ALL Older Riders Lose THIS... How it affects your Safety on a Motorcycle

As a ex Police motorcyclist riding 365 days a year, I am aware my skills peaked in my 40’s, now 64 I aim to think and look twice. My mantra has always been “you show off, you fall off!” As YouTube will attest to. Also never do anything spontaneously as it means you’ve not looked! Miss that junction, turn around further up the road and live to see another day. Thank you for all you efforts to put this out there. Peter

You don’t stop riding when you get old, you get old when you stop riding. 😁

Another thing worth mentioning is that younger riders tend to believe the other drivers are going to drive predictably and obey traffic rules whereas older riders like me have learned to not trust anyone to do anything predictable and in fact older riders will be more ready for drivers to do something completely unpredictable because the older riders have seen it all before.

I'm 68 and have been riding for 52 years in the UK. Since I retired 3 years ago, I've spent more time riding than ever before (work used to get in the way). In my experience, the key to survival is the ability to continually assess potential hazards, and adjust your riding to allow yourself enough time to take the appropriate action. This applies whatever your age, and as you get older, you learn to adapt. Riders who don't feel the need to do this don't generally last long enough to be old .

First time that crossed my mind to start riding was when I met an 82 yo guy at the motel in Colorado. He was riding his Harley from NYC to Los Angeles to visit his friend. He looked to me like he was maybe mid 60. He told me he rode since he was 19, never been in an accident and never rode over 65. Probably his Harley couldn't go faster anyway. I was impressed. 82, ride and still alive. That opened my horizons 😂 (Maybe I posted this here before. We also tend to forget things and do them again.)

Age 77, and still on two wheels. However, I made a few changes in how and what I ride. I went from a Honda Shadow 1100 to the smaller Shadow, to reduce the weight. I stay off the interstates, and just ride backroads, and keep the speed under 55 mph. Also, I look twice at every intersection when cars are there. They just don't see you on a bike.

Reading, and listening to this program helps me stay relevant to riding. So far, three minor accidents, zero tickets in over 60 years. Now at 83, I still ride, but on lower hp, easier to manage bikes. I lowered the power to increase safety, and time to react. Now I see more, ride relaxed, and realize that accidents are mostly avoidable, if you just slow down and keep that license to ride longer. Never stop keeping those skills up !

At 63 I have changed some of my riding habits. 1) I do not ride when I do not feel like it. If I am tired or if I don't feel sharp I do not ride. 2) I sold the sport bikes. I do not stuff it into corners, I do not race and my pace is leisurely. 3) I am looking at lighter bikes for my future rides. They are easier to maneuver and easier to control. 4) Finally I take great care of my knees. I consider how I pivot when I drop into the saddle making sure my foot slips around on the ground and that my knee doesn't twist. I recognize that I am not the rider or the driver I one was.

Good video. I'm 73 and started riding again 4 years ago after a 35 year layoff from 1983 to 2018. I got all the urge to go fast out of my system in the early 70's so today I ride very conservatively on a BMW K1600B. The one rule I've always followed, and how I taught my kids to drive, is to always assume others on the road with you are going to do the stupidest thing they could possibly do so I'm always on guard. I assume the lady pulling out of her driveway is actually going to pull in front of me and then I'm just pleasantly surprised when she doesn't. I don't ride with friends much because most folks my age have quit riding already and those younger than I am are still working and can't ride when I want to go. That means I've done some nice solo rides during the week to the Cherohala Parkway and Tail of the Dragon. Love your channel. Keep up the good work.

At 70 years of age, I feel really fortunate to be in as good a shape as I am… while I have little problems here and there, cataract surgery extended my riding years tremendously. Many friends my age can’t even tie their shoes, which brings up my point. There is a huge range of “capability” in 70-80 year old people. Some are in wheel chairs. Some have glaucoma. Some have been alcoholics and smokers for the last 50 years and can’t catch their glasses when they fall off their face. Some have been sober for decades and have been doing yoga and lifting free weights for the same amount of time. If all we see in a person is how old they are, then we don’t see the complete human that each individual actually is.

I am 82 years old. I started riding on Whizzer motor bikes when I was 8 years old. Bought my first Harley, a 1942 "45" flat head, when I was 14. I have ridden almost all my life. My current ride is a 99 Softail Custom. Speed and reaction time are the most important things, and never assume that other drivers are going to do what you think they are. Turn signals left on do not mean they are going to turn. Patience pays off. Wait for traffic to clear before jumping into the fray. I still ride weather permitting as much as I can. I live in a very rural area a couple of miles from a town of about 7500 people. Even at that, I rarely go to town during rush hour. It is the little things you do that keep you safe.

75, I ride most days, living in the South of France it's a biker's paradise. For me riding my bike takes 100% concentration it releases the mind of all the daily stress a bit like yoga. I'm convinced it's far safer than buying a couch & a TV.

"There are old pilots, and there are bold pilots, but there are no old bold pilots." Definitely keep the skills as sharp as you can and ride within that skill set or limits. Great topic & video! Thanks Kevin. (BTW, soon to be 72.) 😁

I'm 86 and have been riding for 72 years. I still have a BMW R90S, a Guzzi Lemans hot rod and a beautful 1973 Norton Commando...and I ride all of them regularly. My long-held standard is that I'll hang up my helmet when I can no longer start my Norton. Thus far, I'm not there. Mind you, I don't ride much in heavy traffic; I live in rural New Zealand and usually take a car when I go into the city. I've taught safe-riding courses for decades; I am careful, don't ride as hard as I once did, and I make sure I'm in FRONT of the cars, not among them. If they want to run me over, they're going to have tp WORK at it!

I am 72, been riding motorcycles for 57 years, i had a motorcycle before a car, still riding my 1983 Harley Davidson FLHS , all over the United States, Canada.

I rode for fifty years before back surgery ended my run. The two rules I rode by were "You are invisable" and stay away from everyone. Distance equals safety. Assuming no one can see you makes you hyper vigilant. I never trusted the car in the lane beside me if I was in traffic. I use to watch the guys head for a lane change but that wasn't a sure thing. So I started watching for the vehicles front wheels to move, which is always the give away...Doing these things kept me from having to react at the last second.

One other factor: night vision degradation. I enjoyed driving and riding at night when I was younger. Hate it now.

I am 66 and commute on a Honda CBR954RR. It is LIGHT WEIGHT. It stops FAST,it stears FAST.The tires STICK to the road. A HUGE advantage compared to heavy,lumbering cruisers.

TRUE STORY: Friends and I riding at 2 or 3 over the speed limit on US287 in the north part of the Texas panhandle. A little dirty truck passes us, pulls over into our lane, and brakes hard. Both George and I practice maximum threshold braking. We have and maintain our skills and 1-G braking in practice is not uncommon. There was a point where I was sure that I was going to hit the rear of the truck. But braking skills being what we have, no collision. What sticks in my mind was seeing George's motor suddenly move rearward in relation to mine. He had applied the brakes more quickly!! He is 10 or more years younger than me. (I'm 74). It has bothered me ever since that my reaction time wasn't as quick as his. Typically, as I've aged, I DO allow more room in front of me to give me a little more room to react. 3 seconds is not uncommon. My tandem riding partners humor me. It seems and feels like too far back. But in this instance, we weren't given the chance to maintain a safe distance from the little truck's back bumper when that driver slammed on his brakes. The consequences of following too closely can be catastrophic. So, knowing that my reaction time isn't what it used to be, I compensate by giving a little more room. The incident (that didn't result in a crash) on 287 reaffirmed that I need to keep doing what I'm doing and also need to keep practicing. NOTE: I am a retired MSF instructor and motorcycle skills competitor at the highest level/classification. I have seen "experienced" motorcyclists crash during braking practice, even though they know exactly when and where maximum braking is to occur. As a group, our braking skills are dismally lacking. I strongly recommend braking practice under the coaching of a skilled instructor. As we get older, it's imperative that we gain and practice the skills needed to be safe and come home after a ride or a trip. Skilled motorcyclists have 90% fewer accidents than those that are simply "Experienced". Thank you for reading.

Great video. I'm 76 and have been riding for 60 of those years. I have long recognised that my reaction times are not what that were some years ago and keep this in mind every time I ride. In acknowledging this I made the decision to go for smaller, lighter bikes (currently 400cc) upon which I maintain my confidence and am able to continue to enjoy the the thrill that only two wheels can give.