Should I sell a unique guitar for a unique motorcycle?

[RP]

If you really want the bike I don't think you'd ask a bunch of strangers on a guitar forum for advice. There's clearly something telling you not to sell the guitar, buy the bike, or both. I'm also a long time former motorcyclist who walked away from two wheelers after a couple of near misses with a deer and a bear. At 66 I continue to have a real love/hate relationship with motorcycles because logic dictates that I avoid buying/owning one but there remains a certain visceral attraction. So far logic is winning....

[Wild Bill Jones]

I've played guitar since my 20's and have been riding bikes since I was a teenager. I love both. My only advice is to say that a bike wil be obsolete in a few years. Your guitar will never be. I've bought and sold many mtotrcycles over the years. Even built a streeted flat track racer from scratch. I've sold bikes to buy a guitar but never the other way around. Unless I really dislike a oarticular guitar, I never would. Just my opinion.

[bizango1]

Since I became serious about playing guitar several years ago I became aware of preserving my limbs in order to consistently play, practice, and most of all enjoy guitars and singing. Then last year I got run over twice by cars while on my motorcycles-first time in over 40 years of constant riding. Neither accident was my fault but still I wasl the one missing out on playing while I was in the hospital and then home recovering. Singing was impossible with a bunch of crushed ribs. Sold all my bikes and now I have two closets full of great guitars. Happy and not looking back. Thrilled at having so much time to play now.

[RustyAxe]

Aprilia makes really nice bikes, and they run great until they don't. Then you'll need to sell the rest of your guitars to afford the parts. Well, keep at least one to play while you're waiting weeks for the parts to arrive.

[ohYew812]

Originally Posted by Daveman

Hi:

...Aprilla Tuono V4 1100 Factory ABS.

OMG... those are literally crotch rockets in every sense.

1100cc in a 400 lb package.

My experience riding, and I've ridden motorcycles since I was 10, (55 now)
mirrors those that have already posted.
*REMEMBER* ...and I think anyone that's been riding for 20 or more years will confirm that it's not if you put her down, it's when you lay it down and how bad it turns out.

On dirt riding, I've broken both collarbones.
On street, I broke my right wrist.
And that was being lucky!

But, oh to be young and in my 20's again... I wouldn't change a thing.

Do what your gut tells you.

[Earl49]

As a kid I did a lot of dirt biking and trail riding. As an adult I have ridden nearly 70,000 road miles, some in Nor Cal and Idaho but much of it in Alaska during the 90's and early 2000's. I'm not a racer, and ride a Gold Wing. Riding in traffic sucks - it's the other idiots on the road that caused most of the close calls I've had - but open road touring is still fun.

However, I had to give up riding because of my knees over the last 3-4 years, and did not miss it as much as expected. Both knees were replaced this summer (for non-riding reasons) and now I find myself considerably more risk averse than I used to be. Rehab and PT was painful and not much fun, and now I don't feel like risking my newfound and hard won mobility just for motorcycle recreation. Maybe turning 57 also has something to do with it. My bike will be up for sale come spring. My wife still rides her Wing, but not nearly as much as she used to. I'm OK if she wants to keep riding, but I'm done.

It sounds like you went through a lot to get this unique guitar, and should be a bit reluctant to let it go. It will be very difficult to replace should you ever change your mind. Play it regularly with the thought that "this is the last time I get to play this guitar" and see if the spark is still there, and if you will miss it when it's gone. There is always another toy or want that competes for our available time and money.

[gfspencer]

It looks like a lot of us like motorcycles and guitars.

I've been playing guitar for 55 years and riding motorcycles for 40 years. (Mostly BMWs and Ducatis.) I'm getting too old to ride with just two wheels. Maybe I'll get a Ural. I could carry a guitar in the sidecar.



Sorry, I can't help you with your guitar/motorcycle decision.

[Sprikitik]

Originally Posted by HHP

Life is short, buy what gives you the most joy.

If he buys that motorcycle his life will be shortER

[Racerbob]

Originally Posted by Daveman

Recerbob - This seems very much in the vein of thinking expressed by Denny B (using the bike to it's potential - paraphrased...)
Given your background, do you believe that the bike must be raced or some other benchmark to really justify having the bike? I hope this question makes sense. I have a GSXR1000 and GSXS1000F which I tend to ride differently (different styles, destinations, gear, etc.)

I draw from over 40 years in professional motorsports. A bike like you are discussing is designed from the ground up to be ridden fast and hard. Everything from the fork head angle, frame flex to the brakes and suspension along with the power characteristics are designed for a higher level of performance, aka speed, than most bikes.

Underride it and the tires don't get into the proper heat range affecting their feedback and breakaway points, the brakes don't get hot enough so the are inconsistent in how they perform and the handling never gets near the sweet spot. Net result is the rider never really experiences what the bike has to offer. And when the rider does get a "wild hair" and tries to push it the response is such that the rider almost always is "behind".

High performance vehicles when used closer to their performance envelope can catch out anyone who has not regularly experienced that level. This leads to bad things happening. I have attended many a bike or car "track day" and watched the accidents happen.

And riding that type of bike well below it's natural performance level almost always is inferior to riding a bike designed for the lower performance level and which is operating correctly for the speed involved.

It's like trying to ride a race horse in your living room. It may look cool, and if that is all one is after then so be it, but the experience is just a shadow of what it should be.

Don't want to be like the Ferrari owners I deal with, for almost all of them it's about "because I can write the check and you can't".

[Guitartanzon]

I am retired, have had about 12 motorcycles in my riding career.
all types, harleys, duel sports, touring. Gave it all up.
No longer worth the risk to me now.

Now I do have a amazing condition 1994 miata convertable custom i would be willing to trade locally , Jax florida area for high end guitar, collings, Burgois, Kinnard, eric clapton,
Santa Cruz with some cash added.

[Acousticado]

Originally Posted by Racerbob

I draw from over 40 years in professional motorsports. A bike like you are discussing is designed from the ground up to be ridden fast and hard. Everything from the fork head angle, frame flex to the brakes and suspension along with the power characteristics are designed for a higher level of performance, aka speed, than most bikes.

Underride it and the tires don't get into the proper heat range affecting their feedback and breakaway points, the brakes don't get hot enough so the are inconsistent in how they perform and the handling never gets near the sweet spot. Net result is the rider never really experiences what the bike has to offer. And when the rider does get a "wild hair" and tries to push it the response is such that the rider almost always is "behind".

High performance vehicles when used closer to their performance envelope can catch out anyone who has not regularly experienced that level. This leads to bad things happening. I have attended many a bike or car "track day" and watched the accidents happen.

And riding that type of bike well below it's natural performance level almost always is inferior to riding a bike designed for the lower performance level and which is operating correctly for the speed involved.

It's like trying to ride a race horse in your living room. It may look cool, and if that is all one is after then so be it, but the experience is just a shadow of what it should be.

Don't want to be like the Ferrari owners I deal with, for almost all of them it's about "because I can write the check and you can't".

I love motorcycles, but don't own one now. I'm posting just to say that I find your post very interesting. Makes complete sense. Drive that particular bike as it's meant and needed to be driven, or forget about it.

[bjewell]

I got my first bike at 14 -- you could do that in Ohio if they were under five horsepower. That was 57 years ago and except for the 20 years in Tokyo, I've always had a bike or two. I've had rice rockets and Brit bikes, but at heart I'm Harley scooter trash.

Your nylon string guitar. Will it appreciate in value? Because that Aprilia you want certainly won't. You can buy used Italian bikes for a song.

In my case, if an early '50s Panhead came up cheap, I'd consider selling one or two of the guitars, pedal steels, mandolins, banjos, Cajun accordions I own towards its purchase. But I wouldn't sell an appreciating commodity to fund a bike that will be worth half its new price within five years. YMMV, impulse buying can be a dangerous path to trod... I learned after selling hundreds of guitars that three things -- well four -- should be held close: guitars, bikes, guns and tools.

[bjewell]

This bike went pretty fast...

[bjewell]

Speaking of somewhat fast bikes, my other Harley. This a fast bike by any standard; 113c.i., 136HP, 131lbs. of torque, set up for drag racing with $8K in the engine. I ride it on the street but it will singe the inside of my right pant leg from the pipes... -L- Really, like smoke and everything at the stop light.

[buddyhu]

Don't buy the bike.

You may want to sell the guitar anyways...twice a year isn't much playing time. And 6 years is a reasonably long trial period.