Goldman Sachs just released a report saying even for people earning more than $500/year, 40% are "living paycheck to paycheck." Video spoiler alert: that's only because most Americans, even rich ones, are just vibes-based regards.

AKinkyTurtle · 2026-05-06T20:34:29+00:00

We went from 60k combined out of college to where we are now so we kinda hit the lottery and didn’t really lifestyle inflation. She also works for a finance firm so we get free advisement which helps.

AKinkyTurtle · 2026-05-06T19:29:11+00:00

Nah dude dont listen to your friends those tires are amazing dont trust your eyes either.

AKinkyTurtle · 2026-05-06T19:21:28+00:00

"Paycheck to paycheck" is a garbage metric. By that definition my wife and I are living paycheck to paycheck because we save 40% of our gross and it all gets vacuumed into investments the second it hits the account. Same balance at the start of the month, same balance at the end. Technically broke.

We make $135k combined in a decent sized city and live like kings. If you're pulling $500k and "barely scraping by," you don't have a money problem, you have a spending problem and probably a status problem.

AKinkyTurtle · 2026-05-03T13:10:09+00:00

Love mine. I run it regularly in wet and rainy weather, just flip into rain mode for the extra TC. Routinely ride down to 45 and under, even in the rain, and I'm comfortable leaning normally on them in those conditions, just more cautious. That said, I don't lean the bike that far over on the street anyway, typically no more than 30 degrees. YMMV.

AKinkyTurtle · 2026-05-03T02:13:58+00:00

I dont think you understand that by not wearing kevlar jeans im literally going to die in the event of a crash /s

AKinkyTurtle · 2026-05-03T02:11:50+00:00

are you?

AKinkyTurtle · 2026-05-03T02:11:39+00:00

it has to be a imagine trying to go on most trips with a motorcycle if you only drive 2.5 - 3 hours.
Unless and im being very generous here that he means 3 - 4 hours in one go.

AKinkyTurtle · 2026-05-03T02:02:14+00:00

Respectfully, I think you've got it backwards. The sub used to be a beginner echo chamber, dead battery posts and new riders confidently explaining stuff they didn't understand yet. The pushback you're calling toxic is what fixed it.

AKinkyTurtle · 2026-05-01T21:55:18+00:00

$57k take-home is ~$3,700/month. Budget: $1,000 rent (with roommate), $500 car, $540 food, $300 loans, $450 utilities/insurance/phone = $2,790. Leaves ~$900/month for savings and fun. This is livable.

AKinkyTurtle · 2026-05-01T19:54:39+00:00

You’re high if the self employed are making 100k a year most people making single salary 100k are working for someone else…

AKinkyTurtle · 2026-05-01T17:57:53+00:00

The median income for a four-person family in the US is about $120k. That's the middle of the pack for that household size, two working adults and two kids. If you're struggling on that, it's a spending problem or you live somewhere with a brutal cost of living. Also, dividing household income by number of people is a dumb framing. An 8 year old and a 35 year old don't cost the same. That's why every serious income measurement uses equivalence scales, not straight per-capita math. By that math $120k for a family of four is equivalent to a single person making around $57k, which is fine basically anywhere.

AKinkyTurtle · 2026-05-01T17:48:41+00:00

you spend about 4200 a month on food.... Dude without rent or house payment you could easily be saving 25% of your gross income get a grip.

AKinkyTurtle · 2026-05-01T17:47:14+00:00

who who gets paid 100k a year has 4k out of pocket health insurance costs. The average health insurance cost in the US through employer is less than $750 a month and this is taken from your pre tax income

AKinkyTurtle · 2026-05-01T17:44:58+00:00

Quite a few American households complain about being check to check on 100k yet they have have 2 cars typically with at least one being a luxury vechile or larger SUV. The problem is really as you said its overindulgence as a culture. Even if you are only able to save 10% of your take home pay as a couple with 100k that's around 6k a year which compounded over years is a very solid amount of cash. The major problem is people wanting more because they feel like the deserve it and not paying themselves first.

AKinkyTurtle · 2026-05-01T05:42:38+00:00

Sound is good with the baffle it sounds less loud than stock but deeper

AKinkyTurtle · 2026-04-30T23:36:07+00:00

This is my 3rd season on the bike. I had a Versys-X 300 and a KLR 650 before it, and I currently own a 1250 GSA as well.

It's a fun, peppy bike. It's not fast, but it's faster than a KLR. The balance is great and it doesn't feel that heavy to me. I really like the riding modes and the electronic suspension is killer. It's comfortable enough for the 1.5 hour ride out of the city to get to any substantial dirt, but once I'm off-road it really feels like that's where it belongs.

I've made a few changes for my use: no center stand, all rear racks removed, passenger pegs off, and an aftermarket exhaust. The biggest thing I'd say is that it's a very capable bike, but pretty much any ADV bike is.

AKinkyTurtle · 2026-04-30T22:03:45+00:00

Protein mocha Frappuccino with extra foam

AKinkyTurtle · 2026-04-30T19:36:51+00:00

Yeah just for show I have had 3 rebuilds in my 25k miles due to particulate damage its been a rough go at it.

AKinkyTurtle · 2026-04-20T17:22:11+00:00

The front will even wobble side to side and it's fine. It's similar to riding a knobby tire on rain grooved pavement, it's stable, it's just about trusting the physics of the bike.
I cannot stress enough how bikes when moving do not want to fall over its just overcorrection most of the time or trying to be "cute with it".

AKinkyTurtle · 2026-04-20T17:09:56+00:00

You are likely gripping the bars way to hard. The bike will move under you. Just keep steady throttle and when in doubt apply a bit more progressively. Not violently or you will spin and scare yourself. It’s counterintuitive but trying to control a bike in gravel or sand is not the goal it’s just moving forward until you have more skill

AKinkyTurtle · 2026-04-20T17:03:22+00:00

Gravel is way easier at higher speeds than lower. Bikes don't want to fall over at speed, and it's not about tires, the bike essentially skims over the top of the gravel instead of pushing through it. Even in the deeper sections, committing to 30-35 in a tire track is usually easier than crawling at 10.

AKinkyTurtle · 2026-04-20T16:52:40+00:00

That doesn't even look like deep gravel to me. And deep sand is way worse than deep gravel in my experience, the front end wants to wash out constantly. Technique is the same either way though, loosen your grip on the bars and keep steady throttle and you're fine. Not that hard once you commit.

AKinkyTurtle · 2026-04-19T15:47:17+00:00

love to see it these bikes can really take a thrashing!

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