Why That Bike You Sold Still Haunts You

There’s always that one bike.

Not the most expensive. Not the fastest. Usually not the prettiest, either. But it was ours – in that specific, irreplaceable way that only a motorcycle can be.

We remember how it felt in the corners. The one thing we never got around to fixing. That trip it took us on. The way it smelled when it was hot. The little knock that never got worse, but never went away either. It was a bike that fit into a chapter of our lives like a puzzle piece – and when we sold it, something didn’t sit right.

We all tell ourselves it was time. We needed space. Or cash. Or we just weren’t riding it enough. And maybe that’s all true. But it still shows up in our minds, years later, like a memory we forgot we loved.

That’s how you know it wasn’t just a machine.

The thing is, we don’t treat bikes like we treat cars.

People hold onto cars. They pass them down. They protect the history – even when it’s not clean or easy. But motorcycles? We part with them like tools. Flip them, trade them, let them go when they’re “not worth fixing.”

And maybe that’s something we need to rethink.

Because these bikes carry stories. They remind us of who we were – and who we still are. They’re not just builds or beaters or Craigslist deals. They’re archives. They’re proof. And the ones that meant something? They deserve more than a quick sale and a “miss that thing sometimes.”

Maybe we don’t need to keep every bike. But maybe we need to keep one. The one that tells our story best. The one we’d want to fire up when our kid asks what riding meant to us. The one that, even if it never runs again, deserves a place in the garage – not just the group chat.

That’s why War Horse exists.

We do this newsletter because it allow us to fund more community events and share more stories – to keep this culture alive. [Subscribe to the full newsletter] to support the cause and get exclusive content, interviews and access to exclusive invites in exchange.

Got a bike you wish you never sold?
Reply to this email and tell us about it – we read every one.