selling up

[UK Pete]

I have been obssesed with bikes since about the age of 14, and have lost count on how many i have had since then, infact i have quite honestly lost count of how many i own now,
The thing is i have lost my bottle, after getting very close to death in  bike accident last year i find the whole biking thing a bit different
I have thrown myself into the restoration side of things but even that is not doing it for me at the moment, it has been on my mind alot over recent months and  the feeling is stronger than ever to just sell up everything i have to do with bikes lock and stock
i will be starting with the bikes which i do not use or will not miss, that way if i snap out of this then no harm done but if the feeling is still there i will do my hoard of Nos stuff, then if i really feel strongly at that point i will sell off the rest of the bikes
It hurts to even mention selling off all my treasure i can feel myself welling up as i type but a man has to do what a man has to do
Forums are not really a good place to sell so it will probably be ebay, but if i do go ahead i will post links on hear to my single overhead bikes and parts when the time comes
Pete

[mickwinf]

Pete I can understand you feeling this way after your near death experience, maybe you need a bit of time out from bikes, hopefully you will regain your enthusiasm for two wheels. I for one would miss seeing your rebuilds, it helps us lesser mortals to keep going, but whatever you decide to do i wish you all the best. Regards, Mick.

[Rozabikes Tim]

Jesus that's a shock but understand your position. Confidence is a big thing on a bike.

On a lighter side, maybe just seasonal adjustment disorder (SAD) and when we get some sunshine you will feel differently. Lets hope!

[mick]

Hi Pete sorry to hear of your dilema  , i've just put 2 of my bikes up for sale on different forums my Suzuki GT750 Kettle and my old Honda CB750, purely through lack of use and no bloody room , i've had a bit of interest in both bikes and even arranged for a fella to come and view my Kettle, but when i got it out from under its winter cover and fired it up and gave it a clean, i changed my mind  and had to let him know,;) i can't bring myself to sell it, the old Honda on the other hand is still for sale , hope things work out for you  cheers Mick.   

[UK Pete]

Thanks guys i am fighting it believe me , i am hoping the spring weather will snap me out of this , trouble is i am assuming now that every side turning some f---ker is going to pull out on me, it takes all the fun away and makes the whole going out on a bike thing like a gamble , where as before it was auto pilot that looked after me and i enjoyed the ride i relied on my extra sense and years of experience to be my lookout without it really being at the front of my thoughts if you get what i mean
Pete

[Bitsa (Ralph Wright - RIP)]

Hi Pete,
I am so sorry to hear about your dilemma.It is very understandable like you say when some sun appears you may change your mind.I have forgotten what its like to ride in the UK (believe me its busy here when all you see is 3 tractors going by) but like you I still keep my eyes on things, it is not so much cars pulling out its Deer,dogs and wild boar that pull out in front off you.Saying all that still enjoy riding my bikes just waiting for the sun to appear and I am sure you will come around as well bikes are in your blood.
All the best mate
Bitsa

[Green1]

Hi Pete 
I know how you feel nearly everyone I talk to has stopped riding on the roads.With one exception a digger driver I know is now madder then ever after a head on.Banged his head a bit to hard I think
Driving standards seem to have dropped dramatically.I don't tkink anyone looks past there bonnet.Everyone seems to think you leave a stopping distance just for them to fill it. and roads are riddled with potholes 
 
I'm off to put my head in the fridge to cool down now before my head explodes.
Mick

[basketcase]

Hi Pete,
I know how you feel. I too had a bad `accident` in `79. My mate was riding my bike with me as a pillion and a police car pulled out on us. No blue lights and no siren but he was answering an emergency call and got off scot free. I had a broken left ankle, two fractures to my lower left leg, broken collar bone, jaw and numerous bruising all over, oh, and bad gravel rash to my lower back....my mate ended up underneath the police car with the bike. They buried him while I was in hospital.
It took until `98 until I even sat on a bike again. My first bike was a 550 F2, I now have a 550 K3 which has sat in the garage for almost 2 years due to a house move and renovation. I tried to sell it but have backed out of two sales after starting her up.
Don`t be too rash and sell up, the bad feelings will dull and they make you a more defensive rider.
In the end it`s your decision, whatever you choose it`s always the right choice.
Cheers, Nigel.

[UK Pete]

WOW thanks for the comments, sounds like compared to some peoples stories that i am being a bit of a woos, they say after most sorts of accidents it is advisable to get srtraight back on the saddle, which is what i did after i  recovered, i had no problems i was just a little more cautious , and enjoyed riding through last summer the only difference was i was riding alot less than usual
I started taking out my FZ1 to the usual places where i used to give it some stick, and just could not bring myself to go mad on it and enjoy the rush, so ok thats the fun now gone on my tuned 170bhp nutter bike, worse still out on the classic bikes in the summer, got caught out in the wet on my F2 some one pulled out of a turning by brands hatch, i put the brakes on could not stop, took evasive action and only just got away with it, very scary i must say, out on my KLR 650 the other week when the roads had no snow , i might as well of had a sign on me saying drive your car into me or at me and win a million pounds because so many people just wanted to pull out on me at the last minute, or when i was filtering they just stepped out of the que to do a u turn or such and never checked there mirrors, i was a nervous wreck and it then dawned on me that its a game of survival rather than a fun thing
I have thought about just riding in good weather and not at peak times which is probably what i will end up doing, but having 24 bikes looks like i will never get the chance to ride most of them, so here now is my dilema, do i keep my classic bikes as an investment and not ride them, or sell them, do i get rid of all my bikes then start again and just have one bike , for occasional use
do i wait till the summer and reconsider my options,
It Is such a hard choice and it is eating me up inside, i cant imagine a life without bikes, but also i cant see there being much life if i carry on especially the way other people drive these days,  what the F  is happening to me , is it a mid life crisis , a passing phase or my sub conscious going for self preservation,  i have to say it has now got to the stage where i cant even be bothered to work on my bikes, which is such a shame i have invested huge amounts of money into my 69 K0, and it just gathering dust now not to mention my other 4 projects all abandoned at various stages,
Anyway bike number one is going up for sale in a couple of weeks time, just need to fit a battery and get an mot

[Lobo]

Pete,
Who the hell am I (bike polisher) to advise a veteran and accomplished biker what to do... forgive me. But I'm a guy in his 50's, not ready to give up toys, and planning a retirement away from the bloody telly ..... & Crown Green bowls.
After biking you're simply an innate tinkerer. Patently, through your building blogs, you get your kicks from being in the garage with your beloved bikes (& best mate rabbit) - and you should thank God for those pleasures. If you get rid if it all what the hell are you going to do, besides get under the missus's feet?
I'm personally returning to bikes after 30 years, and despite being invincible back then my mojo has gone. I don't bloody care, I ride (now) like an old granny, and rarely exceed 35mph about the village on my 400F, CB750K2 and 'Guzzi Griso 1200. And yet I still grin from ear to ear. BUT, I spend hours & hours of just tinkering with these 3, making them 'pretty' / OEM, and the pleasure that gives me (& you) is immeasurable - in my case greater than the riding. I am seriously jealous / in awe of what you do, and one day, when back permanently in the UK will try to do likewise.
Biking doesn't have to be 'petrol head' stuff. I suspect we can all afford cars when the weather's inclement - save the fun for those special summer days.
I lost a mate last year (63) on his Triumph (petrol head),  and my mum in Jan (cancer) ... and I know which way I'd rather go...
It doesn't have to be all or nothing.

[UK Pete]

Wise words fella's, i just gota simple but to the point reply from my mum when i told her about my dilema ,she said simply just wait till the sun starts shining it will all fall in to place then

[701arvn]

Mums are just great aren't they?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

[gasman]

Hi Pete
Its in your blood, dont part company with your bikes, my friend had a bad smack two years ago, decided to get out of biking, lost his way.
He brought a bmw after a long downer, toodles around everywhere and now loves biking again. Walk away till the weather gets better and try again, we know its not easy  and unless you have been in that position - I and others can not understand it- but that doesnt mean we dont feel for you. Please- leave it for a while, if help is reqd I should think everyone and his dog on this site would try in any way they can.
regards neal

[K2-K6]

I guess there isn't anyone who can make the decision about your own safety for you but maybe all the feelings lumped into one question appear quite large.

To me there are really three questions:-
1) your own safety and attitude to riding.
2) is the number of bikes overwhelming...and would you want to prune some stragglers to concentrate on a smaller group to not feel burried by them.
3) what is a top down list of priority if you do want to keep say 6 to 10 bikes....which ones fit the can't really be without theme.

On a lighter slant I always use this statistic when people ask me the question "isn't it a bit dangerous riding bikes" I heard that on average, 41 people die each year in this country from falling out of bed......and I wouldn't be proud to have that written in memories of me.

Stairs are statistically the most dangerous things in the country...followed up by kitchens!...so it follows that you shouldn't ride your bike in the kitchen, or up the stairs for that matter.

It's bikes that keep us lifelong bikers interested in most things really....so take them away and you'll probably find yourself on a mailing list for retirement housing outside Eastbourne, wearing taup coloured trousers (technical warning:- taup is not a real colour, just what is left in the fluff filter of a tumble-dryer. And why is it that whatever is dryed, always leaves grey with a hint of purple heather) and dreaming of the opening times to the bowling club!

Went to a pre-65 bike trial the other day and there was an old bloke with long white beard competing, I said about him to another spectator "look it's that good, god himself has given up a sunday to come out and ride a bike" and for all those who thinks god rides a Harley, well I can tell you he was on a Matchless that day.

Listen to your mum Pete and see how you feel as summer starts coming to us.....and mums usually make a cracking bread pudding as well.

Nigel.

[UK Pete]

Nice words Nigel, i am fighting this believe me, i am not ready for  taup coloured trousers ha ha
I have prepared my first bike ready for sale took it to mot station today and really enjoyed the ride,(the sun was shinning) the plan  is to reduce the collection starting with the one i mot'd today then keep getting rid of the ones that i dont have the real need for
On a kawasaki forum  one of the guys has bought a air bag vest of some sort, F--k that i would rather ride in my underpants than start all that health and safety shite, its not about protective clothing for me its about having fun and being a free spirit , doing what i want when i want, the trouble i am having is a confidence thing almost like a mental block, where all my thoughts are about crashing and flash backs of me hitting the car , if i could get rid of these thoughts things would be back to normal, i am also wondering if some sort of therapy would help, or as many have said  maybe the better weather  might just be enough,
Pete