Wife Doesn't Want Me to Buy a Motorcycle

I heard it from several guys who spotted me with my motorcycle in a parking lot, and walked up to me to take a look...

"I'd love to get a motorcycle, but my wife doesn't want me to get one".

I mentioned one such story on Biker News Online a couple of years ago (link).

Last weekend, after my buddies and I finished up a long day of riding the local twisties, we enjoyed some beer at a bar in town, and talked about the guys we knew who rarely ride their bikes.

I said, "There's a reason why us guys can spend our weekends riding, it's because our wives don't tie us down, they understand our need to ride, and support us 100%".

Another guy said, "Yes, but some of us guys have wives that always want to ride with us."

True, my wife often wants to go also, but not because she enjoys the thrill of riding, but because she likes the social aspects of being with people. I don't mind taking her most times, but sometimes I'm in the mood to hit the twisties hard, and I don't want the extra weight.

Probably one of the best things you can do to break the ice on your wife's unwillingness to let you ride a motorcycle, is to take her to a Harley dealership. Go to one that's busy with customers.

Don't tell her that you're taking her to a dealership. Instead, stop there on your way to a restaurant, and then ask her to get out and go inside with you. She'll probably be upset.

But take her to the women's clothing area, and pick out something for her, and ask her to try it on. Tell her that you think this will make her look "cute". If she actually puts it on, tell her "Oh yeah honey, that's doing it for me."

Then ask her to sit on one of the bikes (steer her to one you're actually wanting). Then say, "You look really hot!". She'll notice the other women there, dressed up in Harley garb, looking like cute biker hotties.

Eventually a salesman will wander over to ask you if he can help with anything. Tell him, "Well, I've been thinking about buying a motorcycle". Your wife will probably open her mouth wide, and say, "Oh no you're not Harold!".

Harley salesmen are used to this kind of thing. They deal with stubborn wives all the time, and know the right things to say. They'll help you with her.

Some wives don't mind their husbands riding a motorcycle, it's just that they want to be a part of their outings. Tell her that you want to take some road trips with her, or spend a weekend somewhere. As long as you can get that new Harley home, the work is done.

If all else fails, just buy the motorcycle without her knowledge, and bring it home. Once it's home, there's nothing she can do about it. Just don't put her name on the title so that she can't sell it from behind your back.

By all means, make it up to her by offering a vacation to Hawaii, or remodel the kitchen. Give her something she's always wanted, to lessen the impact.

Don't make any promises to her, however. Don't say something like, "I promise to mow the lawn every weekend", or "I'll fix patio like you wanted". Because in reality, what you really want to do on your weekends is ride.