Actually considering selling my beloved blade, with a little boy of 18 months and another on the way I don't seem to get much time for the bike any more, all my biking mates have gone and sold up and riding on my own all the time does get a bit boring!! Decisions decisions!!!
Find some new mates I originally joined the forum as my riding buddy decided to follow a life long ambition and ride around the world, I know, what a selfish tw@t! Lol so thought I'd see what was going on as was in the same boat as you really... Met some top fellas (and girls) on here and many I would consider true mates, huge group trackdays, tours and loads of fun ride outs..... Just got to get out there dude, get what you put in IMO Hope you find ya mojo, as life without a bike would be a kick in the balls for me....
Suggest you join a local group or Rospa. I have found you quickly find people or then know others. Check with your local bike shop too.
lets rewind 2/3 years ago, a few lads on here started to organise meets ride outs for members etc. Since 2011 only a hand full in the grand scheme of things but I've managed to put faces to names of 54 members, & what a formidable bunch they are yeah, some would say its ok if you're local well that's fine if your only willing to stay local. But as Jimbo has said possibilities are endless, there is a core of peeps on here who all love to do this & have travelled hundreds of miles just to get to a starting point "Scotland for example" & from this windows of opportunity open all over, looking through the ride out sections touring etc you will see we're getting out and about. I guess with the kids it can be difficult, & speaking from experience I know how difficult it can be to slot a little bit of "me" time in, but keeping yourself in the picture even regardless of the bike you'll be surprised to learn just how many new mates are out there. on the back of what I've just typed there's another guy now looking forwards to four weeks time when we kick off our second tour to Spain, & yep, two years ago, we didn't know each other from Adam, we met on here just attending ride outs. Testament enough I feel
if the biking bug has got you then im afraid its in your blood................when my son was born,i felt so much guilt riding a bike for my own selfish needs and kicks, so i sold up and packed biking in. 5 years later and the little fella had started school ( and i work shifts ) i've now got a load of spare time and the urge to have another bike gets worse and worse !! So i buy an old Gixer750 just to do up over the winter after its done you need to check it out etc etc,soon enough im back biking & my lads 16 now and wants his own bike, happy days. do i regret giving it all up ? no not a bit enjoyed every minute.......until a bike passed me on a family day out But and this is a BIG BUT keep a bike of some sorts so you can keep your no claims ( you lose them after 2yrs ) and you wont have to tell the insurance company that your a born agin biker ........... and there lies the problem 'its in your blood and as you get older you get more free time you WILL get another bike and you will meet a whole load of other mates/friends as mentioned in other posts.
+1 buy an old hack and just insure it. I was in the same situation with a family and sold my bike. What a fu@cking shock when 10 years later I got another one - 9 years NCB make a big difference! Of course, the ideal situation would be to keep going somehow. I do echo the previous posts, I have met a few guys from the forum and I only joined around a month ago. There's more mates out there waiting to be found!
Same for me, when my 1st daughter was born thought it the proper thing to give up biking ! That only lasted a couple of years before I got another bike. You can have a bike and kids, but having a family makes you ride with a bit more caution !
