Slightly different question of "why do we ride?"

[werewolf]

Facebook is for me interesting.
I have the guys from grade school
The girls from jr and sr high.
(who I didnt date)(for the most part)
And people I have worked with

I packed up and left the town I grew up in at 21.
After I left, my mom and brother left a few years later.
So, I really didnt go back for 25 years.

Now in my early 50s, I find it interesting, that all those people
(guys mostly)
who didnt ride in high school and college all have big Harleys
or large road bikes.

(I do appear to be the only trike rider at the moment)

Why the shift or interest in riding at this point?
Is it age?
Money?
Midlife crisis?

Thoughts or comments?

[rhino 2]

Great marketing by the bike company's, Very heavy advertising from the motorcycle insurance industry. [Just about every other ad on TV is about riding/insuring bikes]
And a lot of,
The; I always wanted to ride now I'm in the time of life where I can do it ....

[Rod69]

I can therefore I ride. Rode about 50 miles day before yesterday. It was Heaven.

[bongobobny]

Don't know, I was in my 50's too many years ago...

[Ozarkryder]

I also have noticed the rise of the middle age new rider. Not complaining, mind you, the more riders the better.The first 2 wheel motorized vehicle I had was a Rupp mini-bike when I was 8, and haven't been without some kind of 2 wheel, and for the last 20 years, 3 wheel transportation since.
What I don't seem to be able to fathom is why people stop riding. I have heard some say they sold their bike when they got married or when kids came along That never applied to me as I didn't get married until I was 38. In our family my sister and brother-in-law got a sidecar when the kids came along, and the joke is that her youngest went to Sturgis with Dad and came home with Mom.

[oneup]

a couple of reasons that i see are

finance.. they can afford the status symbol, a lot of these riders see the bike as a symbol of achievement. a big boys toy. i dont think those riders have the same free wheeling sense of adventure that the long term rider has. its more about the look.
its also about the misspent youth they missed out on, now they see themselves as rebels without a cause, or a clue.
and if you got married and had kids. owning an expensive bike was out of the question when there were bills, schools to pay for, higher priorities. now the kids are gone and you realise your money is finally your own again and you can have that thing, or that feeling you gave up on to raise a family.
Unfortunately a lot of these people are unskilled riders on too big a bike. they cant corner properly, and are a menace to ride with in a group. theres a lot to be said for 30 or 40 years or more experience.
and 50+ yo bones dont heal like they did at 20.
For me my bikes are in my blood. rain and storms are just a minor inconvenience. for others its something you do on a sunny day occasionally.

[bongobobny]

Yes sir, Oneup, you have excellent insight! You could say it's what separates the men from the boys as far as motorcyclists. And you are right, unfortunately people sometimes choose waaaay to big of a bike to learn on. When I got my first full sized bike it was like learning to ride all over again and I had been riding for many years before that. Of course now going back to a mid sized ride is like going back to a toy and it feels like if I have to do a U turn I could just pick the bike up and turn it around without getting off...

Now I have always believed that it doesn't matter what you ride, it's a matter of the actual riding. Those that have purchased a status symbol need to quit displaying their bike and put some miles on it! I agree, I dislike group rides with inexperienced riders, they can be downright dangerous...

[tom w]

I dislike group rides with inexperienced riders, they can be downright dangerous...[/QUOTE]

we (several of us at a local lodge) are putting a bike riders association together . Im the v.p. and we were setting up the kings court.
when it came time to appoint road capt. the question was raised "why do we need road capt. 's . we can just draw straws before each ride ."I got out of this position by blaming it on the by laws of the group. truth is most of the group are new or less than good riders .
hard to tell some one that Im not comfortable following them.

why do I ride, well, for a long time it was my best form of transportation. Now, its just pure pleasure!

[Doug D.]

Ok, this could get a little weird...

For me, it’s sort of become a “zen” thing.



When I ride, I’m at peace. I’m centered and focused. The highway plays for me a song of freedom, ringing loud in the wind and the roar of the engine, and its message is crystal clear in the sights, sounds and smells of the road which welcomes me with open arms as I crack the throttle on the anxious beast beneath me. I am transformed from the troubled soul trapped in the rigors of my day-to-day, to a wistful spirit that exists only in the moment of the journey, no matter how long or short it may be. I live for that ride. It has become my religion...

[oneup]

Mate thats not weird at all.. quite the opposite.. you hit the nail right on the head in an almost poetic beautiful way

[riverdoc]

Been riding since I was 12 years old. My grandfather, Joe Ryan, was Service Manager for Harley-Davidson for over 50 years. He has a area in the Harley Museum devoted to him. As a result, Motorcycles have always been a fundamental part of my family. My motorcycle experience started with an old beat up Whizzer and went from there. When I discuss motorcycling with older friends who want to start riding, I say don't do it. There is no substitute for the years of experience you put under your belt on the road. It is, to me, not advisable to start after your reflexes have slowed, your attention span is shorter, you are weaker and you have NONE of the intuitive feel or instinct you develop over many years of riding experience. It is like trying to start a career in down hill ski racing when you are 50.

Stay safe and rubber side down!

RiverDoc

[cirbtap]

Yah::: I was %$#@^&*&(^%$%#@@ all about that

[Doug D.]

Mate thats not weird at all.. quite the opposite.. you hit the nail right on the head in an almost poetic beautiful way

Thanks, my friend.

I've been called a lot of things, but I do believe you're the first to use the term "poetic"!

[riverdoc]

Ok, this could get a little weird...

For me, it’s sort of become a “zen” thing.
<o></o>
When I ride, I’m at peace. I’m centered and focused. The highway plays for me a song of freedom, ringing loud in the wind and the roar of the engine, and its message is crystal clear in the sights, sounds and smells of the road which welcomes me with open arms as I crack the throttle on the anxious beast beneath me. I am transformed from the troubled soul trapped in the rigors of my day-to-day, to a wistful spirit that exists only in the moment of the journey, no matter how long or short it may be. I live for that ride. It has become my religion...

You are right on. Family history got me started early, from then on, riding has been a special kind of meditation which you describe so well!