Advice on convincing wife to let me buy a bike

[Popeye the Sailor]

I met my wife at a motorcycle gathering 

[Randy@StradaFab]

   I'm one of the lucky ones. When we started dating she would ride on the back of my brand new 1981 Suzuki RM125. She must have liked it cause she's been riding on back for 25 years now. On our last trip through the Arkansas hills we pull over for a rest,and she says "how fast were you going?" I say "somewhere around 110" All she says is "cool". I pretty sure she's nuts

[Goat_Herder]

I think the key for you is to proof to her that you will take extended steps to minimize the risk.  Yes, it is more dangerous than driving a car.  But you can demonstrate to her that you can do it safer.  I think someone has brought up riding courses.  Take the beginner course (if you are new to riding) and then the intermediate course.  Show her that you are capable of riding properly and safely.  Protect yourself with all the gears and wear it all the time.  Whether it's a long ride or a 2 minute ride to the grocery store.

And don't go out and bike the biggest bike you see.  Maybe start with a small used 250 cruiser.  Let her see how responsible you are on it.  Ride it for a season, get everybody comfortable, and then trade up.  

My 2 cents.  Good luck!

[rgramjet]

......enjoy your minivan......

[swampduc]

LCE, not to be too morbid, but check out disability policies as well when you check out life insurance. That might further help allay the wife's concerns. Of course, here's hoping you never need either the life or disability policy  

Mr. I and CB, y'all are some lucky bastids  

[Piller]

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.   

Sounds like the lyrics to big rock candy mountain

[Last Canadian Exit]

Well she no longer yells at me or gives me dirty looks when I mentio a bike, maybe a good sign?

I also pointed out that both Handy Manny and Special Agent Oso have motorcycles.  If they characters my 1 year olds watch can have bikes, shouldn't I be able to?   

[mookieo2]

It took me a while too. Everytime I got close to getting one some squid would die or get into an accident around the corner from me and I would find the newspaper article on the counter. Just keep at it. Sounds like your making some progress. Good luck.

[Autostrada Pilot]

I already had the bike when I got married (I've since upgraded) and she liked to ride.....but she also saw how I am safe about it.  Took safety class....and whenever we see a motorcyclist doing something dumb-I make sure to point out what they are doing wrong, and why it's risky.  This shows my wife that I'm constantly thinking about riding safely. 

One of the conditions of me getting another bike was
1) making sure we could afford it (take my lunch to work instead of eating out-which saves my insurance money every month).
2) promising to ALWAYS wear my helmet.

[Autostrada Pilot]

Oh yeah, don't try and force her to let you get one, but maybe if you take the proper steps and she knows how bad you want one, she'll finally discuss it in a reasonable manner.

[Last Canadian Exit]

I have added a very big gun to my case.

Her mother!

While she is not crazy about the idea, her husband did have one, and she is up for at least convicing my wife to let me get my permit and take the safety classes.  That way I can show her I am for real.

This is a huge step in my favor.  Let's see how this plays out!

[somegirl]

Sounds promising!

[Buckethead]

Do some reading, specifically things like The Hurt Report.

Look at the results. Which groups were overrepresented?

What can you do to take yourself out of any of those groups?

Everything we do carries a certain amount of risk. Identifying those risks is the first step in avoiding them.

[ducpainter]

Well she no longer yells at me or gives me dirty looks when I mentio a bike, maybe a good sign?

I also pointed out that both Handy Manny and Special Agent Oso have motorcycles.  If they characters my 1 year olds watch can have bikes, shouldn't I be able to?   

Manny has a moto?

Where do the tools sit?

[Last Canadian Exit]

Do some reading, specifically things like The Hurt Report.

Look at the results. Which groups were overrepresented?

What can you do to take yourself out of any of those groups?

Everything we do carries a certain amount of risk. Identifying those risks is the first step in avoiding them.

Yeah looked there already.  With having safety courses, wearing a helmet, not drinking and being a business professional, I already take myself out of a lot of the representations.  Good call.