Does money influence your riding?

[Matthew-TMM]

Money no object I'd have older faster bikes with even worse brakes, older even slower bikes with much worse brakes and also newer much faster bikes with much better brakes, so in all cases my riding would be somewhat different. And perhaps I'd have more time for mending then too!

[Mr2Mike]

If I lived in a country where you can bribe your way out of anything maybe, but in the UK money isn't going to help much if you are in jail and your licence has been shredded.

[Stone Cold]

Don't think it would make me ride differently on the road as I have a large self preservation button in my head but I would do loads of track days if I wasn't so worried about wrecking my bike, due to doing exactly that on the only one I have done!

[hebegb]

Yes. I would be riding somewhere, on something, in a dry warm climate on road or a track , possibly a "round the world" type adventure trip thrown in to break the monotony and keep things interesting now and then , at all times .
It is only the need to work preventing this .
The manner in which I rode would only depend - as it does now , on how I feel when I wake up in the morning , hit the starter on the bike and look at a given piece of road in front of me ....
I don't think any of us really consciously make a decision on how we are going to possibly react to external and internal influences until they actually happen - cost considerations whilst tipping into the next bend on road or track .... do me a favour ...we all do what we do the best we can , some days better , some days less so ...

[3DP]

Biker's Nemesis said:

3DP said:

Money doesn't influence my road riding, but it heavily influences my track riding.

I generally take my road bikes on track and keep a decent amount in reserve as I don't want to crash messing up a bike that isn't insured and has a high value.

But are you not more likely to crash on the road, there are a lot more things to hit on the road to.

Sounds like a cop out to me Pete.... Get a track bike.

I like the road on bikes - what can I say. Tracks are too slow and you can't do wheelies

It's not that I worry about crashing on track, more that I don't push as hard as I'd like to as I don't want to write off a £10k bike with no insurance, so essentially my track pace is basically the same as my clear road pace (with a little more lean) which puts me in the top few of inters group typically. Additionally, I've pretty much always ridden to and from racetracks for track days.

Yes I need a track bike and to start out-crashing Fleegle, but for the next year or so I lack the time to commit to a track day campaign and I don't want to sink money into something that comes out twice a year.

[SteveSteveson]

No. I would still ride the same on the road. My own safty influences far more than anything else. I would probably get a track bike, but on the road, no. Fuel is inconsequential on a bike, I want to keep my licence so I can keep riding, not because of the fines or need for transport and my prime worry about crashing is me getting wrecked, not the bike.

[Yoda400]

Biker's Nemesis said:

I don't give a fig about money, more broken bones are what keeps my willy in my pants.

And the frosty weather, presumably. And the restraining order.

[shielsy]

I'd like to think that if I was stinking rich, I would have an incredibly atractive woman riding pillion... who was only with me for my money.

[Biker's Nemesis]

Yoda400 said:

And the frosty weather, presumably. And the restraining order.

Please don't think about my willy in those circumstances.

[CAPP0]

555 Paul said:

No, what influences my riding is bike theft.

This is a good point - having chased all around the houses on here trying to decide what to commute on, with the Ark Royal turning it's mechanical toes up, I have bought a cheap TDM900. Partly because I've always quite liked them, but also because if push comes to shove, price-wise it is almost disposable (at least compared to train season tickets, never mind the actual living hell of minding the gap and boarding a train).

To the question in the OP, today I went into a Yamaha dealer for some brake pads and whilst I was waiting I looked at a new Tracer. Very much a modern version/equiv of the old TDM, and I'd really quite like one - but what puts me off is not the actual purchase cost but the risk associated with leaving something new/nice/valuable lying around in London. Having had a 6 month old bike lifted from town before, I'm happier knowing I can park up the TDM and walk away with nary a backward glance. Plus, it's comfortable, light, quite nimble, and quick enough for the commute.

[clen666]

No for road, yes for track

[cat with a hat]

hman said:

No the prospect of bodily injury or death influences my riding.

This is the main influence. Although having bikes that can get dumped from wheelies or tricks would be handy.

I think offroad it would have some influence too.

[SteelerSE]

Not really. I tried riding sensibly when petrol was a ridiculous price and I got maybe 1-2 more mpg. And I was bored. So I just ride normally. And as most here have said it's keeping life and limb together that influences me most.

[black-k1]

The changes for me would be:

1. Number of bikes in my garage, there'd be a LOT more!
2. Where I rode, lots of Euro trips.

but it would not change how I ride.

Edited by black-k1 on Thursday 26th November 09:58

[jhoneyball]

I am already v lucky to have 4 dream bikes which I love hugely. And ride all the time.

Unlimited money? I would have my own MC dealership. I know which one I would buy

[Rosscow]

Yes - if I had some spare cash I'd buy another bike and actually do some motorcycling

Having young kids = no money = no bike

[RizzoTheRat]

fleegle said:

The only thing it would influence is what I actually rode

This, but also where I rode. At this time of year I'd possibly be riding a Multistrada around New Zealand rather than riding a mountain bike in Holland

[RemaL]

RizzoTheRat said:

fleegle said:

The only thing it would influence is what I actually rode

This, but also where I rode. At this time of year I'd possibly be riding a Multistrada around New Zealand rather than riding a mountain bike in Holland

+ 1 on both of the above

I would not ride any different if I had less or more cash in my pocket.

I value my licence, my health to much to risk it all if money was no object

[NAS]

mckeann said:

i would ride faster on track if i didnt have to pay for the damage. But not on the road

Same here.

[Biker's Nemesis]

If I won millions on the lottery I would stop riding motorbikes, they're bloody dangerous.