Ageing motorcyclists - what's your plan?

[MSTRS:Me]

I think keeping the skills honed is the absolute key to staying safe, both by regular riding and formal courses (the latter being invaluable for learning both new skills and identifying shortcomings).

AND highlighting/correcting the inevitable bad habits. We are but human, after all.

[slofox]

Slofox, I admire your ability to bend your knees to fit a Gixxer. Don't think I could do it with damage to both knees!

I find it more comfortable than the SVS believe it or not.

I did 1100km in 28 odd hours at New Year and could still walk afterwards...

[george formby]

That's the $64,000 question, really, and the sad answer is that we don't know. All of us have minor lapses while driving/riding and give ourselves a bit of a wake up, it's called "being human." When we see oldies driving badly, we know they think they are driving well, mind you that goes mostly for youngsters too.

The point is that if we are humble and safety conscious, we will be monitoring our own standards and we will be alert to any lapses in judgement and take heed of them. When we reach a point where we feel we are not doing well enough, or especially, if we listen to our spouse/family/friends, we will then perhaps make the decision to quit before something really bad happens. However, for those of us who love driving/riding, the decision to quit will be one of the hardest we will ever make!

I have no choice at the mo but to quit riding due to my health and I'm absolutely gutted to sell my bike! I love it and I love riding but the risk of fracture is too great and may remain so for several years.

I'm not really eligible to contribute but I do agree with on going self assessment, it's something I already do & my ability or actions are directly related to how much time i spend on the bike. Use it or lose it, it seems. I'm brutally honest about how I'm riding.

My pater bought an Aprilia Tuono in his late 50's with the excuse that he wanted to ride that style of bike while he still had the mental & physical reflexes to really use it. To this day, he is now retired, he commutes on a C90 through the winter, gets his jollys on a CRM 250 motard ( I want it! ) & tours on my up over TDM 850. He is still one of the fastest road riders I know, I give him a bollocking when I go home now for being irresponsible, he thinks I ride like a copper. Oh, more irony.

Despite not being of a certain age I already notice it takes me longer to get properly focused when I jump on the bike after a lay off, when I lose the focus altogether I should really get off the road.

Sorry to hear about your circumstances Edbear.

[Edbear]

I'm not really eligible to contribute but I do agree with on going self assessment, it's something I already do & my ability or actions are directly related to how much time i spend on the bike. Use it or lose it, it seems. I'm brutally honest about how I'm riding.

My pater bought an Aprilia Tuono in his late 50's with the excuse that he wanted to ride that style of bike while he still had the mental & physical reflexes to really use it. To this day, he is now retired, he commutes on a C90 through the winter, gets his jollys on a CRM 250 motard ( I want it! ) & tours on my up over TDM 850. He is still one of the fastest road riders I know, I give him a bollocking when I go home now for being irresponsible, he thinks I ride like a copper. Oh, more irony.

Despite not being of a certain age I already notice it takes me longer to get properly focused when I jump on the bike after a lay off, when I lose the focus altogether I should really get off the road.

Sorry to hear about your circumstances Edbear.

Thanks mate! I go see my surgeon next Wed. so hopefully he's got some good news for me. Problem is Osteoporosis and having major spinal surgery last Sept after breaking my back last May. Big question is how strong my bones are as the bone density scan showed they were very weak and the worry was whether the surgery would "take". I'll find out Wed. A mate joked I should just hand Mrs. Bear a screwdriver and get her to tighten me up from time to time...

I find it takes about a half hour for me to reattune to the bike after a lay-off and then I start to get back into sinc and relax. So I'm a bit cautious at first. But I do feel still confident in my abilities and can get playful on it and ride "agressively" when I feel like having fun.

[george formby]

Thanks mate! I go see my surgeon next Wed. so hopefully he's got some good news for me. Problem is Osteoporosis and having major spinal surgery last Sept after breaking my back last May. Big question is how strong my bones are as the bone density scan showed they were very weak and the worry was whether the surgery would "take". I'll find out Wed. A mate joked I should just hand Mrs. Bear a screwdriver and get her to tighten me up from time to time...

I find it takes about a half hour for me to reattune to the bike after a lay-off and then I start to get back into sinc and relax. So I'm a bit cautious at first. But I do feel still confident in my abilities and can get playful on it and ride "agressively" when I feel like having fun.

Sounds like my Dad, a nice run out to get the feel of the Tuono. 45 minutes later I'm grinding the TDM's footpegs to keep up & he is leaving me for dust. I put it down to aging rapidly. It's a novelty realising that the bloke who drummed all the riding skills into me, put the fear of God into me & kept me on the straight & narrow is actually a flat out hoon.
I'm waiting for riding to become a challenge not a pleasure then get a bus pass, meanwhile the more miles the better.

[Hitcher]

I rarely think of my age, until I'm trying to read the fine print on something in low light.

I'd like to ride bikes for many years to come. However sometimes things conspire against intentions to do anything at future times. I have no plans to ride or to drive if I cannot do either safely.

[Ocean1]

Age shall not weary those wot were never that fookin' energetic in the first place.

Insofar as a plan might be a good idea I reckon more horsepower is a perfectly acceptable substitute for whatever deficiencies advanced decreptitude might entail.





At least I'm perfectly willing to accept it.

[Blackbird]

Age shall not weary those wot were never that fookin' energetic in the first place.

Insofar as a plan might be a good idea I reckon more horsepower is a perfectly acceptable substitute for whatever deficiencies advanced decreptitude might entail.





At least I'm perfectly willing to accept it.

Your bike has lots of horsepower???

[Ocean1]

Your bike has lots of horsepower???

Suficient.



For the moment.



'Cause I is not old yet y'understand.

[Katman]

I think keeping the skills honed is the absolute key to staying safe,

I would say that having the correct attitude when on the bike is the absolute key to staying safe - skills come a close second.

[superman]

Scientists say we will have the capabilities to make people live over 1000 years in the next couple decades, so we'll see if I get to my aging point

[Sis]

My plan is to be riding my bike on my 90th birthday

Got aways to go so getting in lotsa practise.

I have all ready out-ridden my parents who gave up riding before I got to this age.
My age - old enough to be a member of Ulysses but too old to be a junior ie I am over 50.

I am about to change from a sports bike to something of a cruiser as I my wrists can't take the weight and my hands go numb. Of course, riding at a faster speed would work but ...the demerit points stack up.

As I age, I am very aware that my body is going to take longer to heal. Where I may have taken risks in the younger days, I don't now. My body is beginning to remind me that I am not as agile as I used to be.

Definitely no plans of retiring off the bike, no matter what the govt tries to do.

[pritch]

I would say that having the correct attitude when on the bike is the absolute key to staying safe

You would say that. I'm not so sure.

Someone still riding in their sixties, as opposed to a recently "born again" rider, might be assumed to have a correct(ish) attitude?

That moves skill maintenance up the priorities.

For some, Tom, Skidmark, and others hereabout come to mind, attitude would be the key. If it could be changed...

[yungatart]

When I get old, I plan to ride a Harley naked down the footpath, get arrested, and call on my children to bail me out. I have had this plan for many years. I have the children, now I just need to get old, steal a Harley and find a cop on a footpath.

[Virago]

When I get old, I plan to ride a Harley naked down the footpath, get arrested, and call on my children to bail me out. I have had this plan for many years. I have the children, now I just need to get old, steal a Harley and find a cop on a footpath.

ATGATT nazis be damned, eh...?