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[Doug S]

Get back to us on this after you've been married for a few years. 

Since I'm 52 yo and it hasn't happened yet, don't hold your breath. I'm just not the marrying kind.

That said, I'm not completely oblivious to the usual couple issues. Okay, I should have worded it differently: "If you take YOUR pocket money, save it up, and point out that you won't affect the family budget, you'll have a much stronger case and your chances of not being veto'ed will be much higher."

How's that?

[WindRider]

My 2 cents on this debate:  your wife and child are more important than any motorcycle, and I am an admitted motorcycle junkie as well as a husband and Dad. 

Life is about choices and deciding to be a husband and a Dad will involve sacrifice. 

Sell your gasser and buy a Zero or forget about it.  Work overtime or save the money, don't finance it. 

Put your wife and kid's future first and pay for your motorcycle addiction with cash. 

I had a Zero DS as my only motorcycle for a season and it satisfied 90% of my motorcycle needs and desires and a year later I added a cheap gasser to the stable with cash for the rest. 

There are always deals to find on Zeros if you are patient and have cash.   Your wife should outlast any motorcycle you buy so don't fight her on it. 

My 2 cents, full face value.

[MostlyBonkers]

I take my proverbial hat off to you all! Great words of wisdom that make me feel a lot better.  I'm glad we've had a bit of fun over it too. I've suffered a setback but I know my sub-conscious will bubble away and bring some new ideas to the surface. Rational thought and practicalities may win in the short term. I hope to repost to this topic in the future and tell you how the story plays out. Thank you all for such kind words of encouragement, brutal honesty and good humour. [emoji4]

[oobflyer]

pay for your motorcycle addiction with cash

This was the compromise that I worked out with my wife. I had to pay cash for the bike. I made monthly deposits into a savings account (on the order of a bike payment - about $300/mo) for a few years. I also put any annual state/federal tax refunds into the EV savings account. It seems like a long time when you want a new toy, but in retrospect it didn't seem that long - and the feeling of being able to tell the salesman that you won't be applying for a loan? Priceless :-)

[Doug S]

- and the feeling of being able to tell the salesman that you won't be applying for a loan? Priceless :-)

Agreed. Instead of getting a cashier's check, when my bike arrived, I actually withdrew cash from the bank (I alerted them the day before) and took it to the dealer in my tablet case. It was fun.

[AustinSZF8.5]

Agreed. Instead of getting a cashier's check, when my bike arrived, I actually withdrew cash from the bank (I alerted them the day before) and took it to the dealer in my tablet case. It was fun.

Aw man, shoulda' bought a cheap briefcase and just gave it to them with the cash inside! That'd be worth $20 for the story!

Bonkers, sorry to hear you lost this battle, but sounds like it was in the best interest of peace. Just think of it this way - if you set the dream aside for a year or three, imagine the progress that they'll make with the machines in that time! You may get double the power and twice the range as reward for your patience!

[WindRider]

Good plan Oobflyer. 

Cash always helps you get a better deal.   Dealers want to move bikes and when you start pulling out C Notes the sales guys all know they can move a bike now, today, and they want that to happen. 

MostlyBonkers, this EV thing is just getting started.  Every year the new ones get better, more powerful, longer range.   Every year there are more last year's models on the used market.  Every year when the new ones are announced the dealers and Manufacturers put in place incentives to move the old ones that are left off the floor.   Time is working with you here. 

Build cash, be patient.   Electric bikes are the future and every year there will be more to choose from in both the new and used market. 

[aelwero]

My 2 cents on this debate:  your wife and child are more important than any motorcycle, and I am an admitted motorcycle junkie as well as a husband and Dad. 

Life is about choices and deciding to be a husband and a Dad will involve sacrifice. 

Sell your gasser and buy a Zero or forget about it.  Work overtime or save the money, don't finance it. 

Put your wife and kid's future first and pay for your motorcycle addiction with cash. 

I had a Zero DS as my only motorcycle for a season and it satisfied 90% of my motorcycle needs and desires and a year later I added a cheap gasser to the stable with cash for the rest. 

There are always deals to find on Zeros if you are patient and have cash.   Your wife should outlast any motorcycle you buy so don't fight her on it. 

My 2 cents, full face value.

can support this in the other direction

I own a 1971 DJ5B (postal jeep), and I'll never get rid of it because it's awesome   for the family car, it's always been whatever fit well...  silverado, olds delta 88, and the one vehicle my wife agreed to buy new.  a 2010 wrangler 4 door. everybody fit, it was offroadable, kids loved it, went on many fishing trips with everybody along for the ride, just a really nice all around family vehicle. 

after our 4th child was born, not enough seats...  bought an old mark 3 van, and the new jeep just became my work/play vehicle, and got reduced to "toy" status.  at $30K, getting 11mpg, on $1,500 tires, it was just no longer reasonable, not for a "toy status" vehicle, so I traded it for a zero.  Still pretty fun, but with trade, reduction of insurance, and gas, that thing is paying me.  I ride it everywhere.  rain, desert windstorms, triple digit heat...  bring it on...  every mile puts more money in the budget

occasionally, I miss my jeep, but I still have the old one, and I can afford college for the oldest   maybe when she's left and off on her own the van can get traded for something fun again, but for now, I'm not paying for gas, and my wife and kids are worth it

[bigd]

aelwero -- very good points, I have to say my daily driver is a 98 jeep wrangler and I wont get ride of it 
"Cash always helps you get a better deal. "  Has anyone actually got a better deal on a Zero?  I have offered $16000 cash for a zeroSR at 2 places and was a no go

[Doug S]

"Cash always helps you get a better deal. "  Has anyone actually got a better deal on a Zero?  I have offered $16000 cash for a zeroSR at 2 places and was a no go

One more data point: I was paying cash, I tried the same thing (2 kbucks, then just 1!) and it was a no-go. Couldn't even get him to throw in a new helmet....I did get a new pair of gloves. Either there just aren't any discounts to be had (at least in my area) or I REALLY suck at negotiation.

[WindRider]

Most Zero dealers are selling all of their stock now.   They don't need to discount, especially on new and popular models like the SR during the prime riding season. 

The time to get a deal on a Zero is when the next year model buzz is out and the dealer has a last year model on the floor still.    Or during a winter snow storm.