In life it's tough knowing when to let somethings go

I know where you are coming from. I gave up my bike some time back for similar reasons. I even moved it from one garage to another without having ridden it for a couple of years. I still miss riding on a nice sunny day, or when I see someone go by on a nice bike. But that time has passed.

I gave up riding twenty some years ago after the second good friend was killed. He was broadsided by an old lady who "just didn't see him".

The bike sat in the barn unused for most of that time until I finally came to the conclusion I wasn't ever going to ride it again. I spent some happy hours getting the bike back to near perfect condition before putting it on the market. By then, it was considered an antique and it sold for 5 times what I paid for it.

These days, I get my 2 wheel "fix" by riding my e-bike on the many bike trails we have in our state.

You can find a way to still do something that you love? I know that part of it is expense and part of it is outside elements like the way people drive (there's a whole thread on this on another forum, just yesterday I had a man behind me always honking and putting his hands up in the air, when I wasn't even the lead car and there was nowhere for me to go--I have no choice I have to drive to work).

Someone said what I described made him think about this Disney clip:

https://youtu.be/mwPSIb3kt_4?feature=shared

Maybe letting go is the practical thing to do, but maybe you can find a way to continue with your hobby. Best of luck no matter what you choose, it will be the right decision.

I can relate to this. I gave up my 83 Honda Aspencade in the mid 90'2 and still miss it. Only good thing is my son still has it and keeps it in mint condition.

I didn't get nearly what I thought the bike is worth, the motorcycle market just isn't what it used to be. My Harley was 22 years old and the last model year for carbureted engines. I thought between those two things it would sell quick.

I've been sort of trying to sell it for a few years now while checking around for similar bikes and it's sad what they go for these days. When I bought it new a Harley was an investment.

Thanks, I've moved on to collecting and decaling 1/64 scale model police cars and fire trucks.

I've ridden bikes since my early 20's. Back in 2012 I sold the last bike because I lost interest in riding around here. In 2019, almost bought a k1600gt, but decided not to last minute. So effectively, 13 years without a bike. I miss it some days, but not terribly. People can barely drive as car in this area. Too unsafe these days.

My new hobby involves home lab. Pretty much all cloud based services are now home based - email, nas, phone server (with fax), etc.

I haven’t ridden in several years now, I have about 200,000 miles under my belt, and I don't believe there will be anymore. As I got older and my wife passed away eight years ago, I seemed to have lost interest. I think it would be a physical challenge for me now if I would try to ride again. I have two older BMWs rotting away in my garage, a 45 year old airhead and a 34 year old K1. The airhead is ready to sell, the K1, I’m in the middle of replacing just about everything inside the gas tank, fuel pump, filter, hoses, fuel sender, etc. I'm sure I will enjoy the extra room in the garage!

That's what I told my wife who is forever looking for more places to put stuff. HOWEVER, she has her own bike and although I've been talking about getting rid of it for a while now, until I did she was holding out hope that we'd ride together again. She's a few years younger and in better shape medically, I'm just not there, nor do I ever see myself being there again.

Funny, when I met my wife she had a BMW, I think it was a BMW R1100RT. I had, and all the folks I rode with, had Harley's. She ended up trading in her BMW for a Harley, a downgrade in technology, but un upgrade in cool. lol

I know I'll miss it, but the cost to keep it legal for the road just isn't worth the possibility of maybe riding again someday.

I never tinkered with them, and that's part of my cost problem, I just ride them. I spent my career as a truck driver, so I can drive or ride just about anything, I just don't know what makes them go.

It's just too crazy on the roads to be on a bike these days, too many people trying to kill you without even knowing they're doing it.

Even though I haven't ridden in over 10 years - for most of the reasons already stated - a couple years ago, when I went in to renew my driver license, they asked if I wanted to keep my motorcycle endorsement. Even though I'll likely never need it, and it cost an extra $25 or so, I said yes. Not sure why. I guess I just like seeing it on my license, even though it spends 99.99% of the time in my wallet out of sight.

I also haven't ridden in years. In fact, I had every endorsement that Minnesota offered for many years. Now, I still have a Class A Commercial Drivers License, but I finally dropped my hazardous materials and school bus endorsements.

Here in PA they offer a free motorcycle riders safety course. Two levels, beginner and experienced. All a new rider has to do is get a learners permit, take the course and if they pass they become a licensed motorcycle rider.

The course isn't really free, it's paid for by an extra fee for the M endorsement each time you renew your driver license. I don't recall what it is now, used to be an extra $6. I'll probably keep my M license even though I'll never use it again just to help keep the course available for new riders.

I had everything PA offered that didn't relate to class A and school bus, I did have regular bus. When I was young and strong I used to deliver fuel oil so I needed the haz-mat and tanker. I drove a charter bus for school sports teams for a while. I spent the last 25 years only needing the CDL B and tanker.

I worked for a construction company and drove a tri-axle dump truck and on rare occasions a water truck for on site dust control or highway repaving projects. I kept the hazmat a lot longer than I should have considering the hoops and money it required for each renewal. I dropped getting a medical card when I retired and the state downgraded me. I still have a class B license, but it no longer has the CDL designation and the only endorsement left is my M for motorcycle.

I've never so much as touched one before, but I've always thought it'd be cool to build doll houses with the attention to detail etc., or miniature furniture. One thing that's nagging me is to catalog and put in place my "limited edition" cds. Has to be 6 years worth where a new volume comes out every 3 mos. I guess there are a lot of things a person can do if they decide to pursue new interests...

I still keep the M on my PA license even though I haven't ridden in 20 years. I do so just in case it ever becomes a requirement for riding my e-bike on road. I don't do it often, since it's less safe than riding a motorcycle, but I sometimes use roads when going from one bike trail to another.

Don't ride motorcycles anymore. Drivers are too crazy. Not in a rural area like I would like to be.
I now ride my bicycle bike on forest preserve trails only. Don't even like to cross an actual street. Fortunately we have literally hundreds of miles of forest preserve trails that you can plot out your ride to never cross a busy street. Over 80 years old now, so don't know when i will stop riding the bike, but for now, when it is warm, I am still riding.

For me it is no longer having a horse. I grew up on a small dairy farm and we always had one or more horses to ride. By the time I graduated high school, I wanted nothing to do with farm life. It was off to college and entering the work force full time at age 21.

However, I came full circle in my early 30s. While I didn't miss cattle and milking cows, I did miss having a horse. I sold my first house and my new wife and I purchased a small hobby farm!

We bought our first horse not longer after moving to our new farm. We live across the highway from a county park with miles of equestrian trails. I loved horseback riding on all of those trails.

Fast forward to a couple of years ago. My wife can no longer go horseback riding due to her back. I bought us e-bikes in 2022. I sold my last horse to a neighbor.

I still greatly miss horseback riding. I probably always will. My wife and I also have ATVs and a side-by-side UTV. We are members of a local club and do club rides.

I actually have two e-bikes now. One is a "Fat Babe" and the other is a narrow-tired bike. As I now enter my third (and probably final) retirement, having hobbies that we can enjoy together is probably more important now than ever.

We also bought a Class C RV this winter and will be taking delivery of it in a few days. We are looking forward to traveling in that and seeing the country. We are planning on bringing our e-bikes with on the RV.

There is a farm about a mile west of us that has riding horses. I don't know how much they charge, but I may go there this summer for a ride.

When I was in my 50s and my dad stopped doing stuff that he used to take for granted, I could not understand it. Now, I am doing much the same.

I never had a full size motorcycle, but as a teen, I had a Cushman Eagle. Often wished for another, just to ride around the block. I had a 58 Impala show car, and yes, past. Then my wife and I got a 60 Austin Healy 3000. Stupid me sold it for a 65 VW Camper. Loved it, sold it. Now we have a 40ft Diesel Pusher and I like it, but somehow the others had something that kept us young. The DP is great and extends our travel years by being a home on wheels with all the stuff you need to take care of health issues, but it is a chore to prepare for a trip and you can't just pull into the woods to sleep. Life has it trade offs and at 82, the trade offs are increasing. I'm still healthy, but my wife of 61 years, not so much. Keeping the DP so I can help her enjoy getting out and the health benefits of going. So... different story, but understand.

I'm saluting all the good decisions in this thread. A nod that it hurts to acknowledge you won't again be doing something you once loved, but it's the right call.

I just don’t change my oil anymore. I used to enjoy working on cars but since I’ve gotten older, it’s just not that much fun anymore!

Several posters, including myself, mentioned they gave up riding motorcycles. If you miss that 2 wheel experience, you might try what I did and get an e-bike. They are easy to ride, even for older folks and those with disabilities.

Bike trails, made from abandoned railroads, are available in most states. There are thousands of miles of trails now, with more being created every year. Most are smooth, level and vehicle free. Check out what's available in your area by going to Traillink.com

I've been e-biking now for 8 years and find it a great substitute for motorcycling.

I am about to give up skiing, not because I am not able to...
it is, may ski pals are not there because of age.

It is like, "my mom does not allow me to play without finishing home work"

I gave up skiing because, as a certifiable geriatric, I heal too slowly.

Don't I know that for sure. I am currently going through a bout with cellulitis due to a small wound I got last summer that just wouldn't heal and got worse.

Changing from a lifestyle you love is tough - as you say.

As we get older, we may get wiser, but unless we make those necessary tough decisions, we may just only get older (or maybe not even that).