40 years of riding

[madmax-im]

1976 marked the first time i rode street bikes legally...started on a XS650 "Heritage" turned into a chopper with a trigger clutch(no friction point) learned to ride that on the grounds of the Univ.of Ariz in parking lots...taking it year by year now...thinking I may just hang it up after this year...go out on top so to say...no major accidents or getoffs in all these years..came close a few times though...Y'all ride safe out there...

[JeffH]

[Jerry]

First "legal" bike for me was back in '74. Honda Trail 90, remember those? It was a great bike for knocking around backwoods lots where I was cutting trees for paper mills in Wisconsin to earn money for college. The next year I graduated up to a Honda CB450.

One accident in the ensuing stretch but not major as I had no broken bones or required any stitches. Ruined the helmet, though. Since then it has been ATGATT for me.

[JeffH]

.taking it year by year now...thinking I may just hang it up after this year...go out on top so to say...no major accidents or getoffs in all these years..came close a few times though...Y'all ride safe out there...

Yup, that's the million $$$ question. When to Stop.
Something to contemplate. Something riders must face.
Then something to ultimately Act On before a problem arises.

Since we Ride we know the Risks. We also see how the highways have become more dangerous with distracted driving and people that just don't care.
Like Brent says, like a lot of opera singers warming up "me me me me" makes driving more dangerous; texting, phones, booze, drugs, carelessness, reading books, etc.
Its getting worse.

Aging brain (balance, judgement, cpu speed) not our friend. Plus after about 50, recognizing we are really not as sharp & quick as we once were.
Maybe going off that cliff WOT sounds like an exciting way to go out, but in the last 20 seconds maybe that's not the best.

Though a lot depends on where & when we ride. For sure Speed Kills, but there are so many other factors to consider.

Jeff

[rover]

40 years of riding more like 64

Year:1954 Bike: 46 Cushman scooter 4 HP 2 speed trans.
After a month or so, drove a friend's Indian Scout. That ended the relationship with the Cushman. Bought a 38 Harley. Next year got a 38 Indian 4 cyl. 2 years with that. Enlisted in the Army. After 10 months was sent to France. Bought a French made Terrot 500 cc. Rode that around Europe. Left it there when I came home in 1960. Bought a 46 Harley 80 ci. Been riding ever since on various bikes. Didn't have any bike in 1976. In 77, bought a 350 Honda, first foreign bike. Bought a 72 Kaw 750 3 cyl 2 stroke. 3 years on that. Bought a 79 Yam XS11 SF in 1980. Still have it. In 02, bought a 79 F, still riding that. My son is 10 now, he rode with me since he was 8. I have no intention of stopping, as I am healthy, strong and alert. One accident when I was 22, broke a collar bone. I will be 78 this year, and hope to ride a few more years.

[Martini Man]

50 years so far....

As soon as I turned sixteen, I borrowed my sisters 70cc Italian scooter and passed my test and that covered me to ride any size motorcycle. It was an awful thing to ride with it's dragging clutch and three gears. The only saving grace was neutral involved twisting the left grip all the way up and was foolproof. Next came an Ariel 350. I soon traded for a 600VB Ariel, because of the bigger engine. Apart from that the bikes were similar. I still have that bike. Next came a variety of bikes including a Manx Norton, an AJS 650 twin, a Bonneville and a BSA A65. I wish I'd kept those. My first new bike was an XS2 650 Yahama. I had that a year and bought another new one and put 50,000 miles on it before trading for a new XS1100 in 1978. I kept it and it's done to date 300,000 miles, and 200,000 of those miles is with a 3 seater sidecar, and no second gear problems ever! ( There's a knack to looking after your 2nd gear, just ask). I bought another new XS1100 Martini and did 300,000 miles on that too. Other XS1100's came along and I kept them as well, so now I have 4. All in standard trim, but all have their personalities....My latest bike is, sorry about this, a Goldwing 1500 with a sidecar. I found it through a friend and it had 3,400 miles on the clock and looked and drove like brand new. The wife loves the back seat and the sidecar with it's air suspension and creature comforts.....So far I've been riding nearly 50 years. I've fallen off and been knocked off a few times but I'm still riding and don't see any reason to stop. We have a guy in our club who's 93 and loves riding to rallys. I hope I last as long...

[trbig]

Meh.. Just get a trike of some sort and keep harassing society, Ben. Maybe rig up a foot gas pedal so you just have to sit down and hold on! lol.

[ViperRon]

You do in life what feels right to you and thank god you can choose. There can come a point in life or a bad decision and you loose the right to choose its just over and that is it. I have high regard for a man who loves motorcycles and yet makes a decision rather than have loved ones feel a loss. I started on a little 125 back in 1974 quickly replaced by a R5B 350 that I spent a god awful amount of money making near illegal with modifications to be like what Kenny Roberts raced. Every 2 weeks I'd be in the Agriculture shop welding a new bead on the foot pegs. I do not bend as I did when I was young so I have tempered my driving way back. And once you come to the realization that rather than sliding along to stop you more resemble a wet dish rag tumbling across the floor its easy to back off.

[madmax-im]

Thanks for sharing your experiences guys...64 yrs...That is awesome Rover...and Martini Man with 50+...it is a blessing that we can do what we have been doing and continue to do...I do find inspiration in those experiences so we're gonna rethink this a bit...

[madmax-im]

Meh.. Just get a trike of some sort and keep harassing society, Ben. Maybe rig up a foot gas pedal so you just have to sit down and hold on! lol.

ha ha ha...i'm not a 3 wheeler type...perhaps another bike...much lighter day tripping but not LD riding might just do the trick...lord knows i have wanted something else in the stable for a while now...

[rover]

40 years of riding more like 64

OOOOOPPS-more like 62 years, sorry.

[madmax-im]

OOOOOPPS-more like 62 years, sorry.

Still impressive and inspiring...Thanks for sharing...

[madmax-im]

Jeff...all good points you have made too...reminds me of my Grandpa...back in the 1960s in Huntington LI NY times were alot simpler and there was less people and traffic on the roads...and ofc distracted me me me's were few and far between...My Grandpa would pull out of his parallel parking spot on the street and never...ever look to see what might be coming...before pulling out back then you could get away with it...and he did...never got burned for that...Try that today? I dont think so... So the risks are that much greater today than when we began this endeavor....Though I have stated a thought about giving it up...reality is i'm not quite there yet...however the seed has been planted...so to say...I mean at our age it wouldn't be prudent not to ask these questions...

[BA80]

Here's another question to ask yourself Ben. Can you think of anything else you enjoy as much as getting your knees in the breeze in some great country and sweet roads with good friends?

Yeah, me either. If you can't handle that big bad XS, get yourself another wussy, electronic, automated, rocking chair bike. LOL

[madmax-im]

Yeah... I already got one of both Greg...ha ha...