I suppose that title is a bit misleading, but I'll explain. Hunting and soon to be flyfishing take up most of my hobby time when I'm not working on the house. I enjoy them both, and my wife really could care less what I spend on them (i.e., she's supportive). For a long time, I've wanted to get a dual sport motorcycle to ride locally around the backroads, trails, etc,. She has pretty much said absolutely not from day 1. She arrives at the decision based on fear of the unknown and the risk. What if a car pulls out in front of me? What if a deer, squirrel, bear, raccoon, etc,. runs out in front of me? She's not afraid of me crashing, she just KNOWS it will happen...eventually. I can't say I blame her. You can't really argue against it. I've been ok with the idea of not ever owning one for a while, but every single spring season that rolls around, the itch comes back. I truly don't know if it will ever go away if I don't scratch it:D Part of me truly wants to just go and do it following the adage of it's easier to ask for forgiveness than for permission. However, part of me understands the respect that goes with marriage, and since I do see a point in her argument it's a bit easier to concede "defeat." So what are your experiences? Have to given up or failed to take up a specific hobby for reasons such as this or based solely on the wishes of your significant other?
Ill give you some advice if you decide to get one "When In Doubt Throttle Out" just punch it and hope for the best haha
My wife feels strongly about them too. I've conceded until after kids are grown. I got a taste a few years back, I WILL have a bike again at some point. Where are you at with the kid talk Matt?
Most bikers that have years or riding will tell you, if you haven't been down, you're gonna go down at some point. It's knowing when you have to lay it down to avoid a worse crash that's tough, watched a guy do just that once. Road rash was way better than the alternative.
About a year or so out I suppose:D She had the needle and thread test done today at work. Looks like two kids...both girls:D
I've had to give somewhat give up backpacking alone because of my spouse. When I was single, I would just take off for a weekend, without really knowing where I was going, and spend the weekend in the wilderness/backwoods. She won't let me do that anymore. I understand as well.
Get a satellite phone. They're not that expensive and you can get a cheap plan if you just use for emergencies. I use one for solo mountain excursions in colorado for the very reason you mentioned.
Yes I have indeed given up a hobby, pursuit or passion if you please for my spouse. I never looked back. Maybe it was time and I just needed the nudge. When I lived in Georgia in the late 70's and early 80s I used to travel the Southeast shooting NFAA tournaments. I shot "Bowhunter Limitied" class. Most were in Georgia with a few in South Carolina and Alabama. I was shooting and having fun with people like Jessie Morehead( he was a young stud teenager... maybe 18 or 19 at the time) During the summer I was somewhere just about every weekend shooting a tournament... one day... two day ... it didn't matter. I had an 80 yard range in my back yard and shot probably4-5 days a week... a lot of arrows. When we moved to Maryland it didn't take me long to find where the best facilities were that were connected to tournaments. Early one Saturday morning I told my life I was headed for a range north of Baltimore to check the place out. Her comment, "do we have to do this again"? I looked at her, thought about it and on the spot said, "Nope, we've been there". Never shot another tournament and my abilities went to hell. LOL I only shot them to stay in shape for hunting. I still killed a lot of deer. I always used my hunting equipment,... changing nothing for tournaments. You don't shoot tournaments at 80 pounds with 450 grain arrows... I did. I was usually 3 or so in the State events and my best finish was 6th in the Southeast. I just did it to be ready for bow season. I could have given a crap about tournament win... just get me ready for bow season is what I said. Side note on Jessie Morehead. That boy was indeed a shooting machine. He shot barebow, recurve, fingers, no sight and all that stuff. He had all the competetors looking his equipment over for cheating, lines, nicks or whatever for aiming advantage. He usually outshot most freestylers with their releases, sights, big stabilizers and all that. He and I met up at the Congressional Shoot in Wash. DC years later when I accepted an offer from Len in Maryland to help out at the event. Jessie and his wife and boy were there representing Muzzy. He and I laughed our butts off reminiscing about the yahoos that used to think he couldn't be that good. The man was just special with a bare bow and string in his hand. It was like old Home Coming. Ricky Hendrix was also there. He used to attend a lot of the shoots in Georgia and SC.
I love the bike, but I want to sell it to get the girlfriend a bike better suited to her. The hayabusa is too much for her and the 650 is too tall.
Yeah, she might notice I'm gone for that long:D I remember you were a dual sport guy from way back. I really would love to own one.
I do love the bike, and it is set to be my commuter for my 60 mile round trip drive to work as soon as it is bit warmer in the mornings. I am going to throw my bigger front sprocket on to up my mileage a bit, I geared it down for trail riding and it doesn't do that much anymore. If I am going to blow off stress on a bike I take this one over the sport bike. I can just go, if I decide the gravel road looks good...off I go. Waterways or anything of the like. Flatlands here in IL don't offer much mountain road riding. I don't really want to sell it, but the other half is biting at the bit to get her own bike that feels good for her and this is about the only way to make it happen...
