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When should we stop riding? -- perspectives of an older rider

4tuneit1 said:
I can only assume I would ride alot longer with a diaper on, than I do now without.
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Hmm maybe that would make the seat on my Duke comfortable ?

On a more serious note my friend recently told me about a family member that road his bike off a cliff on a road in the Santa Cruz hills resulting in a fatality. He was riding his beemer through the twisties at 78 years old , starting to get alzheimer's, it was kind of a sad and a not sad story. I don't think I would have any complaints if I went out like that.
I'm getting old enough I'm starting to think the 18 year olds on Gxxrs are too young to ride but I know it's good to build your skill early ..
 
Jcrocker said:
Hmm maybe that would make the seat on my Duke comfortable ?

On a more serious note my friend recently told me about a family member that road his bike off a cliff on a road in the Santa Cruz hills resulting in a fatality. He was riding his beemer through the twisties at 78 years old , starting to get alzheimer's, it was kind of a sad and a not sad story. I don't think I would have any complaints if I went out like that.
I'm getting old enough I'm starting to think the 18 year olds on Gxxrs are too young to ride but I know it's good to build your skill early ..
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I agree with the first sentiment; bittersweet situation. The second, well... and I had an F2 at 18, but that's a completely different thread that has been beaten to death. :deadhorse
 
when i get too old for the FJR I'm getting a Wing with a trike kit.
 
As soon as you don't absolutely have to ride, you should stop. Basically once the sensible part of your brain takes over..
 
I sold the sportbikes so I am not riding in the street anymore. Mainly due to the wonderful drivers we have here in South Florida. And the LEOs are a complete pain in the ass too.

I didn't want to give it up completely so now I am frequently racing YSRs and mini motards in my local track.

I find that 30 minutes on a track riding at full throttle, aggressive leaning and breaking is better than an entire day of street riding dealing with the cagers and the cops.

Yes, I know they are just minibikes on a small track. But if you havent tried it yet, be carefull, it's highly addictive.
 
When will I stop riding? When I feel like I'm an expert who can't learn anymore or if I see myself starting to have too many close calls that I did not have when I was younger.

I am a much better rider at almost 40 than I was at 20 or 30, but that is because I have embraced a philosophy of continuing education.
 
Jcrocker said:
On a more serious note my friend recently told me about a family member that road his bike off a cliff on a road in the Santa Cruz hills resulting in a fatality. He was riding his beemer through the twisties at 78 years old , starting to get alzheimer's, it was kind of a sad and a not sad story. I don't think I would have any complaints if I went out like that.
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I know exactly what you are saying. Having watched a family member go thru the Alzheimer's progression, it is something I would not want to experience for myself, or inflict on family.
 
The family would have to pry me off the damn thing. And I don't have any whipper-snappers to do it yet.

I'm not planning to stop. If I can't swing my leg over, I'll get a scooter.
 
You can transfer to this and this would help out with your balancing issue too.

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When shoud we stop riding? -- perspectives of an older rider
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2050

I will be 93 years old then, then I am going to the theater and take the pill and watch all the bambi's walk in the forest, while my cop buddy screams

DONT EAT IT ITS PEOPLE :rofl
 
Well that's an easy question. I'll stop when the DMV says I can't have a license anymore. The gov't wouldn't let me down. I have total faith in their ability to make that decision for me. :teeth
 
I like the new 1rider section. Thanks Data Dan for reviving this.

I asked my doc the OPs question last time I was in to see him. I was thinking (I'm 39, riding since 20) I could do some kind of reflex/vision testing now to establish a comparison so I could see when my physical skills were going that would help me judge when to stop riding.

He said a friend of his, a research MD, was involved when Boeing raised the mandatory retirement age of test pilots from 60 to 63. The main thing was that flying was such a complex activity, that simple skills tests like reflexes and peripheral vision couldn't predict how well someone flew a plane. He said the same thing applied to riding a motorcycle. Judgment and ability to anticipate are going to be much more important in riding than reaction times. (the doc used the word "psychomotor" a lot, so I kept nodding my head.)

He said it was pointless to test me in any physical way. His advice: be thin and active.

Thin and active people have the least mental decline as they get older. He said it's the mental aspect of riding that will keep you safest, not how quickly you can start when the light turns green.

So I plan to keep riding until my eyes go or I can find the keys anymore. I'll probably slow down, lower my risk tolerance, and eventually stop lane splitting, but I hope to keep riding until I'm in my 70s or beyond.
 
briang467 said:
[My doctor] said a friend of his, a research MD, was involved when Boeing raised the mandatory retirement age of test pilots from 60 to 63. The main thing was that flying was such a complex activity, that simple skills tests like reflexes and peripheral vision couldn't predict how well someone flew a plane. He said the same thing applied to riding a motorcycle. Judgment and ability to anticipate are going to be much more important in riding than reaction times. (the doc used the word "psychomotor" a lot, so I kept nodding my head.)

He said it was pointless to test me in any physical way. His advice: be thin and active.
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Chesley Sullenberger, the US Air pilot from Danville who landed his Airbus in the Hudson River last January, is 58 years old. Al Haynes, the pilot who managed to land his DC-10 in an Iowa cornfield in 1989 with no hydraulics and only thrust to control the aircraft, was 57 years old at the time.

Old age is highly overrated as a disabling factor in motorcycling.

Youth is highly overrated as a benefit in motorcycling.
 
Actually Capt. Haynes had that crippled DC-10 lined up quite well with the runway. All the cornfield stuff happened after touch down. I'll take age and experience over youth and exuberance any day!
 
lol my dads 57 and just bought his own 07 gsxr 600 :ride:teeth granted i learn shit way faster and i go a lot faster in the turns he enjoys the hell out of it. if you don't enjoy it forget it and start saying "back in the good ol' days"
 
I went to an Old Timer National Motocross. You cannot believe how fast the over 70 year old expert class is. Even jumping most of the jumps. It gave me new hope that you can still ride and have fun at any age!!!

My advice, Don't listen to non-riders telling you what to do. Ride until you are not having fun any more.:thumbup
 
stay'n upright said:
other than the WII Fit, are there any other web sites or dvds, etc. you could recommend for us older riders to improve balance, core strength?
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Try this experiment:

Hold reading material at reading distance. The font size should be normal, about 12 pica.

Shake your head as if you were emphatically communicating "NO", as you read the material for 1 minute. You should not stop, and the oscillations should be rapid.

You should be able to read at nearly the same accuracy compared to holding your head still. If you can't read the page or if you get a bit nauseated or dizzy, you need to practice to re-gain this important balance reflex. (vestibular-ocular reflex). This reflex involves coordination between your eyes and your inner ear (vestibular organ). You were born with this reflex intact and it will be the last reflex you lose. It gets rusty and needs tuned up as we age.

Here is a simple exercise I use:

Hold your thumb at arms length in front.

Maintain gaze on thumb nail, as you shake your head side to side. If you have difficulty maintaining gaze, slow the oscillations a bit. Do this for 1 minute a day. Gradually build up velocity of head movements.

When reading, occasionally try the exercise using the print instead of your thumb nail, to see your progress.

You can also simply pick a point on a wall or distant object and practice, maintain gaze as you shake your head 'NO'.

This exercise will benefit you for the rest of your life.

It is a good exercise to do just before leaving for a ride.

:ride
 
I'm 63 and can still hit low 1:50s at Sears Point on my SV650. The best balance exercise I know is to stand on one foot and balance yourself with your arms.... When you can do this for a minute or longer easily, CLOSE YOUR EYES and do it..... Don't do this with your eyes closed unless you have plenty of room and a soft floor. Do crunches, situps, resistance training and aerobic exercise.

Unfortunately most older riders simply don't exercise at all... Bad idea.
 
You're only as old as you feel.......I'm 51 but feel like I'm still in my early 20's. It's up to each individual IMHO.
 
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