Who started riding after age 30

- Did quite a bit of pillion riding in high school. Got branded "best passenger" Only got the bars a couple of times. Left me wanting more, so to answer "what the frack were you thinking?" FRAKKEN FINALLY!!!!!! 43 and ready to roll then and was on the bike every day for almost a year. I'm now 48 and getting the bike fixed and getting back out again.

2. What was your first bike?
1989 Honda Pacific Coast 800

3. How do you feel about starting so late?
I'm glad to check one more thing off the list of "things I might regret if I don't".

4. What bikes have you progressed to / thru?
One step at a time. Still own the Honda. I still love the way she looks and I know she's a comfortable cruise. Probably never get rid of her. The next one will be a dual sport :)

Ahh what the hell, here's my story.

I asked my parents for a dirt bike when I was a teen, the answer was "NEVER!!! IT'S TO DANGEROUS!! and to never ask that stupid question again" shit I even though they would put me up for adoption. So I told myself maybe one day when I get the money and I'm old enough etc...I would get it on my own.
So I joined the Infantry on my 18th Birthday, go figure my parents were proud (that's not dangerous). In 1993 I was shot to shit in the Balkans 24/7 and finally injured in an ambush that nearly cost me my life.
I regained consciousness in the chopper being air lifted to a field hospital with a multitude of injuries. I had only one thing on my mind "riding a motorcycle".
After 2 long years of therapy and surgery, I had saved up the money to buy a little dirt bike, I was 30 yrs old. My fist bike was a KX 125 (thank God).
When my father learned about my purchase, he gave me the worst blast of shit ever and that I would hurt myself and on and on and....it was dangerous.
Dangerous heh? ( I leave the rest to your imagination)

I'm 42 now and I have owned a few dirt bikes, a few road bikes. I have now a Harley Electra glide, WR250R and working on getting a new F800GS. I need to ride to stay focused, after war it's a therapy for me.
The old man still shakes his head to this day!! I think he's just jealous!!!

Cheers!!!

Its not myself but a friend who has just passed his CBT(compulsary bike training) aged 41, he is going out with us on regular rides to get a wee bit more experience. In just over 6 weeks the four of us head to Morocco, he's going on a Honda Valedero 125, Edinburgh to Morocco and back with a jaunt in the sahara for me(ktm) and him on the valedero,respect to him, minimal touring alright.

I had a Honda ct90 when I was younger (I think I was 13/14) .I did'nt get another bike until I was about 36('81 XT 500).I think I started later because I had been into off-roading old Toyota Landcruisers and was in Moab for a Landcruiser event ,we were on the porcupine rim trail creeping along when we were passed up by a guy on a DRZ 400. I thought"now that seems like a better(and way cheaper!),more fun way to move across this terrain" Later that year I purchased a used'96 Beta Zero 260 trials bike, after that I was sold! The trials bike was great to learn on , as you are up in the pegs constantly and the bike is very forgiving so you can build confidence(off-road) a bit faster. Eventually I needed more power and and did not want to be held hostage by having to trailer my bike for every ride so I purchased a KLR 650 , great bike but had it's limitations on the trail. Now I am 45 and ride a street legal Honda XR650r! I love this bike. I also have an '87 BMW K100 that I am converting into a gravel runner/ scrambler. Now I am freaking obsessed with riding!

I was 38 the first time I sat on a bike.
It was something I had always wanted to do and I thought I'd better do it before I hit the big 40.
Learnt on a Honda vtr250 (wrecked), then saw a Moto Guzzi breva 750 I couldn't live without, then a Ducati ss1000, and now a Yammie FZ8n. Still have them.
I think I'm making up for lost time. 4 years later and about 60000 kms later.
As I pull up at work, I used to say to my boss you can teach old dogs new tricks!

I started @ 34. Now 38.
First bike - Genuine Buddy 125
Second bike - Yamaha Majesty 400
Third and current bike- BMW 1200gs
Didn't realize I was starting late. If I wanted to ride any earlier in my life, I would have.

I'm now 42, got my first bike at 40. A good friend had a KLR and a DRZ, so I thought I'd have a psyched partner and a bit of a mentor. In Northern Minnesota we have a lot of cool areas to explore.

My first bike is my 2011 KLR 650. Just about to roll over the 8,000 mile mark as I begin my 3rd riding season.

The KLR is currently my only bike, but I do like the idea of an F800GS. Or a big fat KTM 990. Also something like a WR250 for tight trailwork. I really wish somebody would have told me, upon buying my first bike, that I would ultimately want a few.

While I don't mind coming to the party late, I do wish I would have pulled the trigger several years ago. It's probably good that I wasn't riding through my 20's.

I have noticed that it sure is fun to look at new and different motorcycles. It's really easy to say "I'd love that new bike." But it seems to me that the question should be "What type of riding do I want to do." The bike options will flow from that question.


Brent

Bought the first bike I ever so much as threw a leg over just over a year ago at age 54. "WTF were you thinking?" A question I hear from most every member of my family. I was thinking "I'd like to try this, and at age 54, I've earned it. If I don't do it now, I'm gonna be too old." So I did.

What was your first bike? First and present bike, a Yamaha WR250X. Got it to ride the pavement to the forest service roads I like to explore. The only problem is, I like riding on the pavement more than I thought I would, and other machines are already starting to catch my eye.

How do you feel about starting so late? Wish I'd started sooner, but glad I didn't start a lot sooner. I would have ridden unprotected, and like a madman, and killed myself had I hopped on two wheels in my 20's.

What bikes have you progressed to / thru? None . . . yet. But they're talkin' to me.

Started at 38 (where time went i have no idea)
06 fz6 & still on it.
No regrets about starting when i did 'cause i'd be dead if it
was earlier. Starting in las vegas keeps me on my toes.
I can ride year round comfortably but still have my truck.
Learning to ride in vegas is interesting.

I started at age 6 (minibike), but I got my Uncle Ralph into biking when he was 68 years old. I sold him my old Kaw KZ400 2 stroker. He had never ridden anything but a bicycle. When we got him on his bike, he was a bit nervous at first. I saw him about a month later and that guy laid rubber down like a bat out of hell. I couldn't believe it. He was a total maniac and actually had great control. Funny thing is that he later told me had found out he had cancer and not sure what he figured, but I think he didn't mind going out in a blaze of glory instead of the way he really went out. Anyway, it really made sense to me later since I couldn't see how anyone over 50 could get that crazy.

That is actually pretty awesome. "Live life like you are dying"

I started riding after 30. I'm 44 now and I started riding when I was 41. I took a Honda Dirtbike course since I knew nothing about motos at all. My girlfriend and daughter came along too- her daughter had never even driven a car before and had zero clutch experience. The course was great- we all had a blast and learned a lot. I knew bikes would be in the garage in short order.

Fast forward to present day: Girlfriend has a new dirtbike on the way (Honda CR250, she started on a XT225) to match her '13 Ninja 300, daughter is still on her TW200 and I've got three bikes now: DRZ400s, Triumph Bonneville 2006 cafe racer (my "cool" bike- bought off a guy in Las Vegas who spent way too much money making it look very sweet) and '13 DL650 V-strom (my go far bike). We all took the MSF course and we all have our M1 licenses.

We ride carefully and I always think about the statistic that says I'm more likely to wreck in the first few years of riding so I ride very conservatively. I've done a bunch of moto trips both dirt (southern Baja) and road (best was a 4 day, 1500 mile trip from SD to Central Cal and through all kinds of twisty backroads up there with my brother who rides too)- I'm messed up on the traveling part of it. I conquered my fear of riding through L.A. on the 405 and have made that freeway my bitch. I respect her, but I'm not afraid to ramble through the LA monster when I have to.

I'm not bummed that I didn't start earlier- things happen when they are supposed to, but I do take the advice, "Ride while you can" to heart; when I get a chance to get out on the open road- I do.

Took my MSF course at age 34 wanting to get a bike for more fuel efficient commuting. And then I realized how ridiculously fun this can be.

I started after 30 lol. I got my mc licence about 5 months ago. And bought my bike recently. I started a motovlog too. Amateur I am. Here's how much I've spent on my first bike so far.

:huh

This is how much currency I have spent on my DR650. I bought it new a few months ago and have since had all this stuff fitted to deck it out for endurance travel. The only thing I ain't got is luggage and panniers yet.

The first service I had was expensive, the suzuki dealership I went to charged me a lot and I won't be going back there again because of that. But, anyway, I got a good deal on my clothing and the main thing for me is that I like my bike and my clothing fits me really well.

Hope this can help someone who's considering buying a new 650 for adventure riding, like me.
[/URL][/IMG]

I completed the MSF new rider course them purchased an Aprilia scooter when I was 53. Now at 64 I have a SYM 300 Citycom 300 and ride all the time as both a commuter in Chicago and fun trips. My only regret is that I waited so long!

That is cool. I thought I was the only one starting riding a motorcycle after the age of 30. I got my license at 32 and my first motorcycle is an Aprilia Pegaso i.e. Still learning after a year with it

age 45

48, now

.

I started at 50. I'm 57 now. First bike was a Sportster. I wish I still had it. A couple of Harley's later just a G650GS. I still have a couple Harley's but this thing is a blast!

I started at age 32. I was thinking about mpg and the ability to do all the maintenance myself; as well as shaking up my life a bit. I took the msf class and got my licence at the end of summer last year, in no rush to find a bike. Around halloween there was a great deal on the bike I wanted, a kawasaki 650r. Now I range further and more frequently than I did before.