How old is to old to ryde a Spyder or a Ryker?

[seaweed]

Thank you

Thank you for all the comments and inputs to this discussion. I am not thinking of putting the saddle away and hanging up my spurs for a while. But I thought the pros and cons would be helpful for all of us in the future.

I had previous thought that the Spyder family would view the thought of giving up ryding different than a driver giving up driving a car. I think that the comments so far back that up.

Drivers tend to go from point A to point B and then back to A. Point A being home and point B is work, or store, or restaurant or doctors office, etc. Yes I do know some drivers that just hop in a car and go for a drive to enjoy the mountains, woods, oceanside, or just the open road, but not many do that.

A biker will also go from point A to point B and back to point A as the car drivers do. BUT many will also go to point C before heading back home. I have read a few times here where someone has gone to the store (perhaps a 10 minute ryde) and it took an hour or so to get home from the store because they went for a nice ryde before heading home. We also go for rydes to enjoy the sights, to ryde in the mountains, woods, along the ocean side, to ryde with friends, to see old friends, to meet new friends, to look at other bikes (all types), to wave fellow bikers (no matter what they are riding).

When a driver has to put the car keys away I believe it would be a loss of freedom.

When a rider has to give up a motorcycle it is not only a loss of freedom but giving up all the joys that has been experienced in ryding and new experiences that will be missed.

 

[missouriboy]

Is that a trick question?:dontknow:

Really. It reminded me of being very young when my boss answered a similar question with, "How long is a piece of string?"

I bought my first Spyder at 73 and immediately took the Safety Course on two-wheelers, which I hadn't ridden since about age 15. I really enjoyed swooping around the parking lot on it for old time's sake, but I knew right then that I'd never again ride two-wheelers in traffic. Now, 6 years and 95,000 miles later, I see no end yet to enjoying 3-wheelers. And 4-wheelers in the forest!

 

[missouriboy]

There are some who should never ride. (Or drive. {added my moboy}) It does not necessarily have anything to do with their intelligence

Exactly. It's MOXIE, not intelligence. A good friend considerably younger than me is waaaaaaaay more intelligent than I am, but to ride with him in a car just makes me cringe!

 

[Docster]

IMHO that's a silly question.

 

[UtahPete]

If you have to ask that, you shouldn't be riding at all.

 

[MrBones]

I be 87 and still having a great time ryding so guess I will continue for a bit, Been ryding since 1945 and still loving it. The Spyder keeps me air born and its great! Like some of the others had to give up my Valkyrie as could not pick it up if occasion happened but having just as much fun on my ryde now. Havent had it full open only to 105 mph but it handles good at any speed. Just enjoy!!

 

[seaweed]

If you have to ask that, you shouldn't be riding at all.

I put forth the question so that we could all think about it and talk about it. So yes, I ASKED the question, and no I do not plan on stopping for many years.

 

[SPECTACUALR SPIDERMAN]

For me it will be when my brain & arms turn to mush

 

[bikerbillone]

Wow Mr. Bones, 87, pleased to see someone on this forum is older than I am, 86 years this month. I lurk on this forum to see all I can see about the Spyder, I ride 3 wheels, but just not right now.

 

[missouriboy]

KUDOS! To bikerbillone and Mr. Bones. One of you ought to start a thread asking everyone older to chime in and report their age. (Everyone younger, please do not clutter!)

 

[bikerbillone]

Thank you Missouri, truly blessed here with good health at the ripe old age, look forward to another 10 good years of riding, then after that, well we shall see. Thanks again for the kind recognition. Enjoy this forum and looking for good nuggets of information.

 

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

In the conversation of this thread many have stated in effect, "I'll know when it's time to quit riding." I decided to ask someone who is in a position to know just how valid that assertion is. To be clear I'm referring to driving skills in general, not the physical ability to hold up and handle a two wheeler. I think most of us know when it's time to move from two wheels to three wheels. Three wheels riding experience is similar to car driving in terms of awareness, motor skills, reaction time, etc.

I meet with guys from church regularly at a local Burger King for breakfast. 3 or 4 DMV contracted driving testers meet their clients there to take them out for their driving tests. This includes teens getting their first license to old farts like some of us who are getting their last license. I asked him this morning, "Of all the drivers who have reached the point where they should not be driving any longer, how many know it for themselves versus how many have to be told by others it's time for them to quit?" His response, "Most all of them have to be told by a doctor, family member, or whoever, it's time to quit." Seldom does a driver know for himself/herself that it is time to quit. Age is a virtual non-factor. He's given tests to 97 year olds who are as sharp as a teenager. It's all the other factors of life that determine when it's time to quit, and that can vary from age 50 to 100.

I hope all of us will be wise enough to listen when we're told it's time to give up the keys.

 

[bikerbillone]

Well said Idaho....

 

[Exditchdigger]

I am now 84 years old, I not only ride my RT regularly. I also fly my Jabiru 230 LSA aircraft even more.
I believe mental cognitive abilities has a lot more to do with stopping ( driving, riding, or flying) than chronological age.
Yes I had to look how to spell some of these words.
Ken Nix (EXDITCHDIGGER)

 

[bikerbillone]

Welcome Sir X Ditch Digger.

 

[UtahPete]

I believe mental cognitive abilities has a lot more to do with stopping ( driving, riding, or flying) than chronological age.

I don't understand...

 

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

I believe mental cognitive abilities has a lot more to do with stopping ( driving, riding, or flying) than chronological age.

I don't understand...

How well and how fast your brain processes information is much more important than how old it is. When its processing capability starts to lag so that you don't process and respond to external stimuli quickly enough to stay safe, it's time to give up the keys.

As the brain gets older the speed at which it processes information slows down. The time it used to take to process information, say 1 million cycles in 10 seconds, will slow down to, say, 1 million cycles in 13 seconds. That's why time seems to go by faster the older we get. We live by brain cycles, not the movement of clock hands. If one's brain slows down to the point it takes 20 seconds to process 1 million cycles, then the time to hit the brakes when the light turns red becomes longer, but the brain sees it as being the same as when it processed 1 million cycles in 10 seconds. So if you used to hit the brake within 1 second of seeing the light turn red, you now hit the brake within 2 seconds, but you still hit the brake within 1 million brain cycles. And if 2 seconds is too long between seeing the red light and hitting the brake because of the density of traffic, you stand a good chance of crashing into someone.

 

[UtahPete]

Okay, it was a grammar issue I think.

 

[missouriboy]

I don't understand...

Moxie

 

[bikerbillone]

Wow, my brain is recycling.