How many GS's is too many GS's?

[93Bandit]

Is it even possible to have too many GS's?

I currently have 2 850s but I'm having the urge to buy more bikes. There's a "road ready" GS1100GK near me for sale that looks to be in pretty good shape after careful review of all the pictures. I think the asking price is high but maybe not too far off.

There's also two more GS1100Gx's for sale as a pair, one being "for parts" for the other. Neither look like they've seen pavement in many years, but there's definitely a complete bike between the two, maybe even enough parts to get both running.

And there's a GS1100GL... And a GS650L... And a GS550(?)... And another 850...

I WANT THEM ALL... Most are priced under $1,000 and many could likely be purchased for less than $500.

I'd love one of each engine displacement, and even cooler if I could have one of each model too. But the wife doesn't think I need 15+ bikes, nor does my lack of storage space. But could you imagine having all those options? They're all in varying condition so I'd have plenty to keep me busy tinkering. It's sad to see so many in disrepair. I'd love to get them all back to their formal glory. Probably wouldn't completely restore them all, but definitely get them all mechanically sound and cleaned up.

Anyways, am I crazy? What would you guys have if money/space wasn't an issue?

 

[Rob S.]

What would you guys have if money/space wasn't an issue?

More chains, fewer shafts.

 

[jsandidge]

I currently own an 850L and a 750E. If I came across an 1100GK, it would be hard to pass up.

 

[Burque73]

Definitely an 1100GK for me. I had the chance last year but dragged my feet and it sold. These bikes have a tendency to show up again for sale so I'll keep looking.

 

[chuck hahn]

16 bikes...I got 15 more than i need. 16 is TOO MANY.

 

[1978GS750E]

I've got 4 in the stable right now and that is enough! Lack of space is my problem. But...?.I am looking for a GS550 in restorable shape. If I find one...... the little Honda FT500 is gone! Maybe!

 

[Redman]

How many bikes is one question.
How many insurance policys is another.
How many batterys is another.

 

[wymple]

How many bikes do I need? Silly question. One more than I have.

 

[storm 64]

How many bikes is one question.
How many insurance policys is another.
How many batterys is another.

I think Red Man hit the nail on the head! It gets expensive keeping multiple motorcycles on the upkeep. My poor 1100e needs a top end rebuild. The 850 needs intake O-Rings replaced. The 1000e needs a petcock and tires. The FJR just needs oil changes and tires... Lawn mower need blade sharpened. It never ends...

 

[Tangent]

In the past I've applied the mathematical approach - number of bikes falls into the simple formula N + 1, where N is the number of bikes currently in the shed. And I've shared the desire to own the complete set of capacities - but the reality of restoring, repairing, maintaining, insuring the lot means ya just can't do it all. But it's good fun finding that out....

 

[trevor]

 

[Redman]

Trev, Nice pic.
So, six is not too many. (6 counting wifes transport.)


I am not recalling the sport tourer (bags& trunk) in your picture. An FJ.....?

 

[Redman]

.... ....

Tangent, Welcome to TheGSR.
Would be good if you went off in another direction and post an introduction in the "owners" section. And you could post N number of pics of your bikes, where N equalls 6, and 2/3rds are vintage Suzukis, and half are GS's.

 

[93Bandit]

How many bikes is one question.
How many insurance policys is another.
How many batterys is another.

As far as insurance goes, no more than two insured at a time. You being from Michigan as well understand the burden of outrageous insurance rates that do nothing other than steal from the population. If I was in my home state, I could insure 15 bikes for the cost of 2 in Michigan...

I think Red Man hit the nail on the head! It gets expensive keeping multiple motorcycles on the upkeep. My poor 1100e needs a top end rebuild. The 850 needs intake O-Rings replaced. The 1000e needs a petcock and tires. The FJR just needs oil changes and tires... Lawn mower need blade sharpened. It never ends...

That's the flip side of the coin. So many toys that you can't afford/don't have the time to up keep all of them. But hey, we can dream, right???

 

[zuluwiz]

Anyways, am I crazy? What would you guys have if money/space wasn't an issue?


Sounds like Jay Leno.

The were only few thousand GS's built (got no idea how many, sorry.) You can have only that many, minus the one I wrecked.

 

[Gorminrider]

I WANT THEM ALL...

I wonder if that's what cat-ladies say....

It gets expensive keeping multiple motorcycles on the upkeep

but yes, it's often the vet bills that finally overwhelm them.

 

[bwringer]

Definitely an 1100GK for me. I had the chance last year but dragged my feet and it sold. These bikes have a tendency to show up again for sale so I'll keep looking.

That is an interesting point -- if you're a longtime GS-er and you idly peruse CrackList off and on, you'll tend to see the same bikes pop up locally more than once. There was a burgundy 1100G that orbited Indianapolis for several years; I looked at it a couple of times with or on behalf of others. It was in pretty darn good shape, but did need all the "usual" stuff (petcock, intake boots, valve clearances, tires, brakes, yada yada). I don't know if anyone ever did the right things with it. People tend to have the misconception that an old bike will be a cheap way to get riding, and many are not willing to spend the money and time to get it right.

Real life for me (somewhat less than Jay Leno levels of cash or garage space...) is that three motorcycles, each with different mission profiles, is just about right. I've had as many as five and for several years only had one. With three, I can keep ahead of the maintenance, insurance, batteries, tires, etc. and all get ridden often enough I don't get goopy gas or dried-out seal issues.

It tends to bug me when there's too much overlap. I've had my current fleet (see signature below) for quite a while because the balance is just about right.

- One vintage bike. My GS850G is sort of my "forever" bike. That's the core motorcycle I'm keeping until they haul my carcass off to the pyre or you can't get hydrocarbon fuels any more. What's a little weird is that I have absolutely no desire to get another GS. I've worked on and assisted with lots of GS projects for others (just got a major basket case GS850GL project on the road, in fact), but I'm not really interested in another. If this bike burned to the ground or something I'd very likely look for another, but I don't want another GS.

- My V-Strom is my long-distance sport-tourer (despite the marketing wank, it's NOT a dual-sport; muuuuuuuch too big and heavy for that sort of thing). With all that room and hard luggage, it's sort of a two-wheeled pickup or minivan. And since it's a 2002, a little beat up, and it has 110,000 miles on it, it's an extremely capable and dead-reliable bike but it's "worth" almost nothing. So there's a certain freedom with that; even if I didn't ride it much, it's not costing me much either. It does take up a hell of a lot of space.

- And my KLR fills the dual-sport role, of course. I've had tons of just plain stoopit fun on that thing (also a few distinctly unfun situations, one involving a swift-moving river and another a seven point buck...). I know what I'm doing fairly well on pavement, but off-pavement I'm honestly lousy; I enjoy the challenge and I think I learn something and become a better rider in all situations every time I ride the KLR. It's also dead reliable and capable, but it's beat up and "worth" almost nothing. So again, there's a certain freedom to that; it's like having an old pickup where you can just toss crap into the bed without worrying. Oh well, I fell over again because I'm crap off-road. No big deal.

 

[cowboyup3371]

Although space is not technically an issue for me, time and money are. I have two bikes and though the Bandit is fast becoming my long-distance bike, I love hitting the local twisties on the 550 - something about really able to get into the curves being easier on the 550 than the Bandit at the moment. I just don't seem to have the available time to really spend a lot of time on both right now thanks to my older 3 kids being gone from home more and my youngest still requiring supervision (15 but disabled). I can't imagine having anymore at the moment as I just won't get to use it. However, I still want a GS700ES

 

[Mr.humbucker]

I have five right now: 2 x 81 GS550T in fine roadable shape, an 83 GS850G road ready and two 82 GS650G's. One GS650G I am doing a near complete restoration from the frame up and the other is currently a parts bike that I will likely restore or customize at some point. For me the wrench pulling restoration is where it is at as I love the learning curve that comes with it. Learning from the "pros" here on GS Resources has been fabulous.

The way I view this is these old bikes are usually quite affordable as has been mentioned here but often in need of work. For me there is also an emotional draw as my first bike was an 81 GS550T hence my interest in the GS models. I ride very little due to time and the fact traffic in our immediate area is no fun to negotiate the older I get.

The literal bottom line is I have less money in these five GS garage fillers than I would in one new bike. The other factor is bikes here in British Columbia over 25 years old cost only a few hundred dollars a year to insure verses a new bike which would cost around a thousand dollars last time I checked. The only caveat on the collector plates is they can't be used to go to and from work.

Would I buy more? No, five is plenty and I will sell a few in the future but likely always have a project on the go.

 

[wymple]

Old bike insurance in Iowa is cheap. I pay 127 bucks a year for a 1981 850 Suzy and a 1984 Guzzi, combined.