How old are you and how has your riding changed OR has it?

Well put JB, well put.

Now that I am older,, I go MUCH FASTER, because I can easily afford to pay all the fines the LEO's write.. and belive it or not I've only got tickets in my BMW Z3... When I was a "Kid" my Dad would say to me "when are you ever going to grow up"?? if he were still alive he would still be asking me the same thing...

I had a low speed lowside a few years back that did some damage, twisted my left anke really badly and broke a bone in my foot from being trapped underneath the sliding bike. I limped for two months or more, and that was only a 125cc bike,weighing maybe 300lbs. I also got blood clot in my left leg from the cast, no end of trouble.

needless to say, I have been riding a lot more carefully on my 560lbs Suzuki 1250 Bandit since then, that was a warning. I have decided I can live with (thin! ) chicken strips and not knowing what dragging pegs sound like on the Bandit.

I'm 23 and have been riding for 5 years. I've got something like 60k miles under my belt on American and Finnish roads, from urban commuting in Boston traffic to winding forest roads in the middle of nowhere. I consider myself an experienced rider as far as 23 year olds go, but a relative novice as a whole. I have always been cautious but early on I had alot of close calls which were results of being inexperienced and less than confident. Two years ago a guy pulled over onto a dirt patch on the side of the road and came to a stop but suddenly banged a U-turn without signalling or looking as I was passing. I ALMOST got by him but his front fender clipped me below my right knee. Luckily the crash was at around 25mph and even though I flew off the bike I did a bit of a roll and landed on my feet again. The impact did tear the PCL in my right knee however. I find I am a bit more cautious in everythind I do now, conscious that it'd be easy to reinjure my knee. I got back on a bike a few weeks after that accident even though I could barely walk and I'm glad I did. Now I am not only aware of my own riding abilities, but almost equally important, more wary of every other asshole on the road.

I'm 68 and didn't start riding until I was in my late 50s. My 1st bike was a Honda Nighthawk 750 and I kept it for a couple of years while I thought I was learning how to ride.

I knew absolutely nothing about ATGATT and such concepts as "counter steering". I rode in the summer with just a helmet and t-shirt and shorts. Fortunately I had the sense to realize how much good a helmet would do if I crashed. Looking back I am incredulous to think that dealers let riders such as I was just ride off into the sunset without giving a damn about their skills. I knew nothing about riding a motorcycle the day I rode my Nighthawk home.

After 2 years I took the MSF advanced course and learned so many things. It was at that point that I think my skills started to improve. I am much more "conscious" as I'm riding now than I was then. I consciously practice braking, emergency manouvers, counter steering, etc., now and that has helped make me a much smoother, safer rider than I was several years ago. I like to think I make small improvements each time I ride.

I currently ride an '89 R100GS. This is my 3rd GS. I started with an '04, then went to a '92 and now have my '89. I definitely want to improve my off road skills as this is where I've had the most problems with staying upright.

I plan on celebrating my 70th birthday in August 2011 by shipping my bike (probably a 650GS) to Colombia and riding to Ushiaia. So, you can see why I'd like to improve my off road skills a little.

Didn't know you were a noob to dirt back in '05. As I recall this was a pretty substantial hill you went up.

I've been riding legally since I was 15 1/2. Now 62 1/2 ... so that's 47 years of riding.

Jim R.

I will be 71 in a few weeks. I have gone the entire gambit from street to desert racing, to tracks. Until 3 years ago, I did about 30 days a year on the track. After loosing 3 friends that year, my Thai wife finally got me to listen to her and change what I do.

Now I like dual sport riding a lot more. The Aprilia Futura sits in the corner for those days when I just have to go a little fast, but the CapoNord and KLR are my steady rides.

I now get more pleasure from trips and camping from the bike, and seldom ride fast (by my old standards).

Have on intention on quitting riding.
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Started riding at 18, now 53.
Not a lot of obvious changes in my riding. I have a slightly bigger bike and ride longer distances than I used to. Most of that is living in a bigger country now . (Australia rather than New Zealand). I probably ride a bit faster, but that seems to be mostly "better equipment" - the bikes are better, the tires are better - bikes have lights that work now ...

I've had accidents now and then, pretty much all low speed/off road.
Most of my crashing was done off road in the first 3 years - I probably averaged better than a crash a week.

Pete

I'm 37. My riding hasn't changed much over the years, other than I don't ride for fun as often as I used to. I probably rack up more miles commuting than anything. I've always ridden on the street mostly. I enjoy a nice curvy road with no traffic when I have time. My knees don't like sitting on a motorcycle all day. I worry about accidents more these days with a wife and 3 kids depending on me.

I am 52. been riding since I was 15. Mostly dirt. Raced for years. I was a fast guy. I remember counting my trophies after a couple of years of racing. I had 70. 35 were 1st place. I still ride a fairly fast pace. BUT, only when I feel like it. Too many crashes and injuries make me be more selective about when and where I go fast. I rode the local enduro circuit a few years ago (2004). I won my class (over 40 A) for the year but about halfway through most of the enduros I was bored and ready to quit. I have no desire to race anymore. A good long trail ride or DS ride to me is more fun than racing ever was. I used to go ride for a couple of hours at a time. That doen't interest me anymore. I don't ride as often, but I ride longer when I do ride.

Perfect.

I'm 60.
I now give a shit.

I started when I was 16 and rode dirt bikes for a couple of years. Went away to school and sold the bike. For jolly's as I went through my 20's and up to today I race and deliver sailboats which allowed me to visit The Great Lakes, Caribbean, Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.

But at 52 I thought I needed to look again motorcycles and see if I wanted to invest the time and money. The idea of long distance motorcycle travel interested me, I was in need of a new interest. So I enrolled in the local motorcycle safety course offered by The State of Ohio. Loved it and started to search for a bike, 2002 R1150R was what I found and purchased. Two years of that bike and road riding I moved up to a 2004 R1150RT. This bike has a better aftermarket seat and sitting position for my weathered knees.

When you are young and full of piss and vinegar, nothing can hurt you. When you are in your later stages of life you plan on not getting hurt. That's why I always wear ATGATT. Now I have two great pastimes at the ripe age of 55, if I could only retire.

Makes a lot of sense I'm with you there.

I started riding at 5, I'm 35 now. I rode dirt exclusively until about 27 years old. I'd say I'm better at both at this point. When taking a digger now, kevlar really seems to help out vs my teenage years when the best piece of safety equipment I had was kneepads and a helmet. That, and studying techniques and riding with industry guys when I was younger seems to help.

~Mike

I'll be 60 in a couple of months. I started riding at 16, but sold my bike at 26 (wife, kids etc). Four years ago I decided to try riding again. In my teens I got in several accidents. always thinking it was the other guys fault. I never practiced braking, didn't know what counter steering was, never heard of ATGATT. Mostly rode to school, and occasional afternoon rides with a friend if the weather was nice. The longest trip back in those days was an overnight with my GF (now my wife) on the back.

Now I find that half the joy of riding is developing my skill. The other is enjoying traveling to new places. My son has started riding, and there is nothing like taking a motorcycle trip and enjoying the experience with your son.

I'm much more cautious now, and much more able to anticipate danger and react to it quickly. When I was young I never even considered the possibility that drivers might not see me, even though there was plenty of evidence that they didn't.

52 here and been riding since i was about 10 or 12. mostly enjoyed all dirt riding with just really getting into street riding last 20 yrs. the last 5 yrs or so been 100% street, bad knee cant stand up on pegs anymore so cruiser is it for me now. i where alot more gear and i go slower and enjoy the scenery more now days.

I'm 63 and I have been riding since 1966. The world of motorcycle riding has changed quite a bit since I started. That includes both dirt and street riding. When I was 20 yrs old and went Motocross racing suspension travel was at the most 4", now it's more like 14". Supercross wasn't even a word back then, and two strokes were king over 4 strokes. On the street Triumph, BSA and Harleys were the kings of street.
On a Sunday morning my friends and I would ride our street bikes with little or no traffic on the streets in our town. Now there is tons of traffic 24/7.
Never had helmet laws back when I started riding and no motorcycle training schools either. Thought helmets and protective clothing were for racing only. Learned motorcycle safety the hard way, bugs in the face and eyes, a couple of road rash spills (nothing serious) mostly grass stains from trying to ride street bike on grass.
Over the years I was fortunate to learn from my close calls and some of my friends mistakes. I always wear a helmet now and long pants with boots and a protective jacket. I cringe when I see a guy on a bike wearing shorts and no shirt and his girl fiend wearing less. They dress for the beech not the bike.
I tend to head away from the city when I go street riding. There is so much traffic in the city these days. As far as dirt riding goes there is no place to ride anymore without paying. I take my street bike and dirt bike with me on vacation and go out west to Colorado or Arizona at least once a year and have a blast.
All of my 40+ yrs for riding have been in Northern Illinois and Southern Wisconsin.

Proof! Bob, I'm going to call you next summer if I make it to Colorado, which I'm hoping to do, and it would be nice to ride with you again. Trust, me camp he does. Doesn't even pack a tent! Later Bob

I'm 38 now and been riding since 32. I have never had any serous injury in my life despite all the crazy stuff I have done like backcountry sking, mtn biking backpacing, skateboarding hunting and such. I had a pretty good get off on the bike last year and walked away. I guess I have been lucky. I am loosing my hair and that sucks! I asked my wife of 15 yrs (am I getting old?) tonight. She said yes! I Don't believe her, and have known her long enuff to know that she is wrong. ha!