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What’s Wrong with a Mid-Crisis (Motorcycle?)

#21
My MLC, with a bike, was in my 40s. I Did enjoy the riding incredibly.

But these days, I'm kind of telling myself - it's a bit too dangerous.

It's not just about your skill keeping you safe. Unfortunately, too often it is about the idiots on the road with you that you have no control over.

I'm sorry to say that the stats I have in my personal life for friends and acquaintances who ride are not good. Not good at all. Very sobering.

If you do start to ride, absolutely, positively - take MSF. Be very careful, and stay super aware 110% of the time. Consider riding only in the form of back roads at slower speeds, and not highway riding.

Just my PSA. Don't mean to be a bummer. I Love riding. But, the statistics don't lie.
 
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#23
48thStreetCustom said:
When I switched to Kaiser and saw my doctor for the first time, he asked if I ride a motorcycle. When I told him no, he said. "Good. I won't take any patients who do. I used to work in ER. I've seen what they do."
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Sounds like blaming the victim. Nobody asks to be T-boned at an intersection.
 
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#26
Jim Nazium said:
When I was much younger I couldn't really afford it, and when I'm much older I might not be healthy enough. Call it what you want, but I'm in my 50s and feel like this is my prime window for riding. Toured Italy this year, Alaska last year, hoping to go to Ecuador next. Having tons of fun.

3 minute video of the Italy tour:
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Sweet. A good friend of mine recently completed a solo bike trip from Alaska to the tip of South America. He especially loved Ecuador.
 
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#27
I want to get one of these smaller three wheelers in a few years, ain't no way I am doing two wheels.
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#28
S-Bigbottom said:
My opinion is there is no mid life crisis when someone over 50 buys a sports car or bike, it is that he finally has the disposable income to allow him to buy the car or bike he always wanted.
Let him enjoy. :thumbsup:
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I've been driving a mid life crisis car since I was 18...... fast forward to 51 and I still have hot rods and lifted trucks.
 
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#33
When you look up the definition of the word crisis, it doesn't always carry a negative connotation. With that in mind, it isn't always a bad thing when someone advanced in age makes a purchase such as a motorcycle.
If the decision was fiscally, physically, or emotionally irresponsible, then perhaps it can be viewed with some scrutiny.
Sometimes owning something like a motorcycle/expensive car/whatever else makes more sense when a person gets older as they have spent the previous stages of their life raising a family, building a career, saving money, etc.

-Mike
 
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#34
Dr. Cheese said:
Now that it is deep into November, good days for riding fewer here in Southwest Illinois. Today was a great, but I had to go to the dentist. Still, there was enough light when I got home to give my bike its first real cleaning since I bought it. My youngest daughter and washed the two cars too.

I have had my bike since early October, and I managed to put 1,000 miles on it simply commuting and running errands. I am much more confident riding. I may head over to St. Louis when there is good weather and I have time although 277 carjackings in the city this year is not encouraging for casual riding.

My wife asked me again if this was just a mid life phase I’m going through, and I said what I always say: I always wanted another bike, but things kept coming up. This year, I said I better do it, or it will never happen, so I did it.

Last Saturday, my church held the annual harvest home coming meal, and I rode my bike to church for the first time. The men were all positive. The next day, a member said he understood what meant when I said I needed to do it before I got too old.

I’ll stop now because I am rambling.:)
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My mid life crisis involved changing states, a divorce, a career change, a red convertible, and dating much younger women, including a 27 year old model who I will never tire of bragging about.

You're fine.
 
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#38
Russell L said:
Wind noise kills your hearing, even with a helmet. It did mine. Think about that.
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That's what ear plugs are for. I always wear ear plugs when riding.

A proper midlife crisis involves three or four maxed out credit cards, a rented Cadillac, preferably a Cadillac convertible, a bimbo/bimbette of your choice, police chases, blown road blocks, an international incident, the third army battalion, helicopters, air to surface missiles, and a few other things. A motorcycle does not count as a midlife crisis. It counts as finally getting around to what you probably should have been doing all along, except being a responsible adult meant satisfying other requirements and other people's needs and wants.

I started riding again at 38, went racing at 48, and still ride the motorcycle near daily at 58. There's no plan to stop, ever. If I lose balance, eyesight, and judgment, then it's time to stop, but not before that. There's always something that happens, and if I can't deal with those things any more, then that's another reason to stop. Until then, it's my chosen method of commuting, transportation when I don't need to carry a musical instrument, or deal with ice. I don't have either the time or the money for a proper midlife crisis.
 
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#39
48thStreetCustom said:
When I switched to Kaiser and saw my doctor for the first time, he asked if I ride a motorcycle. When I told him no, he said. "Good. I won't take any patients who do. I used to work in ER. I've seen what they do."
Click to expand...
I worked in the OR for eight years back in the 70's as a scrub nurse. I saw MC accident victims. And auto accident victims. And GSW victims. And physical assault victims. And more sad stories than I can relate here. I'd have told the boob "fine, I'll find another doc who isn't an idiot".
 
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