Why selling a bike is like losing a family member

I’ve got a bit of a problem (actually, I could probably write you a list of ‘em). I love buying motorbikes, no matter how old or falling to bits they are. But the problem is, I really struggle to sell them. So what’s happened is this, I’ve filled up my garage, I’ve filled up my dad’s workshop (he’s had to build a new shed to put all his stuff in), and now, if I want a new bike, I’ve simply got to get rid of an old one. A one in, one out policy, so to speak. But I’m struggling to bring myself to sell any of them, because selling a bike you love is like losing a family member, and I think this is why.

Attachment issues

We all know that riding a motorbike is (for most people) a lot different to driving a car. And I’m not talking about being physically different, which it quite obviously is, I’m talking about the emotional side of things. Riding a bike isn’t just about getting from A to B, it’s about the journey from A to B. Or sometimes from A and then back to A again. And because of the fact that these machines bring us so much joy, it’s easy to grow attached to them. Nay, it’s difficult not to grow attached.

And the longer you own a bike, and the more miles you do on it, the more attached you potentially become. I’ve got some bikes now that I’ve had for years, ridden loads in the past, and although I don’t ride some of them as much now, and probably ought to move them on, I can’t bring myself to. I really should.

Separation anxiety

And it doesn’t help when you know there’s a good chance that if you sell a bike, the new owners won’t take proper care of it. Once, I sold a bike that I’d had for years, raced all over and absolutely loved. I sold it because I wanted a new race bike, so needed the cash. The lad who bought it, left it in a van all through winter and let Jack Frost freeze the coolant and tear the inside of the engine up. He then had the audacity to try and blame me, which is another story altogether, and probably one for another day.

My point is, if I’ve poured my heart and soul into a bike over the years, or anything for that matter, letting someone else mistreat it is not going to be high on my list of priorities.  

Give someone else a chance

The fact is that most people, after paying good money for a motorcycle, are going to do their best to look after it (despite there being one or two that don’t know how). So why not give them the chance. And perhaps we shouldn’t see ourselves as owners of motorcycle, anyway. Perhaps we are merely custodians, looking after them, maintaining them and housing them, in exchange for the joy they bring us; until it’s time for the next person to take up the duty.

If you’ve cared for a bike, enjoyed a bike and grown to love a bike, why not give someone else chance to do the same. That’s what I’m going to tell myself from now on when I’m thinking of selling a bike; that it’s someone else’s turn.

Out with the old…

Because what happens when you sell a bike? You get a pocketful of cash and space in the garage for a new one. And I can’t think of a better position to be in. Because you might think you really, really loved your old bike, but that might be nothing compared to the love you’re going to have for your new one.

Motorbikes are great, and one of the best things about them, for me anyway, is the variety. There are all sorts of bikes, in all sorts of categories. Even if you only like sportsbikes, there are a ton of them to try, all different. The same can be said for cruisers, adventure bikes, sports-nakeds, you name it. Out with the old and in with the new means you can try something completely different, or just a little bit different. Variety, as we all know, is the spice of life. So if you’re considering selling a bike you don’t use as much as you should, sell it and spice our life up with something different. What’ve you got to lose?

Boothy