Your Spouse and Your Bike

[RDK09]

Originally Posted by CoolRider+1

No problem for me, I pay for mine she pays for hers .

Attachment 34024

Ur bikes are identical???? Really?

[RANGER73]

Like Dave63 said, it's easier to get forgiveness than permission. I bought mine then told her.
It's been 2 years and she's still pissed. But i got my bike.

[FLTRMIKE]

My wife has ridden on the back of mine for years. The sales pitch came into play after a serious wreck caused by a careless cager. 6 months out of work and still recovering but I needed a bike. I took out a life insurance policy that will set her up nicely if I happen to go down hard. No prob....Bob.

[scol]

Been together 40+ yrs. been telling her since the day we met I was getting another bike. Lived my life around her and my son, he's grown and out on his own.

Sold some property I owned took some of the money bought the bike, she wasn't happy, seems the closer I get to the bone yard the less I care. Thats just me.

P.S. don't take this as marriage advice.

[Zelrick]

First wife stole all the cash I had saved to buy a new bike and spent it on, hell, I don't know...

Second wife paid the sizable down payment, bought me a new helmet and several accessories.

Now she wants my Fat Bob for her own and wants me to get another bike.

So I guess I've been on both sides of the fence.

There's no trick, you just have to be persistent and make sure the lovely lady DOES NOT have access to the account your saving your pennies in. It sucks when you call the bank to wire (this was in the 90s) the hold money to the dealership and get told the account is empty. That makes divorces happen in a hurry.

[Tread]

My first bike I lived thirteen miles away from work, but it took an hour to get there due to traffic. I told the wife (girlfriend at the time)that the bike would save me time in transit, and within a year the bike would pay for itself in gas (paid $3000 cash for the bike, ZX6R not a Harley), and that we cruise on weekends. She agreed. Sold that one due to a terminal illness in her side of the family and we needed the money for travel/lodging expenses. Since then I have been through 3 more bikes and now I just bought my first Harley. She doesn't question me when I want to get a new bike, she just says as long as we can afford it, I'm happy, and she can ride on occasion we're good. Now that's a good woman!!

[Fatboy206]

Originally Posted by JamesNT

Anyone have to make "the pitch" to your wife about why you should buy a Harley? Any strategies that worked/failed/recommended/don't do unless you are tired of life?

My wife is onboard so long as the money involved doesn't affect the family which I honestly thought was fair enough. I've already made some concessions that were easy enough that will more than make up for a $175 a month Harley payment. But I thought I would ask, out of curiousity, what other guys have been through.

Yeah, yeah, I know some of you dudes on here just put your foot down and laid down the law and others of you have wives that are more hard-core about riding than you are - count your lucky stars. But for the rest of us "normal" guys who have wives that make as much money as we do, have a college education like we do, are on more even footing in the marriage, and could probably care less about something like a Harley, how did you handle the big discussion?

JamesNT

Seems to me you got it all figured out Bud

[lakeforktx]

Mine has her own fatboy and rides,she dont even bitch about how much I spend,as long as I buy her some Harley crap every once in awhile....plus now I have 2 bikes to ride..and keep serviced ...

[rossn2]

Took my wife for a ride on the new Trike yesterday. She told me to keep the Electra Glide also so we can ride "depending on our mood!"
So, now I have two HD's in the garage..

[Ray-zer]

Originally Posted by b3dd

Not a water-proof case for the finances of buying a Harley, but should soften the finances a bit. My vehicle is a Ford F-150, and it gets apr. 18 mpg. At $4/gal it costs me about $60/week commuting to work. The Harley gets 42 mpg and only costs me about $20/week to commute. Living in Colorado i can commute on the bike about 3/4 of the year, or 39 weeks. A $40/week difference for 39 weeks saves me $1560 a year in gas, which means up to $130/month of motorcycle payment is already paid for out of money that would have gone towards gas. Obviously this is a more effective justification if you live somewhere you can commute year round, less effective if you can't use the bike for as many months, and completely pointless if you can't use the bike for commuting. Saddlebags and cold weather gear are highly recommended to compliment this strategy... As it was 28 degrees this morning when I headed into the office, and if I wear my cold weather stuff on the way home this afternoon I might drown in a pool of my own sweat. Hope this helps and good luck


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I calculated this for myself but I only work 8 miles from home, so the cost savings is minor. Besides, you know your logic is flawed (or at least mine was) because I end up taking the long way to/from work just so I can ride more