Topic: Baby Boomer Riders

[SuperVel]

Great responses to the original posting.  I am not a kid anymore and I want to finally succumb in a recliner while watching a ball game.  I drive like I was in a combat situation.  I keep my mind clear of unnecessary, faraway and trivial problems.  No matter what I am driving at the time, my foot is just above the brake pedal.  I watch for eye to eye contact if there is a motorist in my sight.  I slow down until I am relatively sure that I have been seen and give everybody my right of way.  I have an inner sense of what is the safe speed for the road and traffic and am allways looking for a defensive maneuver for those times when someone in a four wheeler might do something stupid.  I am twice as cautious of drivers using cell phones.  And, I always wear leather, even when the temperature is up there. 

Take care, keep safe.

Marty.

[CrisPDuk]

I thought thats what leather chaps and foot pegs where for, just stand up and moon the world.

James

I just spat coffee at my monitor

I think at 36 I may be too young to be a baby boomer, and I definitely am not a feet forward kind of guy So I think I sort of took the sensible route.

I did my CBT course and DAS test (both compulsory in the UK if you want to ride) last year in the UK along with a couple of mates, they both went off and bought new 600's, specifically an ER-6N and a GSXR600R.
Me on the other hand, I just kept happily scooting along, having the time of my life, on my little H100 2 stroke waiting until I found the right 550

Although my CB is definitely classed as a small bike these days, and I like to think I took the sensible approach, I actually sat down and did some maths the other day, and worked out that in power to weight ratio terms, it's actually got more grunt than my 220bhp Ford Sierra and almost as much as my 280bhp Subaru both of which I spent a long time building up to

[BobbyR]

I wonder if Depends would cushion the seat and allow you to ride more miles.

Don't know about that, but they help if you are driving 900 miles without stopping.

I thought real men wore a Stadium Pal type of device while doing endurance runs.

What is with this Stadium Pal. At Yankee games everyone knows why they put a wider mouth on the large beer cup. You drink the beer and you later return it to the same container.

[GroovieGhoulie]

I started riding on my 400 and you would not BELIEVE the derision it got.  I was made fun of constantly by people saying I needed a "man's" bike. 

I disagree.  It taught me a lot and the performance envelope isn't insane.  I consider 650s-750s to be "big ones" with Litre bikes in the stratosphere.  I get laughed at for that too.

I STILL love to ride that 400.  Though the 750 will be replacing it as the daily bike when I get back while it undergoes restoration, I do like it better than the 750.  Though I freely admit that the added power of the 750 is a boon on US freeways, the 400's handling and "fun-to-ride" quotient is unbeatable.

My buddies rib me about my love and defense of "smaller" bikes all the time.  A guy on another board I post on was asking about getting a KLR650 as a good dual-sport.  He also said he was thinking of the KLR250 but doubted that it could pull his 6' 3" 200lb self around.  I said that a 250 would do it, not as easy as the 650 and it would be more stressed, especially off-road, but it could definitely do it.  A friend of mine replied to the guy saying that "no matter what bike you start out on, you want something bigger and with more power within the first week, unless you're a fag with a Cafe Racer Fetish."  He, of course, recommended the 650.

Now he was joking with me, but he cannot believe that I bought a 400 over a year ago and am STILL riding it, happy with the power.  This is a typical mindset unfortunately.

I think the 400 was a perfect starter.  Maybe too big to start, (I thought of getting a 200-250), but it has grown with me as I've gotten better.  I do think I would definitely have outgrown a 175 or 200 by now.

[Einyodeler]

I agree GG.
 I started at 8 years old so I`ve got over 40 years of riding experience. Up until 10 years ago most of my street riding was done in Germany (no speed limits on hwy) and Europe, on everything from old BMWs to FJs , GSXRs and yes even Harleys. Back in 1977 I had a `76 CB400Four and it was one of those bikes that left such a lasting impression on me that in the back of my mind I always wanted another one.
I found my first 500 a few years back where it had been sitting under a tree for 11 years and knew I had to have it. I was riding an R1 as my daily rider. The thing about the R1 is that I could only ride it at maybe 25% of it`s potential over here in the states without signing up for track time somewhere or else lose my license.
On the 500 I can make it scream and take it to it`s limit every time I get on and still keep up in the twisties with my riding buddies on they`re new bigger is better bikes.
I sold my R1 last spring because it just started sitting around more and more as I would opt to take the little old bike instead.
The guys I rode with just didn`t get it either when I sold the Yami and bought another derelict little 500.
Everytime I get out on it and take her up to 9`000 rpm my smile goes from ear to ear.
But let`s just keep it here in the family,otherwise everybody will want one and there won`t be anymore left for us to bring back to life and enjoy

[starion88esir]

I've seen both sides. I understand both as well. I'm 21 and most the guys I know personally that ride are around 25. One started out with a CBR1000 Repsol edition. Started out, how he didn't kill himself I've yet to figure out. Over the handlebars, standing on the seat, all that stupid crap, he did it. Another guy I know is all of 5"6  130lbs and bought a Hayabusa as his starter. This moron almost took out my buddy while they were riding together at less than 10mph when a car went by him and he got scared. He's afraid of the bike (rightfully so imo) but is a risk to himself and anyone near him. I also see all the old guys looking for instant youth on two wheels. Weaving in and out of traffic on sport bikes as well as cruisers.   

Yeah, I'm going to be starting out with a 750. Higher than I wanted, but I couldn't find a 400-500 in my are or in my price range and when I found out the insurance rates on a ninja 250, I gave up any idea of buying a low powered sport bike to learn the ropes on.  I have almost 500 more cc and my insurance will be hundreds less than what it would be for a Ninja 250.

[74cb750]

Insurance costs are always a concern when you are talking about newer bikes.
Older bikes like the one many of us here own have very low insurance costs ($58-90/yr)
I wonder if the insurance costs have gone up on the larger bikes proportionally to
the number of accidents/older bikers? OR are all motorcyclists sharing these costs.

The article really didn't say much other than offer opinions. I believe the AMA
has done a study on older 1st time riders.

I may be older, but got most of my accident experiences while still a young 16-19 years.
Luckily little phsysical damage. Did learn the hard way to watch out for inattentive drivers
and messy road conditions.

Peace,
michel