Considering A Change

[JRO]

No, I'm not going to give up my FJR. I think this is the best bike I've ever had. BUT...

It's late, and I'm beat, and the deer were out coming home tonight, and I'm thinking I might finally break down and buy a car. It has been years since I've had a car. There are cars all over the yard, but for the wife and kids. When they all peel outta here, I've just my bike. I've been (mostly) happy that way, but the fatigue factor is setting in, and sometimes climbing aboard my rocket sled is just more than I want to deal with. Recently, I have even borrowed my wife's car a few times.

It's funny. Buying a new bike, doesn't bother me atall. Bikes are cheap; cheap to buy (compared to autos), cheap to run, and cheap to insure. Buying cars makes me feel ill and nervous. I don't know if I'm capable of buying a car... I may try, though.

If I stop using my bike every day, does this mean I'm a weekender?

- Perish the thought.

 

[ShinyPartsUp]

No, I'm not going to give up my FJR. I think this is the best bike I've ever had. BUT...
It's late, and I'm beat, and the deer were out coming home tonight, and I'm thinking I might finally break down and buy a car. It has been years since I've had a car. There are cars all over the yard, but for the wife and kids. When they all peel outta here, I've just my bike. I've been (mostly) happy that way, but the fatigue factor is setting in, and sometimes climbing aboard my rocket sled is just more than I want to deal with. Recently, I have even borrowed my wife's car a few times.

It's funny. Buying a new bike, doesn't bother me atall. Bikes are cheap; cheap to buy (compared to autos), cheap to run, and cheap to insure. Buying cars makes me feel ill and nervous. I don't know if I'm capable of buying a car... I may try, though.

If I stop using my bike every day, does this mean I'm a weekender?

- Perish the thought.

We will all respect you less. Feel better now?

 

[bramfrank]

Cheap cars cost less than FJRs to procure.

 

[KATOOM37]

I guess it doesn't snow in OK?

 

[sradek]

Buy a cheapo used car (without comprehensive, so you save) and then use both the FJR and the transport.

We need cars sometime.

 

[airboss]

Just need something smaller, lighter, more flickable, with better milage for the commute. Like a KLR or a Wee Strom.

That's what I keep telling the wife anyway.

 

[madmike2]

I dunno.

I find that I use my 4-wheel transportation device once a week. Grocery shopping is more traumatic ($$$) but loading the goods for the trip home is less dramatic, and I only have to make one trip a week so I tend to "lump" all the needed errands. YMMV if you have a wife-unit that takes care of those small details.

During the Winter my 4-wheeled device gets more use. I can dress for the cold but "wet" is not one of my favorite ways to start a workday.

 

[wfooshee]

Aw, geez, next you'll be buying a trailer to tote the FJR around on. And what comes after that??? Take Warchild's line when he closed the "What brand of oil" thread and apply it to yourself.

Seriously, it doesn't hurt anything to have alternate transportation, but don't spend a lot of money if you feel it's pretty much going to waste. I ride my FJR to work every day, use it for groceries and stuff, everything. If it's pouring rain and windy I drive, especially for a short errand. I even rode to work every day last week during the Fay rains.

My automotive alternative transportation? A 1989 Mercury Gran Marquis. That shows you how much car you need when the bike is just not quite right for wherever you're going. (Although the car is great: leather, locks and windows works, blows cold air, trip computer even still works! Paint is for ****, though!)

 

[Crash Cash]

For me, buying a car isn't very difficult. Keeping the ******* thing running, on the other hand, is a pain in the ***. There are NO competent/trustworthy mechanics around here, and I can't do it myself. Right now, a friend is battling with something (maybe the radio) that's draining the battery. My roommate just spent $3500 trying to fix the car so it would start when hot. Nobody could fix the ABS on my Camaro. My mum's van stalls the moment you put it in reverse.

**** dat ****. You know how many farkles you can buy for $3500? I wouldn't be in the No-Mar group buy if I had a chunk 'o change like that just laying around.

 

[CHRIS_D]

This year I have only put 700 miles on my truck and 17K on the bike.

With that said, just make sure you when you buy a car that you don't owe money on it, because if you are like me you will feel guilty making a payment on something that just sits around. Yes right now you may want to relax by driving a cage, but I'm sure eventually you will be back to riding more than driving.

 

[v65]

Get a low mileage off lease vehicle, there are plenty out there. Our minivan is over $22k new, we paid $14.5k for it with 23,000 miles on it. It was a 2005 we bought in 2005 (so a year old <_< ).