Just wondering what it's like as I decided to do it yesterday. Reckon I need 5 months to finish my shed and house before going on my big overseas adventure.
I've been semi retired for about 5 years now. Only problem I guy phoned me yesterday to do some work for him next week.
What should I do as I might miss out on those mid week rides. :undecided:
Jeff - enjoy retirement mate. I've been retired about 20 months now and it's the best decision I ever took, take the bike out when I want to, get up when I want to - brilliant.
Having said that I think I'm busier now than before I retired! But I do things now when I want to do them, not just at weekends.
Enjoy retirement mate. Remember retirement means nothing to do, all day to do it LOL
I see what you mean Dave busier than ever, that's the reason for me doing it, there's no way I can complete what I want to do while working part time. But I will still be getting up early because the feckin birds over here make me. There's one at the moment starts about 4.30am called a Koel I think it flew over from NZ.
I jacked in my job 15 months ago after an argument with my new boss, ridden more miles since, it's been brilliant.
I again took early retirement beginning of January - best decision I have ever made.
I used to drive for a living. Very sedentary. Sat on my arse all day pecking at food.
Fast forward 11 months. Never stopped, re-landscaped all garden. Decorated whole place out - and banked 100's of brownie points from Mrs Brush in the process.
Stood on scales for the first time a couple of weeks ago - as missus noticed all my trousers were loose and needed a belt. Lost 1.5 stone too. Result.
Don't laugh - but about to start building a nice indoor model railway. I had one years ago. Dismantled it all due to lack of time. I did think about getting another bike to restore. But, I love my 14 too much. Nothing would come close. And I don't do cold garages in the winter.
Could never fit work in now.
Quote from: Irish in Oz on Saturday, 18 November 2017, 03:52 PM
I see what you mean Dave busier than ever, that's the reason for me doing it, there's no way I can complete what I want to do while working part time. But I will still be getting up early because the feckin birds over here make me. There's one at the moment starts about 4.30am called a Koel I think it flew over from NZ.
Dont blame us Irish......many of our birds don't even fly and the're quiet.. it' ll be an ocker for sure.......
First retirement ride today on an oldie with the oldies :)
I retired some 2 years ago when we had a new boss - 21 he was and I got a written warning the day he got the job, my first in 43 years of service to BT - so I took retirement before I hit him and aint looked back since- no worries about de-icing the car - just get up later ..dark mornings? have a longer lie in !! oh the git that was 21? well he was made a senior manger after I left ( normally takes around 25 years) and then he messed up and was demoted back to the ranks to the same office where he managed and had upset everyone ( 14 others left after me out of 24 in the "Team" ) great news - what goes around comes around .... :smile2:
I hope to retire from the normal workforce on Dec 15th next year,
or maybe a little later if something we are doing at the moment comes off.
Don't think I'll be working any less as I want to get out of the city and on to acreage where I belong before I'm too old to do it.
A shack on 10 to 100 acres, mortgage free, in the area we are looking at is do-able.
City living doesn't suit me.
I do like my job, its just that with my house reno, bike projects, dog, hens, garden and a 100 other things I struggle to find time to go to work... :grin:
Good turnout today :)
I must be too young and too skinny to own a 1400
Quote from: Buddynq on Sunday, 19 November 2017, 06:35 PM
I must be too young and too skinny to own a 1400
Definitely skinny compared to me, but too young I'm not so sure or you have had a hard life. I still have another good ten plus years before picking up my pension.
Some nice iron amongst that lot Irish :onya:
Is the blue GS what a GSX1400 was modelled after I wonder :drool: :drool:
Quote from: GSXKING on Monday, 20 November 2017, 12:03 AM
Is the blue GS what a GSX1400 was modelled after I wonder :drool: :drool:
Very similar - having had a GS1000S some years ago, the 14 to me was always a modern classic version
I hope to retire before I'm 70 - There is too much to do! :grin:
Want to get out with my brothers on the Interceptors - WE still have all four of them.
Stan
Been retired nearly two years now - finished 8 months early!
Every day is Saturday now.
So far managed to visit Hong Kong, Oz, NZ, Vietnam, San Francisco, Hawaii, Madeira, and toured Ireland on the GT750 for a week too. Currently tarting the 14 up a bit and restoring another Suzuki GT550.
Only managed about 4500 miles on the bike this year - and another 8K in the car!
No time for work!
My goal is to retire at 55.
i tried to retire at 21 but they wouldn't let me :rofl2:
so still working untill 67 but i intend to finish 55-60 ish
:cheers:
To retire at 55 I need to move out of the city and downsize from my city home.
Quite do-able except my wife has just applied for another job near by, which
may cause a year or 2 delay if she gets it, but will still be a financial bonus.
If she doesn't get it, its still good. No reason to stay in the city !
Quote from: gsxbarmy on Monday, 20 November 2017, 12:27 AM
Quote from: GSXKING on Monday, 20 November 2017, 12:03 AM
Is the blue GS what a GSX1400 was modelled after I wonder :drool: :drool:
Very similar - having had a GS1000S some years ago, the 14 to me was always a modern classic version
Back in the day early eighties I knocked around on a GS850G. About 3 years ago I picked up a 1000G but havnt done anything with it.
G is for shaft drive. The main difference between GS and GSX is 2 valve and 4 valve head.
Quote from: Globalrider on Monday, 20 November 2017, 02:39 AM
I hope to retire before I'm 70 - There is too much to do! :grin:
Want to get out with my brothers on the Interceptors - WE still have all four of them.
Stan
I have two 750 Interceptors both running just need a paint tart up.
Quote from: Irish in Oz on Monday, 20 November 2017, 04:31 AM
The main difference between GS and GSX is 2 valve and 4 valve head.
Very true in the UK and AU.
The Yanks (or Suzuki) decided to call both the 8 and 16 valves "GS" in the US.
So you get stuff a shaft drive GS1100G (8v) and a chain drive GS1100E (16v)
Worth knowing as the US is a huge source of bikes, parts and info.
Quote from: Tony Nitrous on Monday, 20 November 2017, 04:04 AM
My goal is to retire at 55.
That was my plan A. However the job I got included assisted house purchase so I stayed another 4 years untill they stopped assisting, :whistling: then first time my boss gave me some greif I said shove your job.
Well I wish I could join you guys but I'm decades away from retirement, so all the best. At least there will be a bunch of (mostly) well looked after bikes for me to choose from, especially with the lack of riders in my generation.
Enjoy retirement mate & hope it all goes to plan :cheers:
so happy you retirees like it. i quite like my work. its very flexible, get most things done. retire at 70 i think will be me. my dad retired at 40, reckon he worked much harder after he did. his choice. restored cars, had some beauties. had some nice bikes he did also. not my thing, rather keep working.
Retirement is great so long as you're healthy. Financially we've never been better off so can now afford the luxuries we denied ourselves pre retirement but unfortunately with old age comes health problems.
Fifty years ago I said for better or worse ... unfortunately the worse has arrived so can I give a word of advice ... do it while you're young enough to enjoy it.
Good words Snapey.
Our health is our true wealth. No matter how much you got in the tin, money can't buy it.
Quote from: Tony Nitrous on Monday, 20 November 2017, 04:04 AM
My goal is to retire at 55.
I went at 54. Took me months to get sleeping properly, from working a killer shift pattern.
My missus took early retirement too. She went first. I was at one point wishing my life away looking forward to the weekend. Life is too precious for that. I'd had enough. My health was suffering from the shifts.
Now happy days. Most mileage on the 14 ever this year. Great health. Was 15 stone/six foot. Now down to 13.5. I'm happy with that. I'd rather have health than wealth. Saw too many colleagues drop months after retiring.
Yesterday went to bike show at NEC. Great not having to book a lieu day off work. :boogie:
No retirement here yet, I've still got 6 years left on the mortgage.
After that, who knows? I'm not really one for long term planning anyway.
A mortgage? I remember those. Haven't seen one for years, ah the good ole days aye.
Quote from: KiwiCol on Wednesday, 22 November 2017, 09:20 AM
A mortgage? I remember those. Haven't seen one for years, ah the good ole days aye.
What can I say? Houses here are really expensive. Either that or I don't earn enough, take your pick.
Same in oz, I'm lucky to live in a small town where they are still affordable but my city bound friends are looking at a million dollars for a family home a commutable distance from their jobs.
Quote from: Mister Fishfinger on Wednesday, 22 November 2017, 07:00 PM
Quote from: KiwiCol on Wednesday, 22 November 2017, 09:20 AM
A mortgage? I remember those. Haven't seen one for years, ah the good ole days aye.
What can I say? Houses here are really expensive. Either that or I don't earn enough, take your pick.
Agreed, they are really expensive over there. I have a very modest home, a few toys though, but that's just how I prefer to live.
houses here are getting expensive, not so much away from coast where i live. only 100 ks from brisbane and maybe the best weather and beaches, easy to see why. id hate to be borrowing to buy as a young bloke. they still do.real estate still a lottery, you need luck. not all good stories. my dad died 9 yrs back, mum didnt want to live there anymore. 26 acres, biggest house you can imagine. 5 acres clear, rest bush. bad selling time, we tried for 12 mths. 2 yrs previous valued at at 1.3 mill. we sold for 660 g. wasnt a good outcome but thats how it was then. today it would sell in 5 minutes for 1.5. you win and you lose. her new house in town, a bargain, all good. has doubled in price.
Grog
That is real estate you have to buy a sell at the right time, I was lucky with that outcome in the past, but I'm not interested in investment anymore. However I have set myself up to go from a 4 bedroom to 1 bedroom accommodation to suit my needs and income from other.
As you say it is stuffed for the young one's and I have 4, so the house I have will be available if needed and the other the ex has can be used as needed as well, so there you go all my hard work left to the kids.
That's why I'm retiring early and going oversea's while I can :)
Irish, our kids n grand kids use our house often. i could do the buy n sell to make lots. not interested. 25 yrs here, i just like things that work, user friendly. my job, my bike, my wife, my golf club. they all fit the bill. used to have a stable full ofbikes, not interested now. i love what you blokes show, amazes me. for me now, over 60, still feel 30, happy with what i have. life is all good. id miss my job if i retired. id miss my 14 if ever forced to sell. its good to be happy with your own stuff.
Good words Grog.
Wife and I been busy improving our property over the last few years.
Sent mum off last week.....makes you stop and think. Had an agent round this week. Last property we sold privately, thats where our bike came from. I always say the Real Estate agent bought us our bike. Then folks say you didnt use one. Exactly !!
We are thinking that times are a changing. We have had a change in Government. A coalitition of the losers.
There must be more to life....diabetes is starting to lift its hand to cast a slight shadow over my future health. I guess we speak a language we both understand there Grog. Being a tradesman my hands shoulders and elbows would have been grateful of a kinder existance.
We are looking at our options, we would dearly love to travel. You only have to look at Pete's trip report of their journey to Norway to get one fizzed up about a bit of touring. I cannot think of anything more pleasant.
We are lucky to live in a pretty good little country that will always be home.
My kids are doing ok, wife's lad is in China teaching; he's doin good too.
The bride and l have a few years untill retirement, l have quite a few less than her. She would love to take in some of the flower and garden shows of Europe and the UK.
So to hell with the expense, lets feed the cat another goldfish. In 2018 we look forward to doing some of those things. Oh and we or rather l would enjoy putting some faces to the names on here beacause as the old boys say...... you are a long time under the grass.
In the mean time the bikes full of juice and the weekends here. Enjoy yours !!
Cheers lads :cheers:
Everyone has their own view on life and what they want from it. My kids are all grown up now and moved out, and work was (literally) killing me - No time to myself as on 24x7 callout and work schedule. My blood pressure (whilst still at work) was ridiculous - usually around the 165/170 over 90 and not reducing down when it should at night (so not really resting, brain constantly active), I've got 3 replacement discs in my neck courtesy of my job in IT (from carrying a laptop around all those years, as well as overnight cases etc where I used to work away from home a lot) and I had a stent put in my lower left ventricle in 2012. Oh the joys of my job as was as a Global IT Programme Director managing programmes usually in excess of £200M. Lost my Dad back in 2003 and my Mum on Christmas Day last year.
Doctor told me quite simply that if I didn't slow down, then life itself might slow me down permanently. So decided enough was enough, especially after seeing both parents in their twilight years with dementia, and arguably lose out with enjoying life after working hard all those years , decided it was time to call a halt and enjoy life.
Now I'm almost horizontal, blood pressure way within limits now no pressures of work, no calls in the middle of the night, go out on the bike when I want to, wake up in morning and decide then what the day holds. Travel when I want to. Rode the Wild Atlantic Way (again) this year for 10 days. Just toured Aus for a month which is something the wife and I always wanted to do but could get enough time off to do whilst still working. NZ scheduled for Feb/Mar 2019. Couldn't do that if I still worked.
With some jobs, enough is enough. Life is too damn short. Or some jobs can make it shorter than it should be. There comes a time to get the work/life balance right and have "you" time and do the things you've wanted to do for a very long time. And that comes at different points for different people.
Retirement for me is great. Nothing to do - all day to do it.
Quote from: grog on Friday, 24 November 2017, 07:02 PM
Irish, our kids n grand kids use our house often. i could do the buy n sell to make lots. not interested. 25 yrs here, i just like things that work, user friendly. my job, my bike, my wife, my golf club. they all fit the bill. used to have a stable full ofbikes, not interested now. i love what you blokes show, amazes me. for me now, over 60, still feel 30, happy with what i have. life is all good. id miss my job if i retired. id miss my 14 if ever forced to sell. its good to be happy with your own stuff.
So do my kid's use house often but I don't have grand kids, but they love to show the toy's that they where brought up with. Anyway they are on their way and will be back to borrow all the relic's I have.
I love this site! What a great forum and group of members we've got here.
Quote from: KiwiCol on Saturday, 25 November 2017, 02:55 AM
I love this site! What a great forum and group of members we've got here.
Yep, one big happy family, which is what makes this site so great.
Bet the original designer of the 14 never thought that with producing the 14, they would also forge many worldwide friendships for so many years - I mean the 14 is now 16 years old (first released in Japan in March 2001). How many other single models have that record - still with a strong following?
Us lot would put an Akra & PCV on it, just to release a few more horses for drag racing down the retirement home corridors. Yeah!
Quote from: KiwiCol on Saturday, 25 November 2017, 04:31 AM
Us lot would put an Akra & PCV on it, just to release a few more horses for drag racing down the retirement home corridors. Yeah!
GSX1400 Wheel Chair drag racing.........that could be an interesting project!!!! :clapping: :doh:
If you are in a position to retire then do it and enjoy it.
I retired 2 years ago after spending most of my life on the road working usually not less than 80 hours a week and often a 100 hours, maybe getting home 3 times a year for a week. 21st birthday in Saudi Arabia....hmmm.
Yes, I saw the the world, or over 50 countries worth it anyway and I was paid well in fairness to the company, but was it worth the high personal price I paid for it.......divorce, not seeing the family and all that stuff. On reflection I would probably do it all again in exactly the same way, though I'm sure a lot of you here would think I'm a bit crazy for saying so. Having said that you sort have to be a bit 'different' to do the job I did for as long as I did.
Do I miss it?
In some ways yes because I enjoyed so many aspects of my work, the different places, not having a boss to report to as such, the freedom and so on. But now I'm retired I'm trying to enjoy the home life that I missed even though I realise I can never get those years back.
Anyway, like I said, if you can do it then do it.
Don't lie on your deathbed saying 'I wish......' (that's what prompted me to finally buy the 14)
And if any of you are passing my way then feel free to drop in. We didn't quite lose all our social skills on the road :grin:
And I still have the original Bazooka on mine because it's to fast for me. Just remembered that's why I have a Katana and a GPZ900R ;)
It's very nice to hear that people on here are enjoying retirement (and that's not sarcasm). Some folk don't know what to do when they stop work and then they just waste away. Clearly bikers are made of sterner stuff and have plenty of ways to occupy themselves.
I'm not moaning at all. I quite like my job (although like all jobs it has its stresses), and it keeps me in contact with smart people of different ages, races, cultures, whatever. When it comes to an end, as all things eventually do, I'll bid them a cheery farewell and join you guys in a life of leisure.
Looking forward to it (but not wishing my life away).
Looks like I'm not fully retired I got phone call so off to Sydney on Monday to repair broke down machine, I suppose I'll have to get up an hour earlier.
That'd be time & a half or double time wouldn't it Irish?
Quote from: KiwiCol on Saturday, 25 November 2017, 08:24 AM
That'd be time & a half or double time wouldn't it Irish?
And the rest lol.
I just can't resist the temptation of those big dollars. One day a week is enough, did 5 hours this week test and tag and they pay me for it.
Nice, test n tag is tough work, so worth every penny.
another retirement story, hope not getting boring. my mate retired 2 yrs ago. has 2 houses. one worth lots. he decided to rent both for a while. his mother in law lives in granny flat at main house. he rented main house to his brother. now, 2 yrs later. his m in law needs full time care, supplied by him and wife, they cant go away, needed every night. no money to put her in home. the rented house, some law prevents from getting tenant kicked out, lease wasnt done correctly by real estate. the main house was rented to brother, he wont leave. same story, hes there forever. now doesnt talk to brother but wont move. no legal way of kicking him out. mate lives in caravan at main house. gone back to work. he gets rent from both houses, none from granny flat. his life ruined for open ended time. lawyers did renting contracts but now all stuffed up, no comeback. just how life can kick you in the guts.
Quote from: KiwiCol on Saturday, 25 November 2017, 10:51 AM
Nice, test n tag is tough work, so worth every penny.
No pennies involved. Got home about 1.30 and had a afternoon nap.
Quote from: grog on Saturday, 25 November 2017, 07:15 PM
another retirement story, hope not getting boring. my mate retired 2 yrs ago. has 2 houses. one worth lots. he decided to rent both for a while. his mother in law lives in granny flat at main house. he rented main house to his brother. now, 2 yrs later. his m in law needs full time care, supplied by him and wife, they cant go away, needed every night. no money to put her in home. the rented house, some law prevents from getting tenant kicked out, lease wasnt done correctly by real estate. the main house was rented to brother, he wont leave. same story, hes there forever. now doesnt talk to brother but wont move. no legal way of kicking him out. mate lives in caravan at main house. gone back to work. he gets rent from both houses, none from granny flat. his life ruined for open ended time. lawyers did renting contracts but now all stuffed up, no comeback. just how life can kick you in the guts.
When it comes down to business don't have family involved or friends.
Its 5.30am, I've been up since 3am. My minds doing overtime.
I found out yesterday my old boss had died. We worked side by side for 6 years. Even when he shut down a company I was the only one who went to the new one with him. We worked together on a mine camp driving 650k and lived in each others pockets. 40 or 50 hours a week for several years you get to know someone.
To anyone else he was an arse. He dodged paying bills and wages, and acquired stuff when no one was looking, he liked a drink and betting and was rugby mad.
I saw the other side of him. He took on a relatives kid when his left home, he loved his family, when he won some money he bought a car for someone down on their luck telling them it was for when he needed it (he never intended to use it). He went from being a large company owner at the top to being a labourer back in the trench shovelling gravel and back again.
To me he was a "Del Boy" type character.
Both my last two bosses have both died before retirement. I don't intend to. To be fair, none of us do, but I'm a bit more determined to downsize and get out of here now. I have a quite large mortgage, but its only half the value of my house. Enough equity to buy outright away from the inflated city prices.
Sobering times Tony. When a death hits close to home, it really does make us reflect & consider our own mortality. None of us really know how long we have left, so we should enjoy our time now & not have regrets of things we wanted to do but never did.
Always remember that old age is better than the alternative.
But.
The biggest problem is that we don't know how long we have left, so don't fart about, get on with life today, just in case.
Book the holiday, go to the (whatever), do it (whatever 'it' is).
Life isn't a rehearsal.
I retired last year and currently doing my best to spend the care home money before the gubmint does it for me.
Imminent plan, downsize the house and upsize the garage. There will always be room for one more bike.
Work for me started in 1963, & I've been fortunate to have had many enjoyable & very varied jobs, all engineering biased.
A personal tragedy forced me abroad for a few years, met the love of my life, made a pile, came back to the UK in '84, & managed to buy my present property for cash.
Then, 27 years ago we bit the bullet & started a small business, & we worked it right up until retirement at 65, her indoors didn't want to pack it in as it was still working OK.
So I had a massive clear out of the 'toys' (Jag, kitcar, & over a dozen bikes )!!
Plonked a 30ft portacabin, a 20ft & 30ft wood workshop & a 32ft 'proper' workshop around the gardens, & then we brought as much machinery as we could back home & carried on with the now downsized business, & its still going to day, so although now 'retired' for 6 years, we are still very much active, & loving it!!
Bought a little motorhome & bugger-off when we feel like it around the country.
Retirement, I LOVE IT!!!
Well done mate :onya: :clapping: :hat:
Quote from: grog on Saturday, 25 November 2017, 07:15 PM
another retirement story, hope not getting boring. my mate retired 2 yrs ago. has 2 houses. one worth lots. he decided to rent both for a while. his mother in law lives in granny flat at main house. he rented main house to his brother. now, 2 yrs later. his m in law needs full time care, supplied by him and wife, they cant go away, needed every night. no money to put her in home. the rented house, some law prevents from getting tenant kicked out, lease wasnt done correctly by real estate. the main house was rented to brother, he wont leave. same story, hes there forever. now doesnt talk to brother but wont move. no legal way of kicking him out. mate lives in caravan at main house. gone back to work. he gets rent from both houses, none from granny flat. his life ruined for open ended time. lawyers did renting contracts but now all stuffed up, no comeback. just how life can kick you in the guts.
1. Shoot the lawyers (all of them). Can I help? Please?
2. Shoot the brother.
I think you (Alan) and I, have more in common than might be first thought.
I don't want to shoot my brothers though. Just the git in the story.
I hate being screwed over by officialdom. There's sense and non-sense, right and wrong and those people are just wrong.
In NZ we can get tenants out if the owner or their family are to move in. 90 days notice is required.
Try getting them evicted for using meth or not paying the rent on time. You are likely to to finish up in court on harassment charges. Tenants know their rights. And officialdom is there to help them with their rights. Just Bollocks !!
I have rented property in the past through a Real Estate and by myself drawing up a contract through the Rental Bond Board. If I was to do it again I would use the Real Estate as they can easily check references and full history of tenants say causing damage or default on payments. At the end of the day the decision as to rents is up to the owner.
Watched a bit of Struggle Street on Oz TV last night, about 16 coppers to evict tenants, and guess where it was Brisbane lol.