When would you give up riding?

[fudgie]

People always say they just got back into riding from a few year stint of a bikeless world.  :'(  I can't imagine not having a bike, let alone not riding. Some give up for kids, work, etc. When would you give up the saddle? I can't think of anything.  Kids. Have none. Kit even says not to get rid of the bike if she ever got pregnant. Ah....Given!  My EMS patner at work asked when I'm taking the paramedic class. I'm not. She asked why? Thats time that I could be riding!  14 months is along time not to ride! Not to mention I'd have to quit one of my jobs. I love riding, love rallies, and love the all the stuff that goes along with riding. I have been through some tough days and the Valk has always been there to cheer me up. Can't ask for a better friend. There will still be tough times ahead I'm sure, and the Valk will be there. I look up to solo1 and RJ that they are still in the saddle.

[Oss]

the expression when they peel my cold dead hands off the bike comes to mind

Love following the exploits of fudgie and kit ( and sometimes Gig)  keep em coming, and also those emails

When I ride I just " AM  "whereas most times in the car I am enclosed and not feeling part of the world as much

So what if I may ride slower these days

Life is not a race to me, but a journey that each of us follow at our own pace. 

I find my own rythym and pace when I ride by myself and really enjoy the world from the saddle of my Valkyrie  Hope my health allows me to enjoy it as long as RJ and Solo1.  Heck Fudgie a few weeks ago I went up to cape cod to buy the rear end of a Valk that an 83 yr old was triking.  Now that is the spirit  I hope I have as I get older

[Popeye]

Amen to "when they peel my cold dead hands off the bike comes to mind".   

Not much more to say than that.

[Smokinjoe-VRCCDS#0005]

I've been ridin' since I was 12 or 13 and I don't see my world without a motorcycle in it. I also admire Solo and RJ along with Kickstand and a few more that keep the wheels rollin' when many other's would not ...Ride On 

[PIBIT #34]

Started on a Hondra Trail 70 when I was 12 and if that's how I finish, I am good with that, as long as I am still riding...I think twice now before doing a 22 hour day and riding right through before stopping for a room (with a steakhouse and bar next door you can stumble back from  ) but when morning comes, I am still ready for another 700 miles or so...
PIBIT #34 

[R J]

This Sept, I will have been riding 65 years and have more than 2 million miles under my sorry butt.    Over a million of those were on a Police Motor.

I will still have the Valkyrie when I die, so if I'm still able to hold it up, when they pry my dead cold fingers off the handlebars.

If I can't hold the Valk up, I still have a garage full of bikes and I'll ride what I can when I can, plus I still have the Chevy Trike, who is getting new disc brakes installed.   The main part we have done, the piddly crap, make brackets and run new bigger lines and etc is kind of slowing us down, as we are not taking time to work on this away from jobs at the shop.   Customer pays come first.....   They are the ones who keep the door open.



Da kit.  Billet Aluminum



Test fit.



Ready to try a wheel...



Caliper looks good back in there.

That should be some super good stopping power......



I can ride anyone of these except for the Harley.  It is gone to a new home.  Good riddance.

[Jack]

I never plan to give up riding.  However, I don't ride as much as I use to since my wreck 22 months ago.  Of course, it rains a lot more here than it did in New Orleans so that is part of it and the grands live close and that slows me down a bit.  I know, excuses, excuses.

[F-106]

When I cant handle the bike as well as I should to be safe. That will most likely come with age. When you are a danger to others that is when it is time to get off. I always felt you have to be 100% all the time to ride the bike and stay alive {at least here in california} .

[kickstand]

I'm 60 yrs old with a peg leg lost my leg in an accident in 02 put a voyager kit on for a few years back ridin on 2 wheels now don't plan on quiting any time soon well ride as long as I have good health

[Dogg]

Ill ride 2 wheels until I cant hold it up anymore. then Ill add a 3rd wheel.
If I go blind, Ill ride with the wife.....

Been riding way too long and need the "therapy" of it to stay sane. But I have 1 confession...
I have ridden 200 or 300 mile rides, 400 from jersey to md plus some pouncing around with my daughter. but, Have never been on a journey. long distance. I think thatsmy next thing to do before I cant do it anymore

[John Schmidt]

When? I have no idea. Like most, I guess I'll know when the time comes. Like some others with long riding years, I've been riding well over 50 years. Might actually be closer to 60+ if I count riding my cousin's little Doodle Bug on the farm when youngster...and my mother didn't know about it. But, on the farm we started driving tractors when we could barely reach the pedals. Sometimes it was easier handling a team of horses, didn't have to worry about not reaching the pedals. But, I've been riding two-wheeled motorized contraptions for over 50 years and have no intention of quiting. Frankly, I don't know what I'd do with myself or my spare time, and my wife would probably toss my butt out the door after a few short weeks.

When would I quit....probably when they're picking up the pieces after being hit by a soccer mom on a cell phone. And then only if I didn't have enough pieces left to ride with. I know the joints in the hips and legs aren't what they once were, so I'd most likely trike the bike if it got too difficult to hold it up. As for now, no problems, I just find a 350-400 mile day is sufficient whereas double that was once the norm.

[BOOMR]

I have been up on 2 wheels (powered that is) for over 42 years now, and can't image NOT being in the wind.  My new wife of 2 years (next Wednesday) is great, understands what makes me happy and has no problem with me be gone most of the time from late May to after Labor Day. Still stand by my convictions of 42 years, will ride as long as I am vertical, lucid, have the ability to handle the controls and have some semblence of my wits about me....and as long as I remember not to try to move the Valk bare foot.

If Wayne and RJ are any indication, got at least another 3-4 decades ahead of me. 

As a wise man has said,  " Bring it, Lets Ride " 

Oh yes,  one more thing.... with friends like all of you here, I will ride forever....

[BOOMR]

One more thing, Suz is here beside me as I posted, turned to me and said:

Honey, don't forget you are one year older now, time to make adjustments for Age and Sinility

She just cracks me up!

[ChromeDome]

I don't think I could ever give up riding .... but there may come a time when I will no longer be able to ride and at that time I will enjoy riding through the stories and the adventures of those that do ride.

[Big IV]

We don't have kids yet, but when I do I don't expect to sale the bike. The Valk is paid for, it can live in the shed until I'm ready to go, and be dependable enough to get up and go with me. No reason to let go of it for a long long time.

If at all possible I'll be riding something for ever.

When the time comes that I can't safely handle a bike, then I'll find a trike, or  an odd little scooter to ride around on. I'll stay on something in the wind if all possible.

My Dad gave up riding for me, or for Mom, or because Mom made him give it up for me. He had a bike. She'd ride with him. He promised to sale it to help them pay for their first trailer when they got married. He never did. They paid the trailer off anyway. Mom kept riding. Then I was born. She decided it was dangerous and didn't want to raise a kid by herself. So, Dad sold it. He went without a bike for 18 years.  When I was 18 I bought a CB750, and took off for beyond what I had seen already. Dad decided I was nuts, convinced Mom I was nuts, and then convinced Mom that he needed a bike so that he could come with me and teach me about life on the road. So he bought an XS11. He rides with my little brother or little sister or mother on the back. Our XS11s are gone (we both had one for a while). I've got my Valk. He's got his GW, and his Shadow 1100 with sidecar, and some other misc bikes in the garage.

I think from here on out we'll both be riding as long as we're able.

He had open heart surgery a few months ago, and is doing great. He's starting to ride around town again. He'll be back riding on trips soon.

[Gary]

I too began back in the day, ripping up the backstreets and river beds on an old mini bike frame and Briggs & Stratton or two with a plywood seat.

Went through a used Kawasaki enduro in the mid 70's and then on to an1980 650 custom, 81 750 custom, 76 GL1000 and then an 87 Shadow. All Hondas. Never once wearing a helmet cruising the coast and freeways of southern and central CA.

Early 80's I started a family, by 89 things had fizzled out for the wife and I and we parted ways. I then became a single parent house raising a 4 and 6 year old.

By 91 California decides to roll-out the mandatory helmet law to go into effect by Jan 92 (if memory serves me). When that became official, along with a practical family of 3 budget, my 87 1100 Shadow found a new home.

My job took me to northwestern IL in late 95 and by March of 97 my eye caught a burple something or other cruise by. I was bitten again, did some research, found the best deal I could about 150 miles due south of me. April of 97 I found what became my new significant other.

No helmet law in Illinois. Then to Texas, no helmet law, Oklahoma, Colorado and now New Mexico all no mandatory law.

For me, wearing a helmet definitely blows for my riding experience. I hate them, and I've tried several. I always comply when riding through a helmet law state but much like the experience someone gave above of riding in a car verses a bike, for me, sporting a helmet is not the same. Nothing to do with wanting to be or look cool as many want to believe, other than wanting to relieve that miserably hot, confined experience a freak'n helmet gives my head.

Oh, did I mention how I felt about helmets: Helmet Laws Suck!

If I was stuck living in a helmet law state these days I'm sure I would have to adjust as I don't envision life without my S/O.

So that is how or why my lay-off bike riding stint came to play. My kids are now 26 and 24 and we all survived. My 26 year old is now raising her own two kids, a boy and a girl, but she's doing it as a two parent household. 

   

[art]

I quit riding in 1967 after I t-boned a pontiac at 50mph an walked away .Mson was born two months later.I had a 66 norton atlas.It was repaired but not good to ride any more so I traded it for a 63 jag xke. What a blast that was.I took up riding again in 96 with a 98 gold wing then a shadow aero ,a 03 triumph an a 02 valk..In 66 an still going strong.I plan on riding till i'm 100.or dead then they can pry my cold dead hands off the handle bars

[solo1]

I started riding in 1947 on a Whizzer motorbike, then graduated to a 1935 HD 45ci flathead. .  I don't have the many miles that some of you have under your belt but I still have the calling to ride.  As all of us know,  It's like a drug addition ( I guess, I wouldn't know). We have to have our "fix"

There have been a number of times that I was thinking about quitting but I haven't.  My many friends in the VRCC keep me going, oh yes!

Two weeks ago I fell after being pushed off balance by a gust of wind, badly twisting my arthritic right knee.  It's gradually getting better but I'm quietly going nuts because I can't quite fit myself on the Valk rig or the Nighthawk,  or my Miata,  soon though.

And no, I wasn't into the sauce when I fell.

[R J]

And no, I wasn't into the sauce when I fell.

Bet me, I heard you had a snoot full.........   LOL........

We all believe ya till proven different Wayne....

[Momz]

I'd like to think that my riding days are over when they gotta scrape my remains off the pavement.

[bsnicely]

Well, I have to admit that I came very near quitting last Summer when my bud Steve had his accident. It was many encouraging words from many folks here including RJ, Wayne, Joe, Goody and many others that kept me on two wheels. I guess the main word was when Rhonda told me that Steve would be mad at me if I quit on account of him, and I know that is the truth. Since that night I have examined my beliefs, my faith and my ideas about how things in the spiritual work. I am not real sure what I believe about those things anymore but I know one thing, if such a thing is possible, my bud Steve hasn't even let death keep him from riding..........     Ride on bud and I'll try too.

[Bladedog]

When I had my '79 Suzuki 750 in Okinawa I didn't think I would ever be bike-less again.  When I transferred from the island and was getting out of the Navy, I couldn't bring the bike with me without a HUGE hassle (not a legal U.S. model) so I left it behind.  So, there I  was with a young daughter, wife, and no job for a few months, so getting another bike seemed like a back-burner item.  Suddenly, 25 years had gone by.  Now that I have the Valk, kids are gone (well, except for the 19 year old, but hey she has her OWN car!) and a wife who ALSO wants to ride, it will be a DAMN long time before I have to leave it behind again!