For those with multiple bikes...

[STRaider]

Why do you have multiple bikes, how do you choose which to ride, do you ever want to cull down to just one?

First world problem to be certain, but I find myself with three bikes now. I had the F6B and a Harley Ultra Limited, then found a nice, well priced 2013 BMW R1200 RT last year. In June, I traded the Harley towards a very well accessorized 2018 Goldwing.

Now, again, I have the three bikes and enjoy them all, but wonder when I have time to ride them all. Storage is another issue.

Another problem is similarity of the bikes. I liked the RT because it was quite different than the Harley, but the features are similar to the Goldwing now, and I would choose to ride the Goldwing 99% of the time over the RT.

I've had the RT listed casually on one site, but not getting many bites. I love the bike, but love the other two more, but if forced to sell it too cheap, I'd just rather keep it because it is a clean, well appointed bike with some nice extras on it.

I have some warehouse/offices in other cities, and am considering storing at least one bike (likely the F6B, as no BMW dealer for four hours) in Amarillo, which would give me easy access to New Mexico and Colorado (the worst part of the trip to either is from DFW to Amarillo).

In a way, I would love to get down to just one bike, but I love that F6B and the Goldwing. Again, the BMW probably has more value in keeping and owning it than selling, so I am stuck as to what to do.

How do you with multiple bikes juggle them, split time between them, etc?

[jmdaniel]

My two are the F6B and an FJR1300. Riding locally, I'll switch them out with no rhyme or reason. On out of state rides, if I'm doing rides out of a location, returning at the end of the day, I'll take the B. If not, if I'm in a new place every night, it's the FJR. The only reason for that is simply storage; my FJR has more, with the top case and Smuggler, compared to the B without a rack or backrest.

[opas ride]

Seems to me it is kind of like buying three shoes when one only has two feet!!!...But to each his own as they say...JMHO ,, Regards and ride safe

[unsub]

Seems to me it is kind of like buying three shoes when one only has two feet!!!...But to each his own as they say...JMHO ,, Regards and ride safe

That's why you always buy in pairs Opa......:D


In a way, I would love to get down to just one bike, but I love that F6B and the Goldwing. Again, the BMW probably has more value in keeping and owning it than selling, so I am stuck as to what to do.

How do you with multiple bikes juggle them, split time between them, etc?

STRaider, as long as the hobby is maintained with disposable income and doesn't interfere with your family or work relationships, what's the harm in collecting whatever makes you happy? If you belong to multiple groups you can ride whatever the occasion calls for.

[JGF6B]

I went from F6B and ninja 300 to f6b and fjr1300 to f6b and f6c to f6b and ninja 1000 to ninja 1000 and R1200RT to only r1200rt! Hooray! Down to one bike!
But now I'm thinking about adding an adventure bike to the r1200rt.

I think it is a disease.......

[JackB]

I've had multiple cycles throughout the years.
I have had different cycles 2 or 3 at times I always had a touring bike, on-off reader, or sport bike.
When it was time to choose which bike to ride;
When I was working I would take the dirty one to work and save the clean one for the weekend or Two Wheel Tuesday.
Now I have 2 bikes the F6B and a 1800 Valkyrie. Both great bikes but they are different. Long rides it's the B.
Shorter ride (250 miles or less) it is usually the Valk.
It's hard to choose at times so then I take the clean one.

[rdbonds]

STRaider- When I first bought the F6b a little over 5 years ago, I still had a 2007 Harley Road Glide. I kept it for a couple of months, but realized that the F6b was my choice EVERY ride, and sold it. The 2014 F6b was my sole bike for a while, but later picked up a lightly used 2008 BMW R1200GSA for variety. Day in day out, I typically ride what I didn't ride last time (again...variety). Occasionally, I'll put the spare wheels and knobbies on the GSA and go hit the mountain fire roads.

Last week, I had to travel to NE Alabama for work, and took the BMW, for the same reason jmdaniel notes...more storage even with just the panniers. On the ride home on Friday, I was wishing I had taken the F6b. If I had taken the 6, I'm sure I'd have wanted the GSA. :)

[Phantom]

Seems to me it is kind of like buying three shoes when one only has two feet!!!...But to each his own as they say...JMHO ,, Regards and ride safe


Opas, sometimes you have to have multiple pairs of shoes.. Formal, Sport-Tennis, boots, daily wear, flip flops .... Variety.
At one time I had 6 two wheeled mistresses in my stable and two 4 wheeled, each one satisfied my needs in different ways.
Variety is the spice of life, nothing wrong with having a couple of bikes in the garage. :cheers:

[Switchmonkey]

I ride the Duc to work and whenever I want to go for a good rip. The rest of the time is the B. Insurance is the big issue up here in the Great White North! You want toys, you better be prepared to pony up...

[opas ride]

Opas, sometimes you have to have multiple pairs of shoes.. Formal, Sport-Tennis, boots, daily wear, flip flops .... Variety.
At one time I had 6 two wheeled mistresses in my stable and two 4 wheeled, each one satisfied my needs in different ways.
Variety is the spice of life, nothing wrong with having a couple of bikes in the garage. :cheers:

I have enough trouble these days just staying upright on one bike!!!...Besides my garage is so full of "stuff" collected over the past 45 years raising 5 kids, that I have no room..I want to get rid of the crap, but my wife calls it life's treasures and memories....Regards and ride safe

[Coondawg07]

Sometimes I miss my FJR. I think at some point in the future I’ll have another, or another track bike, or a “hyper naked” like my CB 919. When I had two bikes previously, I had a favorite, and it always seemed to get the attention.

[STRaider]

I went from F6B and ninja 300 to f6b and fjr1300 to f6b and f6c to f6b and ninja 1000 to ninja 1000 and R1200RT to only r1200rt! Hooray! Down to one bike!
But now I'm thinking about adding an adventure bike to the r1200rt.

I think it is a disease.......

I think you are correct.

[jm21ddd15]

Got my F6, for touring and cruising. Have a Yamaha FZ-09 for hot rodding, and a dual-sport, for the dirt. Never any problem, picking my ride. Some days, I ride all three.

[WEGI]

Wow! What a problem to worry about! Ha! I have two, my '15 B and my trusty '09 Kawa Vulcan 1700 Classic. When to ride each is pretty easy... Saturday its the Kawa, Sunday it's the B... Sunday morning s usually a ride with the gang to some lunch spot. A nice easy casual ride, tunes playing ( Oldies and Moldies) followed by a solo ride in the afternoon. Saturday is a solo ride all day with usually no destination in mind, unless a new bike model is at some dealer. Boy, I got carried away with this answer! And I still look for another bike like a lighter adventure bike or maybe a naked bike... Then I will have to take Friday's off! ��
WEG
It's a disease no question about it!

[VStarRider]

I’ve only had two bikes at once when I bought a new one and had not sold my old one yet. In both cases, I never rode the old one.

I have had 2-3 snowmobiles in the stable for the past ten years. This is because I have a camp in snowmobile country but we get enough snow here in the rural burbs of Rochester that I can ride trails every other winter or so, which results in keeping one home. I also had a two-up, lower horsepower sled to ride with the wife, and my more performance oriented sled for camp.

Now that I value comfort, convenience and quiet on bikes and sleds, I own two two-ups, both four stroke, and keep both at camp. Ha!

As for bikes, I’d like to have a Bimmer 1200 GS to ride some dirt roads, but I know I would want to take the Wing to get to the dirt road first. Plus the nearest BMW bike dealer is now in Albany, 200 miles away. Why are there so few BMW dealers when I see them all over the place?!?

[F6Joe]

I have 3, 2015 Wing, 2015 B (D), 2012 Heritage. The Wing is my current long haul and IBA bike. The B was almost sold then I backed out, am setting it up with a "real" seat and clearwater lights to use as another IBA and long haul bike. My Heritage is for sale because I want an FJR, also to be set up as a long haul and IBA bike. I decide to ride one when I walk into the garage if its local or just a day or 2 long ride. Wing has just over 87,300 miles, guess I ride that one the most.

[Jimmytee]

Currently have my 2000 Valkyrie, my 2013 F6B and my 2019 Goldwing Tour DCT. Until the 19 Wing, I rode the F6B most, but made a point to ride the Valkyrie. The Valkyrie is a bit more visceral with the 6 into 6 Cobras and such. It just offers a different ride. Now that I have the 19 Wing, just not sure. I may choose to sell the F6B, but both the Valk and the B have quite a bit of time and money invested. Neither of which I could hope to recuop other than in my own enjoyment. The insurance doesn't kill me, so I don't feel pressured to sell. If I get my sub change done in the F6B, it may be my ride this weekend.

[STRaider]

Currently have my 2000 Valkyrie, my 2013 F6B and my 2019 Goldwing Tour DCT. Until the 19 Wing, I rode the F6B most, but made a point to ride the Valkyrie. The Valkyrie is a bit more visceral with the 6 into 6 Cobras and such. It just offers a different ride. Now that I have the 19 Wing, just not sure. I may choose to sell the F6B, but both the Valk and the B have quite a bit of time and money invested. Neither of which I could hope to recuop other than in my own enjoyment. The insurance doesn't kill me, so I don't feel pressured to sell. If I get my sub change done in the F6B, it may be my ride this weekend.

Your situation is similar to mine, in that your bikes are all somewhat similar, big cruiser/touring bikes. JM21 has a nice variety and all bikes that are different and for different types of riding. All though my R1200 RT is "different" than the Goldwing, a lot of the features are similar, and to me, the new Goldwing is like a big Sport Touring bike. I've seen it referred to as the ST1800, and I pretty much feel that way about it, which makes it similar to the RT for me. I am pretty sure I would ride the Wing over the RT 99% of the time, so I'm not sure I want to keep the RT, even though it doesn't cost me much to keep it. I have made a decision to take the F6B to my office in Amarillo and leave it there, so when I am on business out that way, I can ride for an evening or leave on a Friday and go to New Mexico or Colorado, and in one weekend I can hit some very nice riding, as opposed to leaving from DFW, where really good riding doesn't exist.

[Jimmytee]

Your situation is similar to mine, in that your bikes are all somewhat similar, big cruiser/touring bikes. JM21 has a nice variety and all bikes that are different and for different types of riding. All though my R1200 RT is "different" than the Goldwing, a lot of the features are similar, and to me, the new Goldwing is like a big Sport Touring bike. I've seen it referred to as the ST1800, and I pretty much feel that way about it, which makes it similar to the RT for me. I am pretty sure I would ride the Wing over the RT 99% of the time, so I'm not sure I want to keep the RT, even though it doesn't cost me much to keep it. I have made a decision to take the F6B to my office in Amarillo and leave it there, so when I am on business out that way, I can ride for an evening or leave on a Friday and go to New Mexico or Colorado, and in one weekend I can hit some very nice riding, as opposed to leaving from DFW, where really good riding doesn't exist.

I get the feeling I'd be one of the many I've heard saying " I wish I hadn't sold that bike" or " I wish I still had that bike"...:rolleyes:

On the other hand, I think selling one of the others would help pay for things like doing the Traxxion suspension upgrade on the new Wing.:cool:

But then just a couple weeks ago or so, my good friend and regular riding buddy had his HD 16 Ultra in the shop. I offered him up the F6B to ride and he had a good time.

[DarkKnt]

I have three bikes I ride, all very different; My 2004 ZX10R is set up purely for the track, and although it is very much "old school", it has been a great bike to learn on. I have the F6B which is my go - to commuter, grocery getter and cafe hopper. My wife accompanies me often and loves it. We've also toured extensively on it. My third bike is a 2007 Aprilia Tuono, which I've had for several years and gets ridden only occasionally. It's a blast for playing hooligan, but I find myself doing less of that these days! I'm looking to perhaps sell it and get a ZX14R, for some solo sport touring with the guys. I've become accustomed to a fairing and the "naked" Tuono leaves you out in the breeze. I also have a project - my 1980 CBX, but I haven't dug into it yet, and the more I think about it, not sure I'll have the time to ever do it. Might just sell it also, and devote time and resources to travel and track days...

[P.Sutton]

Like some, all of the bikes I own are different and serve a different purpose.

F6B by far is out of the garage the most. It is the go to for a day of riding.
KTM 520 EXC dual sport. Probably second most as far as seat time. 95% off road but is street plated. I also have quite a few other dirt bikes.
Yamaha FZ1 is the speed machine. Has a lot of horsepower mods and runs 10s in the quarter.
Yamaha XS11. For slow cruise days or car/bike shows. Plated as historic so doesn’t see much street time per year.
Yamaha DT50. Mostly to hop around the racetrack or campground. Also what I usually use to run to the part store for whatever reason?
Suzuki GS550 hardtail bobber project. This is back under construction. Bar hopper and bike night bike.

Then comes the collection of bikes in various states of disrepair. Lots of “work in progress” stuff. My wife also has multiple street machines but all of them are similar in style. Honda Rebel, Sportster, and Indian scout.

The bike I regret selling the most was my Valkyrie. Over 100k on the clock. It just didn’t get used once I bought the F6B.

[Blk6bgg6]

Yes I have 2 street bikes .k1600b and indian scout bobber .Totally different rides and both big fun.Traded the f6b cause the wife didn't want the boys fighting over it.l wish it were still here with the other 2.So my advice to you all keep em if you can .

[STRaider]

Well, I rode the F6B to Amarillo and parked it in my warehouse where it awaits my visits and hopefully frequent trips to New Mexico/Colorado. The 2018 Goldwing will be my new main ride and the 1200 RT will be there if I need her, unless it sells. I'm ok keeping it as a backup/variety/guest bike, so I have no pressure or timeline for sale. It's such a nice bike, I think it could be one I regret selling if I do, but we shall see what happens.

[Cali261]

Metric cruiser alternatives. Some nice pics.

https://www.motorcyclistonline.com/story/news/best-metric-cruiser-motorcycles/

[F6Pilot]

Mine is fairly simple, my other ride is a KTM 300 XC-W and is a blast in the woods. Some days I rode both, hitting the woods early and the street in the afternoon.

7101

[Pringle]

I just sold bike #2. I had a highly modified 2014 VMAX and it was a hoot! Over the last couple of years I just didn’t ride it much. What little time I have to ride, I found that riding with the wife on the back was more important than my occasional “hooligan” ways on the VMAX. The B is the perfect ride for our 2 up excursions!

[honda_dog]

I'm partial to late 70's & early 80's motorcycles. Here's a few:

71037104710571067107

I may have a problem....

[2wheelsforme]

I'm partial to late 70's & early 80's motorcycles. Here's a few:

71037104710571067107

I may have a problem....

Beautiful bikes Honda_dog. How do you keep them in such good looking condition? I have 3 and have a hard time keeping them from rusting and corroding. Maybe it is Florida close to the coast doing it. With those beauties' I'm betting you know how to work on carburetors.

[honda_dog]

Beautiful bikes Honda_dog. How do you keep them in such good looking condition? I have 3 and have a hard time keeping them from rusting and corroding. Maybe it is Florida close to the coast doing it. With those beauties' I'm betting you know how to work on carburetors.

Mine are all stored in my garage. The Suzuki Katana actually came from Florida and was covered with surface corrosion when I bought it. It was a chore getting it cleaned up. Yeah, I do a lot of carb work... I try to be proactive with maintenance, but stuff happens. Here's a couple more that are hiding in my garage.

71087109

[Ghost Rider]

It seems like I have always owned multiple bikes. Right now it my F6B and a 2014 full wing. F6B is sporty local bike, but to go on long trip I prefer the full Wing. I have owned well over 50 bikes in my lifetime. Have sold then regretted doing it. Some of my favorite bikes were Kawasaki Concours I have owned 7 of them. The bike I regret selling the most was my 2000 Valkyrie it was a show stopper. Prettiest bike I ever owned but I just did not ride it enough to keep.

[Skromfols]

For years I've at least two bikes and usually three. When I bought my F6B I already had a 98 Valkyrie and a 2017 Indian Scout. It didn't take long to realize that the F6B was everything the Valkrie was, in Spades. I loved the Valk but the F6B was just smoother, more comfortable and looked even better, so I sold the Valk. While the Scout is great fun to ride up in the mountains on two lane twisty roads I'm finding that I almost always take the F6b, so the Scout sits in my garage. I hate to admit it, and my wife is very much against it, but I'm considering selling the Scout because the F6B is just such a great do everything bike.