Responses from an Aging Population of Riders
The 2001 Kawasaki W650 motorcycle continues to prove it’s mettle as I wander the backroads of Pennsylvania. I’ve noticed that riding and getting older have begun to intersect and have raised at times some uncomfortable questions. There’s some truth to the idea that when old men get together a big part of their conversation is consumed by tales of aches, pains, medications, doctors, and myriad flash points to complain about.
But the subject of change doesn’t often come up other than plans to move to warmer places or where the next vacation will change place. But for a rider, aging introduces a growing element of risk. And how to manage it was the topic of two recent videos I posted on YouTube. And I am in the process of making a third. That’s what brought me and the W650 out to play.
When is it time to stop riding a motorcycle?
I shot the footage for the first video while meandering along the Mid-Atlantic BDR. An easy section with the only challenges being alone on the road with little to no cell coverage. A growing concern of riding and getting older.
The video I eventually put together and posted seemed to strike a chord with older riders. Old seeming to be somewhere between 40 and 95 according to comments and YouTube analytics. I went through some of the warning signs that I look for while riding to keep me aware and honest about what may be changing in plain sight.
Here’s the video if you are interested in watching:
And the second “Older Rider” video documents a ride my friend Paul and I did on our Honda Trail 125 motorcycles. In the video I shared some thoughts on how a person might keep riding as changes develop in regard to aging. And to push the point that adventure is still possible Paul and I took on the two expert sections of the Mid-Atlantic BDR that aren’t far from home.
Here’s the link to that video:
Those 3 AM Walks Through the Neighborhood
Since I retired the notion of a normal schedule departed much like every suit, sport coat and dress shoe. Unnecessary arbitrary things from a life I am no longer bound by or interested in. So when my wife asks me if I want to go for a walk at 3 AM it seems completely reasonable to me.
Much the same way the riding scooters and motorcycles as I approach my 71st birthday seems entirely reasonable. But I make none of these decisions mindlessly. I thought carefully about ditching the dress clothes, living in the middle of the night when the rest of the world is asleep, and whether riding and getting older continues to make sense.
But that’s just me. What about you? Are you paying attention to changes in your mind, vision, reflexes, strength, balance, and other aspects of getting older and how it might affect your risk as you ride?
Or do you remain a rebel, live fast, die young, and leave a fine looking corpse. Or some other romantic notion of freedom and rugged individualism?
Nice work. Keep PLUGGING!!
Thank you. I’ll keep riding along.
As an old girl my 81st birthday has pasted not long ago I think about going for a ride on a regular basis however the weather better be good. A few years back I tossed out most of my work clothes and fancy dresses as I realized they just took up space in the wardrobe that could better be used for my riding gear and at that age who the heck was going to invite me out to a fancy get-together or for that matter would I even bother going.
However I must admit that as I’ve aged health has been a limiting factor in the amount or distance I ride but ride I must, it is the one thing in my life that I consider vital to both my mental health and wellbeing.
Regular riding, like regular exercise of any kind, sure helps keep the body loose and moving. Like you riding is an important part of my life. While it may not fix anything, it does make me more likely to do the work I need to do to fix things.
Sorry for the late reply. Life has been a little hectic this summer.
As I’m sure you’ve noticed I don’t give much thought to getting older and riding. Most of my problems stem from lack of practice on the bike as my life situation has changed. After coming back from Americade I realized that lack has me “Target Fixate” on what I don’t want to hit instead of looking where I need to go. A little practice is in order. Otherwise I keep in mind that Dad rode until he was 89 and rely on a good gene pool to keep me on the road.
I don’t spend a lot of time on getting older, save for making the videos, but I do recognize changes and the need to pay attention to them. My mother’s father was driving until 95, still dating, and died at 98. That was the mark my mother was shooting for. She died at 66. So I don’t pay a lot of attention to the longevity of family much either. Just try and live each day as it comes. Tomorrow doesn’t exist yet.
I left my motor scooter at home in Aotearoa/NZ when I moved to Australia but fully expected to be riding motorcycles to explore this country. It hasn’t happened, the roads are just not as nice and the distances are HUGE!
I had instead purchased a van and turned this into a camper, with a campion vehicle a dual purpose e-scooter for exploring city and off-road trails. I also use this to commute into the city as I am able to take it on the train. This combo has worked quite well. However, my partner and I have always talked about getting a Royal Enfield for those mid-season days we just want to explore and soak up everything.
About 3 months ago I was struck by a vehicle who failed to give way to me on my scooter commute home at a roundabout. This caused serious injuries and required surgery, and as both shoulders have had fractures or multiple breaks, I have no idea what my capacity will be long term for riding and now feel incredibly vulnerable on the road seeing every driver as a threat and every blip as a painful injury. Unhelpfully, as ambulance crew were lifting the gurney I overheard the driver of the vehicle saying to police “Well, what was she even doing there?!” That’s the crux of it, many vehicle drivers do not look for other road users.
I do not like the feeling of ultra-awareness but it’s made me realise that it’s confidence as much as anything that limits what we have the capacity to do as we age. Luckily though, the thrill of exploring remains the same.
So, to that end, I’m going to work on my brain to move from being scared of everyone and everything on the path/road and get my e-scooter repaired as a starting point for riding 2 wheels again. The Royal Enfield is still on the ‘one day’ list.
In almost 50 years of riding on motorised 2 wheels I’ve had 2 life-altering accidents. I am hoping to get through the next 20 years of riding relatively incident free with whatever confidence I can muster on whatever wheels are right at the time.
I’m apologize for the long delay in responding to your comments. Myriad life challenges has occupied my mind and body elsewhere.
Sorry to hear of your accident and subsequent injuries and feelings of vulnerability. Your reactions make sense to me. And as you say, the journey forward may reveal changes necessary or a shift in your feelings. Time and patience.
Where I live and ride the roads are often nearly free of other vehicles. And apart from the daily commuting times even the main roads in and out of town aren’t too bad. So managing traffic is much simpler for me. Still, it only takes a moment for someone to make an error…
I hope you find your life unfolds in ways that are satisfying and exciting where you get that Royal Enfield or not. Best wishes for your ongoing recovery and the new life it brings forth.
Steve, I really enjoyed this blog posting and your two included videos. Excellent presentations. As has been mentioned before, clearly you reside in one of the most perfect motorcycle riding locations on this earth. You are so blessed to have such amazing, beautiful, sparsely traveled roads, paved and unpaved, not far at all from your house. That is reason enough to keep riding indefinitely. As long as you possibly can. The time for you to quit is when you can’t make it out of your driveway without crashing.
For me, to get to and from roads like you enjoy, is a one to two hour ride (each way) in heavy traffic, at 55-70 mph speed limits, sharing the road with distracted drivers who don’t obey the law, don’t know the law, or don’t care. Riding in this area, population 1 million plus, can be a nightmare. Especially when one gets older. I am two years younger than you. Actually, part of the thrill and sense of accomplishment here comes from just surviving the local riding experience.
I can’t tell you how much I miss riding the distant backroads, especially since selling my KLR650 several years ago. I ride vicariously now through your postings and videos. I still haunt motorcycle dealerships, wistfully and frequently. Maybe one day…
Steel
Thanks for sharing your comments Steel and sorry for the delay in responding.
As you say, I am blessed living where I do. I went for a ride yesterday and in five minutes I am in the mountains on dirt roads. And I could ride all day and barely touch pavement here. And I will keep riding as long as I can here. My biggest concern are deer, not other vehicles.
I”m certain I would not be riding if I lived in a city or anywhere that traffic is endlessly heavy. I want to feel free when I ride. Not endlessly playing defense.
Glad I can help you have some vicarious rides. I may make some changes with the blog. It is expensive to maintain and because of the number of subscribers it is on the cusp of becoming even more expensive. Since I don’t make any income from it I am considering stopping any additional posting here and starting to post on SubStack. My posts are straightforward and SubStack will handle everything. All the expensive and time consuming maintenance!
I will let everyone know if I make the switch but wanted you to know for sure.
Yes, by all means please let me know when you changeover to SubStack. Thank you Steve!
A little bit ahead of you on the age curve Steve but still throwing a leg over and enjoying immensely. Lighter is righter and slow is the new fast now but by no means is the experience less enjoyable. I still experience ride buzz anticipation even if I’m just off for a local errand on the CT. I made a couple of multi day trips last season but those days of yore, 500 mile days are well and truly gone now. I/we are more than content with significantly less and who knew the riding is just a part of the overall package. Enjoy eh 🛵🏍️🛵🏍️🛵🏍️🛵👌
I can’t imagine a 500 mile day now. Even 250 would be a stretch unless I start doing that with a regular frequency. But as you say, lighter is righter and slow is the new fast. I would add shorter is the new long ride too.
Still having fun. Was in the mountains on the Himalayan yesterday and still feel like a kid when I’m riding…
Well said, as usual Steve. I believe that it is a good thing for humans to evaluate their selves regarding all activities , high risk or not. Also it seems as if some of us are pre wired for alternative forms of living our fullest. Grateful for just being so fortunate. Safe adventures,
Paul J.
I agree Paul. Staying aware and evaluating things is essential to be able to see all the available paths and choices we have in life.
Olá, Steve!
As questões que começam a ser levantadas na sua cabeça só existem porque aquilo que você faz é das coisas que mais gosta. Então, como é um grande prazer jamais as quer abandonar.
Eu julgo que o melhor da vida são as coisas simples. No passado dia 20 completei 42 anos. Sou muito novo em relação a si, mas essas dúvidas que você levanta também eu já as começo a levantar na busca de algo mais prático e simples. De pequenos momentos que se tornam enormes.
A escolha da minha scooter teve também a ver com o facto de procurar facilidade para montar nela. Uma mota leve para que não me desequilibre com tanta facilidade. Fácil de estacionar em cidade, mas que ao mesmo tempo sirva para andar no campo. Enfim, o que quero dizer é que podemos procurar atalhos para continuar a fazer aquilo que gostamos mais.
Ontem sentei o meu enteado na minha scooter. Ele sofre de multideficiência por conta de uma contaminação na incubadora pela bactéria da meningite. Tem agora 23 anos. Quando o sentei na scooter ele tremia todo e eu encorajei-o a andar comigo. Coloquei-lhe o capacete, sentei-me e ele abraçou-se a mim. Quando a scooter começou a andar ele parou de tremer. Foi a primeira vez que andei com alguém na minha scooter!
Se o meu enteado, com todas as suas limitações, perdeu o medo e agora até quer repetir a experiência, nós, com muito mais possibilidades que ele temos a obrigação de continuar a fazer aquilo que gostamos sem que nos acomodemos à nossa condição! Há muitas maneiras de fazer a mesma coisa. Se uma estrada com muitas pedras se torna algo que nos causa tensão, noutros motociclistas mais jovens andar a velocidades mais baixas será o que lhes causará maior tensão. Mas, andar a velocidades mais baixas permite-nos dar valor a outras coisas, como mais tempo para apreciar a paisagem, aquela árvore, aquele cheiro, aquela brisa.
As limitações existem quando envelhecemos mas também existem quando somos mais jovens, porque ainda não descobrimos outra a outra maneira prazerosa de estar. E o ponto tem de ser sempre por aqui: fazer o que nos faz sentir bem.
Força, Steve!
Concordo que as melhores coisas da vida são as simples. É importante para mim não complicar demasiado a minha vida. É por isso que mantenho as minhas motos e scooters simples.
Obrigado por partilhar a história do seu enteado. É um bom homem por ter dedicado o seu tempo para o introduzir na scooter. Já ouvi histórias semelhantes de pessoas com deficiência que andam a cavalo. Algo acontece…
Concordo consigo que, quando aceitamos e abraçamos as nossas limitações, abre-se uma porta para que possamos viver a vida de uma forma diferente. Pode não ser o que sonhamos ou desejamos, mas se estivermos abertos, encontraremos uma experiência rica.
Obrigada por ter dedicado o seu tempo a comentar. E peço desculpa por ter demorado tanto tempo a responder.
Approaching 66 so not far behind ya….walks at 3am huh, well since I apparently can’t sleep more than six hours straight, that might be an option.
I’m finding age and increasing aches and pains are making me more cautious, mostly, about some of the riding I do now. I do find long distance rides are no longer pleasurable.
CCjon, a fellow blogger and friend is 80 and planning to do the Iron Butt ride from Dead horse, AK to Key West, FL. So you’ve got some time left!
I was surprised while walking Aiden in the middle of the night a police car passed me and didn’t stop. I would have thought that a suspicious activity. I guess I just look too old and harmless now…
Like you I am more cautious. Especially in those “easy riding” places. That’s where I’ll mess up for sure.
An Iron Butt at 80. Now there’s a goal!