Thank you for your kind words about my essay and photographs. I appreciate the feedback.

Too old is a personal thing. At 58 I was in the prime of my riding life as I look back at it now. And I hope I’ll still be riding in my 70s which is only a few years off now.

The Vespa Sei Giorni II is a handsome machine. I bet you’ll love riding it and it will quickly dispel any concerns of age.

Be safe!

You raise some great points Wayne. Being honest enough to assess when it’s time to stop doing something is really hard. Denial can work wonders to keep us in destructive and dangerous places. Giving up riding, or driving, is a major event in life. I have no good ideas on how to make it easier, better or enforceable. Perhaps bad drivers and riders on the road are just part of the risk we face.

I hope I do the right thing when the time comes. And that I recognize its arrival.

Sorry for the delay in responding. This post had so many comments that I just kind of missed some things…

I never thought much about my health, even after being diagnosed with anyklosing spondylitis, until I had a heart attack. And even then I could still go about my days without anything in the way.

But the back — that is a different story. It really does make you see the world differently. Hence the conversation about when to stop riding.

I’m hoping I just need to make adjustments to my expectations of myself and not go cold turkey on riding. We’ll see.

Good luck on your own adventures. Stay safe on the road.

Karl, you are an inspiration. I hope I can find a little of your outlook and luck to keep riding for a long time. Scaling back is a great way to manage any loss of strength or stamina. I wonder how many don’t have the courage to accept what their bodies tell them and respond accordingly?

Thanks for sharing your experience.

The chemtrail vs contrail controversy is an interesting one. A quick review in Google produces a wide range of information from claims of government coverups to the EPA declaring no impact at all for human health. Next time I ride and see these lines in the sky I won’t be able to easily say to myself, “How beautiful…”.

The collective wear and tear of our lives on our bodies eventually catch up with us. For some it’s more intense in the manner you’ve described as your experience.

I’ve gotten to the point lately where I have to be careful what (and how) I pick up. I remember last year when I injured my back and was careful until I felt better. Then there I was moving 500 pound rocks through the yard. I think that implies insanity. Same might apply to picking up motorcycles!

Your thoughts on reaching the point of having to consider not riding is just sad. I know we’ll all get there but it’s scary. But pain really does change thinking. Leads to some hopeless thinking.

Let’s hope your 5 to 10 year prediction is as wrong as the election predictions and you are still riding 25 years from now.

Thanks for commenting and take care of yourself.

To Frank, a retired Army Aviator. . . not to get way off the scooter topic here Frank — but since you chose to disagree with my observation by arbitrary decree, let me quote “They’re long trails of cirrus clouds that stretch across the horizon and then spread out across the sky. After about a half hour or so, they begin to appear foggy and disappear into the air. It cannot be jet exhaust either since normal jet fuel contrail dissipates within seconds after the aircraft has passed.” — but then you should know that Frank since you claim you’re a retired aviator. And Frank, there are thousands of articles about chemtrails, so to call them contrails is certainly a misnomer. http://bit.ly/2gcWRyf Oh, and by the way Frank, I too am a retired Army aviator as well – and I can certainly tell the difference between a contrail and a chemtrail, as can anyone, simply by observation. . . . now back to scootering!