how old is everyone?

[gene]

I will be 58 May 20th. Been riding off and on since I was 5 years old. I've had a lot of bikes over the years, but the xs1100's have always been timeless to me. I just road my my new BMW NineT and my xs1100 yesterday and the xs1100 still feels better. It might be missing Brembo calipers, ohlin forks and shocks, fuel injection, a wide back tire, but it's still my favorite.

[3Phase]

(thinking modular helmet)
Hmm... 61 in June.
(/thinking modular helmet)

[SouthernGrey64]

How old am I?

I am 77 years old. Doesn’t seem possible; I don’t feel 77.

I started riding at 15 when I bought a used Sears Allstate scooter to deliver my paper route on. Got it from the kid next door who had moved up to a car. I learned how to turn a wrench on that scooter as the engine had to be rebuilt. The kid’s dad was a mechanic and he helped me fix it as part of the deal (he wanted to get it out of his basement). Delivered papers on it until mid-way through my Senior year in High School. Sold it to a kid in the neighborhood.

Bought my first real motorcycle, a Harley 250 cc Sprint, when a sophomore at Georgia Tech. Used it to get to class. I had just gotten married and my wife needed the only car we had to get to her work. Also, after classes I worked at the local Harley shop putting up parts. Traded this bike with a one of the guys at the shop for a ‘57 Harley Pan Head hard tail chopper.

Sold the chopper a few years later and bought a new 1973 Yamaha TX500 from a dealer. This was a nice little bike, Kept it for several years and then bought my current ride, a new ‘79 XS1100SF, in late January ‘80 (it was a leftover from '79).

Rode this bike for 13 years (1993) when life got too busy to ride. I parked it in the basement with a half tank of gas thinking I would take it for a ride next week. Next week didn’t happen for a long time. It only had a little over 10 K miles on it at the time. After three different careers I retired in 2010. Finally, in the fall of 2015, I got the urge to see what it would take to get the XS1100 running. My son and I literally slid it out of the basement (as the brakes were frozen) to clean it up. Amazingly, after a washing, the bike looked like it was brand new. Cosmetically, it looked great but lots of fixes had to be made before I could ride it again. All the rubber had to be replaced, rust had to be removed from the tank, carbs had to be cleaned, brakes had to be rebuilt, ... etc., etc. Luckily, I found this forum and thanks to all of you I was able to get it running after a little over a year. My first test ride was in April of '16 but it wasn't road worthy until September of that year. My first road trip since 1993 was to the Barber Motorsport’s Vintage Bike weekend in 2016 with an old High School buddy. Since then I have been on several trips with him and other friends to various places all over the south. The bike now has almost 20 K miles on it and runs like a scalded dog. Glad I fixed it up!

This is a great site! Thanks again to all of you for your help and encouragement!

[Bonz]

This is a great thread! Keep up the discussion.

[Jerry]

Will be 68 later this year. Started riding in high school, first bike was a beat-up Harley 45. Friend in my class had a 74 (That is cubic inches, not year.) Sold it, had a Honda 90 of all things. Accident took that out a week before my marriage. Bought a Honda 450, had it "upgraded" by a guy who raced them. Had kids, sold the bike, was without a ride for several years and one day wife surprised me by saying I could get another. Honda 350, sold it to get a Yamaha 400 twin, sold it to get the XJ in 1999 and still have. (1999 was the year I joined the XS forum as well.) The Concours came along in 2009 for longer distance rides.

Don't know how long I will continue to ride. I know many have ridden into 70s and 80s but I an feel my head not able to swivel as it used to and reaction times are not what they were back in the late 60's. SWMBO would like me to quit by age of 70. We sill see.

Other main toy is my 2011 Yamaha Grizzly 550 ATV purchased new at the end of the summer season.

I am looking at rides based out of my retirement home in NE Iowa, not near the selection I had in western Colorado but some nice riding along the Mississippi River, I am told.

[Bonz]

I can see it now, you're going to hold a Midwest get-together called the Iowa "Mississippi Mud and Motorcycles" rally.

[MaximPhil]

I can see it now, you're going to hold a Midwest get-together called the Iowa "Mississippi Mud and Motorcycles" rally.

I like the sound of that rally. My only visit to Iowa was in the middle of a full blown snowstorm so i would like to see it at a more hospitable time

Phil

[Bonz]

My wife went to Luther college in Decorah, Iowa. I was amazed at the terrain and geography compared to most of Iowa.

[dpotter58]

62 in August!

[MarkD]

Just a little more info ( 64 yrs old) - remembering past lives here. Rode a minibike at 13. Got my first motorcycle at 15- a Harley 125 Rapido ( in my signature). Painted an old license plate blue to match my state that year, put it in the Rapido, and rode it to work all summer and Fall. Lucky I didn't get caught- I was only 15. Got a Suzuki X-6 Hustler, that was a lot faster. Then a TS 125 Suzuki. Then raced moto-cross for 2 years at 19+ 20 on
a TM 125 Suzuki. Then laid off bikes for a while. Being 6' 4'' , I like the XS F I now own.

[Bergman16]

Up in Grant Wood territory it is really beautiful. All my DNA is from Iowa via Norway and Holland. 61 in July.

And all my people but me went to Central and I think they are big rivals with Luther. I never lived there except for a couple years in Iowa City that I loved.

My wife went to Luther college in Decorah, Iowa. I was amazed at the terrain and geography compared to most of Iowa.

[Rasputin]

I am 62 yrs old. Bought my first motorcycle 50 yrs ago when I was 12. My first XS was bought in 1979 and I still have it as well as others.

[alabama-al]

Will be 62 in a couple of months. Been riding forever. I have a Triumph, a Harley, a couple of Hondas and a bunch of Yamaha's. Always had a soft spot for the XS's. Have more of them than any other.

[Buckmaster79]

57 years young !!

On my third 1979 XS1100SF

[JustJoeV]

How Old (Too Old)

Well in a month I'll be 67 (dam, I'm old) been riding since I was 16,first bike : A Yamaha 50cc step through 3spd. auto-clutch. Got bad knees, when I take the xs11 out gotta make sure I'm not tired,she's top heavy. when I'm tired I ride my 06 Suzuki m50 cruiser, low seat is easier on the knees. Knees are shot from 40+ years of Ice Hockey Goaltending which I still do, I figure they're(knees) destroyed already,can't make 'em any worse LOL>

Well that's my story and I'm sticking to it,at least as long as I remember it.

Ride safe

Joe v