Re: Motorcycles
Decisions, decisions...
Others here have suggested there is no ROI involved with owning and riding scooters. I'd tend to agree concerning the metric bikes I've owned... or fixed for others. However, I've arguably made money on every SAE bike I've owned... but then I own a $30K - $50K replacement value toolbox... and I really like tinkering on scooters.
I'll suggest if a shiney new bike is bought off the showroom floor... figure a dollar a mile depreciation for the first 5K - 10K miles... much like many or most vehicles. After that the depreciation can diminish considerably, but the repair and maintanance can start to become a factor.
My daily rider is an '06 FLHTCU 88 cube I bought wrecked for about $5K... I put about $1K into fixing it up... and a full weekend of wrenching. I'd suspect it books for about $10K... I dunno... don't care. It fits me and is the right tool for the job.
I just came upstairs from my shop to my office... been tinkering around on my '75 FXE (our sacred cow) this afternoon after the whistle blew. I bought that bike in '76 for $1,200. I've wore out a couple of odometers on that bike and tinkered on it some... ok... maybe a lot. I'll part with it when they pry it out of my cold dead fingers.
Liz and I don't have a lot of pictures of us over the years... but it seems like the ones we really charish generally involve tunes, scooters, and/or family.
Oh... and I'll offer: If your better 1/2 has a hankering to go for scooter rides... I suggest you consider the suggestion, whatever it takes... as she's about 18 times more in-tune to some things than you probably are... and maybe she's got a good idea there. Just saying.
