Well, I hardly use it ... but it's just cost me £40 for forgetting to retax it. It was MoT'd and reinsured in the summer, used once in September, then it sat in the garage for the last 4 months. Unfortunately when the rfl notice arrived for the end of October, I didn't nip straight down to the post office because the previous time I did that I was told that the new discs hadn't arrived - I was too quick off the mark. So this time, I put it to one side for a week ... then forgot it. Grrrrr. There are plenty of folks driving about without tax, insurance, MoT etc - but I get done over for leaving my bike in the garage. It's so frustrating!!!
I liked the idea of having my Suzuki GS500 for the occasional trip and in case the car broke down but I'm afraid it's going to have to go. It'll appear in the classifieds.
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Challenge the £40 fine,you have a 95% chance of getting it cancelled,then you can keep your bike and not be hounded by this rubbish government of ours.Next time renew the disc online or over the phone.Don't give in to them.
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Agreed. Unless you are desperate for the dosh realised from sale, keep it; bar annual insurance it is costing you nothing. It'll hardly be depreciating - and what it does will be small beer - you presumably have your riding safety kit paid for already, and sat in the garage it's not burning petrol or consuming tyres chain, sprockets, or anything else. When the spring arrives and you take your first trip on a beautiful day, you'll be so glad you're not in the cage.
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I agree. My ZZR600 did just 275 miles between MOT's last year (against 3-4k in previous years), and I toyed with the idea of getting rid, but decided against it for those exact reasons.
It's paid for (no finance payments or interest)
Insurance is cheap (£100 pa TPFT) and that's another nice year's no claims added to the total.
It's costing me nothing apart from a tiny bit of depreciation and the electricity consumed by the Optimate.
Not having it there to jump on and go out for a ride when the mood takes me would be intolerable.
Most importantly of all, if I were to sell it, the 1500 quid or so I'd get for it would get eaten up by day to day crap within a few months and then I would be unable to justify replacing it for several years.
After driving a boring diesel family hack up the M3 and round the M25 every day, heaven is a quiet road on a Sunday with 103 bhp, 195 kg and 14,000 RPM . It might be less often than I'd like, but when I need it, it satisfies like nothing else I can think of.
Don't sell it!
Cheers
DP
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Totally agree with what the others have said...I bought a new Bonneville in 2004 as a retirement present to myself (born again man!) and currently have averaged only about 1000 miles per year but on those occasions when the weather is great there is no better motoring experience than getting on the bike and heading out for an exhilerating ride in the open country.
Definitely keep it!
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I use my bike (Trophy 900) a lot less than I thought I would and to be honest a moped would be more suitable. I toyed with the idea of getting rid of it but there are 2 reasons why I keep it. The first is for the thrill of the occasional ride and the second is that I know I can go for a ride whenever I want.
Keep the bike.
Keep upright.
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Amazing....... i'm in the same position.........only 250 miles last year.....(Honda Blackbird)
Some days i convince myself it's got to go.............other days I think what's written above
I've decided...............it's staying.
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Trials bike bought smack brand new in 1984 and is still in the garage. Spose only used 50-60 times in that period for a couple of hours at a time if i'm lucky, but she stills starts first, (Fifth) time and returns that grin like no other...........................KEEP.
VBR......................MD.
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Well, I was hoping you blokes would agree with SWMBO and advise me to call it a day with the bike but now I'm having second thoughts. Am I cutting off my nose to spite my face? I'll sleep on it for a couple of nights and have a natter with my old mate Ted - he's got an R6 and seems to use it about as much as everyone else on this thread!
A couple of early posts suggest that I should challenge the fine - but I can't see how I can do that. I broke the stupid law by forgetting to tax/declare SORN. I swear that the bike hasn't left the garage in that time - but have no way of proving it. Unfortunately, there isn't a box on the form that allows you to give any form of explanation.
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Please do not give in. Giving in to this, or any other Government is not the way to go. Capitulation is exactly what they want. Stand up and be counted, be beligerent, object, moan and have a crack at them. I have colleagues in the construction industry who are 15 years younger than my late forties and they have already had enough with the paperwork and compliance crap. Good young men with families who are so sipped off with the system they genuinly want out. That is not the way for a country to go. What in heavens name is happening here?? I could go on.
V V BR........................MD
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I was in this position about 26 years ago with a Yamaha SR 500.
As the mileage tailed off though, I started to suspect, so did my riding skills.
Ever sort of *lived on the bike* for example, a trip around Europe in a couple of weeks + doing high weekly mileage as sole transport?
I felt I was *part of the bike* If you know what I mean.
Well, after a while doing a few hundred a year did not feel like that........
I found I was aware of and concentrating on the bike, rather than being one with it.
Sad, but time for it to go.
There is always this option though,
There was the 90 yr old bloke we met in Skipton, when we were out on the bikes, he came up to us and could hardly walk due to age related infirmity.
He said, "I have a Brough Superior in the shed" He hadnt been able to even sit on it in the shed for the last 10yrs and decades since he last rode it.
No way would he ever sell it though, he just like to *have* it.
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Why sell it. Sorn it for the moment and tax it when you need it. You can always get tax refunded at the pot office. Always usefull to have a second vehicle and a bike is a very cost efective one.
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keep the bike. at least you can have a ride when you feel like it !! jag.
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Sell the bike if you want to. Having paid the £40 wouldn't it be simpler to write a reminder on a calendar, in a diary or use Outlook? Do you have a mobile phone? Many have a reminder function. I can't help thinking you are giving in too easily.
Hawkeye
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Stranger in a strange land
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