How Many Bikes?

[mtraphagen]

Was hoping to get my G/SPD refurb done before the rally next week, but ran into a snag and that's now highly unlikely. Current status:

Beautiful bike!

 

[mtraphagen]

I only have one bike a 1993 R100GS

Nice choice on the one!

 

[droveto]

I'd sell them all and replace them with a single bike.
How annoying are oil changes and maintenance with so many motors? I find seals and parts get cranky when sitting around and drying up.
There are definitely times I crave either a more road built, or a more dirt built machine depending on the day but it's too infrequent for me to justify having another vehicle to maintain.

 

[mtraphagen]

I'd sell them all and replace them with a single bike.
How annoying are oil changes and maintenance with so many motors? I find seals and parts get cranky when sitting around and drying up.
There are definitely times I crave either a more road built, or a more dirt built machine depending on the day but it's too infrequent for me to justify having another vehicle to maintain.

My G310GS and my wife's G310R are both under warranty until 2024 or so, I've decided to let the local dealer (Hermy's BMW) do the oil changes on them. They don't charge much more than the BMW oil change kit to do it. And it's a nice ride there and a good excuse to visit them. We ride most every weekend, year-round, so a ride to Hermy's is just a weekend day. There's a cool restaurant a short walk away and Hermy's is right on the Appalachian Trail so there are usually interesting people around.

The Nighthawk and the RSL are easy for oil changes. The new-to-me 650GS is a bit more elaborate but not difficult. I have a decent work area and actually enjoy doing it.

None of the bikes sit long enough to dry up -- even in winter, none sit longer than a week or two at most.

Maintenance and riding them isn't an issue -- my original post was if it was just over the top to have so many bikes. The jury is still somewhat out on that, but all get used and maintained, which of course, is the fun part.

 

[droveto]

My G310GS and my wife's G310R are both under warranty until 2024 or so, I've decided to let the local dealer (Hermy's BMW) do the oil changes on them. They don't charge much more than the BMW oil change kit to do it. And it's a nice ride there and a good excuse to visit them. We ride most every weekend, year-round, so a ride to Hermy's is just a weekend day. There's a cool restaurant a short walk away and Hermy's is right on the Appalachian Trail so there are usually interesting people around.

The Nighthawk and the RSL are easy for oil changes. The new-to-me 650GS is a bit more elaborate but not difficult. I have a decent work area and actually enjoy doing it.

None of the bikes sit long enough to dry up -- even in winter, none sit longer than a week or two at most.

Maintenance and riding them isn't an issue -- my original post was if it was just over the top to have so many bikes. The jury is still somewhat out on that, but all get used and maintained, which of course, is the fun part.

I get it. I have four bicycles, 2 of which have more complex suspension systems than most motor bikes so we all have our things.
I'd just always rather be riding than wrenching and between my Jeep, my moto and my bicycles I feel like I'm wrenching more than riding. And yesterday oil started dumping out of my fork on my ride so I was extra sensitive to another job I'd have to do...

 

[milo]

My bikes:

1985 Honda Nighthawk CB650SC
1995 BMW R1100RSL
2005 BMW F650GS
2018 BMW G310GS

My wife has a 2018 G310R -- we ride every possible weekend year-around. The G310GS is a nice match to her bike, and it’s fun to ride. The latest addition, 650GS, is probably the bike I'd first choose to just hop on and ride. The RSL is great for distance, the Nighthawk is a veritable time machine.

Is it too many? All are fairly cheap bikes and all are parked indoors.

How many is too many?......
Mitch

Good question. IMO 4 is not too many, in fact I'd like to get to 4, better yet 3, but I have 7 now. To do so I guess I'd pick 4 classifications I like and have one bike for each, so out of my assortment it'd go something like:

1) Small, light, basic, run around bike for both small paved and unimproved roads: XT250
2) Do it all bike, good for most any kind of riding, could be my only bike, "a GS" type motorcycle: For me currently it's the Moto Guzzi V85TT
3) Retro bike just to remind me what riding an older, standard bike from my past was like I have duplicates for this: 93 R100R and 2014 CB1100.
4) Comfortable, reliable, bike with luggage for longer distance travel. Again I duplicate here: R1200RS and Road King.

I also have a Tenere 700 equipped with luggage so where does it fit? If it had tubeless wheels and cruise it could duplicate my "do it all bike" V85TT. It's a little heavy to be the small, basic, run around.

If I could only keep 3, I could be happy with the XT250, V85, and CB1100. Or T700, Road King, and R100R.....