how does everyone fund their bikes?

[85200xrider]

i gotta ask. i been apart of this group for years now and i really dont know anyone personally. when times get tough i always had to sell my trikes, and then would stop logging in till i got another one so the temptation of having something i couldnt afford didnt drive me insane. but i need to know....how the f@#$ do you guys do it lol. like what are your careers that you are able to have so many beautiful machines. its a little bit of jealousy i will admit, but on my side i work just like anyone else, 40 hours a week, as does my fiance. and i have nothing to show for it but an abundance of bills. i gotta be in the wrong field or something because in my area a cheap trike is in the 800+ range and i cant do that

[oldskool83]

I use to buy and part bikes and locally and make a grand $750-1000 per month profit. I stopped that and got an idea for online e-Bay side business selling replacement parts for 3wheelers, dirt bikes and Atvs...I do not make as much but I do not have to rip apart and travel for machines all other either.

I use to sell and offer items on here but I have someone who bought items on ebay come here and bad mouth me but never contact me via ebay over his issues. I pissed me off and I do not offer anyone parts anymore unless they hear about me thru hear say or PM's only.

I only buy bikes blown up super cheaply and build them the way I want. I have 4 machines right now. I sell off the items on the bikes I buy that I am going to keep and from there I funds my builds. The online parts ordeal ends up paying for items for my truck I built also and I buy my used clothing off the profits...the rest goes into my Roth IRA I started 2 years ago.

I look for deals where people need money or space and that determines what machines I buy...not what machines I want.

[bkm]

I rob Peter to pay Paul. Knowledge is power so finding bikes/parts on ebay and craigslist super cheap with rare or nice parts can net a nice return. Use that to buy more or better machines. All my bikes have been paid for buy selling rare parts or bikes I've acquired over the years. I've never touched a dime from a paycheck that feeds or supports my family. Unfortunately I've had to sell some really rare and expensive parts to fund my projects, but that is just the way it goes.

[Jason125m]

Patience is key, the deals are out there, its just a matter of time until you find them... If I paid market value for any of my trikes, I would not have even half of what I have. I used to spend paycheck money on them, now I can support the addiction through buying / selling. I miss a few items i've sold, but the majority of that money goes to even cooler projects, so it all works out.

[hatc200x1]

I am only 16 years old so I do not have any bills... So basically 100% of my paycheck goes to trikes.

[kazander]

I am old enough that my house is paid for and all my kids are at least out of the house if not completely on their own, I still work 60 hours a week and make a decent wage.

[RIDE-RED 250r]

2 words.... Tax returns.. For the most part! LOL!

But I'm not a totally irresponsible husband/father... I don't spend it all on toys... The Mrs. and I sit down and agree what each one of us gets to "play" with. Sometimes I buy firearms (my other obsession), sometimes I buy wheelers, or parts..or big bores.. :D

[6speedthumper]

Well, I still live at home (not by choice). If I moved out all my earnings would go to rent or a mortgage, and I would have no money to play with. My parents don't charge me rent, they (A) don't see why they should because life is hard and they don't need to make it any harder, and (B) I do everything that they physically can't. I pretty much run the farm as far as physical labor goes, and I pretty much run our repair shop as far as mechanic work goes. The economy sucks Goat's balls, and because of that my pop has a difficult time paying me on time, so he, again, sees it stupid to charge me rent. Not like I spend much time in the house anyway. I won't lie, I have it pretty easy, but I also bust my ass for my family and it's business.

I'm money smart, and I "know" what to buy, when to buy it, how much to spend on it and what money to put away. If I have extra parts, or parts I don't plan to use on a build, I sell them. I have all transactions go through paypal, and that is my project money. It doesn't go into my personal account, so it's like swapping part of part, if you will. There are some short cuts I take on my builds, too. For instance, I don't have anything chromed, pc'd or professionally painted. I strip and paint it myself. Not as beautiful as powdercoat, but lets face it, it's a 3 wheeler and I ride the pis$ out of it so it gets beat up.

Three wheeler and quads are not my only hobby. I'm also an avid horse lover and compete during the spring and summer. I'm also an avid car nut, and am currently resto-modding my 1970 AMC Javelin. That's three things that tie up my money; horses, atvs, and my car. Not to mention all the other small projects of mine that I do from time to time.

I bought and paid for my truck (paid off over a year early). I have paid off the one loan I had. I keep on top of my credit cards, and I don't abuse them. Heck, I barely use them. Once I get out to Arizona, I plan to get my own place within the first year. Fingers crossed that when I'm between 27-28 I'll have my own place.

[jakep53]

well id say im the youngest in this thread i go to school mon-fri and work sundays sometimes saturdays fixing and restoring atvs and the money from that goes towards buying me more atvs and trikes in about a year and a half i have owned 53 trikes and atvs all paid for by myself except for the first couple to get me going. and from the very few atvs ive sold (9) I have recuperated the money I have spent on 53...also I have owned 14 trikes and currently own 13 so you could say I don't sell them and thats where all my moneys at!!

[DohcBikes]

Pretty lucky being a bike mechanic. I get deals offered to me daily and I never have to pay anybody to work on anything.

When I am anywhere that accepts money for goods I ask myself if what I am purchasing will be better than buying trike parts. 90% of the time I leave empty handed. New shoes? Nah, I'll take a new shock or a tire.

Monthly bills: find a way to lower them. This will involve sacrifice.

The fiance: Separate your finances now, or forever hold your peace.

[tri again]

Kinda buy and sell? Not my favorite but had a trail 90, sold it for 500,
bought a 92 F150 for 500, spent 50 cents on a capacitor to fix the computer and just lucky to have things pay for themselves..
It's a game for me but have also spent real $ on trikes. 800+ on occasion but also felt guilty.
I aspire to have my hobbies pay for themselves if at all possible.

[86T3]

Early to bed, early to rise. Work like a dog and advertise

[heusser85]

buy strip sell repeat.

[M.Pargiello]

My wife and I both work full time (I'm a rebuild tech in a diesel truck shop and she works for a surgical equipment supplier) and make a decent amount. I haven't spent much on toys lately, More focused on finding a house with some land right now. But in the past I pretty much got what I needed when I needed it.

Of course you have to have good credit so there are some things that we have done to build credit, Paid off student loans for CMU, had 1 credit card when we got married and paid it off before the interest hit :) My trick is just not having extra bills, I don't use credit cards, I don't watch tv so no cable, I pay cash for my vehicles, If I don't have the money in my pocket then I won't buy it at that time pretty much

204186
204187

We don't have the newest trucks or anything, but it's all good. I like not having monthly payments to worry about. Now if I could only quit smoking :/

[El Camexican]

Law of attraction. Pay your bills and do whatever you want with the rest of the cash. The more you spend the more will come back to you. Don't ask me why but it does.

[czac]

I fund mine with the money I don't give to my old lady! lol... and she wants to combine our bank accounts...yeah right, so every time I buy something she can question me on it? Oh hells no! No this guy. I tell her all the time, don't I pay the bills? don't I buy stuff for the house? don't I buy everything when we go out? so she cant say s*** yet I know, the one time she looks at the checking acct and sees $100.00 for a part for the trike, or something for a gun or bow or R/C Quad copter... I'm gonna get the 3rd degree... Its in their blood, their nature... lol,lol,lol... let this be a lesson for you younger guys just thinking of getting married!

[czac]

Law of attraction. Pay your bills and do whatever you want with the rest of the cash. The more you spend the more will come back to you. Don't ask me why but it does.

I like your quote about the nut job..lol it reminds me of something I heard a comic say, It could have been Dave Attell... he said, "When I get into a fight, I like to take off all my clothes because, no one wants to fight a naked man" lol...

[M.Pargiello]

My wife and I have joint accounts, But I also have my account :) She knows about it, but is fuzzy on it's exact contents.

It's unfortunately empty right now, Once the tool man is paid off next week then I can pile it up again :) It's against my normal ways, but he had a damn good deal

[Caminofeld]

Slow and steady wins the race, my friend. Every check (bi-weekly) I just try to set between 50 and 100 dollars aside in my toy fund. I used to set aside cash because I was big into craigslist, but now I have a few good project bikes and need to focus on restoration...so I got a paypal credit account for internet parts shopping. I just lower my balance every month and buy parts when I'm ready. I couldn't afford everything at once for any of my bikes, so I just take it slow and dream of a few years from now when everything is done. I try to keep at least 3 running trikes at all times including a trusty stock hardtail or 2.

[atc007]

i gotta ask. i been apart of this group for years now and i really dont know anyone personally. when times get tough i always had to sell my trikes, and then would stop logging in till i got another one so the temptation of having something i couldnt afford didnt drive me insane. but i need to know....how the f@#$ do you guys do it lol. like what are your careers that you are able to have so many beautiful machines. its a little bit of jealousy i will admit, but on my side i work just like anyone else, 40 hours a week, as does my fiance. and i have nothing to show for it but an abundance of bills. i gotta be in the wrong field or something because in my area a cheap trike is in the 800+ range and i cant do that

Not sure this post had a whole lot to do with 3 wheelers. Lol. If there are 2 of you working,there shouldn't be money problems that bad. Sacrifice is key to getting a running start on life. Want a new truck?? So did I. I saved my money until I could buy one. Never borrowed a cent from anyone or anywhere. But that's just me. I see people 60+ years old who HAVE to get up and go to work EVERY day to pay the bank. I could not and would not do it. Look at WHERE you are hemmorhaging money,,BOTH of you. Fast food,conveinience stores ,smokes,booze,,interest on loans. And STOP it. Really is that easy. Chuck Edwards always said ounces make pounds and less pounds make horsepower. Same with cash. Pennies DO count. I still bend my ass over and pick up every one I see. Because my Dad used to work ALL weekend to make 5 of them. I don't forget that.Sometimes the best advice is the hardest to swallow.Lol. Hope something here helped :)

[Scootertrash]

I wrench on the side for family and friends, sell a few parts here and there, etc.

I made a previous attempt at financial freedom, but my male escort service never really panned out. :wondering