Modern Buddy

My father-in-law passed away on Monday morning and during one of our last talks he was impressed that I was on a scooter. He grew up in the Philippines and lots of his friends had mopeds and motorcycles following the war. He said he wanted to ride on two wheels when he was younger, but he favored trucks because he liked having that much engine at his disposal (my father-in-law loved Reagan, Wal-Mart, and John Wayne, but that's another story).

We're preparing some personal items for a memory board at his service over the weekend, including pictures of him with his boat that he owned for a few years and it occured to me that when I die, not only would I want photos of me on my Buddy, but I'd want it propped up with my helmet hanging off the throttle next to my casket/ashes unless I went under a truck.

But it got me thinking that most other MB folk would probably want something done with their scooter after they've passed on. My wife doesn't ride, so I don't know what she'd so with mine (she's understandably occupied right now so I won't ask her until later). So what would you do? Is it going to a loved one? Would it rust in the garage? Would your spouse (shudder) sell it at a yard sale or something? Would you make it part of your service?

I recall a few years ago a funeral home in Florida (I think) prepared someone on his bike, helmet and all and propped him up in the center of the chapel so his family and friends could remember him that way. It was a superbike or something, so obviously it was a good action pose. Not sure my squared-shoulder, upright-spine scooter posture would be as engaging.

This is also on the premise that you're relatively active on your scooter at time of passing. I'm sure if I get to the Depends/Metamucil stage of my life, my scooter would long since be entrusted to someone who would acutally use it.

I'm not trying to be grim or morbid, but I guess I'm just curious if anyone else thinks of these things.

Not to be indelicate, but I think that if you are truly active on your scoot at your time of passing you will both end up being buried.

I would like my scooters sold or raffled off. With the money being given to a local charity. My scooter friend has a charitable foundation set in memory of his daughter. Em's Spotlight a non-profit foundation memory of Emily, whose dream was to bring the joy of dance to children with limited opportunities.

Over the past few years we (KC Scooter Riders) have participated in fundraisers for this wonderful cause.

http://www.emilyfoundation.org

Syd wrote:Not to be indelicate, but I think that if you are truly active on your scoot at your time of passing you will both end up being buried.

Ah, touche.

I imagine my family (parents, sisters, their families) would look at each other, ask "anyone want the scooter?" and if no one raised their hand, they'd sell it. That's pretty much how it worked with my uncle's stuff years ago when he died (at about the same age).
At this point, I don't really care, and at that point, I really wouldn't have an opinion.

I would give mine to my nephew, just because I know it would drive my sister absolutely nuts! Win!

...and ya know, he'd have fun with it. He likes riding around with me in the culdesack. Double win!

At this point I'd think, geeze, I'm only 52 I should hope to have, hopefully, another 20 years, would my Buddy last that long? Or if I'm still capable of riding what would I be riding? I'd sure like a Ural, that I could ride into my decrepit-ness. My kids think I'm crazy riding now. Bottom line, unless I put something in writing, they have the final decision how to dispose of me. My daughter just wants me to walk off into the mountains like old Indians did, that way there's no money spent.......

Well if something happened to me I would want to be shipped back to Italy for my family. Obviously the Stella would have a hard time coming with me.
I think I would want someone from the club to ride it to whatever service may end up happening (no churches or big affairs for me) with the rest of the club in tow?
Perhaps then I'd want the scooter donated to the club to be a loaner for those whose bike breaks down and/or be taken out to our monthly rides now and then

After I'm gone, I'd like them to skin me, make a seat cover out of my hide, then use my ride for Victoria's Secret photo shoots. Closest I'll ever get.

Provided the scoot wasn't the method of my demise in the first place, I would want to be cremated, put in the pet carrier in a bag, and have it ridden off a cliff in viking funeral.

Of course that's illegal, so I'll settle for either Angela riding it or Yoda going to someone that would appreciate him.

Hearing a lot of good ideas here; some interesting stuff to think about for sure!

In all of our suggestions though, no one has offered sympathies.

Sorry about that, I'm sorry that he passed, since it sounds like you guys got along so well!

I've had so many vehicles over my life, that they're just machines to me. They're fun when I'm using them, but they don't really have any emotional significance.

barring an accident of some type, killing me without warning, I was planning to die without any possessions. So that when I die, all I have will be the clothes I'm wearing. Even now, after I buy something I think to myself "wtf am I doing? you're suppose to be getting rid of shit, not accumulating more!!!". One of the first things I'm going to do after retiring, is to start unloading my possessions.

i want it right next to me, as i am set out to see on a ship...... set ablaze. a true viking warriors funeral.

skully93 wrote:In all of our suggestions though, no one has offered sympathies.

Sorry about that, I'm sorry that he passed, since it sounds like you guys got along so well!

Thanks, I appreciate that. I usually don't like posting personal stuff because I wouldn't want it to seem like I'm fishing for condolences (and I saw some extended family members post the news on Facebook like it was their father who had died in a move to illicit sympathy) but because he was surprised that I had a scooter, I thought it relevant to post here. After we talked about it, I think he regretted not getting his license when he was younger; even found the handbook for obtaining a motorcycle license for Georgia while going through his library.

But thanks for your well wishes.

rsrider wrote: Even now, after I buy something I think to myself "wtf am I doing? you're suppose to be getting rid of shit, not accumulating more!!!". One of the first things I'm going to do after retiring, is to start unloading my possessions.

After spending nearly two full days in a two story house with a full basement amongst mountains of books, clothes, and assorted possessions (right now the count is at least 12 bibles and nearly as many Elvis themed coffee table books that were not out on a coffee table for viewing) that need to be sorted and donated, sooooooo much this!

I want to prossess my scooter Christine style.

Honk honk the scooter went, but no one was riding!!

My condolences on the passing of your father in law as well.

I don't know anybody who rides, outside my coworker on the Ruckus, Lokky, and Seven Hills buddies.

Nobody in my family would want it. Rather... nobody in my family would RIDE her. And if she were rideable, I'd want somebody to ride and enjoy her. So, Lokky would get her. Or Scoot Richmond/Seven Hills... to auction as a raffle prize (and start a fund/raffle/rally in my name ), or maybe as a loaner like Lokky suggested (that's a really good idea and I hadn't thought of it at all).

I'd want to be cremated, but in a seated position on my scooter, with all my gear and helmet on. Doused in gasoline, and we all go together in a blaze of glory.

I would leave my scooter to A friend who would Ride it! R

If my husband survived me, it would be up to him what to do with the scooter, but if he didn't want it, and didn't want to hassle with selling it, I'd like my sister in California to have it. She likes riding (as a passenger so far) and at 5' tall, the Buddy would probably be just right for her. She could have the low profile seat put on it as well.

charlie55 wrote:After I'm gone, I'd like them to skin me, make a seat cover out of my hide, then use my ride for Victoria's Secret photo shoots. Closest I'll ever get.

aim high!

I know my sister would love to have Kiwi (my Buddy). But I don't think she would ride Kiwi very much.

What I would like for them to do is to give it to some UT Student here in Austin to use while going to school here. I think that would be good. Maybe to be given by an auction or raffle or something that can help raise money or awareness for good.

I'm glad I read this thread! I never think of that sort of stuff. I think I'll let my loved ones know what I want them to do with Kiwi if something happens to me.

Please allow me to add my condolences as well. By coincidence, I went to a funeral myself yesterday, but that's another sad story.

(OT interjection: Luna, glad you're back!)

In my opinion, the deceased propped on the scooter was over the top. I would be more prone to simply have a picture of me in life on the bike displayed, although I've seen funerals where some cherished possessions were placed on top of the casket. In this case, maybe a helmet and gloves would do. But that's an individual call.

I think I'll leave that stuff to my family to decide. Funerals are for the living and not the dead, anyway.

I'd have my survivors give my scooter to my favorite dealership, to be given to someone who couldn't otherwise afford one. Might as well pass the enjoyment on.

*btw, I was just kidding about my above post* ... I felt like this was too serious of a thread conversation and needed some sarcasm thrown in the mix.

I've always said that I will live to the age of 104 and then at that age I'll take a road trip to the Grand Canyon and try an Evil Knievel style jump over it, hopefully making it far enough out into the middle for a quick death. If this ends up not being the way I go out then I suppose my wife could do what she wanted to with it. Hopefully she'd either ride it or give it to someone who wanted a scooter but couldn't afford one, but once I'm gone, I wouldn't be here to care either way.

BootScootin'FireFighter wrote:*btw, I was just kidding about my above post* ... I felt like this was too serious of a thread conversation and needed some sarcasm thrown in the mix.

I dunno, I thought your original post was spoken like a true Cannonballer.

BootScootin'FireFighter wrote:*btw, I was just kidding about my above post* ... I felt like this was too serious of a thread conversation and needed some sarcasm thrown in the mix.

I wasn't going for uber-seriousness, but just wondered if people thought about stuff like that. Levity is fine; most people on this thread seem to have a little Viking in them anyway. I mean, there's crazy and then there's scooter crazy...

Sold and the money given to the animal shelter where I volunteer. That's what's happening with all my other stuff anyway.