How many motorcycles is enough? One mans collection

[trevor]

I have all I need and can handle at the moment....lol

One dual sport (DR650)
Four classics (2 gs750s, gs1100e and the Cooley)
Two Sport Touring bikes (bmw k1300r and my gsxs1000gt)
I have absolutely no desire to own a "cruiser"

And one old beat up truck

Well I have not downsized yet...in fact I just added another bike...lol...I replaced the Suzuki GT with a Honda VFR1200F and last week I bout a 1997 Triumph Daytona t595

[gtem]

Have been pondering this for a while now as my motorcycle bay of our three car garage had been on a steady upward trajectory for some time... I'm trying to thin the herd a bit.

Peter Egan had a column some years back where it was concluded that *5* bikes was the ideal:
1) Sport bike
2) Sports Tourer
3) dirt/gravel road-capable bike
4)Big Tourer (Harley V twin for Egan)
5) Old/vintage/nostalgic bike

I've always had at least 2, oftentimes 3 bikes in the "old" category which dabble a bit in the sports/sport touring/gravel realm as a function of how they were being used at the time. IE I end up riding my UJMs on gravel roads pretty regularly.

My GOAL is to get myself down to 3 bikes from my current 5, sooner or later. I'm a bit *too* well equipped with big 4cyl bikes at the moment so at least one of them will be sold. I keep almost getting back into dual sports but for whatever reason it's just not been sticking (bought and sold a DR650 last year, currently about to do the same with a KLR650). My XS500 sometimes feels like a bit of an albatross around my neck. It's my first motorcycle and I rode it across the continental US and back, I have a lot of memories wrapped up in it, but I never really ride it. Have sometimes been tempted to sell it but with 57k miles on the clock it's hardly worth anything and I know some kid would ruin it with cafe crap. Have recently started commuting on it again trying to rekindle that "relationship."

Funny to re-read my own post from a year ago. I'm happy(?) to report that I have indeed downsized the fleet. I currently find that with life's obligations, two bikes is plenty. As someone who typically owns older/used stuff, I find that with two bikes I can minimize the risk of missing out on a ride because I've got the bike torn apart for repairs/maintenance. Technically my current count is 3, I hauled my 76 XS500C out to my brother's place in PA to keep it there for when I visit and we do a nice ride on Central/Northern PA back roads once a year. When it was at my place, ironically enough I rode fewer annual miles than with it over there.

I do regret selling my '07 DR650, they're great bikes to bomb around on. The stock seat is a miserable unit to ride more than 10-15 minutes IMO, had I ponied up for a Seat Concepts or whatever other aftermarket option I suspect I may have kept the bike. A ton of fun to zip down bumpy twisty back roads that you would normally slow WAY down on on a street bike. I loved the combination of light weight+ torquey and stone-age simple air cooled carbureted big single. But I also know that I'd simply be spread too thin in terms of riding time to justify the hassle of yet another bike to register/maintain etc.

My biggest surprise is how much I'm enjoying piloting my newly acquired Kawasaki Voyager XII, I've been riding it more than the XS1100.

[unfocused]

I too am looking for a DR650. However the question about how many is enough... I had x7 at one time and rode them all...

[GS1150Pilot]

Old thread, but the right one for the moment.

I've got three currently (much modified Sportster 1200, stock BMW R1100R, and old CB900f in pieces for restoration), but am finally to the point of getting another-and it will be a dual-sport. After much digging, I think I'm going to take Trevor's advice and get a DR650. My brother is really happy with his KLR, but having gone down a DR650 rabbithole, I think that will be a great next obsession.

[JMHJ]

If you're primary's something older, you've got the project too (so there's 2), lol.

I got essentially exactly what I wanted when I bought my current to get back into riding - something with a lower fairing, sporty and powerful. Actually I kinda wanted a Honda V4 for something different, but I wound up with another inline. I was sort of ashamed to think the other day that a V-twin cruiser (nothing too big or gawdy) with some nice sounding pipes would be a pleasure to ride sometimes...

The eye of man - one of those things that never says "enough"... I think that's close (Proverbs).

I've always thought a dirt bike would be fun too, if I had a place to ride it.

[limeex2]

Today's stable. Running,GL1800, Versys1000. Low hanging fruit: 955 Speed Triple, needs tank lined and a battery. 3 GS's. 1 with a direction, 1 with a dream, 1 I'm trying REALLY hard not to mod, cause I mod everything I've ever owned and it was a "Vetter Virgin". I'm fixing the "To big of a collection problem". A bigger storage shed...

[Rob S.]

I was very happy with two. The two bikes I lusted after since I was 14 - big Kaw and Sportster (my 11EZ stands in for the Kaw). In fact, I often couldn't decide which one to ride.

[trevor]

I have all I need and can handle at the moment....lol

One dual sport (DR650)
Four classics (2 gs750s, gs1100e and the Cooley)
Two Sport Touring bikes (bmw k1300r and my gsxs1000gt)
I have absolutely no desire to own a "cruiser"

And one old beat up truck

[Suzukian]

I know some people with a lot of bikes. 95% of them are "pickled". It's better than keeping your money in the bank. You can sell them for a lot, but put a little on the bill of sale, which the buyer doesn't mind, he pays less tax. If you choose the right bikes, and store them properly (and have the room) it a good nest egg if you ever need cash.

[RichDesmond]

Agree on five, at least in theory. Although I'd delete the pure touring bike and add a track day one. My problem is that I now have seven.
But, the RZ doesn't count, because it's in pieces. The real issue is the V-Strom. The Multi was supposed to replace it as my all-around sport-tourer, but it's so tall that my wife can't comfortably get on and off it. So the Strom is sticking around for now.

[rphillips]

I don't ride enough anymore to own 7 bikes but when thinking about thinning the stable, I always seem to find a reason (excuse) for keeping each of them.

[gtem]

Have been pondering this for a while now as my motorcycle bay of our three car garage had been on a steady upward trajectory for some time... I'm trying to thin the herd a bit.

Peter Egan had a column some years back where it was concluded that *5* bikes was the ideal:
1) Sport bike
2) Sports Tourer
3) dirt/gravel road-capable bike
4)Big Tourer (Harley V twin for Egan)
5) Old/vintage/nostalgic bike

I've always had at least 2, oftentimes 3 bikes in the "old" category which dabble a bit in the sports/sport touring/gravel realm as a function of how they were being used at the time. IE I end up riding my UJMs on gravel roads pretty regularly.

My GOAL is to get myself down to 3 bikes from my current 5, sooner or later. I'm a bit *too* well equipped with big 4cyl bikes at the moment so at least one of them will be sold. I keep almost getting back into dual sports but for whatever reason it's just not been sticking (bought and sold a DR650 last year, currently about to do the same with a KLR650). My XS500 sometimes feels like a bit of an albatross around my neck. It's my first motorcycle and I rode it across the continental US and back, I have a lot of memories wrapped up in it, but I never really ride it. Have sometimes been tempted to sell it but with 57k miles on the clock it's hardly worth anything and I know some kid would ruin it with cafe crap. Have recently started commuting on it again trying to rekindle that "relationship."

[Finn]

I voted "Never say too many!" but my garage hosts 5 bikes and that is where I draw my line.

Unless a nice GS750E or GSX1100E comes available...

[zuluwiz]

Don't we need to define "enough"? Seems to me the number is different for everyone.

"Enough" for me = one more than I have room for.

[Cipher]

I bet he's so busy buying stuff he never has time to ride any of them.

Good thing he's not a Lothario.