Young People and Fast Motorcycles-Advice from an Old Cop.

[delcrossv]

This thread reminds me of the advice I gave my oldest son. With his Navy paycheck in hand he was hot to trot to plunk down the cash for a Panigale. Full of testosterone and dreams.

I told him that if he got that as a first bike, I'll start coffin shopping now- too powerful and too fast for a first, second or probably 3rd bike.. What he needs for a first bike is something with less gears, less horsepower and plenty of torque. Forgiving of mistakes is the key.
Having grown up riding mostly britbikes, I steered him toward a Triumph Bonneville- enough power to keep you out of trouble, but not so much that a newb mistake will kill you.

He's had it for 4 years now and has become a fan. Now looking at a friend's Sportster. Showing more sense as he matures.

 

[Frank46]

Was looking at one of the low slung three wheeled motorcycles/ Don't remember the name. Found one in a parking lot and stopped to talk shop with the owner. He's telling me how fast it goes and all I could think about that it being so low drivers like cars and trucks would have problems seeing it on their left hand side. He said sometimes when looking out for the other guy he's had to put the pedal to the metal just to get out of their way. My bones ache enough so at 74 one of those babies ain't for me.Frank

 

[pawngal]

I noticed it's the crazy riders who are good stay alive.

I know few of those. One of them has his 175 mph nitro twin Harley dragster in the HD Museum. His son is a world class rider in Supercross. There are 3 brothers, all riders, they started the Iowa Abate chapter, had a Bonneville Salt Flats racer, had their own custom bike shop. The oldest makes a lot of appearances to teach motorcycle safety. Just 3 Iowa farm boys....I wouldn't hesitate a minute to get on Harley behind any of them.

Over the years I've had a lot of friends in the biker world, yes I'm talking outlaw clubs namely Sons of Silence and El Forasteros. Neither of the local chapters are active anymore, old age! (like me) The only one I can remember being killed on their bike was the President of the El Forasteros, he was hit from behind by an underage drunk kid when stopped at a stop light. He was a very charismatic and giving person.
Yes, I'm aware of all the drug business associated with these clubs but locally there wasn't a lot, more a drinking bunch.

Now, crotch rocket bunch, I have no time for them. Like others have said, blow thru traffic, etc.

 

[7shooter]

My wife toured the Sister Kenny Institute in the 70s for a graduate class and interviewed 10 young males who were paraplegic or quadriplegic.
Nine were motorcycle crashes and one was a diving accident.

 

[motor51]

I was a motorman for 12+ years and also was on our traffic homicide response team. I've seen quite a few bad ones.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

 

[boykinlp]

Many years ago as a young man I bought a new 1979 Kawasaki 750. On a ride home alone from Michigan on an early Sunday morning I decided to see how fast it would go. Traffic was light so I got into the left lane an opened it up. The speedo went to 140 and as the needle reached 140 I was passing other vehicle's like they were standing still. I passed a Michigan State Trooper that was parked in the median and expected him to come after me, he never did. I realized that if anybody changed into my lane there was no way I would be able to stop and I would probably be killed. I got off the throttle, switched into the right lane and never even thought about trying that again. At a young age you feel you are invincible and bad things only happen to other people. The majority of us make it through that phase, there will always be some that won't.

Like 67tempest, about 35 years ago, I had some money burning a hole in my pocket, and still some wild oats to sow. I decided to buy a used 1984 Kawasaki Ninja 900 from a guy who needed the money for his pregnant girlfriend more than the motorcycle. If I remember correctly 1984 was the first year for them. I rode it for fun for about 2 years. I, too, opened it up a couple of times on long deserted highways. I believe 140 mph was my top speed, but I still had throttle left, when I backed off. I remember driving over a spilt patch of gravel at that speed and that was enough for me to never do that again! I was riding before the days of everyone having a cellphone, but had multiple folks, not paying attention, almost kill me. One woman turned in front of me, while I was doing the speed limit of 50 mph. I hit the brakes hard and started fish tailing. The woman saw me at the last moment as I skidded to a stop just past her front bumper. She had been yelling at some rowdy kids in her car instead of paying attention to her driving!

About a month later, I bought my house. I needed a refrigerator more than my motorcycle, so it went down the road to it's third owner. The funny thing is that many young folks, I know now, can't believe it when I tell them I used to drive a 900 Ninja. If you check out the price for a 1984 Kawasaki Ninja 900 in nice condition now, they are very expensive! This is just what mine looked like:
Larry

 

[Imissedagain]

Nothing like picking up some unnoticed road debris at 175mph plus on a motorcycle to put some fun in a run.

Enduros rock!
Old pic of naked XT500 bought new in '79.
Sits in the garage getting some major mods.

 

[Imissedagain]

My wife toured the Sister Kenny Institute in the 70s for a graduate class and interviewed 10 young males who were paraplegic or quadriplegic.
Nine were motorcycle crashes and one was a diving accident.

Doing dumb tricks on skis and snowboards will give similar results.

 

[Donn]

I retired my HD Sportster some years back. Not fooling myself. I know my reactions aren't what they used to be. That, and traffic's a lot different, (read dangerous), now. Cars are smaller, more nimble, and a lot faster. Back in the day, big cars, for the most part, were cumbersome, lumbering machines, didn't move as fast. Add distracted driving to the mix, I'm not rolling those dice.

 

[Bozz10mm]

I had a good 15 years of riding in my youth. Was lucky enough to have never collided with anything. I gave it up in 1979, but I still miss it. I'm afraid I would look silly now anyway at the age of 73. And it has gotten a lot more dangerous to ride.

 

[F4phantom]

Way too easy to die on four wheels, why would you raise the odds on two wheels.

 

[ejr10mm]

I did the sport bike thing, the adventure bike thing, the super-motard thing and now I have a harley road king. I like my old man bike. It's not the fastest or most nimble but it is comfortable and brings a smile to my face. It's like riding an antique couch with a nice lumpy v twin engine.

 

[Goldstar225]

I started riding when I was 15 (64 now) and had bikes intermittently over the years as finances and family obligations allowed. I'm fortunate that the sportbikes of today did not exist then, I did enough stupid things on the bikes I had as a youth/young man.

I still ride but have a few rules. Always wear a helmet, ride conservatively, no night riding, no alcohol, practice riding skills and ride defensively.

I avoid riding in towns and cities where the car drivers are the main cause of crashes. On country roads a crash is usually the fault of the motorcyclist, mainly for failure to negotiate a curve.

 

[Imissedagain]

Grew up riding bicycles in NYC and bought my first of two Ducatis in '65 at age 18, which was the legal drinking age as well, back when most families had only one car.
By '70, after active duty, most families had 3-4 cars, the streets were very crowded and much more dangerous to the new riders on very fast RR cycles
I built a Harley semi-chopper in '69, on the Air Base, and found that the need to go immediately from the street to sand/etc etc requires "well practiced skills" and a good 500cc Enduro at about 300 lbs wet.
I have two sets of gears for that XT500 in above pic.
One for the highway, speedo stops at 120mph, and one set for off-road.

Street riding is and has always been "total concentration at all times" or the ER.
My boy decided that street rinding, even on an Enduro, ain't worth the risk.
He was invited to join the ski patrol and is getting his mountain bike skills up to snuff. No interest in mountain bike racing just staying in shape.

 

[VictorLouis]

I was in the bike biz for over a decade.
ON occasion, I would get a parent asking about
sportbikes. I would respond with something like,
"Would you teach Little Johnny to drive in a NASCAR rig?"
No?....uh, well there you go.....

 

[Imissedagain]

The Allman Bros lost two due to dumbness on bikes.

 

[cowboy4evr]

I have owned / rode only Harley's for almost 50 yrs . I've had flatheads , panheads, Knuckleheads , shovels , evo's and twin cam . I was 16 when I took my first long trip , Iowa to Az . I had a few " close calls " with car people , but nothing serious . I learned very early to be " constantly " on the watch for the traffice in front , on the side and behind you . I quite before I moved to the DFW area . I didn't have a " death wish " trying to ride here . Yes , there are days I really miss it . Regards Paul

 

[Marshwheeling]

. I had a dig that lived truck rides and I loved that fog more than my bike.

Fortunately, I speak a language that is very similar to yours, and was able to understand this sentence without resorting to an interpreter.

 

[mtgianni]

Way too easy to die on four wheels, why would you raise the odds on two wheels.

Joy. There is a feeling to riding a cycle that makes sitting in a car like being in a cage. It is really a sense of freedom that has to be experienced.

I sold my last one this year and it will be my last. Suzuki DR650 was a great bike but when MT went to 80 mph on the interstate my riding dropped a lot. When it was 75 and people cruised at 83-85 I was Ok as a work commuter from 6:30-7:00 AM. Coming home was stick to the back roads as traffic was too busy. When we became custodial guardians of pre teen grandkids at age 65 I knew riding would be minimal at best. Last year was nothing at all so it was sold this spring.

Still have a 4 wheeler and might look at a side by side but too many cars on the road to enjoy things now.

 

[boykinlp]

I sold my last one this year and it will be my last. Suzuki DR650 was a great bike but when MT went to 80 mph on the interstate my riding dropped a lot.

WOW, I had no idea that legal highway speed limits had reached 80 mph. Is that the highest, or do other states have higher?
Larry