Space... the final frontier

Professor Hugo Wilson is an expert in buying motorcycles and pulling them apart. He works for Bike magazine.

The limits to the number of bikes that can realistically be owned comes down to time, money and space. Time is the most complicated; maintaining relationships while maintaining motorcycles is a delicate balancing act and the bikes can become a symbol of inattention. Deception is a dangerous path and the ruse of buying bikes in the same colour in the hope that your significant other won’t notice the new arrival is very risky. It’s more likely that they are choosing not to notice.

Money is a simpler problem. You’ve got it or you ain’t. For those of us operating in the used market the justification that you can buy three amazing used bikes for the cost of one, possibly quite mundane new one is part of the appeal of the multi-bike strategy. The investment argument only really works if you don’t ride them. So, space really is the final frontier. With a lock-up garage in the midlands costing £500 a year in rent (I know) you have to ask whether the contents are really worth hoarding. More than one project, or multiple bikes on SORN start to look like clutter. Better to divest and focus on bikes that you can actually use and which provide fantastic experiences. Enjoy. I know I will.