wheatonFJR
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I think Russ is on to something here. How can we possibly give proper input, unless we see what we're working with here....
RIding with a passenger
- Thread starter Mark Palmer
- Start date
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BikerGeek99
Yeah, it's a concrete corn cob. So?
<sigh> Yep.
We have Harley friends (yes, I still have a Harley) who still don't "get" the FJR. That's OK. I also have Harley friends who "get" the FJR. It's all good.
As far as gear goes, share this pic with the GF - my wife (GF at the time) took a class to learn to ride. She had a very-low-speed "OH SHIT" get-off in the dirt. This is how well her jeans protected her knee:
For the record, not ALL of us Harley riders are COMPLETE idjuts. Just sayin'....
Keep these words in your hip pocket.
Mark Palmer
Member
I don't think all Harley riders are idiots at all. It's just a different taste in riding. That's where this all started and I don't mind the idea of a street glide as its a great looking bike. I'm sure we would enjoy it. It's just when you weigh out the cost andntyennyounlok at the FJR being half the cost it makes sense to me to get the GJR and just get out on the road. I could probably swing paying cash for the FJR or at least pay half then pay it off over a few months. An 18k Harley is a pretty substantial commitment.
If I was In a position for multiple bikes I'm sure one would be a Harley. In fact I told her that tonight. For the price of the Street Glide she likes I could buy an 07 FJR AND an early 2000s Fat Boy.
She was going to throw some money at the bike also but she's not going to for an FJR. I may be on my own with this one.
If I was In a position for multiple bikes I'm sure one would be a Harley. In fact I told her that tonight. For the price of the Street Glide she likes I could buy an 07 FJR AND an early 2000s Fat Boy.
She was going to throw some money at the bike also but she's not going to for an FJR. I may be on my own with this one.
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Mark Palmer
Member
Sorry guys I don't have any pics of her in leather and Harley garb. Shes very attractive and I'm sure you would approve!
bgross
Recusant Infidel
I'm not a relationship counselor, nor do I play one on TV.
Just a couple thoughts from someone who's been around.
Sounds to me like you've tried to engage your woman in a bunch of things, tried to find activities that you could share together. Your list indicates that you like the outdoor activities, action, and a bit of 'fun'. Sounds like your gal prefers 'social' stuff and group activities.
Not bashing, just an observation: much of the Harley crowd seems to enjoy the form more than the function -- leather, chrome, sound & fury. The ride is to get to the destination. The wardrobe is just part of the fashion. Some of them actually enjoy fixing bikes that break often! It's a lifestyle that many enjoy and others don't understand.
For sport touring riders, the journey is the destination, the clothing serves a function, and the machine is a tool. Maintenance is an enjoyable necessity, farkles serve a utilitarian function. Whether it's a weekend trip, a multi-thousand mile journey, or an IBA cert., ...it's a lifestyle that many enjoy and others don't understand!
Many folks fall some somewhere else when it comes to motorcycles. It's just a toy. It sits in the garage most of the time. It doesn't matter, really.
Sounds to me like you want something that may be... complicated. You've learned (from your recent post regarding your conversations) that she definitely doesn't want a sport touring ride. In addition to all of the other activities that you've tried to share with her, she doesn't want to be involved in the S/T scene.
As to whether a possible compromise on your part (the Harley scene) will have a positive effect on your relationship? That's a gamble that you're going to have to decide if it's worth the risk - spend twice as much on your second choice in a motorcycle, and maybe end up with an expensive bike and the woman is gone.
Cut your losses, buy the FJR and start over.
Or postpone the inevitable.
JMO
Just a couple thoughts from someone who's been around.
Sounds to me like you've tried to engage your woman in a bunch of things, tried to find activities that you could share together. Your list indicates that you like the outdoor activities, action, and a bit of 'fun'. Sounds like your gal prefers 'social' stuff and group activities.
Not bashing, just an observation: much of the Harley crowd seems to enjoy the form more than the function -- leather, chrome, sound & fury. The ride is to get to the destination. The wardrobe is just part of the fashion. Some of them actually enjoy fixing bikes that break often! It's a lifestyle that many enjoy and others don't understand.
For sport touring riders, the journey is the destination, the clothing serves a function, and the machine is a tool. Maintenance is an enjoyable necessity, farkles serve a utilitarian function. Whether it's a weekend trip, a multi-thousand mile journey, or an IBA cert., ...it's a lifestyle that many enjoy and others don't understand!
Many folks fall some somewhere else when it comes to motorcycles. It's just a toy. It sits in the garage most of the time. It doesn't matter, really.
Sounds to me like you want something that may be... complicated. You've learned (from your recent post regarding your conversations) that she definitely doesn't want a sport touring ride. In addition to all of the other activities that you've tried to share with her, she doesn't want to be involved in the S/T scene.
As to whether a possible compromise on your part (the Harley scene) will have a positive effect on your relationship? That's a gamble that you're going to have to decide if it's worth the risk - spend twice as much on your second choice in a motorcycle, and maybe end up with an expensive bike and the woman is gone.
Cut your losses, buy the FJR and start over.
Or postpone the inevitable.
JMO
RadioHowie
I Miss Beemerdons!
RadioHowie
I Miss Beemerdons!
odot
CC member # 17,----- DUP member # 7, mensa club m
Yer on fire, howie.....don't stop :yahoo:
Mark Palmer
Member
In talking to he last night it sounds like they never rode the Harley more than an hour at a time. She talks about how much fun it was taking it to the mountains and ride. "taking it" meant they trailered the 4 hours up to N Georgia and then rode. It was a 2003 Fat Boy so maybe I can understand not riding it for to long a period of time.
Now we are in the "lets just forget about it" mode.
On the other end your right, I do like exciting activities. I raced off road motorcycles and made my way up to the A class as a Vet rider over a 8 year period in my 30s. Great time of my life. Then when I hung up that helmet I switched to racing Corvettes for a while. SCCA/NASA stuff. Really enjoyed it but the economy hit me hard and that had to go. Somewhere in there I soloed in an airplane. Never jumped out of one but I did learn how to take off and land. Had a nice boat until about 2 years ago and the divorce took that darn thing away. So I have always had a toy or two and enjoyed doing some decently exciting things.
She likes exciting things but not at the same level that I do. After long conversations about what our needs and wants are it was decided we needed to find something to do together. Thats where it started with the thought of a Harley.
I was interested until we started looking at prices. That kind of blew me away. Truthfully we have a convertible car. You want wind in your hair put the top down and lets go. Buuuuut I do understand the social aspect of the Harley and the sexy clothes (she likes her sexy clothes) and the NOISE they make that some find exciting.
Me. I like the thought of seeing new places and taking weekends on a bike. From here to the Keys, Charleston, the Mtns, etc. A perfect braking point and the excitment of hiting the apex of a turn is pretty exciting to me. I would rather have all the tech farkles on a FJR than have ANOTHER 500 chrome emblem that says HarleY D on it. How many times can you have that plastered on your body and your bike????
So now Im just frustrated. If I buy one and ride on my own she is going to get pissed off that Im not spending my time with her. We have every other weekend completly free, no kids, so we have plenty of time to get out and go. I have an extremely easy schedule and could leave on a moments notice and work from the road without any problem. Give me wifi for a couple of hours and everything is golden.
Now we are in the "lets just forget about it" mode.
On the other end your right, I do like exciting activities. I raced off road motorcycles and made my way up to the A class as a Vet rider over a 8 year period in my 30s. Great time of my life. Then when I hung up that helmet I switched to racing Corvettes for a while. SCCA/NASA stuff. Really enjoyed it but the economy hit me hard and that had to go. Somewhere in there I soloed in an airplane. Never jumped out of one but I did learn how to take off and land. Had a nice boat until about 2 years ago and the divorce took that darn thing away. So I have always had a toy or two and enjoyed doing some decently exciting things.
She likes exciting things but not at the same level that I do. After long conversations about what our needs and wants are it was decided we needed to find something to do together. Thats where it started with the thought of a Harley.
I was interested until we started looking at prices. That kind of blew me away. Truthfully we have a convertible car. You want wind in your hair put the top down and lets go. Buuuuut I do understand the social aspect of the Harley and the sexy clothes (she likes her sexy clothes) and the NOISE they make that some find exciting.
Me. I like the thought of seeing new places and taking weekends on a bike. From here to the Keys, Charleston, the Mtns, etc. A perfect braking point and the excitment of hiting the apex of a turn is pretty exciting to me. I would rather have all the tech farkles on a FJR than have ANOTHER 500 chrome emblem that says HarleY D on it. How many times can you have that plastered on your body and your bike????
So now Im just frustrated. If I buy one and ride on my own she is going to get pissed off that Im not spending my time with her. We have every other weekend completly free, no kids, so we have plenty of time to get out and go. I have an extremely easy schedule and could leave on a moments notice and work from the road without any problem. Give me wifi for a couple of hours and everything is golden.
GeorgiaRoller
Exit Stage Left
Mark,
Sport Touring is just that. You can cruise, take it easy, have nice lockable storage space, go sightseeing in the mountains...etc...but you can also twist the throttle and lean and ride the bike in a very spirited manner at any given time. Me & my wife enjoy hiking & riding together and having a motorcycle does give us an avenue to get out and spend some time together enjoying things. Just read my blog if you don't believe me.
As far as riding in the summer months in GA as mentioned by others just invest in some good armored mesh riding pants & jackets. That what we do. We'll ride up into the Mtns to escape the heat of Central GA and stop by a lake or stream and take our riding gear off and go swim or wade out in the cool mountain water. If she's not a hardcore rider you can break up your ride and stop at the quaint mountain towns and eat & shop or whatever. The picture I posted of me & my wife riding on page 2 of this thread shows us in our summer gear believe it or not. If you look at our pants you can see the mesh. We just wear cotton shorts underneath and you'd be surprised how much air flow you get. They are more comfortable than jeans, you get more air & you have significantly better protection.
You getting a bike has to make "YOU" happy first since your gonna be the one A. Purchasing it B. Riding it. The fact that its a proven 2up bike should make her happy that your thinking of her and that you want to include her on your riding.
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Mark Palmer
Member
Great blog. I enjoy photography also. What lenses do you carry with you and do you just pack them in one of the hard cases?
GeorgiaRoller
Exit Stage Left
Well that's kind of the funny thing...I don't use a high end DSLR with interchangeable lens for that very reason, too much to carry around. I just use a FujiFilm "bridge camera" that looks & acts like a DSLR but it is not because you cannot change the lens. However it has a built in 30x zoom lens & also has macro capability. So that's why I got it. It's just a good all around do everything camera that fits in one small camera bag. To me it's perfect for taking on the bike and it does a "good enough" job IMO for me as a hobby right now. Oh and it was under $400 so I didn't break the bank on that either. lol
However if you already have the DSLR stuff I'd def pack a wide angle lens & a macro lens and a ND filter & Polarized filter. You can just pack that in the rear trunk and then use the saddlebags for overnight trip luggage or use the saddlebags to lock up your helmets or jackets...etc.
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SwollenRaccoon
Well-known member
Wow, just a butt-load of great advice for our man in need here. All I can do is echo some of the previous recommendations. Buy the bike (FJR or the like), and invite her along. She will probably find out that she actually enjoys it for what it is, not how she appears to others. If not, run it all through your mind and be honest with yourself. Make sure she's "the one".
When she's not in the mood to ride, it's a great, comfortable, fast bike for a solo ride. You won't be disappointed.
When she's not in the mood to ride, it's a great, comfortable, fast bike for a solo ride. You won't be disappointed.
RadioHowie
I Miss Beemerdons!
WHAT?????
How a woman appears to others is more important than kittens and puppies, clean air and water, world peace, even more important than her children.
Dude you know NOTHING about women!
BikerGeek99
Yeah, it's a concrete corn cob. So?
Ah fer fuck's sake.
Enough.
ENOUGH!
You have a rental. Don't let the rental dictate your life.
Time to put on your big-boy britches, bud.
Man the fuck up and do what YOU want, NOT what ANYone else wants.
JayzusHkree-ist....
I don't care who you are - that's funny as shit right there! The irony...Dude you know NOTHING about women!
SwollenRaccoon
Well-known member
WHAT?????
How a woman appears to others is more important than kittens and puppies, clean air and water, world peace, even more important than her children.
Dude you know NOTHING about women!
You couldn't possibly be more correct, Howie!
"](But my little spinner wife of 30+ years sits on the passenger seat while the pegs ocassionally scrape the pavement, and is such a good passenger that I can barely tell she's there. If she doesn't feel like going for a motorcycle ride, she says, "Go! Have fun. Be careful, and I'll see you when you get back". She has bad points, too, like telling me to pass the slowpoke in front of us while we're in a double-yellow with no visibility. Even so, you are correct. I know NOTHING about women. I'm just lucky to have her.)
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Mark Palmer
Member
Who would have thought that a discussion to buy a motorcycle would become a relatiionship turning point? For some reason it feels like it is. This is just another thing that exposes the differences between us. We are on the same page about a lot but there are some differences that makes things difficult.
I have a piece of equipment for sale that I've tagged for bike money. We will see what happens between now and then.
I have a piece of equipment for sale that I've tagged for bike money. We will see what happens between now and then.
bgross
Recusant Infidel
Hey, motorcyclist are really a bunch of sensitive guys. We just disguise it - really well!
Mark Palmer
Member
I appreciated your comments, I really do. In some ways your probably right. I was married 22 years and we really didn't do much together. She was there for my racing but we didn't have a hobbie together that she was involved in. This relationship of three years I have wanted to be different and have something we could both share and be passionate about. I think that's important.Ah fer fuck's sake.
Enough.
ENOUGH!
You have a rental. Don't let the rental dictate your life.
Time to put on your big-boy britches, bud.
Man the fuck up and do what YOU want, NOT what ANYone else wants.
JayzusHkree-ist....
I don't care who you are - that's funny as shit right there! The irony...Dude you know NOTHING about women!
She's a bit more than a rental. We have lived together for a year and been together 3. Been through a lot melding the 2 families.
That said I understand your comments and in some ways your probably right. Sometimes I think my testosterone was taken away when I signed that divorce agreement.
BikerGeek99
Yeah, it's a concrete corn cob. So?
It's all good. Tough love, baby - tough love.
Guess my point is - find something that YOU enjoy and invite her. If she joins in, great! If not, you're still doing something YOU enjoy. Ya gotta take care of #1 first and foremost.
Shee-yit... You 'n Howie can commiserate on THAT one. Howie hasn't had his own testosterone since Nixon was in the White House. Not to mention beemerdons... Just sayin...
