Older Riders

Nice story @johne and fully agree but can't help thinking what if.....

As the main carer, a slight incident on the bike and the whole world goes upside down

Not sure of the right answer here, my MiL is in a care home due to dementia, but at what point is this guy going to ask for more help?

Live life to the full whilst you can

 

One great thing I took from the story is as I'm 61 I hope that I may have more years ahead of me and riding longer than expected and won't need a mobility scooter so soon I lost my dad last year with dementia 85 and my mother the same diagnosis seven years ago at 76 so it looks like my future may be planned out but I'm also a full time carer for my Mrs but her problems are more a mobility issue but I do feel guilty spending time out on the bike and so don't ride as much as I like but back to the story hopefully I do have a while left to go and maybe if I don't get a bonneville next it will definitely be a trident 660 or one of the nice 400's to keep biking

 

A long time workmate, friend and riding buddy of mine, who I rode with for over 40 yrs, passed away in 2017 aged 86. We did many TT's together plus a few MGP's, race meetings at Silverstone, Donnington etc and countless thousands of riding miles just going "for a joust", as he used to call it round the Peak district along with Winter green laning or "bogging". He was still riding his Fireblade right up to a year or so before he died when he became too ill with COPD and went down hill quickly.
He certainly lived a full life (mostly on 2 wheels) for as long as he was able but it was still heart breaking to see him waste away as he did. I still think of the rides we had when I'm out on the various routes through the PD or green laning and visited his grave only last week as I do occasionally if/when I ride through his village. It just makes me more determined to ride as often as I can while I'm still able despite having commitments at home.

 

Fireblade at 85 oh my God if that's the case never mind a Trident or 400 I'll be on the lookout for a nice speed triple but an rr I'm not willing to push it TOO much

 

@johne Same here the chap that traded my Bonneville Scrambler in at Bulldog Triumph was eighty-two I just happened to be in the dealer that day when he said my bike is to heavy can i trade it for the four hundred.

 

I can empathise with all the stories here. I am 77 and have been riding since I was 16. I don't want to give up and still enjoy getting out on the bike. Time to do so is now rather limited as my wife has serious mobility issues and I am her carer. Unfortunately weekends away on the bike or continental tours are now a thing of the past as I can't leave my wife overnight. I try to get out for a few hours in the afternoon as and when I can, luckily Exmoor is close at hand with excellent roads and less traffic than the major routes to the coast.

I too have moved away from large heavy bikes as I am just not prepared to struggle with them any more. I am riding a Speed 400 and find that this is perfectly capable of everything I need in a bike.

Like others I hope to ride as long as I am safe to do so. Fortunately at the moment I am reasonably fit and have good eyesight, which hopefully will carry on for some time to come.

Growing old is compulsory, growing up is optional!!

 

I intend to keep riding for as long as I possibly can; if that means downsizing onto the smallest of bikes when I am getting on in years I will. One thing I love about my weekday rides when I am on rest days from work is meeting older bikers with many, many tales to tell....the sort well into their eighties in very worn old leathers on retro sports bikes with torn up tyres who quietly start their tales with an understated sort of "I used to race a bit......" before telling you hair - raising tales .

 

Until you get out there you don't realise how many older (than me) riders are actually out there I suppose once it's in your blood it never goes and will only leave your life when you can no longer ride I suppose it has always been that way as a young lad dreaming of all these bikes passing by thinking one day well those bikers that were whizzing past are the older generation that I used to envy all those years ago and now I suppose that there will be a young lad or girl thinking that will be me one day let's hope so to Keep this life time obsession of ours continue long after we hang up our helmets for the last time

 

I'll be 64 this year and just bought my Speed Triple two weeks ago. Wife wasn't too chuffed when I turned up on it, but hey, as long as the leg can swing over it, then f*** it, I'm on it.
Plenty time for thinking smaller in 10 or 15 years time...

 

I'll be 64 this year and just bought my Speed Triple two weeks ago. Wife wasn't too chuffed when I turned up on it, but hey, as long as the leg can swing over it, then f*** it, I'm on it.
Plenty time for thinking smaller in 10 or 15 years time...

 

Been riding Speed Triples for the last 25+ years but this year at 75 I could no longer easily swing a leg over my 1050 RS due to the high pillion perch. Once aboard it was still easy and brilliant to ride but I reluctantly had to give it up. Now riding a Speed Twin 900 which has a low bench seat and I am really enjoying it.

 

@TRIPLE X You are still a youngster many many years and lots of bike to go.

 

Let's hope so. Thanks Joe.

 

I wonder what’s the average biker age these days years and more so what’s the average ‘Triumph’ rider age. I’m about to hit 61 soon although personally I haven’t owned a Triumph in about 4 yrs now

 

At 48 years old, I am often at the youngest end of the spectrum at biker type meeting places. 48 is absolutely not old for sure, however most definitely not very young!

 

I'm 61 but seems on here I'm quite a youngster I think a lot is to do with triumph being around before the japs landed here in the late 60's early 70's a lot of members first bikes would probably be a British marque and have stayed loyal to the brand I bet if you joined a Honda or Yamaha forum the average age of a member would probably be 10 to 15 years younger

 

My problem isn't age as such although I am feeling like I've been run over in the morning when I get up my issue is I'm only 5'7" with my heels on so the issue as I get older is getting on the bike I draw the line at a step through I'll always find a way to get on a real bike even if it is a cruiser

 

I am on a Fireblade group and I would say white, male, 50s was probably the demographic.