Advice on convincing wife to let me buy a bike

[Last Canadian Exit]

Okay, so I need some help.

I really want to buy a bike and my wife is dead set against it.  Before anyone gets on my case about who wears the pants, the answer is she does, come on, who are we kidding?  She is my wife and mother to my triplets, I am just cheap labor.

Anyway, her biggest concern is safety and buying a big insurance policy isn't enough as she still wants me around for the long term for some reason  . 

I am hoping someone has been in my position before and can help me out.  I'll try anything, almost.  I started trying bribes, but not sure that is working...

[mitt]

I am no expert, but the consensus I gather is - it is not worth wrecking a relationship over a bike, and it will happen if she feels that strong about.  Did you know this before triplets and marriage?


mitt

[rgramjet]

Hm, I made sure to buy a bike before getting married.  That way its Grandfathered in.  When my twins were born, my wife got me a 2 million dollar policy........now I feel like a marked man.  That or she will buy me a turbocharged, nitrous injected Hayabusa for Christmas.

Might have to taper her in to the biking concept.....something around 50cc's that she too can have a little fun on.  Then gradually work up from there.  Im guessing you'll be on a 600 within 10 years.    

[Last Canadian Exit]

Yeah, this is not going to to be a relationship buster.  If the bike can't happen that is fine, I would just like a toy.

I was cool not having one before the kids, but that was because I had a brand new Corvette, which had to be sold.  I can't afford a fun car for a long time, so I figured a bike could scratch that itch while being a fraction of the cost.  I am not looking to break any land speed records, just enjoy the open road a little without being in a mini van or cross over...

[rgramjet]

Jeep JK

[fastwin]

Don't know if I can really help or not. My wife and I were both previously married and then divorced before we hooked up. She has one kiddo who is 13, I have none. I'm older and have been riding for 45 years and she is 40 years old. I hold that trump card! I've been riding longer than she has been alive and most of my bikes were bought long before she was married to me.

I bought her a helmet, jacket and gloves and we rode 2 up on my Hayabusa for some very gentle rides in the neighborhood and to local dining spots. She even allowed me to do the same with her son. I got him a child sized HJC full face helmet. He loved the rides! Everything was fine until I crushed 4 vertebrae in my neck and almost died due to a wild turkey attack on a ride! This story lives on in other threads... I won't bore you with it here. That little incident took me back to ground zero. Even though I had nothing to do with the accident (it was a freak of nature kind of thing) she was hard set about never riding pillion again. So was her son! He even told me in the hospital that yes, he wanted a dirt bike but since my "accident" he now didn't ever want to ride on a scooter again! I told him that would make his Mom very happy.

Some folks (women and men) just don't get motorcycles. They never will. My wife doesn't get guns either. Her son does and I love teaching him about shooting and safe gun handling. For being 13 he's very knowledgeable and very safe. But that seems to be way different to his Mom. She draws a huge line between motorcycle riding and gun handling. Even though both are dangerous to her.

I wish you luck on getting your spouse to let you buy a bike. Sometimes it's a hard sell. Especially if there has been a devastating accident in the past like mine. Sometimes even a friend's accident or one she sees on the news can shoot down your plan. Yes, I still ride and I told her I would from my hospital bed. She didn't like hearing it but she knew it was the truth. [moto]

Good luck, I hope you win her over!

[Piller]

yeah, get a cheap ass little scooter.  Maybe she won't argue about that.  Trade it in for one of those scooter's that's almost a motorcycle after a while, etc.

[Rameses]

Everything was fine until I crushed 4 vertebrae in my neck and almost died due to a wild turkey attack on a ride!

Last time I had a Wild Turkey attack I fell down a flight of stairs and woke up next to a girl that looked like Bigfoot.

I can't even imagine trying to ride that night!

[cyrus buelton]

Last time I had a Wild Turkey attack I fell down a flight of stairs and woke up next to a girl that looked like Bigfoot.
I can't even imagine trying to ride that night!

Not sure I have ever told how my wife and I met, but we met through a mutual friend in Atlanta. I was living in Ohio, the now wife was living in Florida.

Anyway.......one of the first things brought up was me owning a motorcycle (never talked about brand/model).

So she is like "I am saving for one right now, here is a picture........"

It was a Dark 620 Monster.

the rest is history.

she rides. I ride. We both ride. No issues there.

[muskrat]

tell her you inherited one??  

[ryandalling]

Track bike.... scratches the itch... and the track is the safest place in the world to ride.... you have a crew ready to grab you if you do wreck... the bikes are all going the same direction... no gravel in the corners... no side roads or mailboxes... and no tickets if you are speeding.

Plus a fully prepped track bike is pretty cheap if you don't mind branded titles or older bikes.   

Oh... and you most insurances don't cover track bikes... so you don't need to worry about that cost.   

[fastwin]

Last time I had a Wild Turkey attack I fell down a flight of stairs and woke up next to a girl that looked like Bigfoot.

I can't even imagine trying to ride that night!

That's funny as shit!! Wish my story was as funny.

Cyrus... clone your wife and have her talk with Last Canadian Exit's wife!!!

[triangleforge]

I'm assuming you're just getting started (my apologies if that's wrong) -- if so, a great first step toward making you a safer rider and convincing her you're committed to being safe would be to take the Motorcycle Safety Foundation Basic Rider course. It's not the same commitment of time or money as buying a bike (the class provides the motorcycles for practice sessions) but it will get you some basic knowledge and maybe, just maybe, start to take some of the unnamed dread out of her side of the equation. Instead of an amorphous "motorcycles are too dangerous," you can talk about what the real dangers are and the steps a rider can take to minimize those dangers.

Most important, if it's something you really want, talk with her about what -- specifically -- is frightening to her, and don't let her get away with glib answers. Specific concerns you can address, vague, undefined fears you can't. 

And for your part, don't pretend it's not dangerous, because it can be. But so's most anything worth doing, including raising triplets. She wants you alive, and thats to her credit, but she should also want you to live, not just arbitrarily keep your heart beating for as long as possible.

[Triple J]

Get a track bike...and/or a dirt bike. 

[mookieo2]

What do they say " Its easier to ask for forgiveness than permission"

Just buy one!