How many bikes is too many

[maximo]

I've had at least one bike in the garage since 1978, and often more than one. I've fluctuated on the number over the years, with 5 being the most I've had at once, and I have found that for me 3 bikes is the perfect number. Adding one more throws everything out of proportion, and suddenly it becomes more of a chore than a joy.

What about you? Where does it switch from being great to too many? 

[Zach26]

I think I agree with you that three would be the magic number. I currently have two, a Harley and the FJ. I would love to add either a hypernaked or something with some off road capability to the garage. There aren't any good places near me to go off road so as long as I still live in Texas I would go the hypernaked route. Something like the MT-10. 

[Obsessedbiker]

I just picked up my Fj-09 today which is my second bike.  I also have a street glide.  I’m guessing 3-4 would be good if I had the finances to do it.  Maybe an On/off road bike and a motocross bike also.  

[trevinator]

i could see having 4-5. the sport touring fj-09 i currently have, then i would want a big cruiser like the honda valkyrie, then maybe an adventure bike like the tenere 700, and then a long distance touring bike like a goldwing.

Edited May 30, 2020 by trevinator

[kbob2000]

I have three.  The FJ is my primary; commuter, weekend mountain roads and sport tourer.  I also have a GSXR for track days and a KLR 650 for screwing around off road.  It's a pretty good mix.  I'm considering swapping the KLR and GSXR for a DRZ400SM with a dirt wheel and tire to make more room in the garage.  The track here is pretty short and I'm not close enough to any others to warrant keeping the GSXR (not to mention, there's only one track day a month).  

[koth442]

That's a good question, and I think it depends on the terrain available where you live. At one point in time, I had 7. I didn't get to utilize all of them, so it was too many. Right now I have four and a half.

1. FJ09 for long distance rides

2. SXV550 for hooliganry 

3. GSXR600 trackbike 

4. CRF150f for dirt track practice

4.5 GSXR600 project

There's good dirtbiking in the area so I've considered adding a full size dirtbike to the stable. But thus far I haven't. I've also considered selling the FJ because I really don't do long distance rides anymore. If I take a weekend to ride, it's generally at the racetrack. 

[riding_tall]

I heard it described best on the Motorcycles and Misfits podcast. The formula for the proper number of motorcycles is N+1 where N=the number of motorcycles you currently own.

[daboo]

One for me, is just right.  I know...that is boring. 

Several years ago, I was commuting to work on a Suzuki Burgman 400 scooter.  The commute was 37 miles, one-way.  So it isn't surprising that I had 77,000 miles on it.  But the Burgman scooters were generally purchased by riders in the twilight of their riding career when they were having a problem swinging their leg over the seat and squeezing the clutch lever.  So I purchased a Honda NT700V to give a "real" motorcycle a try before I had no choice but to ride a scooter.  My intention was too split the riding evenly between the two bikes. 

At the end of a year, I went to start the Suzuki and found the battery was dead.  When I got it recharged, I found the clock was set for Daylight Savings Time...which wasn't due to changeover to DST for another week.  It had sat since the summer before.  When I looked at my gas mileage record, the bike had been gassed up only three times in the year.  That was the normal number of fillups for a week and a half.  

Bottom line, I wasn't riding both bikes.  I always chose one bike to ride and didn't even think of the other.  So for me, one bike is enough.

Chris

Edited May 30, 2020 by daboo

[Wintersdark]

I'm a huge believer in the old adage that the correct number of motorcycles owned is N+1.

With that said, I've only ever really owned one at a time.  Usually a financial limitation.  However, in A Perfect, And Yet Reasonable World, I'd own:

• A bike like the Tracer, general purpose daily rider.
• Another MT07 (In fantasy land, also with turbo) for sheer hooliganism.
• A grom, because I want a grom.  Kitted out for stunting.
• A dual sport, for offroad play
• And finally, I'd love a track bike; at least, if tracks where a thing around here.  I'm deeply jealous that they're both so readily accessible in the US, and so much cheaper to use where they are.  It'd be nice to be able to get my Need For Speed out in a better place than the street.  I'd actually be pretty good with the MT07 here, but there's a big list of bikes I'd like in this spot.

 

[limpy88]

23 hours ago, riding_tall said:

I heard it described best on the Motorcycles and Misfits podcast. The formula for the proper number of motorcycles is N+1 where N=the number of motorcycles you currently own.

N+1 formula is the one I use for alot of stuff. I have 6 motorcycles.  Will be getting ride of a few though

Edited May 31, 2020 by limpy88

[duhg]

3 hours ago, limpy88 said:

 I have 6 motorcycles.  Will be getting ride of a few though

Freudian slip!  🙂

 

 

[limpy88]

10 minutes ago, duhg said:

Freudian slip!  🙂

 

 

Possibly, im also a type and send while talking to ppl around me person. So words go to the wrong conversation alot

[koth442]

20 hours ago, limpy88 said:

Possibly, im also a type and send while talking to ppl around me person. So words go to the wrong conversation alot

I feel that on a spiritual level. 

[maximo]

I used to belong to the n+1 philosophy, and that's how I ended up with 5 in the garage. I soon realized that for me there was a serious diminishing returns. Each bike has a certain overhead to it, cleaning the chain, tires inflated, battery on tender, periodically run to keep the fluids fresh, oil changes, post ride bug scrapes, etc.  With one bike you hardly notice these because they're all part of the routine. However, with many bikes, if you don't ride them equally, you end up doing doing a lot of these things just because you have to. I realized that I was eating into my riding time because I had to take out bike #4, since it hadn't been ridden in a month (or worse). It really got to be a chore just keeping them all in riding condition. That's how I landed at 3 being optimal. It's the best ratio of variety and maintenance. 

[tktplz]

I used to have 3. Well 2.5 a ZRX1100 and a ZX11 plus a ZUMA scooter. In DC I had a 1999 VMax and a 1999 ZRX1100. In Louisiana before going to DC in 2002 I had 1994 and a 1995 VMax. Was going to have 1 VMax bored to a 1500 with flat sides. Approx. 175 RWHP and roasts the rear tire while pulling up the front wheel with roll ons in 2nd. Then I went to a VMOA meet where there were 5 of them. The guys were out a couple of hours early in front of the motel with barometers, humidity, altitude gauges. I asked them and they had come from different altitudes and the barometric pressure and humidity factored into how the bike would run so they were setting it up to ride for the day. Well that was it for me, too much sugar for a dime as my Mom would say. That's when I learned how forgiving CV carbs are, LOL! So I traded the 1995 VMax for a 1995 ZX11. That's when I fell in love with ZX1100s. So then I had a 1995 VMax and ZX11 till I left for DC. So I'm guessing 2 or 1.5 is it. A FJ09 as my main bike and a ZUMA scooter for riding to neighbors houses out here at the lake is the right number for me.