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It's official. I have informed the company I am retiring the end of April.

Congratulations! I plan to inform my company next Friday. Tomorrow I'm going to look at a potential retirement gift for myself.

I informed my company on Friday that I am leaving effective 3/14. I did give them an option to pay to retain me as a (very) part time consultant for 90 days to ease the transition. 50/50 if I want to stay on as a consultant or just be done. Wheels are in motion.

Took the wheels off the Versys. Went to IP for a pair of Roadsmarts 3 to replace the knobbies. Bought new helmet. Expensive trip over $600 for everything.

I bet you hear that a lot.

Congratulations, wish I could have retired at your age. Have fun picking out a new bike. I retired last year and bought a retirement bike too, it's been a blast.

Got the FJR out for a test ride today to see how the changes to the bike worked. So much smoother throttle after the fueling adjustment. New tinted visor on the shoei worked great too. Now we just need a good hard rain to wash away the remaining cinders.

For its 25th season, I finally gave it a name.

Definitely the red FJR. I know the current owner of it, but it’s all the way in Ukraine. I sold it to a guy in PA, he hit a deer with it. I tried to buy it from his insurance company but it went to a copart auction and it was sold before I even knew. Then months later the guy in Ukraine who won it on copart contacted me because my name was written on the bottom of the custom seat. I know it was nothing fancy, but that bike means more to me because of where all I’ve been on it.

I installed a Chigee on the RT. I wish it was a little bigger, but it looks like OEM kit and functions alright.

I got the bike out of hibernation and worked on a few things. Got my wiring a little better for my CarPlay unit, checked the air filter, and worked on a fueling adjustment to make the throttle a little better. Ready for more sunny days..

Congratulations Fellas!!!!

When I retired last summer, one of the things that I took into serious consideration is that insolvency of Social Security may cause benefits to be reduced in the not too distant future. In the past, I was one of the I'll wait until 70 to collect guys, but a 20% reduction in benefits in say 2033 would extend the "break even" point out to absurdity. I'm definitely in agreement with Tony & his Fidelity guy. Get it while you can.

"Great list of AC maintenance tips! Many homeowners forget about simple tasks like leveling the condenser unit or proactively replacing contactors, which can save a lot in the long run. Regular maintenance not only extends the AC’s lifespan but also improves efficiency. If anyone needs AC maintenance, our expert team at Electra Fix is here to help. We offer reliable servicing to keep your AC running smoothly year-round. Have you noticed any specific maintenance step that drastically improved your AC’s performance?"

I had the same issues with a wireless CarPlay adapter for my truck. What I found out was if my phone was connected to more than one Bluetooth device, it would cause the disconnect issue.

Engine stand and hardware purchased to facilitate the internals swap for the Bonneville. Also received the 90amp alternator for the Goldwing. Left me stranded last fall. F'ing Hondas.

Z1000

Wish I still had my old RD400.

If dirt bikes count my 1996 kx500

Ohio Retired Motorsports Group?

I love being retired. Some people have trouble with it and go back to work. Not me, don’t miss working.

@Tpoppa - That tax calculator is nice.. .thxz

To bad you are not closer to me. I know a guy with a wood shop looking for help. He needs a talent craftsman 10 hours a week. Or at least he was a year ago. He makes carts for competition shooting.

You're a casino guy, right? Or is it your wife who always wants to stay at a casino on your epic trips? Anyway, think of it as a bet. But you're betting on how long you expect to live - and draw your SS benefit. If you run the benefit you get at different ages, you'll find that the total amount will be the same at your SS actuarial age. Based on your numbers, that's at about 77.33 years old in Aug 2036. ~$415,000. If you plan to die before then, you should take it ASAP. If you plan to die at around 77, then it doesn't matter. If you plan to live to 90, you should wait - $876,000 vs $928,000. And you should look up the benefit amount if you wait until 70 to receive benefits. It will still be about the same when you're 77, but a huge amount higher at 90. Obviously, you have to draw down your savings for your living expenses, but there are a few advantages to that. If you're not drawing, you can't be taxed on SS if a dream job drops in your lap and you continue to work. Drawing down an IRA or 401(k) will reduce the amount of RMD (Required Minimum Distribution) you'll have to take out at 73 yo. If your die and your wife gets your survivor benefit, she'll get the higher amount. Personally, I'm waiting until 70 to start receiving SS. I'm working part time, when I want to, and supplementing the income with IRA distributions. I plan to still be riding when I'm 90!

Might be the right time for this song to come back and be the D.O.G.E. intro.....

We met with our financial dude last night. It's on sometime this spring. One of the things I learned that helped is the Social Security rules on income while you collect. It is advertised as 23,400 per year. After you go over they take back 1 dollar for every 2 dollars you earn. My concern was if I retire mid-year I would be over and ineligible for Social Security until the following year. It does not work like that, it is more like a monthly limit. So the first month my income goes to zero I can collect SS. FWIW, once you hit your full retirement age (67 for most of you) you can make as much as you want.

Maybe I'll jump in this conversation. So I'm at the point where I "could" retire early. Way different circumstances from most of you all. My situation is I am debt free, have almost five times my annual salary in my 401k, almost 29 years of pension build up, and I have a sugar mama that is about to get promoted. That last one is the key for me. I've worked my entire life at a bullshit corporate industrial job to raise my family and put food on the table. Many you probably remember me posting in the past about working all weekends and barely be able to get away and do things. Years ago my wife wanted to go back to school and so I worked so much overtime and weekends to make that happen. The agreement was that I could retire early and she would take care of me in the future. So then last year she went back to school again to get her master's degree in healthcare administration. And in the very near future the manager of her office is retiring and my wife should be a shoe end to take her place which also comes with a substantial pay increase and benefits. And while the thought of retiring early is enticing I'm just happy that I'm at a point to where I could just walk away and say fuck it at any time. I mean that peace of mind is paying dividends as we My work is so slow right now and they're actually talks of layoffs. and it doesn't bother me in the least a little bit. I'll stick around as long as I can or as long as I feel like. I mean let's face it, every year I work is more pension dollars and 401K savings(which I'm currently stashing 30% of my paychecks into my 401k) At this point my income is the play money, and we like to play. So that's where I'm at, debt free, a nice nest egg, empty nesters and a spouse that loves what she does and doesn't mind doing it. Now when I actually do pull the trigger and retire, I don't think I would retire completely either. Would absolutely want to pick up a gig that I like or love. Maybe bounce around different jobs like motorcycle shop or parts counter or even just turn wrenches in my own garage.

Congrats on being able to retire. I’ve been planning on and looking forward to retirement and I’m only 33 😂. I’m trying to get my ducks in a row to retire earlier than normal. The wife and I love to travel, so that’s our retirement goal, I already have too many hobbies between golf, guns, bikes, RC cars, and hunting.

Jesus, what happened to us. We used to be about bikes, hookers and blow. Now it's Medicare and wtf to do with our time.

Lightweight ADV bikes are actually pretty good on trips. I put about 15k on a CB500x including a trip to Deals Gap. It did surprisingly well, including some fast passes on the Dragon. I've heard the Versys is also quite good at racking up miles.

Congrats, those are great bikes.