Older Riders

Not wishing to offend anyone but with you saying white male made me think of today at A&D a bright white hyabusa pulled into the carpark and a big black fella got off it it just didn't look right

 

Yes that’s such an unusual sight.
Thinking about it in India every one rides bikes and you don’t see hardly any Asian riders in the uk, maybe one in 500 sounds about right

 

According to an article I read the average age of a UK motorcyclist is 54, in 1990 it was 32 and in 2009 it was 40. At 72, I'm well over the average!!

It seems to be something us oldies like more than the younger generations!!

 

I believe it comes down to cost - I’m 59 so when I started my apprenticeship in 1982 at 16 a moped was the cheap sensible option. As was the case for the majority of the other starters. Come 17 it was cheaper to get the bike test done and progress to bigger bikes than go down the car route. Car came later but still had a bike for commuting.
Now bikes are an affordable but expensive luxury for pleasure purposes only.
Now for younger riders it’s far too expensive (not to mention the driving standards/lack of them these days) so who would go with a moped?

 

I think also it's a cost thing the older generation has more disposable income we have all worked made provision for our retirement mostly own our own homes and today the younger generation can't afford to buy houses paying extortionate rents and let's not mention the job front how this government wants to get more people working no jobs have they not realised this and putting up the minimum wage to the extent employers can't afford to stay in business so even less jobs around the corner

 

I’m 77 and took my motorcycle test when I was 65. I ride a Bonneville 865 which is much easier for me to manage. My previous motorcycle was a Yamaha VStar. I ride twice a week roughly 60 miles to East Beach in Essex FROM Canvey Island. I take a cheese and cucumber sandwich and a bottle of water and sit on the 77 biker club seat catching some ozone’s. My biggest regret is not riding 60 years ago when it was so much easier to take the test. Hopefully I will ride for at least another 10 years, if my replacement knee and arthritis will allow it. GOD BLESS ALL BIKERS.

 

I suppose there are still cheap used bikes out there, unfortunately younger generations seem to want new or go with a PCP agreement. There are not many who will pick up a spanner these days!

The test arrangements must have a big influence - rider age, hp, power to weight ratios, written theory tests, CBT, module 1, module 2, all affect the time and costs involved.

I remember reading a suggestion that new riders should miss the A1 licence for the sake of a couple of years and go straight to A2, but by 19 years old they are probably already driving a car, and motorcycles would have become a lost cause.......

Here is the RAC summary of the testing options, quite different to the "ride round the block" test I passed in 1969 -

The direct access route
The direct access route is when a non-rider decides to get a licence based on what their age group permits them to with no previous riding experience.

This route entitles you to an:

• AM licence (allowing you to ride a 50cc bike) if you are 16 or over
• A1 licence (allowing you to ride a 125cc bike) if you are 17 or over
• A2 licence (limiting you to a bike up to 35kw) if you are 19 and over
• A licence (allowing you to ride any bike of any sized engine) if you are 24 or over.

The progressive route
The progressive route, on the other hand, allows you to progress up through the bike licences gaining riding experience along the way to attain your full A licence at a younger age.

If you begin riding at 16 you can work your way through the categories consecutively which will eventually mean a rider can attain a full A motorcycle when they are 21 as opposed to waiting until they are 24.

Providing you adhere to the right number of years' experience, and your theory test certificate is valid, this route entitles you to an:

• AM licence (allowing you to ride a 50cc bike) if you are 16 or over
• A1 licence (allowing you to ride a 125cc bike) if you are 17 or over
• A2 licence (limiting you to a maximum bhp of 47) if you are 19 and over
• A licence (allowing you to ride any bike of any sized engine) if you are 21 and have held your A2 licence for two years or more

 

Me i am 21 and a fantastic liar. I agree With @ajc400 Younger riders are being priced out of the equation by greedy Gov and transport not to mention thieving insurance companies. When one of our boys started to ride he was ask over three thousand pounds for third party on a stupid little Chinese forty-nine cc piece of rubbish. At the time we were able to assist a little but he was a kid going to collage and it was nearly impossible. And not all parents can afford to help out these days. Sorry but i think we have seen the best of biking and it is downhill from now on. Do hope i am wrong.

 

I remember the 'old' days when the test was simple, bikes were affordable and it was economically viable to rebuild bikes and engines. Not any more. The price of spares pretty much rules this out for major rebuilds and bikes have become disposable. Once we could ride 'big' bikes as a teenager.

 

Had you tried standing on the left footpeg whilst the bike is still on the prop stand before you throw your leg over the machine?

 

Couldn't do it due to arthritis.

 

Dad was a dispatch rider during the war and in the post war years invariably had some form of two wheel transport. So I also just had to get into biking as soon as possible and have ridden ever since apart from a few years when houses and kids took priority.

As you get older your mental attitude and physical ability change from the boy racer to more of the touring type riding.

I've had my Ducati SuperSport for the last 25 years. Not a heavy bike at 185kg, even by current standards and totally analogue, no fancy electronics, but I've never been able to flat foot it and you have the sports bike riding crouch to endure.

So 4 years ago I started to think about where I look for what I will be riding in the future. One thought went to a Triumph model H but that phase is still for the future. Then the Street Triple caught my eye with 20kg less and 50% more power plus the safety electronics, and they did a lower ride height version by shortening the forks and rear shock rather than having less seat padding as they now do. As soon as I sat on one in the showroom I said I'll have it. The first time I rode it was the day I collected it and I love it to bits. The only thing I had to do was have a play with the suspension settings as I only go 65kg in normal clothes.

However I still love the Ducati and get enormous satisfaction from riding it and having to use techniques instilled in me from my early biking days. in the meagre toolkit that came with the Striple was a "C" spanner. I have a very adequate tool collection but never a rear suspension "C" spanner. So having meddled with the Striple's suspension I thought I'd give the Duke a go as even on a slightly bumpy road it bounces me out of the seat due to my lack of weight. So I wound some preload off, and then wound some more preload off. One of the benefits gained was to lower the seat height so that I can now just flat foot it. Being able to do so provides so much more confidence when paddling the bike around.

So here's the pair of them. A few mods to the Striple since the photo like getting rid of that ridiculous stalk that sticks out the back of all machines these days.



So as you age look for low seat height, low weight and maybe a more relaxed riding stance.

And be very aware of the new regulations that are supposed to have come in force in July for the over 70s renewing their driving licence.

Ride safe.