Cliche alert - considering a motor bike in my 40s.
Discussion
I've been pondering a move to motorcycles recently and I can't tell if it's boredom or a genuine desire.
I've can a passionate car owner, driver, occasional HGV driver, cyclist and traveller and can still remember the excitement of my first driving lesson the day I turned 17. In short, I love pretty much everything about making something with wheels move.
Except I've never been truly bitten by the motorcycles bug.
I've admired from afar police bikes effortlessly moving and enjoyed the Long Way series but sports bike culture leaves me stone cold.
I guess I'd love to hear from fundamentally car people who have ventured over and how you found the enjoyment of riding a bike in comparison to cars.
Recent cars owned include a GR86, Megane RS so I gravitate towards cars that are handling led rather than outright power.
I've can a passionate car owner, driver, occasional HGV driver, cyclist and traveller and can still remember the excitement of my first driving lesson the day I turned 17. In short, I love pretty much everything about making something with wheels move.
Except I've never been truly bitten by the motorcycles bug.
I've admired from afar police bikes effortlessly moving and enjoyed the Long Way series but sports bike culture leaves me stone cold.
I guess I'd love to hear from fundamentally car people who have ventured over and how you found the enjoyment of riding a bike in comparison to cars.
Recent cars owned include a GR86, Megane RS so I gravitate towards cars that are handling led rather than outright power.
I was never big into bikes, my dad and brother both were. I eventually joined them but I'm not into sports bikes either, I like bumbling about the A & B roads at a steady pace.
I found it more of a social hobby than I expected, bit lonely riding on my own tbh which was partly why I flogged the bikes, along with so many people being glued to their phones these days rather than looking at what their doing. Still fancy another one from time to time, try to bully my brother into getting one again too.
I found it more of a social hobby than I expected, bit lonely riding on my own tbh which was partly why I flogged the bikes, along with so many people being glued to their phones these days rather than looking at what their doing. Still fancy another one from time to time, try to bully my brother into getting one again too.
I got my bike licence at 39. Bikes were forbidden growing up, all sorts of gruesome tales of woe would be told if my mum even saw me looking at one. I also never really saw the point in having one either, so didn t think I was missing out. I got my licence as my gf at the time had one and it was a cool hobby to enjoy together. I didn t expect to take to it quite so strongly as I have.
I own an Elise and a clio cup, used to own a Caterham, driven an atom a few times, done many track days and a season s racing in a gt86 cup.
Bikes: I started with a Ducati monster and have since added an 848, a fireblade for track, and a Honda monkey. I m thinking about an adv bike.
On a nice day I will usually take the bike out for fun over the Elise. In fact I d say most of my on-road fun is on 2 wheels these days. It s a completely different feeling / experience that I don t know how to describe. There s just you and the road, no radio or other distractions, I find it very focussed yet relaxing at the same time. I only get that same level of focus/freedom in a car on track, which is obviously much less accessible and performed at much higher speeds with narrower margins.
You can t compare car and bike handling imho. Going quick on a bike is a very physical sensation. The atom is probably the closest in terms of visceral acceleration but cornering physics are chalk and cheese.
I like long solo rides especially at night when I can go from the city to a moonlit desert, up through the mountains and back home again. I like taking the OH out as pillion as when the speed rises she’ll just hold me more tightly but enjoys it as much as I do. Group rides are mainly breakfast runs with good mates. Speeds are actually a lot lower on these rides, but the social aspect is better than say a track day as you can talk to each other over the helmet comms as you ride.
But also normal journeys and commuting are still fun. It s very satisfying to blipshift down the box, tip in and roll out of a corner just so .
Also, traffic doesn t exist on 2 wheels
I own an Elise and a clio cup, used to own a Caterham, driven an atom a few times, done many track days and a season s racing in a gt86 cup.
Bikes: I started with a Ducati monster and have since added an 848, a fireblade for track, and a Honda monkey. I m thinking about an adv bike.
On a nice day I will usually take the bike out for fun over the Elise. In fact I d say most of my on-road fun is on 2 wheels these days. It s a completely different feeling / experience that I don t know how to describe. There s just you and the road, no radio or other distractions, I find it very focussed yet relaxing at the same time. I only get that same level of focus/freedom in a car on track, which is obviously much less accessible and performed at much higher speeds with narrower margins.
You can t compare car and bike handling imho. Going quick on a bike is a very physical sensation. The atom is probably the closest in terms of visceral acceleration but cornering physics are chalk and cheese.
I like long solo rides especially at night when I can go from the city to a moonlit desert, up through the mountains and back home again. I like taking the OH out as pillion as when the speed rises she’ll just hold me more tightly but enjoys it as much as I do. Group rides are mainly breakfast runs with good mates. Speeds are actually a lot lower on these rides, but the social aspect is better than say a track day as you can talk to each other over the helmet comms as you ride.
But also normal journeys and commuting are still fun. It s very satisfying to blipshift down the box, tip in and roll out of a corner just so .
Also, traffic doesn t exist on 2 wheels
Edited by shirt on Wednesday 7th October 22:14
I used to be into sports bikes. My final bike was a Fireblade before I was finally caught speeding and given six points. No car has come close to achieving the same buzz a bike will provide, apart from something like a Caterham.
I used to love riding on my own. Early morning starts, vague routes planned, earplugs in and I was away. As someone who enjoys solitude a bike is the perfect way to achieve that. I was never really into the social side of things.
I gave it up as I started losing my nerve somewhat. I’d lost a few biker friends over the years due to accidents (most bikers will know someone seriously injured or killed) and I realised I was pushing myself more and more every time I went out.
I keep meaning to go back to biking. I miss it, especially as my interest in cars has pretty much evaporated (over-crowded roads, rise of aggressive car drivers etc). I reckon I’d need to go back to something sensible to start with!
I used to love riding on my own. Early morning starts, vague routes planned, earplugs in and I was away. As someone who enjoys solitude a bike is the perfect way to achieve that. I was never really into the social side of things.
I gave it up as I started losing my nerve somewhat. I’d lost a few biker friends over the years due to accidents (most bikers will know someone seriously injured or killed) and I realised I was pushing myself more and more every time I went out.
I keep meaning to go back to biking. I miss it, especially as my interest in cars has pretty much evaporated (over-crowded roads, rise of aggressive car drivers etc). I reckon I’d need to go back to something sensible to start with!
shirt said:
I got my bike licence at 39. Bikes were forbidden growing up, all sorts of gruesome tales of woe would be told if my mum even saw me looking at one. I also never really saw the point in having one either, so didn t think I was missing out. I got my licence as my gf at the time had one and it was a cool hobby to enjoy together. I didn t expect to take to it quite so strongly as I have.
I own an Elise and a clio cup, used to own a Caterham, driven an atom a few times, done many track days and a season s racing in a gt86 cup.
Bikes: I started with a Ducati monster and have since added an 848, a fireblade for track, and a Honda monkey. I m thinking about an adv bike.
On a nice day I will usually take the bike out for fun over the Elise. In fact I d say most of my on-road fun is on 2 wheels these days. It s a completely different feeling / experience that I don t know how to describe. There s just you and the road, no radio or other distractions, I find it very focussed yet relaxing at the same time. I only get that same level of focus/freedom in a car on track, which is obviously much less accessible and performed at much higher speeds with narrower margins.
You can t compare car and bike handling imho. Going quick on a bike is a very physical sensation. The atom is probably the closest in terms of visceral acceleration but cornering physics are chalk and cheese.
But also normal journeys and commuting are still fun. It s very satisfying to blipshift down the box, tip in and roll out of a corner just so .
Also, traffic doesn t exist on 2 wheels
Great post, thanks. I own an Elise and a clio cup, used to own a Caterham, driven an atom a few times, done many track days and a season s racing in a gt86 cup.
Bikes: I started with a Ducati monster and have since added an 848, a fireblade for track, and a Honda monkey. I m thinking about an adv bike.
On a nice day I will usually take the bike out for fun over the Elise. In fact I d say most of my on-road fun is on 2 wheels these days. It s a completely different feeling / experience that I don t know how to describe. There s just you and the road, no radio or other distractions, I find it very focussed yet relaxing at the same time. I only get that same level of focus/freedom in a car on track, which is obviously much less accessible and performed at much higher speeds with narrower margins.
You can t compare car and bike handling imho. Going quick on a bike is a very physical sensation. The atom is probably the closest in terms of visceral acceleration but cornering physics are chalk and cheese.
But also normal journeys and commuting are still fun. It s very satisfying to blipshift down the box, tip in and roll out of a corner just so .
Also, traffic doesn t exist on 2 wheels
I can articulate what handling I enjoy in a car as well as the wider experience of say an NC500 trip, I can explain to a degree the enjoyment I can get from regular A-B vehicles.
I guess the only really way to find out is to do my CBT, it's only £200 and will hopefully give small taster.
Do your cbt, it’s cheap and a full day of riding, first in a carpark getting the basics then on the road.
Iv had 65ish cars and did my bike test last year, I won’t be buying a car for fun again as they just don’t compare unless it’s raining.
Bikes have indeed ruined quick cars for me!
Iv had 65ish cars and did my bike test last year, I won’t be buying a car for fun again as they just don’t compare unless it’s raining.
Bikes have indeed ruined quick cars for me!
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