Moto-Charlie
Vendor
I'm 74 and can't imagine life without riding a motorcycle. I honestly feel it keeps me mentally sharp, helps with my coordination and sooths my wanderlust. I feel like I am riding as good, or better, than when I was younger. For me the biggest change as I age is endurance. I used to think nothing of hitting the road at 8AM and riding to 8PM with minimal stops here or in Europe and then get up and repeat. Now I generally limit my daily riding to 6 - 8 hours saddle time and all is right with the world.
I've had 2 serious accidents through no fault of my own (broken ribs, punctured lungs, shoulder rebuild, connecting pin in my arm, etc.) so I am aware of the clear and present risk of riding, but I know people who cracked a rib from a vicious sneeze or have been killed completely at random by a stranger coming the other way across a 50 foot median on a 4 lane highway. I am not a fatalist, but I do think there is something to the idea that when it's your time to go, it's your time. I do not plan to stop doing the things I love just because I might get hurt. I'll simply do my best to manage the risks.
I'm lucky that I can still run my Alps Tours at a good pace riding 3 - 5 weeks in June and again in September. Now that I'm retired from my management consulting practice I am trying to squeeze in more riding here in the States. I have a 2018 Gold Wing set up the way I like. Last year I was able to slot in an 11-day ride down from NH to GA and a 12-day ride up to Canadian Maritimes and the Gaspe Peninsula. This year I will be taking 3 - 4 weeks to meander from California through the Rockies back to NH.
My wife is 72 and has been reasonably supportive. She rode with me on the GW on the Canadian ride and on the back of a R1250RT for 10 days in the Alps last year. She has some bone and muscle issues that may cause her to stop riding. I originally thought if that happened, I would downsize from the GW, but a suspension upgrade on the GW really transformed how the bike rides and handles, so I plan to keep it for a while.
I have a friend from Canada that I met through my Alps Tours. He's been to the Alps with me twice and we've ridden in New England together. He is 80 years old, sharp as a tack and an excellent rider. He is signed up to ride with me in the Alps again next year. He's my role model
I've had 2 serious accidents through no fault of my own (broken ribs, punctured lungs, shoulder rebuild, connecting pin in my arm, etc.) so I am aware of the clear and present risk of riding, but I know people who cracked a rib from a vicious sneeze or have been killed completely at random by a stranger coming the other way across a 50 foot median on a 4 lane highway. I am not a fatalist, but I do think there is something to the idea that when it's your time to go, it's your time. I do not plan to stop doing the things I love just because I might get hurt. I'll simply do my best to manage the risks.
I'm lucky that I can still run my Alps Tours at a good pace riding 3 - 5 weeks in June and again in September. Now that I'm retired from my management consulting practice I am trying to squeeze in more riding here in the States. I have a 2018 Gold Wing set up the way I like. Last year I was able to slot in an 11-day ride down from NH to GA and a 12-day ride up to Canadian Maritimes and the Gaspe Peninsula. This year I will be taking 3 - 4 weeks to meander from California through the Rockies back to NH.
My wife is 72 and has been reasonably supportive. She rode with me on the GW on the Canadian ride and on the back of a R1250RT for 10 days in the Alps last year. She has some bone and muscle issues that may cause her to stop riding. I originally thought if that happened, I would downsize from the GW, but a suspension upgrade on the GW really transformed how the bike rides and handles, so I plan to keep it for a while.
I have a friend from Canada that I met through my Alps Tours. He's been to the Alps with me twice and we've ridden in New England together. He is 80 years old, sharp as a tack and an excellent rider. He is signed up to ride with me in the Alps again next year. He's my role model