Would you borrow someone else's machine?

[HondaCT90]

I hope I posted this in the right spot.

Ok so there is an off road place near me and they do not allow 3 wheelers unless you have insurance on them, I know it must be a lame place with no 3 wheelers. I don't have any thing but 3 wheelers that run at the moment. My buddy is trying to get me to borrow someones quad to go riding there, but thats not my style to many what ifs in my book. I don't plan on doing it, there is just to many things that could go wrong. It also would be someone I really don't knows quad so thats a big no in my book. If it was my buddy I ride with all the times and he was going with me I would be ok riding his machine. I know if something happened he would be ok with it or I would just fix it and that would be the end of it.

I was thinking this might be an interesting topic to discuss sence some of you might have been in similar positions. I did look in to renting a quad and it was outrageous it was $200 for 2 hours and a $1000 deposit at that price I could buy a quad. What is your take on useing someone else's machine?

[El Camexican]

Seldom works out well for me. Only done it a few times and crashed my buddy’s Ducati once, blew up my friends drag bike another time on was should have been a single fun run. Same kind of luck when I’ve lent bikes to others. Brother in law crashed my bike a block down the road.

Rarely enjoy myself on someone else’s ride, always worried about damaging something.

[fabiodriven]

Very rarely do I ride anyone else's anything for a lot of reasons, but that doesn't make me automatically right. I know a ton of people who borrow and share machines.

I get used to all my machines and ride them hard. I want to know every little idiosyncrasy of the machine I'm riding so I can ride it to it's full potential. This takes years per machine and it never reaches an end. I'll always be learning. My machines are like baseball mitts to me and take a while to fit my hands the best they possibly can. Getting on other people's machines throws that off for me.

Also there's the obvious responsibility if I crash or break someone else's machine because I would insist on making it right. An easy way to avoid that whole situation is to never let it occur.

I don't let non-riders ride my trikes, and if you ride a motorcycle or quad that doesn't make you qualified to ride my trikes. It might make you less qualified because people who already know how to ride something think a trike will be no problem for them. Their complacency is their downfall and I don't care if they break their arm, they'll wish they were dead if they crack my OEM plastics.

I don't ride quads because they're silly to me. Not one of them stands out and plenty of wimmin and children ride them as well as flat-brims and urban people and the like. They can keep them, I'd be embarrassed.

But! The choice is yours...

[MonroeMike]

I assume your talking about Bundy Hill, I've seen three wheelers there. Why don't you just pay the 75 bucks a year for insurance, like they do, cheaper then renting and you get to ride your own machine.

[HondaCT90]

I assume your talking about Bundy Hill, I've seen three wheelers there. Why don't you just pay the 75 bucks a year for insurance, like they do, cheaper then renting and you get to ride your own machine.

Yes. I might look in to that when I put my 200x back together. I don't plan on going, it might be just a one time thing and $75 is a lot for one ride.

[ironchop]

Yeah I don't like borrowing ppls ATVs. It's pretty rare and they are good friends who know I'll fix their damage. They offered as opposed to me asking in the first place.

I'm very picky about who rides mine too which means almost nobody is allowed. I definitely don't let any of my kids ride my stuff at all. I'll buy them their own machines to tear up.

My wife said I was selfish and rude once so she told my son and nephew that they could ride her Polaris quad. They snapped the front shock shaft in half in about 90 minutes. That's what she gets for not taking note of my selfish behavior though she refuses to admit out loud that I was right.

My father-in-law offers to let me borrow his Harleys because he knows I fix what's wrong with them while I have it and he can't change a spark plug without help

I vote no to asking someone to borrow their machine

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[fabiodriven]

I would like to add most of what I said goes out the window at Trikefest. Everyone rides everyone's crap there.

[El Camexican]

I would like to add most of what I said goes out the window at Trikefest. Everyone rides everyone's crap there.

Yeah, totally different mindset there. Everyone knows what stuff is worth and what would cause a failure. You and Billy let me test your exotic wares, but sadly you and I didn't get around to swapping our two strokes. I got to ride Mr. Sounds Fat Cat (that was different!) and I let a guy I'd known for all of 2 minutes disappear on my YTM for a lap of the camping area. All that's great, but to just say "Here's my ride, have a nice weekend" is a problem waiting to happen.

Now I did ASK, someone to ride my paddle tire dirt bike at the Invasion after seeing him stare at the bike for a little too long, almost had to beg him, but I could tell he was wondering what a sand paddle bike felt like. Told him there was nothing he could hurt on the bike and asked him to drive it like he stole it. I don't know which of us had more fun, him riding it, or me watching him leave a massive roost going around the bowls. The grin on his face afterwards was worth any risk he posed to my bike. Nice couple (was with Mrs.), wish I could remember their names.

[ironchop]

Matt asked me if I would like to ride his Green Taurus back in 2015 I think, and I totally took him up on it for a quick spin around the campground area. It was like riding a house.

But, again, I would've never asked

Yeah the Trikefest crowd is an exception though maybe not some of the FB johnny-come-lately dickheads on there but forum members I would probably offer my ride to depending on the circumstances. The reason I don't like my kids riding my personal ride rather than theirs is that they have a inflated sense of what my financial capabilities and love of working on trikes entails. I let little Chop ride my stuff onnrare occasion but not my nephews and I would only let him ride them while I witnessed because I'm not dumb. The minute he's out of earshot and sight, I know he's ing that m@#$%¥¢√π×£er like there's no tomorrow. My proof is the hundreds of dollars in mechanical and interior damage to the family car in the two years we let him borrow it.

I know John or Nico or Eric or Jake or any number of members here would try to fix my stuff or pay for what they broke but my kids would play the whole "Sorry man and I'll pay you later" and then bounce. It's unnerving that they would try to take advantage of their own parents before they would their own friends but it is what it is

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[El Camexican]

I forgot about Matt’s Taurus. He offered to let me drive it and I put about .01 miles on it just to say I did. It was a beast to say the least.

[fabiodriven]

He offered to let you "drive" it, lol! He forced me to try the Taurus but he certainly didn't have to twist my arm. It's definitely different!

[HairyJR]

Nico I too remember seeing his smile when we got back to camp. Can't think of their names either, friends of Gary and Kamela from Missouri. I've been known to offer to let fellow members at the Invasion to ride my toys. Even offered Fabio's friend touring the US to drive my Odyssey. When we do offer our worst fear is that it does break down and not from any abuse on their part, happen to me when I had Billy ride my hybrid quad and the wheel fell off.

Now here's another issue that often brings fear to me, someone wants you to test ride their bike to give an opinion on a noise or jetting. Hate it.

"HJ"

[jb2wheels]

I'm actually more comfortable loaning trikes out than borrowing.

I tend to ride with the same people most of the time.

I'm lucky and I usually bring multiple trikes with me to ride.
I like to say, I'd rather ride my spare trike than fix the one I broke.

I'd rather loan a bike to a buddy to ride with than have it and him/her sit in camp.
Most of the people I ride with feel the same.

If I borrow a bike, I don't ride it like my own, though.

[El Camexican]

Nico I too remember seeing his smile when we got back to camp. Can't think of their names either, friends of Gary and Kamela from Missouri. I've been known to offer to let fellow members at the Invasion to ride my toys. Even offered Fabio's friend touring the US to drive my Odyssey. When we do offer our worst fear is that it does break down and not from any abuse on their part, happen to me when I had Billy ride my hybrid quad and the wheel fell off.

Now here's another issue that often brings fear to me, someone wants you to test ride their bike to give an opinion on a noise or jetting. Hate it.

"HJ"

You’re starting to take me down memory lane.....

Drag strip 1992ish ....

Owner of the local Harley dealership bought himself a 900 triumph and brought it out to the track to try it out. He was running around the 12.3 mark and the magazine test on that bike was something like an 11.90.

It was a very awkward day for him because as the Harley dealership owner he broke a few unwritten rules when he bought that bike, so he was hanging out at our side of the track rather than with the 1% guys. We treated him like people all day long and I guess to show his appreciation he offered to let me make a pass on the bike, but pleaded with me to take it easy because it didn’t even have 300 km on it yet.

I probably outweighed the guy by 30 pounds and I swear I had no intention of wringing the piss out of it, but you know how that goes when you suddenly become the center of attention.

Time card read 11.7 something and the look he gave me when I pulled up to the tower was a combination of “you’re a fukin idiot + I’ll cherish this piece of paper forever”.

Then I let him take my KZ 1200 for a rip and he went coast to coast down the track with his feet waving in the breeze. Came back smiling like he just popped his cherry. That was a really good day I’ll never forget.

[fabiodriven]

Thanks again Hairy!