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Hanging up my bike gear.


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Retiring from bikes after 55 years in the saddle.

Because of both my age and the condition of my heath I’m calling it a day and hanging up all my riding gear and transfering to an open to the elements four wheeler, a buggy to be exact. The reason is that pushing a 518lb bike in and out of the garage completely knackers me.

I went to see the insurance agent and I was told that as I still have a bike on the premises I would need to maintain some form of insurance on the bike until it’s sold. Has anyone ever heard of this?
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Sorry to hear you've had to pack in - keep your leathers and helmet for the buggy maybe :)

The insurance thing is normal. Mine ( in the uk) has been garaged for a while, I reduced to TPFT, in case of fire or theft!!
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Mr Wiggy wrote :

I went to see the insurance agent and I was told that as I still have a bike on the premises I would need to maintain some form of insurance on the bike until it’s sold.

Has anyone ever heard of this?

Your agent is right; though I do believe that minimum cover is all that is needed.

Edit : Yonner beat me to it ?

Sue
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You need to maintain the bike insurance in case your bike catches fire (as, is well known for  bikes to do [:D]) and burns your house/garage down.

If the bike isn't insured your house insurer might possibly refuse to cover the damage.

If, however, your bike is not prone to spontaneous combustion, no-one will really give a tish.

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Know how you feel, my bike weighs 730lbs old money (331kg). I can drive it into the garage, but my wife has to help push it out!

The insurance is also in case the bike falls over and injures you or a third party, which is more likely than it catching fire (or the battery charger).
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I know the feeling too, I sold my HondaVFR 2 years ago. However, I still have my 1970 Bonneville, which only weighs a fraction of the Honda. It was considered a BIG bike when I was a teenager in the 60's but is much easier to push around.

How about a garage motorcycle turntable? A Google search brings up loads of hits; you could ride in, turn ready for the off, and just ride out next time?

For the insurance, you should keep minimum cover. Your agent should be able to arrange something cheaper. I presume the bike isn't exactly worthless if it was stolen, and there is the fire risk already mentioned.

A 4-wheel buggy "thing" won't give you anywhere near to same pleasure as 2-wheels.
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Sid, it’s not just my age that’s comes into play but health too, and this is now my main problem as over the last couple of years it has become a bigger problem and is becoming worse and I find myself struggling to do things that I was once able to do. Reference to the old song by Jake Thackery!!! Was it the Bernard Bradden show that he was on??

One good thing is though the buggy is as open to the elements as a bike, both my arms and legs will be in front of me as on a Harley HOG and it will still do 70MPH+.

Thanks to everyone who pointed me in the right direction on the insurance.

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  • 2 years later...
I'm sorry to hear that you are hanging up your bike gear, how on earth can you live without it after so long in the saddle?

I can't help you about the insurance issue but I do have a suggestion for staying in the saddle a few more years.

I am 69 with lower back problems. buggered knees, emphysema and a pacemaker to name but a few reasons to give up biking. But before I give in and buy a mobility scooter,

I decided to go down the parth of the trike. Not one of those wide Harley Davidson three wheel waste of time excuses for freedom, where you might as well be cooking in a convertible sports car stuck in traffic. You've got the power and open air

but swearing at the traffic and going nowhere.

Not for me! I bought a Peugeot metropolis 400cc. You know what I mean, one of those French three wheel trike's that you ride just like a two wheel bike, leaning into the curves or zooming past the traffic jams and flooring it away at the lights. That's what I just couldn't give up. Not yet anyway!

Yes they are more like a scooter than a motorcycle and yes they are heavy, weighing in at 260kg but they are remarkably well balanced. And with twice the rubber in contact with the road at the front end. corners are a breeze in the wet and on unpredictable surfaces. As for that weight issue you

complained about getting in and out of your garage. Well have no fear, the metropolis has an electronic suspension lock. At the flick of a switch it becomes as solid as a rock. It's easy to sit Astride it in the locked position click off the electronic parking break and scoot her backwards out of the garage. Absolutely no fear of dropping her and next to no effort even with My knees and back problems.

So my friend, the reason I tell you this, is not as some kind of sales pitch, I get nothing from Peugeot except of course being able to stay in the saddle a few more years. The reason is nothing more than to say that you don't really have to hang up your leathers just yet. Take one of these new fangled machines for a rest ride and you may just think like me. I ain't quite ready for a quad bike or buggy and those bloody traffic jams JUST YET! Good luck and open road's to you friend.
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Hi Greg & Sid.

The main reason for me was the weight of the bike, A BMW K75S X 2 as each are three times my own weight so are difficult to manoeuvre which then caused my breathing become more difficult even though with oxygen.

Emphysema is the reason I originally stopped, for the last five years I have been reliant on oxygen but every six months I have some sort of relapse and have to rushed to hospital. I then remain for a few weeks while getting my medication changed before returning home again. Late August was the last time when I was back in but this time it was for a very long stay as it was mid-October before I was again released.

A few days before I left the chief lung surgeon who is in charge of the Pneumo Department came to see me and we had quite a long chat. This chat was about having a transplant, but his first words were quite concerning until he said, It was your whole attitude that made both he and my young lady consultant agreed that I was a little different to what they had expected and my outlook was quite positive. Also being younger at 72 and stronger with a very positive outlook was also a good reason because people of 80+ are unable to recover from an operation of this sort because their body can’t cope with the shock, when told of news like this, but you were completely different and you seem to be the eternal optimist. He then said that he as well as my consultant had been in a video conference with a top lung specialist at the hospital in Poitiers and they all agreed that I would be a strong candidate for this operation. I then asked that if I do die don’t tell me, and with that he burst into a fit of laughter. After his laughter died down he said that I should go home and get a big bag packed ready for a long stay then just sit and wait for a phone call and if we have to get you here quickly we will send a helicopter for you, as it will only take half an hour return trip as opposed to a road trip of 1.5 hrs one way only.

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Hi Loiseau.

Yes, I suppose it's quite a daunting prospect but the other side of the coin points in only one positive direction death, and that isn't an option that I wish to chose at the moment as the surgeon has said, 72 is still quite young to die as most others where in their mid to late eighties. So for now I will continue to wait for the phone call. I shall also stick to what some of the local children have nick-named my Buggy, the Mr Oui Oui mobile."
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[quote user="Hoddy"]I really admire your positive attitude Mr Wiggy. I hope all goes well - and soon.[/quote]

Me too, Mr W.

I lived on my bikes for years, my best trip was on a BSA Gold Flash, which I bought there, from S Iran to France in 1963.

I gave up in 1995 when I gave my CB 750 to our son, as I could no longer pick it up if I dropped it, and I hadn't even reached 60.

I couldn't forget a friend in Manchester, who came off his little BSA 250, and laid on the grass verge on his face under it. His screams were ignored by most of the passing motorists until someone stopped and lifted it off him, by which time the exhaust pipe had burnt well into his calf muscle.

Son after taking over my bike

[url=https://postimg.cc/w7RKWbbd][img]https://i.postimg.cc/w7RKWbbd/BXA-Honds-CB750-in-Mallorca.jpg[/img][/url]

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Hi Hoddy.

I can't thank people enough for their good wishes, Thank you too Hoddy,

All I can do now is to sit by the phone and wait to get a call from the Hospital although I just don' know when that will be, I was however told by the surgeon that it could be a long wait and don't get too worried as It could take some time to locate a good set of lungs for the operation.
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Hi Chancer.

Thank you for your moral support,it does help.

I have always held a positive outlook on life, as Doris Day sang Kay-sur-ahh what ever will be.

I certainly will not be driving but will be driven, by ambulance to the local Stade where a helicopter will be required to land, so the ambulance will have a very short trip of 1.5 kilometers to deliver me to the Stade to the helicopter. I have never had a ride in a helicopter so it will be a new experience, my most memorable ride aloft was in a in a glider over the Warwickshire countryside. It's so peaceful being up there.
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  • 3 months later...
Hi Chancer,

The plan is that the helicopter will land in the stade's grounds so I shall be transported from my home the the Stade then loaded into the chopper and away. This is by far the quickest way. This will only take 15 minutes as apposed to 45+ minutes, so I should be on the table and ready for the knife in just over half an hour.
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  • 1 year later...
Very very big well done for deciding to hang up the leather. It is very wise and smart to be able to take such unpopular decision.

I think you should sell the creatures (my heart aches thinking we are going to loose two more lovely K75s) BUT if you have very deep sentiments to one, just stop its insurance, hang its number plate as souvenir on the wall, and call the beauty a lawnmower. Nobody insures their lawnmower just because it can catch fire in the garage and burn the house...

Wishing you quick and full recovery to enjoy life!!!
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