Who started riding after age 30

You want me to admit I'm over thirty??? Ok, I started riding 3 years ago at age 31. Why? Why the hell not!
2. First bike was an F650ST
3. How do I feel about starting so late? Cheated! Hell if I'd known it was this much fun I would have gotten into riding MANY years ago!
4. What bikes? First was the F650, then I got a Yamaha TTR125L, then sold the F650 and bought a Ninja 250 (the F650 was too heavy for me), then I just sold the Ninja and bought an SV650 a couple of weeks ago.
That's my story!
Kathy

Never touched a bike until 46. I had always wanted to ride but always talked myself out of it because I didn't trust myself not to go nuts and do myself injury. Last summer I finally decided that if I didn't do it soon it wasn't ever going to happen (mid-life crisis, I guess), I figured I had enough maturity now, and I saw a V-Strom 650 and decided that was the bike for me, so I started looking for a beginner bike to learn on. Found a GZ250 on ebay for a song and hauled it to the MSF class in my pickup and learned to ride it. 6 weeks commuting on the baby cruiser and I was bored with it and ready for something bigger and found a local dealer with a black DL650. Dropped it on the way to work the 2nd day out and almost gave it up, it shook my confidence so much. But I worked through it and have 8500mi on it now and am having a blast.

Didn't start after 30, but rejoined the fold at 50, after almost 13 years out of action. Turned 50 in November, bought a used SV650S on eBay, loved it until my knees hurt, traded on a new Wee-Strom. Having a great time, riding to work daily, riding in the evenings, going out on weekends looking for gravel to try to keep my old self upright on.

I bought my 12GS this spring after a 2 year stint on temporary assignment in San Francisco. First bike in 20 years; I'll be 50 this fall. How do I feel about it? Glad I waited, for one thing. More sense, more of what it takes to survive this awesome sport. Funny - I knew very little about bikes since my Honda CB 360 bit the rust way back when. I just knew that BMW's were 'nice bikes' and that the 1200 GS was a dual sport. OK, I told the salesman, I'll take it. What'd you call it again? Oh, OK. Load it up.

Have 6K on it now and having a ball. Too much fun. Perfect for twisty roads where I live in Western Maryland. My wife says she's doubling my life insurance. My 18 year old son won't talk to me because he's pissed that I have a bike and he doesn't. Hey, he's got a roof over his head. He can get his own bike...when he can pay for it.

Bought 1st MC at age 31 (now 46) when my earnings graduated to about $35,000 per year where you could afford $700 for rent, $500 for food, $150 for insurance per month and still afford payments on a new MC Honda Transalp '90 Red.
Friends at work had a nice club to join and I did ride with them almost every week in Ventura, Santa Barbara counties. I rode a lot myself too mostly on Mullholland Hwy around the Rock Store and PCH.
My interests before motorcycling included mountain biking so my riding skill advanced very fast. Annual trips to Laguna Seca were my 1st touring trips. The club had an annual Kernville ride that was amazing. I later lived in Tehachapi in 2004 and rode Spring rides every weekend to Sequoia National Forest.
When you work in aeroospace, you must work/live in the best opportunity to come your way at the time. That takes you in and out of prime riding spaces. So recently, it seems I'm trailering my motorcycles (other MC is XR650L) to the general area instead of leaving from home in Huntington Bch, Ca.

I rode the dirt bikes as a youngster. But my first street bike was a XR650L at age 35. Dualsport was my first impression when I decided I wanted a bike. But riding it to work shook me a bit. It was so light and wind sheer really made me feel unstable over 65mph on highway. I got me a used 650 maxim and new I needed a street bike. from there I went to a 1400 intruder suzuki. Rode that for about one season and made the move to a Harley. I have enjoyed the Harley, as I am a mechanic. I have done everything to it. <Not out of nessesity> but they long to be modified. Now I have put the harley up for sale and I intend to buy a 1200gs within the next few weeks. I went and test rode one, AWSOME. I always knew dualsport was where I should be. Time will tell. I will be 40 in February.

I rode for 2 years on a temporary permit when I was 17-19 on a beautiful blue 1973 Yamaha RD250. I was restricted to country roads by my permit, but that never bothered me a bit. Never got my license until I was 31.

I think it is great to have started again in my early thirties, because if I rode in my twenties I'm fairly certain I would have killed myself.

My first bike now that I am back riding is a KLR 250.

Had a cb450 when I was 19, but nothing after that until I was 39. do I feel cheated? Well, yes and no. I raced and toured on bicycles for all of that time, so I reached 40 in excellent health. If I kept riding motorcycles back then I'm sure I'd weigh about 250 lbs and would be a smoker to boot, if I managed to live to see thirty. At 44 I feel (finally!) mature enough to ride a motorbike and stay well within my limits, with nothing to prove to anyone, content to cruise around the back roads, waving to other bikers like I'm running for mayor, not getting ruffled when people scoff at my ATGATT and letting my faster friends leave me in the dust on occassion.

Oh man, I am so glad you made it into riding without getting killed.

In so many ways you fit the stereotype of the older riders that are getting killed or injured. Older guy, successful in his career, not much time available (by both hours in the week and perceived years in life) but the money to buy whatever they want. No way will they start with a little learner bike and then work their way up in steps.

And, perhaps more significantly, used to being an authority in whatever they do and getting their way - high achiever - whether a Master of the Universe in finance, or, well a surgeon (here's a doc joke: what's the diff between a surgeon and God? God never thinks he's a surgeon....) or whatever. (Hey, I'm a lawyer...)

And so they buy a bigger or hotter bike than a noob has any business getting on, and proceed to get hurt. Sounds like you came close a few times. But they say that if you survive a year, you can ride forever. A least though a Glide is a huge bike, the weight damps what power it has and makes it less twitchy than a much lighter and smaller cc sportbike.

So you learned to ride and congrats to you - there surely have been others in your circumstances who ended up with a nasty surprise!

Only two weeks ago, I took the MSF course to satisfy a curiosity that came from having a couple of coworkers buy bikes and from riding bitch with my cute friend on her Harley. I took the completion certificate to the Nevada DMV that very Monday morning and then went shopping. From the time I reserved my spot in the class, I had been surfing the web, and I had developed a huge crush on Benka Pulko's BMW F650. I thought I would be an adventure bike type of person, so the two bikes to try were the F650GS and the Wee-Strom. When I found a new Wee-Strom for $5700, I bought it. I've put almost 400 miles on the red bike in a week and a half.

And I've started wondering if I will ever get up the courage to tell mom and dad; I've already got pictures that I want to send everyone back home. I'm probably so late finding motorcycling because my dad used to rant about how dangerous my uncle and aunt's 900cc touring bike was back in the late seventies when I was young and impressionable.

The Wee-Strom is the first and only bike I've had.

Same thing here. My parents hate motorcycles. But they lived east of the Mississippi and I lived west, so there was no way for them to find out. I told them about 5 years after I bought the bike. I told them if I already lived this long riding a bike, that proves they are not dangerous.

Hello there,
I got my lisence at the age off 51.
I have bought a Honda Nx650 even before I took my first lesson.
Every time i'm on it I regret i did not get it earlier.
greetings from Holland

Was 29, am 33 now. Only riding for 4 years and have a measly 26K to show for it. This summer alone I put on over 10K and have a few more months of riding weather left. It's been actually tougher breaking loose of some of the fears. I guess the older I get I think more about the consequences so I am not quite as fearless as if I started riding when I was 18 or something. Maybe that's the challenge I enjoy so much. Learning something new all the time and getting better everyday. I started out right away with decent riding gear and helmet so maybe the age helped there. Plus had some very good influences around me. I really enjoy it more than any car. I have a '95 Toyota Corolla that amazing keep rolling along with minimal upkeep. So more to spend on the bike. If it wasn't for my dog and winter I'd be happy with no car. Someday onward to Alaska!

I got my endorsement and started riding in 2003 at 38. It was the best thing I did for myself. Odds are if you find me staring off into space, its because I'm halfway to Alaska.

I started riding at age 16, with a 1966 X-6 Hustler and progressed through 12 different bikes in the next 6 years. H-2 Kawasaki's, Rm Suzukis, DT Yamaha's.
Then I met the girl of my dreams, she didn't like riding, and I didn't think I needed it, so I gave bikes up. Fast forward 20 years, the girl of my dreams turned into the woman of my nightmares......ending in divorce. I promptly went bike shopping. Now at 42 years old, the friends that were still riding were riding cruisers. I test rode a few, but with the last street bike I ever owned being a two-stroke triple, kitted out in cafe racer equipment (mid-seventy's), the cruiser style bikes just didn't get my adreneline going like I had remembered, way back when. So I decided on a Sv650 as my reentering bike. I rode it 7000 miles in 6 months and have been hooked ever since. (7 years) I moved on to a Tl1000, but I knew I was going to really hurt myself on that one. Traded it in on a new 2002 VSTROM and have put 25,000 miles on it in 2 1/2 years. Just got back from a 3800 mile trip to Colorado from Indiana last month. I've come to a conclusion: At some point I will again be with out a wife or SO, but I will never be with out a bike again!!!

I started riding at 41, just about 3 weeks ago.

Did the MSF course, and was about to buy a Wee-Strom when a great deal on a slightly pre-owned 650GS popped up.

Why did it take me so long to do this?

If you don't count the home made motorized-bicycle stage, and want to consider only actual motorcycles, I started riding at age 15 (in 1968), rode on-and-off til age 21 (1974), and re-started at age 51 (2004).

My first was a "borrowed" Honda 50 walk-thru. The older brother of a friend had gone off to college, and foolishly left the Honda where we could get to it. No license, registration, insurance etc. - we just got on and rode it. Thought we were Hell's Angels.

First "owned" bike was a Ducati Falcon Sport 80 (co-owned with another buddy). Small and smoky, but fun. I still have pictures of us trying unsuccessfully to kick-start that POS.

In college I had the worst Triumph ever made, a 1965 TR6R. It left me stranded many, many times. Worst of all, I never impressed anyone when I rode it (important at that age).

I did not ride after college, can not say why.

My next was in '04, a 1979 Yamaha XS650 Special. Fun bike, cheap, easy to get parts, terrible charging system.

After that, a 2004 Triumph Bonneville. Wonderful motorcycle.

This year I upgraded to a BMW K1200S. Two weeks ago, I got my first motorcycle speeding ticket. Ever. Fun, fun, fun, but way too exciting when you get a sudden flat front tire at 60+ MPH.

My wife is nervous about me riding but has been a good sport. My younger sister is angry with me and refuses to discuss it. My 80-year-old mother does not need to know.

First post!
All these stories of riders starting later in life is inspiring. I've had the bug for a few years and a couple of months ago began consuming all the info I can on this site wondering if I can start riding at 41.
My only real "motorcycle" experience consists of owning a scooter while in college (20 years ago) and about three hours riding single track on a kz 250 this past summer.



I've been riding and racing bicycles most of my life and feel super comfortable on two wheels, I also feel like I've aquired a sixth sense for two wheeled traffic safety over the years. My favorite type of ride is a super long mountain bike ride with friends, but at 41 I'm running out of buddies who feel fit enough to hit the trails for 5 or more hours.

I'm addicted to the stories in ride reports and I've been spending WAY too much time following other peoples adventures and I really want in on the fun. So basically, I'm such a noob that I don't even have a motorbike yet!

Last week I became a naturalized citizen (Insert free speech exercising political rant here) and immediatly after taking my oath I registered to vote, walked out of the court house and went straight to local motorcycle dealer and picked up an Arai XD. (did a search here on helmet recommendations and 'loadedagain' said the XD is the shitzzle.)
The local MSF classes have been full all summer so I guess I'll try to enroll in a class next spring. In the meantime I figure I better stop lurking and start contributing to this awesome forum so I can become a legit member.

I'm not sure what bike I'll end up with, the 640 adv is the bike that has me slobbering all over myself but I'm not sure if it's too much for a first bike. All I know is the 640 guys sre doing the kind of riding I want to do and they sure seem too be having a lot of fun doing it.

started riding at 29, i'm 30 now. wish i started when i was a wee one. but hey, never too late they say!

When I was 12 a kid down the street got a Sears Moped. While my friends and I were riding solo on a bicycle, he was tooling around town with girls on the back. I begged my father for a moped. He made it very clear that if I ever asked again he would kill me.

Fast Forward 37 years. My best friend and I are out fishing one day when he casually mentions that when he turns 50 a year later he is buying a motorcycle and taking a month-long trip out west. I immediately said count me in.

We took the MSF new rider course and, against everyone's advice, I bought a bike that was way too much for my skill level: a BMW R1100R. On my first day of ownership I decided to ride over to my friend's house and show off my new (used) bike. It was a hot, humid summer day and I was dressed in all the gear. I stopped at my first stop sign. I dropped the bike. I finally got it up on two wheels and continued on. I reached my friend's neighborhood and stopped at another stop sign. I pulled out and turned left. My hand grabbed way too much throttle and I ripped across the street, into his neighbor's yard and crashed into a yard man's trailer. Fortunately, the bike was fine but my ego was shot to Hell.

For days I would look out of my second story window and see the BMW sitting there in the driveway, all the while getting a major pit in my stomach. WTF had I done? I would have quit riding at that point but too many of my friends knew I was getting into riding and my damaged ego could take no more abuse.

A few days later I decided to venture over to the empty Vanderbilt University parking lots near my house and practice stopping, turning, etc. After a couple of hours of learning throttle control it was time for the highway.

After about 6 months of riding, my friend and I rode to Atlanta and took the two-day Kevin Schwantz Suzuki School course at Road Atlanta. It all finally came together and riding became the fun I hoped it would be.

The next summer we made a 25-day trip to Colorado. It was the trip of a lifetime and I was hooked.

Now, at 53, I am riding a 2004 DL1000 vStrom and a 2001 Aprilia Futura.

The morals of the story are; first, it's never too late to do the things in life you really want to do. Second, when people tell you not to buy a 1000cc, 550 pound bike as your first ride, listen to them.