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Got my MSF training last year at age 44, rode a 250 for a while, then bought a 1200 custom. Put over 5k miles on it and had a great time.
Fast forward to today, luck ran out and got hit by a red light runner broadside.
Am OK, no injuries, bike is mostly ok. Lost some confidence in riding and humanity in general, but that may wear off. Too many close calls from distracted drivers is killing it for me.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
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@ age 40, I suggest you get some serious 'off-road' / Back Road time in. You can buy a lot of fun dual sports VERY cheap and they are economical and EZ to maneuver.
Reflexes and CONFIDENCE in knowing how to get yourself out of a jam. and a ROVING eye for the next idiot who is gonna 'take-you-out' without ever SEEING you. You know the STATS!!! Many 50 yr olds go down with their new Harley's.
After many yrs and miles and a racing career, I left my bikes behind during 'children @ home'.
This yr I am back with a passion (and WELL insured / donor ready) but won't be doing any more 'cross country' trips. It is just too much effort and pain, and I often fall asleep while cruising. I restored and rode several of my road bikes and my 'enduros', and found I have MUCH more fun riding my vintage 'thumpers', So I will be sticking with my $600 xt 500's for fun a pleasure (and 70mpg economy). I am taking at least one to Europe (or one of my 650 XS2's). They will get ridden for a yr or two, then sold overseas.
Got my MSF training last year at age 44, rode a 250 for a while, then bought a 1200 custom. Put over 5k miles on it and had a great time.
Fast forward to today, luck ran out and got hit by a red light runner broadside.
Am OK, no injuries, bike is mostly ok. Lost some confidence in riding and humanity in general, but that may wear off. Too many close calls from distracted drivers is killing it for me.
That sucks......glad you are around to tell the story!
"Distracted Drivers" are a real sore spot with me, about 18 months ago I did a 100 mile trip on a very very busy highway and seemed like everyone I was behind had their phone extended away from their body reading a text/email! Since then I have been noticing it more, at night it is easy to spot with the "glow" on the interiors! What kills me is the message they are sending/receiving is crap like "lol, gtg, ok, etc.".....not exactly important stuff!
I had a bike for years before a garage. I kept it outside in Fla for three years under a bike cover. I would go though one about every year. The sun would eat it up. But my bike was like new. I now keep it in a garage but I still have a bike cover.
This yr I am back with a passion (and WELL insured / donor ready) but won't be doing any more 'cross country' trips. It is just too much effort and pain, and I often fall asleep while cruising. .
How about a 63 year old who has not been on a bike for 40 years . He wants to enjoy a few things to remember before he gets too old to do squat....
Riding a motorcycle is like riding a bicycle, you really never forget, however, the bikes of today are noting like the bikes of 40 years ago. I'm 63, I've been riding since I was in my teens, my first bike was a Honda Cub 50 in 1965. I've rode many bikes in the last 40 years, today, for me, it isn't how fast I can get there or how cool do I look, it's about the ride. I never ride faster than my guardian angel can fly nor do I ride faster than I can react. I love getting on my bike and just going for a weekend or a few hours. I ride a Goldwing for comfort and reliability, I can ride 500 miles and get off the bike and still be able to walk, some bikes I have rode, after 50 miles you feel like someone has taken a 2 x 4 to your back.
Get a bike that you can enjoy, if it's long distance riding make sure the bike fits you, most of all, ride within your comfort zone not someone else's.
I'm a 48 year old female. I got my motorcycle license 6 weeks ago. As soon as I got the license, I bought a Yamaha V-Star 650 and have been riding it all the time ever since. My goal is to ride it for a year, then get a HD Softail Deluxe. LOVE it!
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