When are people too old to ride motorcycles around town?

[OneMoreFarang]

3 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

I do find it a bit heavy to push around

That's why there is an engine in there. ???? 

[Moonlover]

2 hours ago, clivebaxter said:

Never been on one here, as about one bike rider is killed every 30 minutes why would anyone? I know you all think you are great riders but that does not stop idiots running into you killing or crippling you. Silly, dangerous machines anywhere.

I think you've strayed into the wrong forum. It's for bikers!

[JustAnotherHun]

Not age is the limit, it's your individual health condition.

One of my biker buddies is 65 now . On our last 3.500km tour in France and Spain we did not have to wait one minute for him. When we meet at the Ales racetrack once a year he's still faster than I am ????

[Hummin]

3 minutes ago, dddave said:

I'm 78 and have been riding two wheeled vehicles since my 'teens.  

I now live in Jomtien and have a small Honda Click 125 which suits my needs nicely.

I do accept that I am not the same rider I was 25 years ago, or even 10 years ago.

I'm not physically as flexible now so turning to look behind or at sharp angles to the side is more restricted.  Situational awareness, such as at a really busy intersection (Like Soi Diana/Buakhow for Pattaya dwellers) takes more concentration and caution. 

I avoid fast and busy roads like Sukhumvit and especially those requiring multi-lane crossovers and U-turns.

I leave a much wider gap between myself and vehicles in front of me and when pulling from a side soi into traffic, remind myself, I have nothing to hurry for and try to never cut it too close.  I also stifle the impulse to speed up and make the green light as the countdown clock hits "2".

One benefit of Covid has been much less traffic in the Pattaya-Jomtien area, especially the lack of hundreds of tour buses crowding every roadway.

Just taking it nice and easy.

My fear on smaller bikes is to be boxed inside by traffic with no escape. Especially being on the side of trucks who start pulling over before they use signal, no matter whats on their side, forcing them to brake and let them pull over. Blindspots everywhere, and reckless drivers who believe the bigger have the right to do whatever they want. It used to be Fortuner drivers who was the worst car drivers, now it is Ranger

[Moonlover]

Best thread of the week. Thanks for posting this @OneMoreFarang

[norbra]

I am 80+ and have been riding a small bike around Amphawa and Samat Sekon along Rama 2 for  a couple of years now,but spend a lot of time with at least 1 foot on the ground at the kerb waiting for a break in traffic before considering many turns

[Gottfrid]

You should consider to stop riding it before you fall asleep on it. At what age that might be, is yours to decide.

[Kinnock]

8 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

I'm 65, purchased a Honda CB300F last year.

I do find it a bit heavy to push around, but apart from that no problems.

I reckon the modern 300-400cc bikes are ideal for us 'senior' riders.  Many can break the magic 'ton', (and that's proper MPH not KPH), so there's still something in reserve when cruising at 80 to 90 KPH, yet they are light enough to be easy to handle.

 

Very happy with my Versys X300.

[BritManToo]

19 minutes ago, OneMoreFarang said:

That's why there is an engine in there. ???? 

No reverse gear though!

[roo860]

Been out with a group of riders from Chiang Mai today, bikes from 150cc to 1000cc, ages 30's to well in the 70's! Great day out.

[VocalNeal]

3 hours ago, clivebaxter said:

Never been on one here, as about one bike rider is killed every 30 minutes why would anyone? I know you all think you are great riders but that does not stop idiots running into you killing or crippling you. Silly, dangerous machines anywhere.

The problem with people who drive boxes is that they can't think outside one.

[itsari]

1 hour ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Is there a concept behind what they are doing? I still try to discover that.

 

I.e. if I am 2 meter behind a car I can be sure someone will squeeze into the "gap" between me and that car? Why? Maybe because they can, even if that won't help them in any way.

That happens where ever i have driven . Now i allow the intruder to have there way and drop back to a safe distance . 

[gamb00ler]

4 hours ago, itsari said:

I am 69 years of age and i know my reflexes are better than most while riding a motorcycle or driving a car . 

How do I know that you may ask . I just know it , believe me 

 

Only 68 with 46 years of riding, but reaching for salt shaker now.

[billd766]

I am 77 and gave up riding my bike 3 years ago (200cc Honda Phantom) as I had trouble getting on to it. With 2 STS kneecaps and a bad back it was getting harder to ride and wait with one foot down, plus I was concerned that if I dropped the Honda that I wouldn't be able to pick it up again.

 

I still have the bike as it is an old friend but nowadays my biking is down to the big village and back (6km each way).

 

I do miss riding it, but having the pickup truck means that I can still get around. 

 

As several posters have mentioned your body tells you when it is time to pack in biking, and mine did about 3 years ago.

[JustAnotherHun]

17 minutes ago, billd766 said:

I am 77 and gave up riding my bike 3 years ago (200cc Honda Phantom) as I had trouble getting on to it. With 2 STS kneecaps and a bad back it was getting harder to ride and wait with one foot down, plus I was concerned that if I dropped the Honda that I wouldn't be able to pick it up again.

 

I still have the bike as it is an old friend but nowadays my biking is down to the big village and back (6km each way).

 

I do miss riding it, but having the pickup truck means that I can still get around. 

 

As several posters have mentioned your body tells you when it is time to pack in biking, and mine did about 3 years ago.

Life on two wheels will end for each of us one day. If you had to stop at the age of 74 you should have had many good years on the bike.

I hope, you can enjoy your truck  many years to come.

[Kwasaki]

2 hours ago, Hummin said:

Thats impressive, I got 12 more years in my eyes, but might change my opinion when I get to 65. I guess we all go blind the older we get. 
 

as said in my experience the turning point for most is around 65 where I am considering them as dangerous to themselves and to others. Not many past 70 years in my experience still riding good, but have met one 65 year old aussie who still seems to be on top of it! Maybe you? Based in Khon Khaen?

Thats not me I'm English at 65 I was riding all over Thailand on my Versys 650.

Nice bike but lacked in speed for what I like in acceleration.

My Blade old but a great bike and 255 on nice roads is my limit these days.

[JustAnotherHun]

12 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

Thats not me I'm English at 65 I was riding all over Thailand on my Versys 650.

Nice bike but lacked in speed for what I like in acceleration.

My Blade old but a great bike and 255 on nice roads is my limit these days.

One of my bikes is a Versys1000. It's the best tourer imo, as long as you stay on tar roads of any quality. But "my" speed is more between 80 and 150 kmph- I don't like highways. So for me it's not the top speed that counts but the torque

[sungod]

3 hours ago, transam said:

Think positive, if you think old, that is probably what you will get, and earlier than you think...????..????

The problem is old people who think they are young, how many commenting  on here had a bike license in their own country?

 

The problem here is old fogies who never had to do a decent test, suddenly reinvent themselves with lax Thai testing standards,

 

Similar to the blue diamond effect.

 

Old people should get tested yearly, they are a danger to the rest of us.

Edited January 30, 2022 by sungod

[Hummin]

11 minutes ago, sungod said:

The problem is old people who think they are young, how many commenting  on here had a bike license in their own country?

 

The problem here is old fogies who never had to do a decent test, suddenly reinvent themselves with lax Thai testing standards,

 

Similar the the blue diamond effect.

 

Old people should get tested yearly, they are a danger to the rest of us.

Light motorbike License 16 year old and big bike 18 year!

 

 

[Nojohndoe]

5 hours ago, itsari said:

I am 69 years of age and i know my reflexes are better than most while riding a motorcycle or driving a car . 

How do I know that you may ask . I just know it , believe me 

 

Or is it that you are prepared to exercise your reflexes albeit less quickly than  when younger ?

At similar age I have recently  forgone the advantages of riding  a motorcycle in recognition of the opposing factors of incremental diminishing reflexes and increasing blind risk presented by suicidal  drivers of vehicles with ever increasing performance potential that in combination places motorcyclists at ever increasing risk . The proof of my reflex capacity is the rapid reaction to  sell my CBR.

[3NUMBAS]

uk tv adverts for funerals always depict an eldery biker who is in the casket being taken to the graveyard surrounded by biker mates sayin their last goodbys///just sayin

[In the jungle]

I think there is too much emphasis in this discussion on reaction times.

 

If you are a skilled rider you will anticipate problems in advance and you will maximise the time you have to deal with them by methods such as good road positioning to allow maximum lines of sight and safe braking distances to the vehicle ahead.

 

You also need good braking technique and the ability to evade threats.

 

Reaction times are a bit of a last resort.  Yes you need good reactions but you do not need to match Lewis Hamilton or Marc Marquez.  If you are relying upon fast reaction times on the road, generally speaking, you messed up earlier on in the sequence of events.

[overherebc]

It's all a state of mind.

[In the jungle]

4 minutes ago, overherebc said:

It's all a state of mind.

I reckon granny ain't getting much action after his sore prostate has been pummeled by that vibrating piece of junk.

[overherebc]

13 minutes ago, In the jungle said:

I reckon granny ain't getting much action after his sore prostate has been pummeled by that vibrating piece of junk.

Never tried a bsa twin???? Both pistons went up and down at the same time, that was vibration.

[In the jungle]

1 minute ago, overherebc said:

Never tried a bsa twin???? Both pistons went up and down at the same time, that was vibration.

I have tried a 1960s Triumph.  If you clenched your teeth on one of those you would need a good dentist to fix the wreckage ????

 

[JustAnotherHun]

Sounds of bikes :-)

[VocalNeal]

2 hours ago, billd766 said:

plus I was concerned that if I dropped the Honda that I wouldn't be able to pick it up again.

That is why God created the CT125?

[yogi yogi]

too old for the road?  get a motocross bike and go off road.  no one to hit

[OneMoreFarang]

1 hour ago, In the jungle said:

I think there is too much emphasis in this discussion on reaction times.

 

If you are a skilled rider you will anticipate problems in advance and you will maximise the time you have to deal with them by methods such as good road positioning to allow maximum lines of sight and safe braking distances to the vehicle ahead.

 

You also need good braking technique and the ability to evade threats.

 

Reaction times are a bit of a last resort.  Yes you need good reactions but you do not need to match Lewis Hamilton or Marc Marquez.  If you are relying upon fast reaction times on the road, generally speaking, you messed up earlier on in the sequence of events.

I think that is only half the truth. 

You can look ahead and anticipate what might happen.

But you can't control if some idiot behind you decides that he can still squeeze between you and a car.

Obviously looking in the rear mirrors should be done. But you can't do it often enough to avoid some idiots.