riding expectations

[Marine]

just a few questions about starting to ride a motorcycle again,at age 67. i am in good health so there are no problems from that direction,of course i do have my "senior"moments when my youthful thinking overloads my senior abilities,such as thinking i can do things as well and as fast as i did 20 years ago. but the question is should i attempt to put some long distance miles on the r75/7 i am restoring or simply be content to just ride locally?btw this is the ar barn rat that i had posted about 2 months ago. the restoration is moving along very good,i have actually beenriding the bike for acouple of weeks now. i want to take some trips maybe to tx,co,or even further next year but i am not sure of my ability to ride for many hours at a time. if you have had, or know of someone who has had a similiar experience in their life please let me know. i would be curious of their problems and interested in adventures. thanks

[MLS2GO]

Go further if it's still fun, next time go a little further. When it's not fun anymore, it's too long. Just like a bicycle rider or a runner you have to log the miles. No starts out running a Marathon or riding an Iron Butt Ride. You'll know.

[Bill Burke]

I'm an older rider on an old bike and just got back from a 3200 miler. That's what generic Aleve and generic Zantac are for. The Aleve helps the arse and wrists and the Zantac the stomach (road food). I ride with cabbie beads (helps) and a camelback (water). Water is critical. It's primarily a function of what kind of physical and mental shape you're in. Don't ride after dark if you can avoid it, the night vision is shot. I start to look for a motel at the 10 hour mark on long trips. Congratulations on getting back on. Ride safe.

[26667]

my friend/airhead guru, Seymour is 75 and puts in 400 - 500 mi days when he travels on his airhead GS. You've got a few years on me, but there are lots of folks out w more miles than you putting lots of miles on their bikes. Don't push beyond your limits and know that with each passing day of your trip, your riding muscles, and gas/pee/food schedule will fall into line. In addition to the importance of staying hydrated mentioned above, be sure to stretch out frequently. Both on and off the bike, and breathe consciously. Steady deep rhythmic breaths help to oxygenate your blood.
I wish you well and many many happy miles. ride safe and far!

[Rpbump]

I will turn 67 on 2 Aug and have put about 24k miles on my two bikes over the last 21 months. A good seat is a must. I have ordered a Bill Mayer seat for my CLC ( I used an Airhawk on the original seat) and use a Mustang seat on my Sportster. I use my bikes to/from work whenever possible and use the cruiser for most trips over 100 miles. Comfortable clothing, boots, jacket, helmet, etc help a lot and the better clothing accessories are worth the money from the comfort, wear, and safety angles. The most miles traveled in one day totaled just over 630 and after a good nights rest I was ready to continue on the next day. Using a Camelback is a big help in warm/humid N FL and should work quite well in the hot but less humid climates. Learn to pace yourself when riding longer distances. The trip to the Rally in Redmond, OR in 2010 will be my longest trip and I'm looking forward to it. Ride Safe :usa :usa

[amiles]

Lots of good advice above. I'd suggest putting together a riding ensemble from New Enough or similar vendor of some good padded textile MC clothing. This on the frugal side so as to protect you while you figure out what you want/can do.

Try to take a class with MSF or whoever, lots of good info as to BASIC operation available there.

Start off with some shorter rides and work your way up to what you determine to be your optimum. Get used to your machine and your body on your machine. If you end up doing thousands of miles a week or a few hundred at a time with an occasional long trip good for you.

If you can find a riding friend that you are on the same wavelength with, this can be very helpful.

Remember, It's supposed to be fun.

[glenfiddich]

You have a few years on me, but the basic concept of checking out a mod or building up daily mileage before a long trip is the same.

I have a series of scenic routes starting and ending at home. If I plot them on a map home looks like the nucleus and the routes look like the path of electrons orbiting. Each is 50-100 miles long. When prepping my bike and myself for a trip like the recent rally, I start with one of the rides and take one after the other, bailing out if I'm tired or if myself or the bike need tweaking. When I can ride all of them in a day (about 550 miles) I'm ready.

Ditto on the water and the Advil. I've also developed a series of stretches I can do while riding.

Pete
Chief Warrant Officer of Marines (Retired)

[sumran]

I agree with adding miles a little at a time. You will learn things about your equipment and setup on a 150 mile ride that you can't learn on a 20 mile ride.

Stretching and water make a big difference. I find miles are much easier if I have a flexible schedule. Some days I stop more often. Other days, everything feels just right and I'll run through a whole tank before I stop. Both situations can be enjoyable if I don't force it.

Having a destination and interesting scenery also makes the miles feel different. Add in a comfortable seat, a well adjusted riding position and reasonable wind control and the miles won't matter that much.

[markb635]

A good light fitness program with lots of stretching will help tremendously. My father is 70 and is doing a couple triathalons this summer. Make sure you eat healthy foods and drink plenty of water and electrolytes. You'll be fine. Be safe and have fun!!!!!

[ccolwell]

My Dad did multi-day Edelweiss Alps and European tours up to the age of 81. His last ride from NC to PA was sometime in his 70's. However, the only multiday trips he did on vintage bikes (R69S) was on Antique Motorcycle club events held in rural areas with light traffic. All the other rides were on modern bikes with triple disk brakes and big, wide radial tires (well, OK, the Euro trips were always on F650's). Modern bikes expand your safety envelope, an envelope that decreases with age. At 54, I'm very aware that while my skills are increasing, my reflexes are headed in the other direction.

Oh, and ditto on everything everyone else said.

[jforgo]

Don't worry about the miles at this point.
The most important thing you need to be doing after your long absence is to get your MC hat back; the attitude, traffic reading, anticipation, mistrust of the cages, etc etc. Even if you are planning on lots of country rides, you will still have to deal with traffic at some point. And that is what will get you. Reconnect with the high speed mental scan/react/reposition/distance looking skills. Once you redevelop a heightened awareness, the extended miles will simply happen.

[Marine]

i want to thank everyone for all the advice and encouragement. it means a lot to me to know that there are others my age still out there riding these beloved airheads. if there is any in the western ar., eastern ok area send pm and hook up for short w/e ride.

[keelerb]

Agree very much with the "work up to higher mileages via lower mileages" comments.

Another tip is to pick up an "airhawk" or similar seat cushion. I find my "iron butt" isn't as well padded as it once was, or maybe I'm just a bit more fond of my comfort. But the sitbones can get cranky after (and during) a long day in the saddle; the airhawk makes a big difference.

I plan on riding at your age and well beyond (God willing). Best of luck to you.

[kbasa]

Tune your body to fit the bike and tune your bike to fit your body.

Ride until it's not fun, then find a place to stay. Over the course of a week, a bunch of 200 mile days can take you to some interesting and new places and still allow you time to explore them a little.

[Professor]

amiles said, [QUOTE]Try to take a class with MSF or whoever, lots of good info as to BASIC operation available there./QUOTE]

I say don't "try" to take and MSF class - just do it! I'm an MSF instructor (age 65) and a fairly consistent observation is that people in our age group who have ridden continuously over the years or have only been away from riding for a little while do quite well. But those who have been away from it for two or three decades have a lot of difficulty. There are exceptions, but they are rare.

Take a class and see how it feels to you. It will answer almost all of your questions about riding again. Feel free to send me a personal message if you have other questions.