Why are most men so emasculated?

A legacy doesn't have to involve kids, but I agree with the second part of your statement, people jump into marriage far to easily these days.

I agree motorcycling can be just as much a part of who you are as anything else, but if for whatever reason I was prevented from getting on a bike again, I wouldn't somehow be less of who I am, I can be just as much who I am with or without my ability to ride.

Well yeah. I think the legacy I leave behind will have to do with motorcycles, I dont really know what other kind of legacy I would leave. Motorcycles really are at the top of my priority list. Ofcourse I work 5 days a week and have other necessities to do, but in my freetime its pretty much motorcycling if the weather is nice. If my future wife would say "you cant ride a bike if you wanna be with me" I'd think it would be pretty much over as far as I could imagine. It would be like being in prison.

She won't let him marry her until he gets rid of his first love.

http://screen.yahoo.com/kaboom-kaboom-motorcycle-080100328.html

They should have blown up his man-card with the bike. The guy's a sniveling door-mat...........

I think most folks who blame someone else for keeping them from something, anything, don't really want that thing very much.

Last guy that pulled the "I've always wanted a motorcycle" routine a the gas station got, in the way of a reply, "well, BUY one . . . there's lots of bargains out there."

"Well, you know, wife, kids, uncle dies on one, dog ate my homework."

"Ah, got it."

I geared up and beat feet . . . . .

Yup.

Using someone else as an excuse is just as pathetically emasculated as the original issue in question. You don't want a bike? Man up and say so. I'll personally have more respect for the person that says "Nah, I've decided it's not for me." than someone who makes an excuse.

Yup.

Y'all just need to have something even bigger for her to worry about. My wife had to get used to the fact that I'm still best friends with my ex. Nothing else ever was an issue. ;D

PhilB

My ex knew she couldn't keep me from riding, but she bitched so much, it really diminished my enjoyment.

And that's how she came to be my ex.

Proper responses to the phrase "man up"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=ayzwzGB2kXw

And then they bitch slapped the big vagina in the parking lot.

Sure, stud.

First off, make damn sure you marry the right woman. After 32 years of marriage I can honestly say neither of us have ever laid down an ultimatum. However...

I am fascinated by men who would choose a machine over the mother of his children. That sounds like a whiny teenager to me...someone who wants their way regardless of the consequences. I cannot imagine acting in such a fashion. My priorities do not include machines.

Every "real man" I have every known...those who attempt to dictate how life goes....all seem to be divorced, single, basically alone. Me I want to be in my wife's bed every night!!! Therefore I take special precautions to keep her happy.

I cannot imagine marrying someone who would try to tell me how to live my life or what kind of activities I should be involved in. I feel sorry for those who have made such a poor choice. But, you did make a vow. Men don't break vows!

"keep her happy" ... What about keeping yourself happy or her keeping you happy. Door swings both ways. I'm not going to be very happy when someone deals out threats "me or your hobby", especially when that hobby means alot to me.

I love my wife and she would never give me an ultimatum all "I'M" saying is when she bitches about my riding it takes away from the enjoyment of the ride. If i had a F--K her attitude her bitching wouldn't take away from the enjoyment of the ride.

I haven't read the whole thread but I did read about this in a magazine and it basically said that it's a new American phenomenon; the man as the incompetent accident-prone idiot prop of the American family. The article said to watch any commercial on TV and observe the man's role. He is either screwing something up, getting talked down to, etc.

I'm sure others have heard this;

A woman marries a man thinking she can change him into what she wants him to be and is pissed when she can't. A man marries a woman expecting she'll never change and is then pissed when she does.

I do not take well to ultimatums or any definitive one sided declarations (i.e. you can't). My wife has learned this the hard way. I am open to compromise when arrived at through thoughtful discussion (although there are some subjects on which I will not compromise).
Any form of "it's either me or (insert point of contention)" is just emotional terrorism (and isn't the sole domain of one gender). I've summarily ended more than a few relationships for this kind of behavior.
My friends still get a laugh talking about a former GF that I dated for about 4 months. She was a great gal and, although I was nowhere near ready to pop the question, she had all the signs of being the one. Due to the logistics of our lives, she had only been to my house maybe three times and had never spent a night there (we were spending at least two nights a week and most weekends at her place). The first night she was going to spend at my house was after a hockey game. After the game she balked upon realizing that I was taking my gear in the house. She was adamant about the gear being left in the garage. I didn't argue the point (mostly just nodded and said "uh huh") and went ahead and, as usual, hung the gear in the basement to dry. Realizing that her protestations were getting her nowhere, she finally declared "I'm not sleeping in this house if that stinky crap can't be left in the garage!", then walked out the front door and stood on the porch, I'm sure expecting me to capitulate. She declined my offer to let her call a cab or a friend for a ride, so I handed her purse to her, shut the door, locked up the house, turned out the lights and went to bed. After about ten minutes she knocked a few times and then gave up.