Rider or owner???

[squirrelciv]

Are you a rider or an owner??

I suppose I'd better give some definitions as I seem them to help you make up your mind

RIDERS;
Don't do their own maintenance.
Change their machines quite frequently, for the latest one.
Buy matching accessories.
Keep their bikes very clean (well you wouldn't want to effect the re-sale value would you!)
Read an awful lot of bike mags, looking at bike write-ups and what's new to buy.

OWNERS;
Fix their own machines, do their own maintenance.
Keep their bikes for as long as possible.
Buy things they need, that will work best rather than look best.
Clean their bikes when they need to.
Read about journeys and mechanical tips getting ideas

Remember, this isn't about mileage or what the bikes used for, more about attitude toward the bike. You can commute or ride on the weekend only but still be an owner if she's your bike and you've made her how you want her.

Me, I'm defineatly an OWNER What about you

[Sharribee]

I think I am a bit of both Jack.

I never used to do the maintainance because I wasn't capable not becuase I didn't want to. Have done it now but would still need lots of help to do it again. I do read lots of bike mags and reviews because I find them genuinly interesting.

But I do the stuff owners do too, buy things I need rather than looking best except the leathers of course you just got to look good when you ride. I can't keep my bike squeeky clean because I ride it so much so I keep the essentials clean and free from crap such as the chain, wheels and brakes and the rest is done when it is bogging and I am ashamed to take it out. (Ubless I am going for a ride with you lot then I do try to clean the night before becuase your bikes are all so lovely and shiney)

I love reading about bike journeys but couldn't give a toss about mechanical tips because I struggle to understand the terminology and get bored.

[JB1]

I'm an owner, however, I don't agree with the keeping clean difference between a rider and owner. I'm a great believer in looking after your kit, and you'll kit will look after you. Apply that ethos to everything. Therefore, I service/maintain, clean and look after my bike myself.

[Cie]

Therefore, I service/maintain, clean and look after my bike myself.

Yeah but you don't ride it enough to ever need to clean it! If that bike ever gets rain or mud on it, I'll be amazed

I'll call myself a budding owner, I'm learning to work on the bike, the only thing I'm not confident with is under the tank. I've just booked it in to have all that done, but in the summer I'll learn how to do it myself.

[Wee Jack]

I think over the 31 years I've had bikes I come out on the owner side. Although I do try to keep the bike clean. I like to keep my bikes a while so have to keep the rot at bay and there is nothing worse than trying to do any type of maintenance work on a kacky bike. In 31 years I've only had 8 bikes , I keep them a while, they become part of you.....

.....you've gotta keep them clean if you want to keep them long....

[Xander]

I am an owner with some rider attributes,

I Used to do all my own maintainance, but now i have no gararge or shed or workshop, or driveway.. I have a small yard . So now I only do the things I KNOW i can finish in one day . Not really happy about it, but there is nothing worse than it getting dark with the bits all over the grass! and you kick that one bit in to the bushes and it all goes bad . So off to the shop it is.

But I do Keep their bikes for as long as possible, hell my last bike was an 83! (bloody hell that is 23 years old)and i still have it. ( I have been forced to sell one bike in 6 months..F@cken goverment)

I definitely buy/ make things they need, that will work best rather than look best. But there is some "hey that looks cool so put it on too!"

rarely clean my bike (only when i really need to.) But again that has changed here.. in Oz we dont use salt so not big deal.. I rinse this bike off at lease everytime i ride now! This is because i want it to last as long as possible

Read about journeys and mechanical tips getting ideas.. mainly from here and HUD!

It also turns out that i buy "matching" accessories... but this is kinda artifact... My @ is black/silver, My jacket is black. my trousers are black/silver.. helmet is silver.. None of this planned.. I like black, so bought that for the jacket ...trousers were the ones on sale and fit best... but the silver helmet.. I ordered a black one.. it came silver the BMW shop took 30£ off for the colour. . I dont care about colour for 30£!! So I match cus i am a tight a$$! .. and worse my wife just chose (not bought yet) a black and sliver jacket.. so we MATCH too ... this is just bad!!!!
so I get matching gear... but it is evil fate not choice!

[Jenna]

humm think defiantly an owner, never had a bike thats not had a rebuild, never ever had any vehicle (thats bike car or truck) serviced by any one else and although yes i do like to clean a bike often its only because its much more fun getting a clean bike covered in cr~p than a dirty one...

never traded in a bike or car in my life and tend to 'stock pile' vehicles only selling some thing when we run out of space

as far as the reading material goes, never bought a bike mag in my life (bar tbm) but i do read a hell of a lot of articles/editorial on line as its part of my work, most i ever read in the bike mag write ups' is the tech spec as most reviewers are speed freak men which is not what i want from a bike or a style i ride in (whats the point of geting a blackbird rider to review a marathon bike! of course he will slag it off .. stupid f@#king mags!).. think its fair to say most my reading is defiantly along the lines of adventure sport though lol...

I dont ride these days for anything other than fun, the Cagiva only doing 4k in thr last 6 years and the new bike ( definatly going to be a xtz750) will be for adventure riding only as its not practicle on a day to day level and and dont like getting either cold or wet! (muddy is fine )

[Wee Jack]

never traded in a bike or car in my life and tend to 'stock pile' vehicles only selling some thing when we run out of space

Oh you know .........thats my dream ..... but I could never afford to do it that way .......... jeez imagine I still had my MK1 Capri and all my Series L/Rovers and all my bikes ..... OOOOOO! Jenna you've got me all dewy eyed now.

[Taz]

A bit of both.

I don't do my own mainentance.

I keep my bike as clean and in as good a condition as possible because I like it that way, not because I want to sell it.

I used to change my bikes regularly, but only because I wanted to find the bike I wanted to keep.

I don't buy too many motorcycle mags, only the ones that I find have something I want in them, or if I need to for dealers' contacts.

I buy matching accessories and customise my bike because I've always been into that sort of thing ever since I was a little kid.

[JB1]

[quote="Cie"]

Therefore, I service/maintain, clean and look after my bike myself.

Yeah but you don't ride it enough to ever need to clean it! If that bike ever gets rain or mud on it, I'll be amazed

That's not quite true Cie as you well know. You were there when I had no choice but ride through a dirty puddle on the way to the XRV meet. Am fortunate too as the company I work for, has bikes at my disposal to go off roading on.