Returning to bikes or is it a Mid-Life crisis ?

Aye Aye to all VFRworlders. I'm returning to bikes at the ripe old age of 41. My wife recons it's me having a mid life crisis :crazy:. I've invested in a bargain of a 1999 VFR 800fi 50th Anniversary edition. The bike has just less than 5000 miles on the clock, it has not been used since 2007. It will require a fair bit of recommissioning to get her back on the road and looking as she should considering her age and mileage.

She was stored in a shed/garage that I can only assume was damp as she has surface corrosion on the forks, rear shock, center stand, side stand and cylinders/heads. She has a Scotoiler, a carbon look hugger/chain guard and a Micron can (the original was supplied with the bike for use to get her through her MOT test). The exhaust manifold is rotten but I have a stainless steel one to go onto her. We've had her running and everything looks and sounds OK. We used a starter/charging unit and spun her over to get the oil round her internals, then turned the fuel on and she started immediately. Which was pretty amazing considering the fuel was from 07 and no fresh fuel had been put in her. I plan to recommission her across the winter and have her ready for spring.

This site seems to be a fountain of information and advice, I'm at work in Baku the noo I wont be home to Scotland till mid October so I'm trying to formulate a plan of attack to start the recommissioning. I have a few questions with regard to the best route to take with the recommissioning but I'll post them elsewhere. I have a few pictures and as soon as I can get them out of my phone I'll post them.

 

Welcome to the madness! Looking forward to seeing and reading more about your new mount! BTW you can't officially have a mid life crisis at 41, ya gotta be at least 50 IMHO. Otherwise I've been having a mid life crisis for some seven years with no end in sight!

Really too bad it got so much rust on her, that cancer is a bugger to clean up. I hope the fuel tank was full so it didn't rust inside.

 

I returned to bikes 4 years ago at 43. Bought a CBR954, then my VFR. The wife has an EX500.

Mid life crisis or not, I am having a lot of fun riding.

 

I returned last year at 42. It's not a mid-life crisis. It's finally coming home. Rode when I was younger and been missing it something fierce.

Welcome to the fold.

Jose

 

Well, if your family is known to only live til their eighties, heredity may say you're in a mid-life crisis. otstir: My grandma is 96 and still ticking so we'll have to see about me, but at 46 I'm getting close! Here in the states, most of the mid-life crisis guys seem to buy Harleys, so I don't think you're having one. The VFR is far from a Harley, although it cruises, it also does everything else well too. And the sound of the V4, in my opinion, is so much sweeter than those the loud obnoxious HDs!

Cheers!

 

After a 7 year hiatus, I jumped back in with a Triumph Daytona 675 at the age of 39. A few months later, I celebrated my 40th birthday by going down to my Honda dealer and finally buying myself something I've always wanted but could never afford, a VFR. A 2007 RWB anniversary edition. I think right around 40, we all get wrapped up in work, family, etc and realize we forgot how to have fun. So if it needs a name, call it a midlife awakening. Otherwise, join Deadsmiley and the rest of us and just have fun! Welcome to the VFR family!

 

If you were on a Corvette forum she might be on to something........but I think she is just jealous.

 

If you bought a harley and conned four of your friends to do the same so you could go cruise around the countryside to feel the wind in your depleting hair line then it would be a midlife crisis.... buying a VFR.. that is just plan wanting to have fun.....

 

Yes, that is what it is! Exactly!!!

I had a huge gap between the age of 27 and around 36 ( the child rearing years) during which we just didn't have the $$$$ to have any toys. We could barely afford an old used cage for christ sakes. Then I went bankrupt and was reborn :chaingun:

The "awakening" happened shortly after that. The funny thing for me is that I don't even need to be riding the bike to be happy. Just having the bike / project in the garage is all I need to feel complete. Strange isn't it......

 

If you were just getting into your first street bike, then I'd say she has a point. Since you are returning to it from your younger days, then it does NOT qualify as a mid-life crisis.

 

Agreed. Great point. As long as I have at least 1 bike in a hundered pieces in the basement, then I feel complete.

 

I have had a replacement R/R waiting patiently for about two months now. That, and a small box of parts that need to be put on or swapped with others that are looking bad.

I really love working out in the garage. It's very calming for me.

 

I love this " As long as I have at least 1 bike in a hundered pieces in the basement, then I feel complete." I think it needs to be on a T-shirt.

 

When I met my wife to be I had two 400-4 Super Sports-one almost stock and another cafe'd. Had 'em until we (she) wanted a bigger house. 10 years later while she was off on a trip to Italy to 'recharge' herself I found a 4th Gen with 3800 miles on it . When she saw it in the garage (I parked it right next to her car) she asked "Why did you buy a motorcycle?" I replied; "Because I can't afford a P51 Mustang".
She has never said another word (about the bike).

 

Re-turned to riding after selling my 900SS 12 years ago. ( 84 750 Interceptor--FZR1000---RM400---- and the Duc ) and I will just say that I really missed just getting away from the old grind and just riding again---- I really missed my therapy--- as to say my bikes my shrink---she gets my head on straight-sure is sweet to go full circle and end up on a Interceptor again-------------- well, have to go and get ready to work Halloween Haunt at Universal ( 12 hr shift ) OOOOHHHHHHHHHHHH FUNNNNNNNNNNN