Here's a ? for the guys

[Michelle]

Not sure if this should be here or elsewhere (general?), but as it's quiet, here goes ;)

For all you guys who's wife/gf/so/whatever has bought you a bike - how do they manage to keep it quiet? Do you have separate accounts? How do they know what bike to get?

My husband & I are close, separate accounts (I pay the bills, we spend his money, I just can't save after everything's paid for, so that's his job). I wanted to get Henk a bike for Christmas, but wasn't sure what to get him. I had to get him to sort out what he wanted, then we both went to order it.

Okay, I could have bought him a KTM (but I hate them), or a four stroke (he hates them), so definitely needed him to test ride a bike first then decide. Just wanting to know how the other women manage to get away with it? (okay, it doesn't help him preferring exotica to normallacy - is that a word? - but even if he was normal, how do you know, except for them circling the ads in the magazines? And how the hell do you hide what you're up to?

 

[fastboy]

buying a bike

If you guys have friends with bikes I would definately have him try a few out. You could pass it off as just going out riding with friends. My brother went through two or three bikes before he found what he wanted. Also don't knock the KTM's before you try them. I switched over to a KTM from a Honda and I love the KTM. They are great bikes. I switched out the orange plastic for silver and it looks much better. You would also have to consider the type of riding that he does the most. A good bike shop may work out something for you if you tell them what you're doing.

 

[CJ Rider]

Oh heck Michelle, if Henk (or any other guy) is anything like Will, the incessant researching and debating and more researching and eventual ecstatic selection of their new bike make and model (and ya can't forget the swapping out of parts afterwards) is half the fun anyhow! Ya just can't deny them of THAT kind of FUN! It would just be WRONG to hide something like that! :confused:

 

[FLBob]

I'm a little weird about some things, and my wife and I have some issues, blah, blah , blah......but I would not want her to buy me a bike unless/until I had decided exactly what I wanted. If it was shirt or CD, ok, try to guess what I'd like, but something big like a new bike, no. I would also not buy something big for her without her along to decide what she wanted.

To answer your question, I would save up the money, or make up a gift certificate, and present it with "Let's go get what you want".

 

[WoodsRider]

Originally posted by Michelle
For all you guys who's wife/gf/so/whatever has bought you a bike...

Where is this utopia you speak of?

 

[CJ Rider]

Re: Re: Here's a ? for the guys

Where is this utopia you speak of?

Well... New Zealand! :)

 

[Michelle]

I have read so many posts (admittedly only one this time of year so far) about guys saying their partner has bought them a brand new blah blah blah - there's a post in the KTM forum at the moment.

Heck, Okie's wife bought him his YZ250F without him knowing.

CJ, I wouldn't dare go buy a bike without Henk, and he rides as many bikes as people will let him - I can't see that ever changing, though for some reason most people don't take his bike for a spin.

Fastboy, Henk's on a KTM right now, hence I have a total bias against them (the importer here sux and I refuse to give them any more money if I can help it). The dealer we use, I like, and as they're selling GG's now, I'll possibly be looking at buying a bike off them in the future.

Bob, I agree. We have a policy where we don't spend over $200 without discussing it first, thinking about it for a month, then buying whatever (if we still want it after a month, it's not a total phase then lol).

 

[bbbom]

I like FLBob's idea if you aren't sure what bike he wants. For me it would never be a dilemma - Karl has stated over and over what bikes he wants CBR600F-2, CR450F, CR500AF I could pick one of the three and he'd be quite happy.

Maybe the key would be to get Henk talking about the bikes for the next year, try a few out then do it. Keeping it a surprise is the hard part.

Karl bought me a new bike for Christmas - mountain bike!! ;)

I never even had a clue and he even took my Schwinn in for trade. A week ago Sunday, he insisted upon driving my Bronco up to the house (road was getting icy) instead of just the snowplow truck. Fine, I told him, you can slide back down in it!

He loaded something in the back of it, covering it with a blanket and telling me to stay away from it. That Monday morning the weather was beautiful so I asked if my mountain bike would fit in the Bronco with whatever it was he had back there "NO!". Fine, I won't ride then. So all week he gave me reasons why I wouldn't want to go mounain biking - too cold, too slippery, just got over my cold, didn't want to haul it in the snowplow truck.......

It was certainly a surprise yesterday - I opened up the Owner's manual and a Front wheel (disc brakes - YES!!!) then we went down to his house and got the rest of the bike. Tried it out in the back yard and it's awesome.

Sooooooo next week we'll be back on the trails!!!

 

[BunduBasher]

Turtle, get Henk a shiny new Blue GG EC300, can't go wrong with that, everyone I know loves them, then add a Pampera 250 to that and you have matching GG's - :D