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View Full Version : Thinking of selling the bike and getting another Landy!



gusthedog
1st November 2013, 03:58 PM
Hi all! I havent posted here for a while but thought I'd let you all in on some of my recent thinking. My wife and I are now expecing our second child :D Which is unreal and I'm totally stoked!!! We had the 12 week scan on Monday this week and now we are free to tell people. I hope the rest of the pregnancy goes well obviously but you have to tell people sometime!

As a result, and for the first time, I'm thinking of getting out of motorcycles. My thoughts are that it is a pretty selfish sport and a dangerous one to boot. For the last few weekends Ive been going off on rides and leaving my little son at home. He's too young to get a bike and I'm not sure I want him on one too young. For the whole time I'm out I feel guilty and worry.

And I've been lucky - 15 years of riding bikes from Aprilia's to Suzuki GSX1400's and VFR800's flat out without a single major stack. The problem I've been debating is that I don't want to leave either my wife without a husband or two kids without a dad. Each to their own if you're a motorcyclist - I completly understand if you couldn't give up riding. I have never considered it before. Recently though, a mate lost one of his best friends when he clipped a tree on his dirt bike. He got off and walked down the hill after the stack - but died of a brain injury minutes later.

Anyway, enough of my internal dilema - what I have been given permission to do is sell my DR650 and spend those $ (and only those $!!!) on another Landy. So what sort of bus could I get for around $5 grand that I could have fun with in the bush? I'm thinking of either a clapped-out defender that I could bring back to life with minimal costs, an older series vehicle or maybe even a D1 (with big tyres of course :p). What are people's thoughts and how likely am I to get a vehicle that I can have fun with for my measly budget???

Id love to not have to worry about dinging up a precious truck in the bush (like my D2 which is our only family car - and no, I'm not allowed to bush bash in it:)) and have at a minimum, something with at least a rear difflock for the hills around here. I love getting out and about and really want to take the family along - hence why I was thinking of a D1.

But I do love defenders. I've had two in the past but don't think I could find one for under 5 grand.

Do any of you series owners load up the little-uns and wifey and head out into the bush? Can you even fit child seats into a series bus?

So am I dreaming or can I get a good landy for under 5 grand to enjoy with my family?

PeterM
1st November 2013, 04:05 PM
Personally, I'd hang onto the bike but if you are going to off-load it I'd get a D1. At $5k it won't be great but you can get some okay examples if you look.

Disco Muppet
1st November 2013, 04:27 PM
I'd argue that you could nab a decent D1 for $5k, maybe not perfect but what landy is?
I guess landy-ing is a bit more of a family friendly hobby than bike riding it, all comes down to how you feel about it I guess.
Depends what sort of landy you want too :)

gusthedog
1st November 2013, 04:45 PM
I'd argue that you could nab a decent D1 for $5k, maybe not perfect but what landy is?
I guess landy-ing is a bit more of a family friendly hobby than bike riding it, all comes down to how you feel about it I guess.
Depends what sort of landy you want too :)

I've just been bitten by the green oval bug muppet and any Landy I can get that will carry the family will be considered at this stage. It is really going to be a toy though so it doesn't need to be pretty :D and a family friendly activity is what I'm really chasing I suppose.

loanrangie
1st November 2013, 05:06 PM
I have been in this situation before, just before our 2nd daughter was born i sold my beloved VFR for the same reasons.
Now both kids are older and a Daytona came along at a price i couldnt refuse (free :D) so now i have a bike again.

Chucaro
1st November 2013, 06:53 PM
Because the bike it is not a BMW GS your idea have merits :p

gusthedog
1st November 2013, 07:22 PM
I've just been bitten by the green oval bug muppet and any Landy I can get that will carry the family will be considered at this stage. It is really going to be a toy though so it doesn't need to be pretty :D and a family friendly activity is what I'm really chasing I suppose.


Because the bike it is not a BMW GS your idea have merits :p

I've had two 1200 GS's but I prefer the maintenance costs of a 650 single so much more :D

Thanks for all the comments. I'm feeling a bit better about it (I think I am anyway:)).

Ranga
1st November 2013, 07:22 PM
Because the bike it is not a BMW GS your idea have merits :p

I have to agree, but I'm biased :-)

RisingSun
1st November 2013, 09:59 PM
I got rid of my ZX12R when the 3rd child was on the way.
This occurred about 6 weeks after my brother almost died on his bike.
Definately miss the bike, but it is now a future plan.
No complaints as the road lead to my D2, and I am now far more content to cruise then trying to break the 300 mark.

And the boys are now keen to travel with me into the bush :D

Designosaur
2nd November 2013, 07:42 AM
Your thinking is sound. Spend the time with the kids when they are young. I have two boys and they love the disco.

While I love the look of the series and I have one sitting there waiting for some love too, most are probably at the stage where they will need a full pull apart and fix, which is a big time investment. You won't have that time with two little ones (personal experience there see above statement about my series). I also have a bike, beemer k75, in the shed waiting for when the kids are a little older and don't want to do things with us any more.

Get a Disco and just fix things as needed.

Bernie

UncleHo
2nd November 2013, 09:51 AM
You can get a nice clean well maintained late 90's 300TDI Auto D1 in Qld for about 5K and they have fittings above the rear door for 3 baby capsule straps and with the first model Rangie running gear including all disc brakes they make a comfortable family vehicle and with a 2inch lift a very competent one.

Or you could look around for a gassed V8 auto,my daughter has one,std fuel tank,and 3 scuba tanks under false floor and she loves it,$5.5k private sale (markets section) from Canberra in 2012,wife and I flew down and drove it home 194,000 klm's.


I would be inclined to keep the bike or downsize it,but to give your wife peace-of-mind use the Disco and get here into off-roading gradually.


cheers

gofish
2nd November 2013, 05:22 PM
I too am thinking of selling the bike (VFR 800) & putting the $ towards a pop-top van for the family. I LOVE riding it but just don't have the time anymore :(