**Solutions to What prevents you from riding?**

I want to first start off by saying, “If you do not have a solution to your current(or previous) riding preventer please hold your posts.” The reasoning is so a viewer of the thread can see problems of others and learn of how those riders coped with their problems.

As most of the riders here are beginning to gear up 8) for the riding season, I think we can all learn from each other how to make the most of the season.
Some riders have been snowed, iced, sleeted in for the last 4 months 8O (If not more) Lets make this riding season the best we can this year, and the ones after that.

Me, I am blessed with year round riding (minus a day or two). I have little responsibilities to nag or stink eye me for riding. I have begun averaging around 300 miles per week while working full time 8O . The roads that are provided by the State of Texas are excellent as far as I am concerned. I make very little “sacrifice” to be able to ride. It will change one of these days, but not today. :roll:

Kids, spouses, gas price, work, unfinished maintnence are some of the blockades that I can think of, but what about you?

What problems do YOU have, what are your SOLUTIONS?

Might even be worthwhile to offer some possible solutions you have NEVER used so others can try them.

 

My solution to the Spouse/Kids thing... My primary form of transport is my bike... No wait, my only form of transport is my bike

I too am blessed with year round riding conditions

 

Problem: Can't justify spending $$ on buying a bike

The car was working and, as usual, money was tighter than we'd like

Solution: Make the bike pay for itself

My (now) cold weather vehicle gets roughly 18mpg. Not good. When I bought my XJ I had just started a new job which changed my daily commute from 3 miles to 20 miles. Fuel prices were around $3.25US and so this was a pretty big change. My little 550 gets around 50-55mpg so there is a real cost savings. It won't take long for me to ride enough that we will have saved as much as the bike cost:

Code:

    Cage: 18mpg @ 3.25/gal = .18/mile
    XJ: 52mpg @ 3.25/gal = .06/mile

So, for every mile I ride, instead of drive, I save 12 cents.

The initial cost of motorcycle, initial maintenance, gear, MSF Course was around $1,500.

Code:

    $1,500 / .12 = 12,500 miles
    12,500 miles / 20 miles per day = 625 days

This assumes I will only ride to work and back. Add in weekday and weekend errands and I'm probably closer to 30 miles per day:

Code:

    12,500 miles / 30 miles per day = 416 days till the bike pays for itself

As a new rider, I'm not confident/comfortable riding in really bad weather. Here, in Milwaukee, WI, that means I probably will get around 8 months per year of riding in:

Code:

    8 months * 30 days per month = 240 riding days per year

I rode for 4 months before the weather changed:

Code:

    4 months * 30 days per month = 120 days already ridden

So:

Code:

    416 average riding days - 120 days already ridden = 296 remaining days till the bike pays for itself

    296 days - 240 riding days this season = 56 days

So, around 2 moths into next year, the bike will have paid for itself and I'll be saving $108US per month:

Code:

    30 days per month * 30 miles per day * $0.12 per mile = $108 per month. 

That will more than cover maintenance.

Plus, I get peace of mind, and the absolute joy that comes from riding!

-c