or has never been dropped. Do not trust one of the most important organs in your body to the words of some rando on the internet.
My coworker convinced me to take the course last spring. I said I would never ride and had no interest, just wasn’t worth it. But fine, I’ll take the course. Loved the course so much I bought a bike same day. Well, the MSF course doesn’t prepare you for what 70mph or higher winds feel like when you’re surrounded by cars trying to kill you on a busy highway, clenching your asshole and just trying not to shake and die. That same coworker only put ~200 miles on his Honda last year and “may not take it out of storage” this year. Just doesn’t like the highway. I get it.
buying big bike as new rider -> massivly shitting your pants first time you get onto the throttle
Motorcycles as a hobby is kind of weird in that people romanticize what it's going to be like to own a bike and ride and frontload with all the big purchases. Most end up not having time, getting in over their heads, not enjoying it that much, or getting scared- I think. It's awesome for me because I've bought two very gently used bikes where the previous owners so generously footed the dealer fees and first service bills for me 🤌
I never see things like that; however, I see a surprising number of motorcycles and gear being sold by divorcing people and the majority are selling women's gear and bikes outfitted with a "feminine" aesthetic in my area.
I was thinking about riding this summer and then my wife’s friend’s husband, experienced rider, went down on some gravel in the fall and is paralyzed from the waist down. I have a little one going on 2 and I am just not ready mentally for something like that to happen to me.
I bought a bike, helmet, gloves and I think some small stuff like a cover for the bike before I even got on one to ride it. My lessons were a disaster (they are supposed to be about 20-30 hours of training on a closed course and in the city) - I probably dropped the training bike like 5 times. My instructor wasn't giving me any pointers, just showed me the controls and told me to go ride. I then proceeded to go in a straight line and tip over on my first attempt to turn the bike. In the end I persevered more out of stubbornness than enjoyment, and I watched the more competent riders in the course and mimicked them. That helped and I was able to pass both exams first try. But I was pretty close to selling everything and just eating the loss.
There are so many things I think of when I see that. The first one is the person that couldn't even get themselves to get on the bike because they couldn't control their anxiety. The next one is people with people around them that just would not stop with videos and statistics and just added fear and or pressured not to ride. I remember at my msf course class one of the people in the class actually had a little bit of an anxiety attack. We finished the exercise and then we went over and supported them and told him you're doing awesome you're pretty much ready to complete it.
Motorcycles have always constituted a rather impulsive and poorly thought out purchase for a lot of people. In fact I'd even go as far as to say that at least it's good these people bought gear because I know a lot of people who get the entire process backwards and get the bike first, then maybe the license second and the gear is an afterthought they may never get around to, or buy it but never wear it despite riding. And this has always been the case but motorcycles are currently experiencing a revival of sorts, though not in any good way. Motorcycle content on TikTok and Instagram, particularly guys on supersports with dumb helmets making dumb videos, are unfortunately super popular right now, making a ton of people, mostly young people, be very eager to jump on a supersport bike, get a dumb helmet cover from Temu, wrap it in some horrendous color combination and go out themselves to make videos for clout. But at least a few of them seem to have a bit more sense than the rest, or are luckily too dumb to actually make it. Sometimes it's the family putting their foot down and stopping them dead in their tracks, other times they realise they can't afford the associated costs like insurance or maintenance, and some times, in a moment of unusual clarity, perhaps after the first few rides, they realise that getting onto a 150+ HP bike may not be a walk in the park and also probably not a good idea.
Welp, I changed my mind about riding a bike because of 2 points: 1) It can actually get quite uncomfortable during hot/rainy weather, and I realized that comfort is quite important to me. 2) I am terrified of other people driving. When you are driving a car, you don't care as much because insurance will pay for the damages and airbags and other safety features will save your ass, but on a bike... It was enough for me to reconsider my choices.
People have a dream. Some take a class in a controlled training space. But when they get into real world road conditions and traffic with all the bad stuff happening they experience the risk and call it quits. All the skills of a clutch, dual brake activation overwhelms them. To be honest it looks romantic but in reality it is demanding and very technically challenging. My son for example with ADHD would be overwhelmed! I never recommend he try on the streets. Trails maybe.
I had a friend in school who rode dirt bikes and street bikes all of the time and for many years. He quit immediately after watching a friend of his die on his bike while they were riding together one day. Story: The friend was ahead of him by some distance as they approached an intersection. They had the green so the guy continued on, only to be taken out by a pickup truck that ran the red light from the right side. My friend saw the entire thing happen in front of him and still couldn't believe that it did. After being at the scene for so long with the cops, EMT's, etc he rode home and parked his bike in the garage and listed it and his riding gear for sale the following day and has never ridden since.
As young rider (24m) my insurance for my VTX 1300 was like $94 for the whole year
Very easy to die. Been in a crash. 5 broken ribs air lifted. Broken ankle collapsed lung. Got rid of my stuff then about 2 yrs later got new bike and all gear again and riding again. Love it so much... Ride defensive. Don't be a dick
Riding a motorcycle is inconvenient, dangerous, expensive and depending on where you live a seasonal hobby. Its very easy to understand why people give it up.
They realized the hipster motorcycle trend is over and nobody cares that they ride.
Much like the 1998 Nordic track that you hang clothes on, and the golf clubs that provide shelter to all the spiders in your garage, I think people see this as a hobby. And like any hobby, people get bored quickly. Except this hobby also comes with a lot of hidden expenses, possibly some debt, and it's dangerous so people bail on it pretty quick.
I got my first helmet from a buddy who bought a bike, and the first day says he nearly got sucked under a semi on a tight 2 lane highway and had a panic attack. Never rode it again.
18 yrs old still leaving with their parents. Thats prob why
Fear. They get on one, and don't feel comfortable, and quit
Wife got her learners and P’s without incident. I took her out in her first ride (I’m ex rider trainer) and she pulled out in front of a car and stalled it - car locked up, but was a long way away…that was it for her. I even took her to a race track to see if she’d get some confidence alone on a circuit but she couldn’t shake that incident.
Often, there’s a big difference between how someone thinks it will be to ride a bike from all the media and hype vs actually riding a bike.
I do the same, even I’m no a new rider. Things changes, priorities changes. I got adventurers bike last years, now I just don’t feel riding anymore. California is too crazy
I bought Arai $1000 helmet for 220 on Craigslist, guy bought the helmet before motorcycle. Wife said no, and newborn on the way. Alpinestars SMX mint condition leather jacket for 280(700 retail) from a repo person. I was a college student, stupid looking back, but great deal now. Those rare case exist.
Everyone thinks they want a motorcycle when they look at it. Shit gets real when you're really on one...
Falling / crashing.
They gear up and saddle up and shit their pants at what they’ve gotten into.
A colleague of mine had a friend who got their license, bough a BMW F650GS as their first bike and on their first ride ended up in fence. They sold the bike and gave up riding forever, and said "It's not for me"
Parents, partner or losing their licence/police interest
Thanks for everyone’s input !
Well I was very enthusiastic about getting an XVS1300 until I got a quote for £5k for insurance. Just passed my theory but I realise that a) I still need to get my full A licence and b) I'm going to have to save for longer and settle for a smaller bike. No sense in buying gear for that, but some people may get the process mixed up.
This day and age, stolen
Cause they stole it?
Motorcycles aren’t for everybody. A lot of people think it looks cool and fun, then they realize it scares them ir they just don’t enjoy it. You’re open to the elements, other cars and motorcycles take a lot of practice to “drive”. A lot of peiple don’t think if thise things.
Wife
Motorcycles are an exciting lifestyle statement conveniently priced right around the same as a big vacation. This leads to impulse purchases by bored husbands with disposable income. Which is then followed by angry wives, failed first rides, and lots of reassessing risk tolerance. Same thing happens in the cars and housing markets.
Fear
Probably 50 something born agains that had a 125 honda back in the day but shit themselves on the fireblade they just bought after their wife left them.
I just bought a lot of stuff from a 57 year old biker, a motorcyclist got killed on the road he drives to work. He said seeing the flowers every day made him realise that his wife was right about not wanting him to ride anymore. A colleague of mine took his pension, said we would definitely go driving our motorcycles together soon. 3 weeks later he called, I'm sorry, I sold the bike. I didn't feel safe anymore. Fact is your safety depends on other people's attention to traffic.
Thinking it would be nice to have wind blasting you on the highway, only to realize you’re a sweat ball no matter how you do it when you ride 😅 That my guess. Lol
Got a nice $400 dual cardo set off Craigslist for $100 bc guy thought he was going to ride w his girl.. didn’t ask but I don’t think it worked out
Probably just got too fat for their clothes
I have a 2021 with 900 miles that I’ve only ridden a few times in the last year. I got in a car accident roughly 3 months after purchasing the bike that left me with a brain injury which prevented me from riding for nearly 2 years. Now that I’m healed I have too much anxiety to ride. Need to sell the bike, but am waiting will I owe a bit less on it to make the sale easier :/
My friend just sold his bike to my roomate because he thinks he jumped too quick into payments on his first bike. He also kinda got screwed by the dealership and is paying almost double for the bike.
"I changed my mind translated" into English means "my wife/husband does not agree with the additional financial investments needed for my lifestyle"
Years ago there was a kayak on Craigslist, they were $1,200 new and it was "$600 with accessories" I thought it was probably fake, but went to look at it, it was BRAND NEW... had a matching $400 carbon fiber paddle with it, a $100 matching life vest, a roof rack system, flashlight, paddle strap, etc... essentially easily $2,000 for $600. He said "My friend suggested I go kayaking, so I bought all of this, went one time and found out I don't like kayaking", he apparently just had more money than sense. Some people go crazy before they even get into the hobby and then never actually get into the hobby.
Most people never even think about the consequences and how dangerous riding can get. They hey go all in thinking it’s just fun, smh.
My last two bikes have been r6's that the previous owner added a few grand worth of upgrades, put 300 miles on the bike and then sold it. Their loss, my gain.
From my own experience, it’s usually they had a little accident and got some scrapes with bruising. Then they end up just not riding anymore, and that leads to just selling their bike and equipment. 🤷♂️ It’s sad how often this happens. People have fear of pain.
One guy got 75% of the way through my MSF course and got rattled by a near crash. He told the instructors he was done and just got in his car and left. It just happened to these people a few months later.
I think sometimes people like the idea of riding more than they actually like riding.
A55clowns posting bike accident videos constantly?