UTMC

huh, wtf are you babbling about........ if there isn't hate and discontent then there isn't anything.....

what is this balance bs you speak of....

Balance. YOu know, like everything in your life goes so well, you need a couple of old 70's motorcycles to make your days complete by providing said balance by sucking.

OH wait, that's me. Nevermind.

The pictuer you paint makes me smile. Be happy, your daughter will remember these trips. In her memory, maybe you will be singing along too.

I used to be the exact opposite when I was still able to participate in traffic.
My car, 2001 Ford Focus, I'd fill it with petrol, check the oil every few weeks (it used nearly no oil at all, so that was enough, really), clean it when it was properly dirty and refill the windscreen washer fluid when it got empty. Every few months, I'd check the profile depth left on the tires. That was it. Of course, every two years the government mandated safety inspection was due, I kept an ear out for the breaks and watched deceleration, they never found a worn-out break pad, only worn to warrant replacing, which was duly done.
Admittedly, not doing a lot wasn't a great effort, whenever I'd take her for an oil change my garage guy would give her the quick once over, breaks, steering, exhaust alright, driving less than 10k miles a year was also quite helpful. So apart from the oil changes, the only preventative maintenance I ever bothered with was having the timing belt and water-pump drive (sold only as a set, devious buggers at Ford) when the age and mileage were reaching the point for which a change was desperately recommended. The car worked, it was safe, apart from the one time when the engine wouldn't accept any throttle but even the experts couldn't work it out, it never gave me any trouble (well, the header rusted through and couldn't be welded, but the safety inspection caught that, even my garage guy was surprised at that one).

My bike one the other hand, I'd wipe her down with window cleaner about once a week, I'd fastidiously check the slack in the chain and the breakpad wear once or twice a week, as well as the profile left on the tires. Scratches on the frame where immediately take care off, the proper functioning of all the light shows I checked every other day, as well as the wear pattern of the break discs, the level of oil in my Scotoiler and the play in the break and clutch levers and headstock. About every other week, I'd sit down on the dirty road and check the play in the wheels (well, the rear more often than the front, lacking help to push down the rear). Every other time I filled her up (I'd fill up pretty much every time I took her out just so I wouldn't have to worry about riding her empty) I checked the tire pressure and oil level. Sometimes, when taking a break on a ride, I'd rake out the pre-soaked spectacle-cleaner tissues I always took along to wipe the bugs off of the headlight and fairing (after cleaning my helmet visor, usually). A few times, I took the calipers out to check the break discs. Unlike the car, a mere utility to me, that bike gave me a grand amount of delight and got the appropriate attention spent on it.

Double post mishap, don't mind this.

Well, I feel vaguely less embarrassment at the fact that my pandora channel became turned around to 'call me maybe' and Kesha on the way to work this morning...

/RM

I am disturbed by exposing children to loud noise. Taylor Swift is noise (and a despicable human being).

My balance is mechanical upkeep and cosmetic neglect.

I treat my car with neglect and disdain. It hasn't had a functional muffler since December, but on the other hand it hasn't been driven since early February. My bike, well I wipe the bugs off it. And maintain.
I wouldn't say it's a symbol of anything. It just is, like any other body part.

Wife has a Subaru forester, roping saddle in the back, Bruno Mars on the tunerator. I have a yellow (!!!!) Sunfire, clean & cheap, Burzum & Hackneyed in the CD player, full of band equipment.

My Ranger is 10 years old, but very clean inside and out. The Sporty and Airhead are both dirty black oil-squirting rats.

I only have massively impractical motors and other equally impractical motors...