Rockburner wrote: ↑Thu Dec 10, 2020 3:10 pm
As long as possible.
Ducati TL600 I sold because I couldn't get the thing running right (to a 'friend' who fixed it from his own stock of bits and then sold it on for good grands profit ).
ZXR400 I had for about 12 years until I had replaced it with the Rockster and simply wasn't using it, (and couldn't scrunch myself up enough to ride it). Similarly the MirthCycle simply wasn't being used so I sold it a mate of maccecht's.
All my Rocksters I've kept until they died (2 write offs and a blown up engine)
The K12 I simply didn't like enough to keep, I think that's the only bike I've sold before it's time really.
Used to change every couple of years - as I became a better rider.
Than I just bought and hoarded - getting up to 4 at one stage . Buying bikes was more fun than riding them. Then I discovered mountain passes ....
Had a 988s that I had for 10 years - but was the wrong bike for me,
Buell 10 years - which I regret selling
KTM 950 sm that I had for 5 years
Gs Adv - 7 years
Diavel - 9 years ...
The old courier bikes wore out pretty quickly but still accumulated some high mileages. The first 400-F had topped 80k when it was nicked, the 250RS's all managed 60-90k before the obligatory top end wear killed them, the XBR dropped a valve at 90k, the Dominator got to 75k before gremlins ate the electricals, the FZ750 expired with almost 90k on it, the first GS500 did 138k and two of the others got close to 100k. My 02 Hornet is nudging 90k and my 'new' 09 Divvie is over 50k now. My 1980 CB250RS is a baby - only just over 30k on the clock.
Wide variance for me- longest is my old (1978) YZ400E that I've owned for the best part of 40 years, and at the other end of the spectrum a lash-up of a 350YPVS hybrid that I bought unseen approx 10 years ago, and moved it on within a week or two as well, although it looked great in pics , it was built by a bodger and it really was a PoS really.
In the middle, I've got my 525EXC that I've had for 15 years, and is still (almost) as good as it was back then, my Italjet Dragster (13 years) and my trusty old ZX10R-C2 which I had for 14 years and only said goodbye to a year or two back
More current stuff (the recent Road KTMs, MT10s, ZZR14, H2, 1199, Speed Triple etc etc etc ) generally speaking has been one to two years
I just remembered that I still have my very first bike still.
My parents still have the Puch Magnum X they bought me for Christmas in.. errrr.... The early 80s. It hasn't run for about 30 years but it's still sitting there waiting for someone to finally get it going again.
A year if I'm not so keen on them, that's mainly because I don't get to ride them much, so it takes a year to give it a fair chance and then if I haven't gelled with it they get punted on. I kept my ZXR H1 for a year, the V-twin TZR, XT660, etc roughly about the same.
When I was younger I could barely afford one bike, so I had to sell them to be able to afford the next one.
I had my AR50 for a year, then my Gamma 125 for a year, then my TZR250 for a year - although I sold that to buy an Astra GTE because I had a bird and you can't shag on the back of a TZR250.
Now they just get put to one side if I don't use them, I haven't ridden some of my bikes for a few years, but I still like them and also to sell them I'd have to deal with all manner of silly people and I have zero patience these days, so it's easier just to keep them.
Pretty much used to change every year. But my current and last bikes stayed with me for 3 years each. I don’t seem to ride bikes much apart from in work anymore.
My current Fazer could really do with new front and rear suspension, but I never seem to have the money or inclination to sort it out!!
When I was riding everyday I changed every 18 months to 2 years. Mainly as I wanted to try something different.
Since stopping commuting and only pleasure riding it's been longer, especially my Firestorm. I got that just before having kids. When they arrived it owed me nothing and although I didn't gel with it, it did a job so that stayed 6 years my longest ever bike.
Saying that the 690 I got new in Jan 2016 so that's 5 years old! I think I will change this soon, but it will be dependant on what happens with Mrs Job. If that picks up then I might change late next year, if not the Duke will stay another year at least.
Longest for me is around 4 years. Over the past few years i've changed too often, I'm going to try and hang on the latest one for at least a year...though I've been regularly checking ebay for any nice black 690 duke r's so I'm not sure that'll happen!
Er-5 - 3 years
CBR929 - 4 years
GSXR750 K8 - 18 months
CBR1000 RR8 - 18 months
KTM 690 Duke - 9 months
R1 5VY - 5 months
KTM 790 Duke - 11 months
GSXR 1000 K6 - 2 months and counting...
).
