How old are we??

[mikubuilder]

I guess I will lower the average a little. ..40 in December. ..
Never rode a bike in my life, in 2011 looking through CL came across an ad for Xs11, loved the lines it was full dress, price was right. ...that's how my journey began
Love it every time I ride, can't wait for weather to brake.
And now I have three bikes, Virago and xs11 s

[Iron Duke]

whats your age

guess I'm the first to say I'm the first over 70 pushing 71
love the freedom of 2 wheels , have a 1979 XS11 F got with
16XXX miles up to 21XXX pushing 22 NEVER a problem with
her , runs fantastic ! also have an old Honda VT1100C that
has hi miles and has never caused a problem but is only half
the bike the yammy is

[fredintoon]

I'm 76. I'll be 77 on August 21st.

[TADracer]

I'm 65...going on thirty!
All I need to do is remind my body that it is not as young as my mind.

[Jerry]

61, will be 62 this August. (August is a good month!) Started riding at 16, 1968, had an old HD 45. Moved up to Japanese bikes in '74 with a Honda 450. Took some time off when the kids were young ('84 to '91?) to keep SWMBO happy, back into it with an XS 400 in '92, picked up the XJ in '99 as a more comfortable interstate ride, joined the XS group early in '99 before I bought the XJ. Bought the Concours in 2009 - it is a 2006 model - and semi-retired the XJ until I can do a frame-up refit. The XJ sits, covered, in my garage.

A good many people I rode with early on got out and never came back. My brother, brother-in-law are two such people. I still enjoy riding and hope to continue on as long as I am not a danger to myself or others.

Diamond custom seat on the XJ and Russel Day-Long on the Connie help a lot...

[TopCatGr58]

Just turned 56 last month. Like Mike/Tadracer my mind is younger than my body! I attended my grandneice's 5y/o b'day a few days ago, and her father had installed a TRAMPOLINE in the backyard. I said, "why not"! I've had both lowerback and neck surgeries, but those were years ago, and I've been able to run, lift weights, so I thought a little jumping wouldn't hurt. Did a few down onto my knees, on my back, and then tried another bounce on my knees and when I landed on my knees I Heard and FELT a prominent POP in my midback region just at the bottom of my ribcage....took my breath away for a few moments. Thankfully no numbness in my legs or such, and it doesn't get worse when I push/pull on any muscles in my back area, but it does ACHE a bit....but it's getting better, just taking Motrin. SWMBO/Nurse says I must have just POPPED/Cracked a joint in my midback similar to when you crack your knuckles, but this did hurt a bit much! I hope I didn't herniate a disc...but we'll see what happens.

Anyways...first experience besides my bicycle was my friends Moped...so YES, they do count! Then got to ride a friends little INDIAN 90. Last year of High School '75-'76 I got a '67 Yamaha 305cc 2-stroke....spent more time in the shop that on the road..finally died of a cracked piston skirt! Mom got me a '74 Yamaha TX500A twin 4-stroke street machine in '76 for graduation. Rode it for 5 years, took it with me from Texas to California after Bootcamp, and then shipped it to Japan with my transfer goods in 79-81. Found a XS750 Triple in a bike shop off base in Japan for $500.00 US$. Registered it and rode it for 1.5 years in JAPAN. But I wanted something BIGGER. They had the 11's in the Navy Exchange on base. A fellow sailor had gotten an '81SH but just parked it on base at his apartment building, never registered it because it was a HASSLE in Japan. He had brought a Honda cv500 with him and rode that. But he was about to be transferred home, and he wasn't very big, and had wife, 2 kids, and thought he would kill himself if he got that thing back home to the states. SO...he sold it to me for the same price he paid for it in '81, it was then '83, it only had 17 miles on it! Brought it back home in my household goods allowance. Rode it from 83-92 until the tranny crapped out....1st and 2nd gear. Parked it, was going to get back to it soon, but life....finances, etc., so it sat for 9 years, and I didn't properly prepare it, so it got all rusted and corroded, etc.. I then found the XS11 Yahoo group/list in 1999, learned how to do the Dremel fix, and got back on our feet financially, and my Dad passed away which hit me into realizing that life is TOO SHORT. Got the bike into the garage, and did a rebuild, topend job and such, done in 2000, met a bunch of great guys on XS11.com and attended my first Rally in 2001, and have been ever since! I've always like Yamaha's, and also the members on OUR SITE. I hope to continue riding for many decades to come. One of these days I'll get a DIRT BIKE, but for now I'm content to play on the streets!

T.C.

[graybird78]

turned 49 in december.have had my sg for almost 15yrs. before that had kaw 750 ltd and little kz400. first bike was a honda 500,that little brother swiped and wrecked. my dad had bikes since i could remember. his first bike was a honda 305 dream. loved riding since i was little kid.

[je2wheeler]

Old guys rule!!

66 Here. I began riding in 1960, at 13. I was living in a state that didn't require a motorcycle license at the time and in a very rural area where everybody was use to kids driving farm equipment on the roads and that kind'a meld into driving trucks, cars and even motorcycles.
I was FORCED to get my m/c license in 1972 when was living in a different state that had required M/C license like forever and I got my first speeding ticket. I was an in-country Vet with a chip on my shoulder. I did not go quietly into that night but I did end up very meekly in county lock-up for 72 hours. I was informed that if I brought my M/C license to traffic court, charges would be dripped, except for fines.
I have had my endorsement ever since.

[Murphyslaw]

23. Started out on a 79 Harley roadster 1000. Picked up my xs for $50 and got it running.....now I don't get Harley Davidson much and their engineering...If you can even call it that. I'll say one thing. There is no tank in the world that I love more than a peanut Harley tank.

[Poprock]

71 here. Started riding @ 61 on a XJ 650. Moved to the XS11 SG a year later. Still have it, still love it. Might like to get a dual sport, but The King of Kong goes down the road so sweet and he doesn't beat me up. Probably gonna stay with Kong till one of us quits running.

[jwhughes3]

50.

Like Greg, wanted one but never got one til later when I could afford one.

Now I can afford more, but all I want is the XS11.

John

[wingnut]

59 and counting. Started out with a Riverside step thru when I was 11. Neighbor gave it to me with no spark Learned basic engine mechanics on that thing and rode it until a friend over reved it. Next was YL1 that came to me in boxes. Rebuilt that and fell in love with the way Yamaha did things Discovered XSs in my late teens and have been hooked ever since Bought a 80 1100 special new and knew this was the bike for me. When the first kid was born the bike had to go for the sake of SOMBO's peace of mind. In 05 found my basket case 81 and we have been happy ever since. This site has saved more old bikes and old guys dreams of youth than should be allowed. Long live Channel 11 and the machines that bring us together.

[XJOK2PLAY]

I'm 61...

Dang, Ben!
Didn't realize you'd been around since motorcycles were a new concept!

Holy cow.............


Hahahahaha......

[XS1100carbon]

Age

It's funny to read people post's on here ,the opinion's and such and then see how their age fit's their posts or doesn't. I'm 54 and just turned drinking age. YEEHAA!!

[cajun31]

No spring chicken

I guess everyone could have guessed by my signature that in order to have actually purchased a 1980 MNS new I would have to now be in my 50s. I am 57. I bought the bike when I was 23. I was riding an XS650SF and traded it in on the MNS. I believe the asking price was $4299.00 new and I had to make payments for 4 years. It was worth every penny. Of course I let it sit up 20 years while my kids were young. I had several close friends that lost their lives on motorcycles and I did not want to be one of those statistics while my children needed me. Not that they don't need me now. I am at least at the age now that my sudden disappearance would not impact them as it would have back in those days. My biggest problems were that I did not store the bike properly and of course before Ebay parts were impossible to find in good condition. I did my first restore on the bike in 2001. I then immediately got transferred with my job and could not take the bike with me. Well now 13 years later and through a divorce I am once again in the process of updating and restoring my bike again. Once nice thing about being old and retired is I have plenty of time and I have accumulated a lot of parts. I am also trying to upgrade some things on the bike as I go through it this time. It runs fine and I could just throw tires on it and go but like MAC I want to make it like it was when I bought it. With the help of this forum I have learned much more, more quickly then I would have ever been able to do on my own.