BMW R1200R R1150R/T F800 K1200R R1100R/T R1250R RnineT Message Board

The day will come when we either choose not to ride or we are unable to ride.
When this time comes, what else would you choose to do other than ride?

hopefully it's so far in the future I'll have time to think of something! For the present lets not think about it...

I would buy a rag top and drive the hell out of it

Keith,

Very good thought question.

My first answer is that I hope to ride into my 80's as some old Airhead guys have managed. Certainly, not as far or as fast as now. But still riding. I'd have to keep vision, hearing, reflexes and brain function up to snuff, of course.

My second reaction is that I have so many risk factors in my life, I won't make it long enough to find out. After all, I shower every day. Bathtub accidents kill more in the U.S. than cycles. And I commute on the train. Pedestrians are killed at a much higher rate than bikers are. So walking from the station to the office might get me one day. And I have ex's. That's a high risk factor around these parts. Murder for hire gets alot of press.

ooops...slight hijack...so sorry

67

I'll do what I always do. Look around to get my bearings, assess my assets and liabilites and make a new plan. Until then I just ride when I can.

Edit. For what it is worth, when I broke my hip a couple years ago I had four months of doubt that I would ever ride again, or ride much. I wasn't as upset as I would have thought before. I've had a lot of good rides and met a lot of great people. The first time I rode again after the accident was a wonderful experience tho'

My first thought was I'd probably be dead. I think I would get a hack when I can't handle two wheels, but at 56 that's still years off. I've met many older riders at Guzzi rallies, they don't scrape thier footpegs in turns but still rack up the miles, and smiles.

I think I'd get a convertible, and maybe take up woodworking too. Then there's always restoring old bikes, and building hot rods, and boating, and... gaaa! Too many choices!

I've got a family friend facing that situatiuon right now. He's 80 and rides a 1948 Indian Chief. The reality is that he no longer has the balance, hearing, or vision to operate a motorcycle safely. He made the difficult decision to stop riding this year after about 55 years of riding. At least he could recognize the situation himself. Maybe he will let me keep the Indian in use!

KHaynes wrote:what else would you choose to do other than ride?

This is the same as asking me: "What do you want to do when you grow up ?"

A ride simulator! By then, I am counting on Playstation (may be PS10, based on the pace of current releases). The ride simulator will have a bike that exactly replicates a BMW model of my choice with active feedback controls and feel that match riding on the open road. A helmet with interactive virtual reality HD screen that shows images based on helmet orientation, surround sound etc.
Everything is so real that when I crash, I want to be thrown off of the bike, except that I hit the sofa instead of the tarmac !

i've kinda of done that already though i still have my R but i've been driving the poo out of my GTO lately

fish and play music.

dunno - probably get a small displacement naked bike.

or to be honest by then there may be no oil left to make petrol ...

KHaynes wrote:The day will come when we either choose not to ride or we are unable to ride.
When this time comes, what else would you choose to do other than ride?

Already working on that. My sailboat should be ready for action next Spring. I've been spending last Fall and this Spring redoing the deck hardware mountings, new bulkheads, new wire (AC & DC) and a few other need and nice to have things.

The next best thing to doing it is watching others do it...so I'll keep watching the races and buy the latest dvd's and remember the good old days.

DJ

Still talking about riding bikes I hope.

Just checking.

756

My father rode until he was 80. He started getting a bit senile and was often confused in traffic. I sold his bike for him so he wouldn't have to deal with it. Now he hardly remembers that we used to ride together.

Maybe I can do the same. My wife and I talked of opening a nursing home for old riders. We'd have a BMW in the day room that they could sit on and make motor noises. Maybe have some local clubs come by with the bikes every now and then.

Lee

Some of the guys have the Idea. A rag top sports car is the next best thing. Maybe a Cooper S! Something that still gives the fun of dancing on the road. Mike.