Calculating the costs and benefits of having more than one bike.
Okay, I’ll admit I watch a lot of motorcycle review and repair videos on YouTube, and obviously there are many riders out there that have not just one motorcycle in their ownership, but a few. These fortunate aficionados typically have the affluence and time to own and operate not only a street-orientated bike but also a dual sport, a motocross, a big adventure bike, a sleek racing/track bike or combinations thereof. And to house such a collection requires a sizable space, so curbside parking or a carport isn’t part of their lexicon.
The backdrop of their online video-log creations boasts impressive (and expensive) rubberized garage floors, replete with long color-matched workbenches adorned with the latest LED lighting, heating furnace and bike hoists. And of course, based on camera position, you can see the assortment of other rides in the background, or if you’re lucky they’ll mention one of the other bikes during their narrative, slipped in casually: “When I am not on my Moto Guzzi, I find the Africa Twin just fine for around town.”
Take, for example, two fellow riders: Gene from Kelowna, and Kelly from Vancouver Island. Both are long-standing moto enthusiasts, and they didn’t draw the line at one bike. They most definitely have the space and means to handle a few rides. Does it make me jealous? Damn right. The reality is, though, if I had that kind of money and resources, I too would likely have a few motorcycles in the stable, and room to work on them as well.
For me, many years of owning one motorcycle was a privilege and really all I needed. I was a “one bike” guy, akin to two wolves who mate for life, governed primarily by financial constraints and a rather narrow riding spectrum, which was basically weekend getaways, commuting and the occasional forest service road.
Considering Multiplication
I didn’t enter the realm of dropping several thousand dollars on another ride lightly. I sought out motorcycle forums that discussed the matter…
