Insane buying a bike at 50?

[black-k1]

not a direct response with regards to sitting your test but, as a indication of the demographic you'd be joining …

http://www.old-gits.org/

The oldest on this years trip is 77 so you can look forward to a good few years of biking.

Just in case you think it's all Old Farts, there are a couple of Old Gits who are in their 20's.

[timtime]

I had bikes previously but couldn't resist this when I saw it on eBay and one successful bid later it was mine at age 56

If its midlife crisis I am smiling and having a blast. I also bought a Suzuki Burgman

They couldn't be more different but I smile riding both

[poo at Paul's]

timtime said:

I had bikes previously but couldn't resist this when I saw it on eBay and one successful bid later it was mine at age 56

If its midlife crisis I am smiling and having a blast. I also bought a Suzuki Burgman

They couldn't be more different but I smile riding both

Well, Zed, at least the Burgman is not embarrassing to be seen on..!

[andburg]

i do love these threads, its like asking a drug dealer if you should try some cocaine...of course the answer will be do it!

[TeamBigfoot]

Nothing wrong with starting later than others. I did my direct access at 30 and felt I had left it a little late when others in my CBT group were 17 :S

Once i'd done mod 1 and 2, you find a group your own age (if you like) with similar biking interests and riding styles.

I'd say go for it - you'll never look back

[PurpleTurtle]

Biker 1 said:

Biker's Nemesis said:

At least you'll not die young if the worst happens.

Absolutely this!!
I'm 50 & passed my test 10 years ago - best waste of money I can possible think of: beats golf, fishing, cycling, etc EVERY time!
Buy the most powerful bike you can afford. The adrenaline rush from giving it the beans out of every roundabout on my local bypass cannot be beaten. Makes you feel young again.

Absolutely do not do this

Otherwise you might end up here: https://www.driving.co.uk/news/middle-aged-men-mot...

Buy the most powerful bike that you feel comfortable handling for your first 6-12 months of riding.

I'm 46, riding daily all weathers for nearly 25 years. When I passed my test I could have gone out and bought the latest 1,000cc tackle I could afford, but it would have been a mistake. Just because you're older and have more disposable income, don't become another statistic. The most powerful bike you can afford can probably get you into all sorts of trouble very quickly through inexperience. I do not profess to be a riding God, just a fast, experienced rider with a cautious attitude.

The sensible thing to do is buy a used middlewieght. Do a Bikesafe. Learn to absolutely rag the living daylights out of it (see aforementioned adrenaline rush) before stepping up to to the most powerful bike you can afford, if you want to. Then give it all the Billy Big bks, but at least you'll have some riding experience to handle it when you go barrelling into a tightening radius left hander with 20mph too much speed, you'll have enough experience to tip it in and get round, avoiding the natural reaction to stand it up and go into the path of an oncoming car, as often happens with a power/experience imbalance.

You can, however, a total fix pooting along on something with 50bhp. You don't have to be Valentino Rossi when nipping to the shops.

Obviously you should do it. It's the closest you can get to flying like a superghero and makes me feel alive every time I chuck a leg over and ride.

Edited by PurpleTurtle on Wednesday 17th April 15:22

Edited by PurpleTurtle on Wednesday 17th April 15:22

[Biker 1]

PurpleTurtle said:

Biker 1 said:

Biker's Nemesis said:

At least you'll not die young if the worst happens.

Absolutely this!!
I'm 50 & passed my test 10 years ago - best waste of money I can possible think of: beats golf, fishing, cycling, etc EVERY time!
Buy the most powerful bike you can afford. The adrenaline rush from giving it the beans out of every roundabout on my local bypass cannot be beaten. Makes you feel young again.

Absolutely do not do this

Disagree!!!!!!
The whole point, I think, is bang-for-buck....
Edit: I just read the Sunday Times article - it mentions crashes on the rise, but not connected to power output....

Edited by Biker 1 on Wednesday 17th April 16:35

[black-k1]

PurpleTurtle said:

Absolutely do not do this

Otherwise you might end up here: https://www.driving.co.uk/news/middle-aged-men-mot...

Buy the most powerful bike that you feel comfortable handling for your first 6-12 months of riding.

I'm 46, riding daily all weathers for nearly 25 years. When I passed my test I could have gone out and bought the latest 1,000cc tackle I could afford, but it would have been a mistake. Just because you're older and have more disposable income, don't become another statistic. The most powerful bike you can afford can probably get you into all sorts of trouble very quickly through inexperience. I do not profess to be a riding God, just a fast, experienced rider with a cautious attitude.

The sensible thing to do is buy a used middlewieght. Do a Bikesafe. Learn to absolutely rag the living daylights out of it (see aforementioned adrenaline rush) before stepping up to to the most powerful bike you can afford, if you want to. Then give it all the Billy Big bks, but at least you'll have some riding experience to handle it when you go barrelling into a tightening radius left hander with 20mph too much speed, you'll have enough experience to tip it in and get round, avoiding the natural reaction to stand it up and go into the path of an oncoming car, as often happens with a power/experience imbalance.

You can, however, a total fix pooting along on something with 50bhp. You don't have to be Valentino Rossi when nipping to the shops.

Obviously you should do it. It's the closest you can get to flying like a superghero and makes me feel alive every time I chuck a leg over and ride.

Edited by PurpleTurtle on Wednesday 17th April 15:22

Edited by PurpleTurtle on Wednesday 17th April 15:22

While I fully understand this is well intentioned, it's based on nothing scientific. This is the thinking that almost gave us the 100bhp limit in the 90's. Various studies at the time and since have showed there was no correlation between engine power output and accident rates.

To the OP. Pass your test and buy the bike you want.

[Mr Squarekins]

poo at Paul's said:

Insane not to.

This. Absolutely.

[MrsMiggins]

Do it!

It might be an idea to ride a bicycle a bit first if you're not a cyclist - reacquaint yourself with balancing on 2 wheels before you're trying to do that while learning everything else.

[bigdog3]

MrsMiggins said:

It might be an idea to ride a bicycle a bit first if you're not a cyclist - reacquaint yourself with balancing on 2 wheels before you're trying to do that while learning everything else.

Motorbikes are much easier to balance than pedal cycles.

But do learn how to counter-steer so it becomes natural. Can be a life saver in a tight situation

[LuS1fer]

If you're under 60, you're technically still a child. Your hips are the main things to keep happy.

[TheInternet]

black-k1 said:

Various studies at the time and since have showed there was no correlation between engine power output and accident rates.

Any links? That's the complete opposite of what I've read, though perhaps it is the outcomes rather than rates that are significantly worse on higher powered bikes.

[MrsMiggins]

bigdog3 said:

MrsMiggins said:

It might be an idea to ride a bicycle a bit first if you're not a cyclist - reacquaint yourself with balancing on 2 wheels before you're trying to do that while learning everything else.

Motorbikes are much easier to balance than pedal cycles.

But do learn how to counter-steer so it becomes natural. Can be a life saver in a tight situation

Good balance is still helpful for the low speed stuff, and it's one less thing to worry about.

[patchb]

bigdog3 said:

Motorbikes are much easier to balance than pedal cycles.

But do learn how to counter-steer so it becomes natural. Can be a life saver in a tight situation

Opening the classic can of worms but you can’t turn a motorbike (or pushbike really) much above waking pace without countersteering, it’s not something you learn. You may however learn to become conscious of it and use it as an advantage in certain situations...

[bigdog3]

patchb said:

Opening the classic can of worms but you can’t turn a motorbike (or pushbike really) much above waking pace without countersteering, it’s not something you learn. You may however learn to become conscious of it and use it as an advantage in certain situations...

Motorcycles tyres generate cornering force through a combination of slip angle and camber thrust. Slip angle is the heading of the wheel compared to its actual direction of travel and is generated by positive steering (not counter steering). Camber thrust is a function of lean angle instigated by counter steering or weight shift.

Classic bike tyres tend to rely mostly on camber thrust whereas modern bike tyres have increased dependency on slip angle.

Regardless the message remains the same - ensure you can counter steer effectively and never freeze when things get tight.

[underwhelmist]

Hmm, a countersteering thread, it's been a while since we had one of those

OP, get it done. I haven't ridden for a few months due to various boring reasons, and I feel like a monochrome, two dimensional version of my former self. I'm getting back on it soon though.

Get your license, get the bike you want, get proper gear, but most importantly get some additional training. Whether road based and safety biased like IAM or ROSPA, or focussed on machine control like Ron Haslam, it'll all be a massive help. Good luck, and have fun.

[Mr Tidy]

If you fancy doing it, then just do it!

We only get one go at life - there's no rehearsal.

I haven't had a bike for a while as I've nowhere to keep one, but I know I will have another.

But as others have said get good riding gear and think about some further training.

Things have changed a bit since the 70s when you could just put L-plates on a 250 and were an invincible teenager!

[Mr_Tickle]

My Dad rode bikes when he was younger but didn't do his full licence until he was in his mid-60s. He's about to retire fully and has great plans to be cruising around on his bike. He even hopes to convince my Mum to get on the get at some point. It's also been great as we've been able to ride to watch motogp together (instead of me having him on the back).

Regarding first bike, he had in mind some boring Honda thing, but when we actually went to look and he started sitting on the bikes he fell in love with a Kawasaki cruiser and just bought it straight away. It's now his pride and joy.

So should you get into biking in your 50s? Absolutely!

[mickeyredeyes]

I should have not read this thread.