Diminishing Enthusiasm.

[Water Warrior 2]

So here I sit at my desk and have a very rideable bike a short distance away. I don't really care anymore about riding. Seems I have hit a real slump in my enthusiasm for riding this year. Beautiful fall weather and colors to enjoy but I keep grabbing the keys to the Ranger.
Having ridden the Vstrom for 5 years now I wonder if it is time for a different ride or just wait till the spring and play with the idea of riding again. Anybody else gone through this lull in interest ?? Maybe the 7 year itch come early or something similar ??

[blaine]

So here I sit at my desk and have a very rideable bike a short distance away. I don't really care anymore about riding. Seems I have hit a real slump in my enthusiasm for riding this year. Beautiful fall weather and colors to enjoy but I keep grabbing the keys to the Ranger.
Having ridden the Vstrom for 5 years now I wonder if it is time for a different ride or just wait till the spring and play with the idea of riding again. Anybody else gone through this lull in interest ?? Maybe the 7 year itch come early or something similar ??

Sounds like it's time for that new ride.Maybe you should be on the M-50. :poke2: :lol:

[burkbuilds]

WW, you should just blame it on global warming, it gets blamed for almost everything else that happens already. LOL :skeptical:

Sorry to hear that your enthusiasm has hit a lull. I guess my first question for you would be, is your enthusiasm down for more than just riding at this time? If so, maybe there's a reason that you feel that way, that has no basis with riding. Stress, and changes in anyone's daily life can sometimes change how we feel about things we were once enthusiastic about. Sometimes concern over someone we care about, when they are having a rough time or struggling with an illness, can dull our usual enthusiasm for activities we normally enjoy.

I have also noticed that I tend to go through phases of high and low enthusiasm for certain activities and sometimes I actually stop doing something I once enjoyed a lot and then found something else that I was newly excited about doing. There was a time in my life when I played some type of sport almost daily, year round, not anymore. I used to ride trail bikes, that's over with for me. I used to play golf several times a week, had to quit that bad habit. Maybe one day I will also get tired of putting on all the gear and doing all the maintenance that it takes to keep a bike in top form and this too will pass.

It's also possible that you've just "ridden yourself out" for a while. If I remember correctly you've had some pretty long trips this year and maybe you just need a guilt free break from the bike for a season and your enthusiasm will return with the spring weather. My recommendation would be to take a break for a while and not feel guilty about preferring the Ranger. Maybe, like Brett Favre, after you've had a few months off, you will be ready to climb back in the saddle again. :)

[Water Warrior 2]

Had a couple longish rides this year but they weren't fun sort of thing. That and the somewhat uncooperative weather most of the summer. Could have should have been out today in the sunshine but I just couldn't muster up the energy to dress up in all the gear and clean dust off the face shield.
Oh yeah, the M-50 is a thought but it isn't mine. Lynda is kinda the only rider. Can't blame her either. If it was a C-50 I might try to talk her out of it permanently though. It is a much better fit for me.
Think I'll just sit around for a couple weeks and see how much riding weather shows up to entice me out on the street. Then I'll make a decision to/not to keep the insurance on it this winter.

[alanmcorcoran]

I've lost interest in many distractions over the years. I have a name for it. I call it "There's No More Flavor In This Gum" syndrome. Sometimes they come back, sometimes they don't. Continuing to ride out of obligation or guilt, or some other sense of responsibility doesn't make a lot of sense - although I'm by no means suggesting that everything I do makes any sense either. Perhaps you've simply reached a "been there, done that" stage and it's not that much fun anymore.

Riding is a pretty risky distraction. If it's not really something you enjoy, I say get a library card or a new girl friend.

[Fish Baseball]

Ouch. It does sound like your burnt out.....nothing wrong with that. Take some time, drive the car, walk the dog, smell the roses etc. Wait till after winter and mayhaps the urge to get out on the bike and just ride will come back. Mayhaps it won't. I hope it does for you, but if it doesn't, so be it. Don't force it, otherwise you'll just end up hating it. Good luck!

[dhgeyer]

I'm kind of in the same spot you are. I put close to 15,000 miles on bikes this year, most of it pretty early on. I got back from California at the beginning of June with 11,000 and change on the new bike, and after that only a bit less than 4000. I put both of my bikes away for the Winter in October, which is pathetically early for me. Many years I have ridden right through the Winter.

Right now I feel the same way you do. The desire just isn't there. I'm assuming it will return in the Spring. If not, I'll sell 'em and move on. Like Alan, it wouldn't be the first hobby I've burned out on, but it might be the most dangerous.

[Sarris]

A lot of people have those feelings. It may be general despair with our country's problems.

The economy, government gridlock, poor communication, general malaise, and shitty cage drivers all contribute to those feelings too.

Give it time, if it's meant to be, it will be.

:)

[Easy Rider]

A lot of people have those feelings. It may be general despair with our country's problems.

I seem to be getting the feeling "Been there, done that" about almost everything these days......except for riding the bike. I don't get to do it every day so it is still a treat.

[alantf]

Could it be something to do with using your bike for long rides? Unfortunately we've nowhere to do that sort of thing, but my geezer is my primary transport. We only use the car if we've too much stuff to carry on the bike, or too many passengers. So apart from the few bad days a year when I need waterproofs or leathers, it's just a case of going down to the garage in jeans & tee shirt, jumping on the bike, & riding - even if it's just to the supermarket. I really think that it's all to do with the weather, the type of area you live in, & what you use the bike for. :2tup:

[Water Warrior 2]

Maybe I'll just spend a few weeks test driving new cars for the fun of it. Looking is free and entertaining. Start with a Chevy and work up to a Porsche.

[dhgeyer]

Maybe I'll just spend a few weeks test driving new cars for the fun of it. Looking is free and entertaining. Start with a Chevy and work up to a Porsche.

Don't forget to check out a Prius.

[mrlmd1]

Yeah, drive one of those, or a Smart Car, that'll make you want to get back on your bike real quick.

[dhgeyer]

Yeah, drive one of those, or a Smart Car, that'll make you want to get back on your bike real quick.

Do you speak from experience? I didn't think so. Never had that effect on me.

[mrlmd1]

A lame attempt at being humorous. If you refer to power and acceleration and handling, I think more of us would rather ride a bike than drive one of those, but I could be wrong. :cool: :poke2:

[alanmcorcoran]

A prius can go over 100 miles an hour, something we know is not the case for the Geezer. I've not driven one, but they use them for cabs in Chicago and they seem to accelerate and handle just fine.

[dhgeyer]

The Prius has an image problem. People see it as weak, slow, effeminate, possibly even gay. Comics love to make fun of it. I don't know where that image came from. It's got nothing to do with reality. The Prius is no muscle car, nor is it a sports car, but it isn't what people tend to see it as, either. It drives about like any other mid-size sedan, which it is on the inside.

Right now I would very much prefer to drive my Prius than ride even my beloved BMW R1200R, but that's kind of what this thread is about. Yes, most people here would rather ride, and I'm sure I will too after a while.

The Smart Car, on the other hand, I can't for the life of me understand. It's tiny, not very fast, and gets far worse gas mileage than the Prius. I guess it's appeal is that it's cheap.

[dannylightning]

i have lost interest and i wish i still had my GZ for something that got almost 80mph around town. i do want to sell my bike and i am thinking about dumping off cheep, or maybe i should see if i pick interest back up next summer. this spring i enjoyed riding my bike when the weather got good enought to ride again, a few weeks later it set in the garage and probably got out on the street 5 times all summer.

i would drive a pirus, screw paying a lot of money for gas. my truck gets 14mpg and i am so sick of that crap. it also needs to get sold, but no one has even called and i been trying to sell it off and on for a few years.

as far as the smart car goes they can be a lot of fun
[youtube:36hyn0b9]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YtWeSa3naKk[/youtube:36hyn0b9]
[youtube:36hyn0b9]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7uJIXipcK0[/youtube:36hyn0b9]

[mrlmd1]

As an aside, what most people don't think of when they buy a Prius (other than the gas mileage) is the $4500 or so it costs to replace the batteries when they crap out at maybe 100,000 miles or less, or the environmental cost and expense of manufacturing those things. I'm not denigrating the Prius, image or not, it just seems too boring for me, in style and substance. If I had a choice, unless it's raining or really cold out, I would rather ride my S50 or Ninja.
Why anybody would buy a Smart Car is beyond me, other than trying to make some kind of statement, whatever it is. They don't get that great of gas mileage, are relatively expensive, have no cargo room of any significance, but the pluses are they are probably good for driving around town and are easy to park. I wouldn't want to be in one of those on a highway driving with much faster cars and trucks on the road. They are most likely not meant for that, so you are limited in what you can do with it, IMO. Now that 200HP car in the video (powered by a motorcycle engine) is a different story altogether.

[alanmcorcoran]

When I was in Stuttgart, in '02 or thereabouts, I saw tons of Smart cars - even went to a dealership (my daughter was 15ish at the time and was interested in one.) The appeal there was you could park them in a very tight space.

By the time they finally reached our shores, her interest had cooled - ended up with the Honda Fit instead.


http://s2.postimage.org/KIkM0.jpg (http://postimage.org/image/2mtzsfwh0/)

[alanmcorcoran]

Here's a "gumball" machine full of them. Put your 10,000 euros in and press the button, and out she comes!

http://s2.postimage.org/KJ59J.jpg (http://postimage.org/image/2muv7nhus/)

[dhgeyer]

As an aside, what most people don't think of when they buy a Prius (other than the gas mileage) is the $4500 or so it costs to replace the batteries when they crap out at maybe 100,000 miles or less, or the environmental cost and expense of manufacturing those things.

I don't know about most people, but Sue and I gave that some thought, and even brought it up with the dealer before we made our decision. The hybrid battery is a nickle metal hydride type, and has a separate, longer warranty. Not likely to ever be our problem; maybe Toyota's.
We have close to 100,000 miles on the oldest of our three Prii now, with no sign of any problem with the hybrid battery, or anything else.

Our three Prii all average about 50 mpg year round. I just did a little arithmetic. If gas averaged $3.00 per gallon over 100,000 miles, a car that averaged 50 mpg would save $4000.00 in fuel over a car that averaged 30 mpg. The average personal vehicle on the road today doesn't average anything like 30 mpg if it's operated in a climate like ours. So, even if the battery crapped out at 100,000 miles, which I don't think it will, and even if we had to pay for it, which we wouldn't, we'd still be about even on money, and way ahead environmentally.

I don't think making, using, and recycling a hybrid battery has as much total environmental impact as pumping, refining, and burning 1333 gallons of gasoline. I also doubt that gas, even in the USA, will stay as low as $3.00 per gallon much longer.

The Prius was not designed to be exciting. It was designed from the ground up to save fuel. That's true of just about everything about it, not just the hybrid drive system. Maybe that's why some people love to hate it so much: it's the anti car culture car. It isn't sexy, sporty, or meant to be a status symbol. How dare it???!!!!

[alanmcorcoran]

I guess I'm in the minority but I happen to like the way they are designed and they are kind of cool inside. I'm guessing they don't have the ride or acceleration of a Camry (which historically has been all the car I need) but, I rode around in some of my Camries for years after they lost their gusto and most of their suspensions.

Getting back to the topic, "Diminshing Enthusiasm" I think I can pinpoint the last time I got excited about a new car - I was on the way home from the Chevy dealer in my then brand new '99 Suburban (it was probably mid- '98) and I was pretty excited about owning a gigantic 4 wheel drive with features that I hadn't yet even discovered. It wasn't long before the $38,000 price tag and, I guess just age, sort of cooled me on Vehicles As A Distraction. That is, until I got my motorcycle permit in '08. I think I have some time before I'm through with motorcyles, but the thrill does diminish with time. I wasenjoying the hell out of my ride last night though, and I hope to continue in that vein. One very positive aspect of this is motorcycles are cheaper to buy and operate. Not so much cheaper to maintain though.

[dhgeyer]

My last love affair with a two track vehicle was when I got my '84 Jeep CJ7 ragtop. I had wanted a "Jeep Jeep", as opposed to a Comanche or whatever, for 20 years, and finally was able to swing one. Take off the top, take off the doors, fold down the windshield, go for a ride. I loved that thing for a good 15 years, and kept it for 18. I have no idea what kind of mileage it got. No one was paying any attention to that back then.

[b1pig]

the Jeep-thing is a different kind of thing. i've got a '07 JK Unlimited Rubicon. i like it alot. the only downfall is the engine/tranny combo. no power. i miss the 4.0 i had in the ZJ i got rid of... even the 232 in the 73 CJ5 i had before that had more power... at least i remember it that way. never any trouble turning the 33's in 4hi on 3.73 gears.

i once went through a lull. it lasted a year. family commitment kept me off of our 91 Suzuki GSX1100G sport tourer. i sold it. kicked myself in the rear for a few years after that. bought a '84 750 Interceptor in dire need of TLC. odly enough it was that old bike that got the spark fired off in the ole lady... which is how i ended up with the Ninja and her getting her own bike. :)

dont do anything that wont make you very happy. if there is even a remote feeling of regret or depression, do NOT do it. (meaning sell, trade, whatever)

[blaine]

the Jeep-thing is a different kind of thing. i've got a '07 JK Unlimited Rubicon. i like it alot. the only downfall is the engine/tranny combo. no power. i miss the 4.0 i had in the ZJ i got rid of... even the 232 in the 73 CJ5 i had before that had more power... at least i remember it that way. never any trouble turning the 33's in 4hi on 3.73 gears

The 4.2L straight six is a A.M.C. 258 Cid engine that was used in the Jeep and many other A.M.C vehicles for years, one of the best engines that was used Jeeps.A tough engine with good power,torque,and economy.I owned A.M.C.s for years before they were bought out and phased out by Chrysler.They bought the company to get the "Jeep" brand.
:cry:

[dhgeyer]

The 4.2L straight six is a A.M.C. 258 Cid engine that was used in the Jeep and many other A.M.C vehicles for years, one of the best engines that was used Jeeps.A tough engine with good power,torque,and economy.

That was the engine I had in mine. That was one Hell of an engine, and well suited to the vehicle. I had to replace the core after 150,000 miles. I replaced the whole body with a fiberglass one when it rotted out past patching. Replaced the top twice, along with the doors. I had to replace the driver's seat, and the back seat had long since been removed. By the time I sold it, it was only about half what I bought originally.