Styles
2000 Non-ABS
My thanks for sharing. Copperdawg's fine video's has reminded me of an old Latin quip about riding, Cogito ergo zoom: "I think; therefore I ride." At 81 I'm still trying to keep my own wits about me.
Styles
older riders
- Thread starter docw1
- Start date
Styles
thank you for the words of wisdom. That really summed it up for me.
ST1100Y
Site Supporter
Back to the original topic, some personal observations...
you do get kinda lazy... and more careful... and you find excuses...
couple of years back I saw winter conditions barely as a distraction... snow, sleet, pah!
these days I'll avoid the ice and snow out there...
riding into a city center/downtown gridlock at >95°F... meh!... lets skip that and head out into the mountains where its cooler instead...
decreasing willingness towards risks... bruises, cuts and broken bones take longer to heal, bike parts grew harder to obtain...
Whilst you might not get provoked as quickly, you get annoyed more frequently... by other road users in particular, but city planning and road layout as well...
Due to overpopulation, demographics/ethnics plus "technical innovations", egocentric ignorance and irrational behavior partially have reached life threatening levels...
Folks on cellphones in the vault like silence inside their SUVs were one thing, then those darn smartphones came up, now there are rolling entertainment centers with 40" touchscreens...
You miss 'road culture', 'manners', at least the attempt shown to follow regulations... total lack of common sense and applied logic became predominantly instead...
But your instincts prevail... you're wedged in the chaos between 50+ other vehicles and suddenly your eyes target a particular one...
and by the time you've finished your "... he/she/it is about to screw up..." thought, he/she/it actually pulls a total stunt...
I'd observed fender benders arising ahead, but slowed and swerved around way ahead, thus passed and cleared unaffected before their actual impact...
I don't mind being out on the road for two ~ three weeks at the time, once I'm out there I'm alive and enjoying it, could go on for months... but all the preparations beforehand...
you do get kinda lazy... and more careful... and you find excuses...
couple of years back I saw winter conditions barely as a distraction... snow, sleet, pah!
these days I'll avoid the ice and snow out there...
riding into a city center/downtown gridlock at >95°F... meh!... lets skip that and head out into the mountains where its cooler instead...
decreasing willingness towards risks... bruises, cuts and broken bones take longer to heal, bike parts grew harder to obtain...
Whilst you might not get provoked as quickly, you get annoyed more frequently... by other road users in particular, but city planning and road layout as well...
Due to overpopulation, demographics/ethnics plus "technical innovations", egocentric ignorance and irrational behavior partially have reached life threatening levels...
Folks on cellphones in the vault like silence inside their SUVs were one thing, then those darn smartphones came up, now there are rolling entertainment centers with 40" touchscreens...
You miss 'road culture', 'manners', at least the attempt shown to follow regulations... total lack of common sense and applied logic became predominantly instead...
But your instincts prevail... you're wedged in the chaos between 50+ other vehicles and suddenly your eyes target a particular one...
and by the time you've finished your "... he/she/it is about to screw up..." thought, he/she/it actually pulls a total stunt...
I'd observed fender benders arising ahead, but slowed and swerved around way ahead, thus passed and cleared unaffected before their actual impact...
I don't mind being out on the road for two ~ three weeks at the time, once I'm out there I'm alive and enjoying it, could go on for months... but all the preparations beforehand...
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He's a risk taker alright. Turning his back on Lake Jesup.
I gotta say I do enjoy riding! I’m still young, I’m still learning…boy am I learning! I’ve scared myself a few times!
I will concur on the smoothness factor, for riding a good ride. The ST1100 just makes it easier to go smooth. I’ve learned not to crowed the rider in front of me, I give them a chance to ride their ride, it’s surprising how your ride improves by giving space. However, sometimes the best way to give a rider space is to overtake and get some space between the two of you.
I turn 70 this summer, 25 years ago I was diagnosed with MS, there are days my riding experience is impacted by the disease. I will ride till I’m no longer able. As many of you know I embark on a major ride in a couple of months. I’m doing the four corners of Canada, a 23,000km trip. Ya, I’m gonna ride.
I will concur on the smoothness factor, for riding a good ride. The ST1100 just makes it easier to go smooth. I’ve learned not to crowed the rider in front of me, I give them a chance to ride their ride, it’s surprising how your ride improves by giving space. However, sometimes the best way to give a rider space is to overtake and get some space between the two of you.
I turn 70 this summer, 25 years ago I was diagnosed with MS, there are days my riding experience is impacted by the disease. I will ride till I’m no longer able. As many of you know I embark on a major ride in a couple of months. I’m doing the four corners of Canada, a 23,000km trip. Ya, I’m gonna ride.
OP
OP
docw1
Bill Rankin
I'm 73. I've totaled two bikes and two helmets, one night in a hospital. But those were years ago. I try to be smooth, but have on occasion passed a group of slower motorcycles in one fell swoop. Although I may tend to push the speed limit, I try not to ride crazy. Usually ride alone, so I don't interact much with other bikes other than waving as we pass.
I'm nearly 60 and way overweight,
and the thing I noticed most about
the ST 1300 compared to my
Honda shadow 1100 that I used to have is the taller seat means I have to hop on one leg briefly when getting on or off it,
and often I end up dragging one of my boots across the seat and sometimes bumping one of the nicely painted saddlebags.
If my body were weaker and my balance greatly diminished, or if my hips knees and ankles couldn't stand the stress of putting all my weight just on one side
while mounting or dismounting the bike,
then I think I would have to switch back to a traditional
V twin cruiser with a low seat height.
The H-D Sportster 883 I used to have was under 500 lbs and had a 26" seat height, if I recall. It would probably feel like a dirtbike to me now if I rode one again after having had my ST 1300 for a while.
and the thing I noticed most about
the ST 1300 compared to my
Honda shadow 1100 that I used to have is the taller seat means I have to hop on one leg briefly when getting on or off it,
and often I end up dragging one of my boots across the seat and sometimes bumping one of the nicely painted saddlebags.
If my body were weaker and my balance greatly diminished, or if my hips knees and ankles couldn't stand the stress of putting all my weight just on one side
while mounting or dismounting the bike,
then I think I would have to switch back to a traditional
V twin cruiser with a low seat height.
The H-D Sportster 883 I used to have was under 500 lbs and had a 26" seat height, if I recall. It would probably feel like a dirtbike to me now if I rode one again after having had my ST 1300 for a while.
I prefer standing on my left foot, bending way forward at the waist, and swinging my right leg back and over the seat. If the trunk is on, bending my right knee clears it.
Have you tried stepping on the left footpeg and swinging your right leg over, like mounting a horse?
I can't quite picture what you mean in your first paragraph.
As for the second, keeping my leg straight and pivoting at the hips works great for a motorcycle without a trunk or top center box, but I can't clear the one on my ST 1300.
Instead of facing the seat with my right leg in front of me, foot on the seat, and hopping toward the bike on my left foot, I face forward, bend forward to raise my right leg behind me, and swing my knee over the seat. If I bend my right knee also, my foot can easily pass over the trunk.
I'll try that.
Andrew Shadow
Site Supporter
You stated that you are overweight. Loosing weight will make mounting and dismounting much easier, probably completely solve it for you. If you are 5'9" or taller it should be easy for you.
I've been thinking the same thing. It costs nothing, and will allow you to ride for many years longer.
If you're old like me or have arthritis starting in the hips, it's hard to stay semi-upright with the upper portion of the body and get the right leg high enough to clear everything. But!...lowering the upper half of the body, makes it easy.
Chris
Believe me, I do know how bad arthritis is. I have had both hips and right knee replaced.
I developed the method out of necessity.
I developed the method out of necessity.
I didn't realize you didn't know. My right hip was replaced about 15 years ago, my left hip 6/7/22.
I had total right knee replacement 12/3/24, walked without cane in one week, and rode 26 days after.
See: https://www.st-owners.com/forums/th...read-comments-and-suggestions-welcome.188221/
John OoSTerhuis
Life Is Good!
Only one R&R so far: my right hip, end of Oct. I’d really like to do my L3-L4 and L4-L5 discs but am putting that off as long as possible.
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