Some are just tools, vehicles to get me from A to B. I was genuinely upset to sell my Civic import but it was the right time to move on. It has become clear that I'll never be able to sell the Merc though, far too much sentimental attachment. The day I can no longer keep it running on the road, I'll build a nice garage for it, park it up and mothball it.
My vehicles don't have names and I'm not in love with them. When the time comes, they go. That's not to say I'm not attached to them, but they aren't any substitute for animals or proper human relationships. I am by now quite attached to my Alfa, as I've had it from new 13 years ago. I wouldn't cry if it died, but I suspect I may well hang on to it when I get its replacement and try and keep it going - unless this is really too much time, effort and money. I've obviously spent a lot of time in it over the years and when I bought it, it was extremely cool (with the iridescent blue paint job). It's still a handsome car now - Pininfarina, of course.
The reason I've chopped and changed bikes so often over the last couple of decades is because I've not found one I really gel with. When I was younger I found it easy to form an attachment to motors. My Fizzie was my first (legal) motorized vehicle, and it became a part of me, an extension to my arms and legs, I bloody loved that bike. Same with my first car, a Ford Anglia. Putting miles on them is a big part of the connection; it's hard to gel with a bike you don't see from one month to the next. But even on bikes I've ridden for mega miles the connection is not always guaranteed. The Triumph Sprint I rode to Brno on was never more than a machine to me, and I spent countless hours getting that bike up to scratch. I knew it intimately. Other machines, however, seemed to draw themselves toward me for no obvious reason. Tonking a ZXR750 to east Germany saw me with a smile on my face all the way there and back; my TL1000S really got under my skin, but the police insisted we parted:frown:. I had an affinity for my ST2 that the Multistrada could never replace, sadly I sold it too soon in a quest for more power. And I'm bloody loving the old Guzzi, even though I've not ridden it that much. The one bike that sticks out is my old MZ ETZ251. I can't adequately describe how it grew in my affections, but it is by far the best bike I've ever owned. I knew the second I kickstarted it that we were going to get along, and I've been trying to recreate that man/machine interface ever since. I'd still have the MZ if I hadn't fired it into the side of a car at 70mph...
I have to agree with you there, Fig. I was fond of my MZ ETZ250 and kept it for 16 years. Handled so well, and so well built. It was modified quite a bit, so when I was eventually selling it I was worried about selling it to an average owner who would not be able to cope with maintaining it. So I sold it to a guy with a doctorate in mechanical engineering who worked in the Patent Office evaluating inventions, and who also had a garage full of various old motorbikes - he understood what he was getting, so I could sell it to him with a clear conscience.
Still moping over my Astra Like the V5 but it has no name or attachment to me yet! I've come to the conclusion it's miles and things that happen while in or on a vehicle. Ducbird bit like me the Astra became my only car after I had to sell my Beetle ( which was gutting). It was more various cruddy events that I got attached . Or I'd go off and just sit in it to think or play music at the time as an escape . Same with bikes. My beloved M600 just tried to kill me again ! But I still love the dam thing! I even got it some bling the ungrateful dirt magnet
Only two cars I regret selling; My 1977 911 Carrera 3.0 now owned by Fred Nash (husband of Carole) and my 1992 964 Carrera RS, sold 10 years ago to help fund our current house.
Lovely car, bought mine back in 1996 with only 2 previous owners and 70,000 miles on the clock from Autofarm in Oxfordshire. Even now they're not worth a ton of money but I wish I still had it now, I enjoyed it more than the 964 RS.
Surely we are all attached to our bikes aren't we? That's why we chose the bike(s) we have. They are our pride and joy and an extension of our personalities and our lifestyle. We pamper them more than our wives/girlfriends, look at them adoringly and spend hours on the internet talking about them or finding out how to pamper them some more. I'd call that being attached. Fatbike, Thinbike and Fastbike, I love you all. xxx.K.
