Bonneville America Forums Forums Off Topic Discussion Forums Lounge Explaination For Old Bikers ?

As a leather-clad biker roars past you on a powerful motorcycle you might assume the rider is a teenage speed demon but in fact he is more likely to be a middle-aged family man.
DVLA statistics show that motorbike ownership amongst men of 45 is more than twenty times higher than it is amongst 25-year-olds. A huge 21,5381 of men aged 45 have a motorbike licence compared with just 10,232 of 25-year-olds.

What makes a man turn back to the risk-taking high speed thrills of his teenage years just at the time when he might be expected to be setting his sights on a quiet retirement?

For some men a motorcycle not only satisfies a long-held youthful fancy but also provides an adrenaline rush that is otherwise missing in their lives.

Dr John Maule, director of the Centre for Decision Research at the University of Leeds, specialises in risk-taking and decision-making research. He says: "The homeostasis of risk theory says that we have an optimum level of risk that we need in our lives. When that level falls we do things to bring it up again.

"As people become older their lives become more secure. They become more financially secure and socially - even if they are not married, they become more confident in their social arrangements.

"They may dip below their optimum level of risk and have to look for other things to bring back the element of risk to their life."

Maule believes that the successful career man is often also the type of person who will be attracted to the risk of motorcycle riding. "we know that men are generally more risk taking than women. Subsequent research has suggested that there may be a subset of men, who a fairly middle class and well educated, who are extreme risk takers."

What say ye to this?

Viagra and a motorcycle

I agree with your premise, but add that many will buy a bike to promote the illusion of virility. Hence all the garage/trailer queens that only come out a couple times a year (though the motor clothes and decal on the rear window of the XXL Pickup/SUV are on daily display).

Zoom !!

A successful middle aged business man is also more likely to be able to afford a recreational vehicle like a motorcycle than a 25 year old is.

Could just be when people grew up too. I personally and many of my friends have been riding since we were too young to drive legally. We are now all over 40 and still ride.

Reminds me of a poster that was popular a long time ago. The picture was a 90 yr old polishing a chopped Panhead with the caption, "Work hard and save your money so when you are old, you can afford the things you would have enjoyed when you were young."

Riding causes irresponsible behaviour in me and I love it. I get caught up on things in the winter so it all balances out. As a geezer, that's one of the reasons I like to ride.

I've never not riden. I was ridin my 63 bonnie for over a year before I got my lic. My dad was a fighter pilot so all his sons are a little nuts.

I do agree the risk theory along with economic factors explain it.

I date much younger women to fill virile, not ride. Ride my bikes that is.

Admittedly there exists that percentage of middle aged approaching geezerhood crowd that definitely embraces "the look" much more than the the ethos and joy of simply riding.

I used to see them at my local favorite watering hole on Saturday nights.

The clinically clean seldom ridden oft garaged chrome spectacularized Harleys all lined up next to my trusty Triumph. Geezers in doo-rags and new leather with a HOG patch on the back......and a new tatto on the forearm. All living the outlaw lifestyle. hehe.

Now my Triumph is all gone and nothing but those squeeky clean seldom ridden HOGS remain parked outside the front door on Saturday night.

I hobble in with my wife stepping slightly with my cane noting my old parking spot now occupied by one of those Saturday Night specials.

And I remember those fellow geezers who really really loved to ride and are no longer with us or are also suffering the slings and arrows of the risks of the rider.


"Sigh"

Risk never entered into it. I like to ride. Not to "look" anything, not to impress anyone. Not to fill any deep-seated psychological void in my psyche. I like to ride.
When the kids were grown and the major bills paid I bought my bike after many years of not riding..

Been riding again since '03. I still like to ride.

I'm with Deon,it's all about the ride!I like to get up at daylight and head for a favorite set of twistys.Rolling on that trottle has nothing to do with my psychy,It's the pleasure of controling that machine,making it come alive,makeing it become one with me doing my will takeing that curve in a perfect arck,feeling the morning coolness on my cheek.At 60 years old its one of the only things that puts a youthfull smile on my face.When I'm on my bike I'm no longer a arthritic crippled old man,it sets me free and I wish no less for all of you.

I'm with Dean and Bigjack. I just plain like to ride. Always did, always will. Even when I was a dumb kid, on my Cushman scooter, leaning into the corner at the maximum 50 mph, I loved it. Not for the speed or the danger. I just like to roll down the road in the open air!

Down our way they have a medical term for it

"MID LIFE CRISIS"

Sure beats the the other medical condition that can beset one at this age.

" DEPRESSION "

Riding a powerful motorbike is exciting. Not a lot else happening at 50-ish that's exciting and as accessible. So I think the risk factor is true for some.

Every day I ride by a neighbour's place who has a tricked-up Harley in his garage - he's spent a lot of money on it. I've seen him polishing it once, but I've never seen him ride it.

So maybe it's something else like an identity (crisis) motive for him.

Personally I'm not trying to recapture my youth. I've spent too many years trying to get that fool wised up to wanna go back there.

I told my wife it was time for my mid life crisis at 43 and I gave her the option between the bike and a girlfriend. I think the bike was the cheaper option. I ride to ride. It is my stress relief. I look the part of slob more than anything. I am glad to say that I have not fallen into the middle aged wanna be look. As long as there is not snow or ice on the road, I continue to ride. My buddy and I did a nice 345 miler yesterday and just enjoyed the beautiful country we live in.

Rick

As I ease into geezerdom, I forget why I ride but I don't forget to ride.

In Oz there is good comraderie as well espcially via the Ulysses Club
Uylsses Club
Is a great way to meet older riders and share experiences and talk bikes. There are numerous local chapters with weekend get togethers and organized rides. The motto is Grow Old Disgracefully. Although I perfer my signature below...

I am just a traveler ... and since my teens two-wheelers have always been my chosen mode of travel.
Come to think of it, I have never considered myself a "biker".

I have always been "biker trash"

Rode on the back of my first bike about 12 years old ..bortowed my first bike at 14...bought my first bike a wee Fizzie (Yamaha FSX1E)at 16 and rode for years illegaly never really bothered about the test ...had a couple of riding bans from riding but kept buying bikes and riding....something made me decide why not do all this legally ....and wentout passed my test and crashed really badly shattered my leg and was off the road for two years ..bought another bike got back on and promptly had another smash .... so much for passing my test....I then bought a Fireblade and manged to behave but couldnt do distances without pain ...so tried different bikes until I saw the America and fell in love 3 years and still get that tingle when I press that lil button .....so middle aged reformed hooligan ...mind you I keep looking at those triples and think hmmmmmmmmm .....

Riding a motorcycle is one of the few fun things I can do that isn't hideously expensive or sure to cause a divorce.

A young single guy can chase the cuties, go drinking with his buddies all the time or blow his money on whatever he wants.

This was posted on a different forum. Subject was for the bikers

Four wheels move the body. Two wheels move the soul.

Life may begin at 30, but it doesn't get real interesting until about 70 mph.

You start the game of life with a full pot of luck and an empty pot of experience.
The object is to fill the pot of experience before you empty the pot of luck.

If you wait, all that happens is that you get older.

Saddlebags can never hold everything you want, but they CAN hold everything you need.

The only good view of a thunderstorm is in your rear view mirror..

Don't ride so late into the night that you sleep through the sunrise.

Sometimes it takes a whole tank of fuel before you can think straight.

Never hesitate to ride past the last street light at the edge of town.

Never do less than forty miles before breakfast.

One bike on the road is worth two in the garage.

Young riders pick a destination and go. Old riders pick a direction and go.

Whatever it is, it's better to do it in the wind.

Two-lane blacktop isn't a highway, it's an attitude.

People are like motorcycles; each is customized a bit differently.

The best alarm clock is sunshine on chrome.

A friend is someone who'll get out of bed at 2 am to drive his pickup to the
middle of nowhere to get you when you're broken down..

Catching a yellow jacket in your shirt at 70 mph can double your vocabulary.

If you want to get somewhere before sundown, you can't stop at every tavern.

There's something ugly about a NEW bike on a trailer.

A long ride can clear your mind, restore your faith and use up a lot of fuel.

If you can't get it going with bungee cords, wire and electrician's tape, it's serious.

Never try to race an old geezer, he may have one more gear than you.

You can forget what you do for a living when your knees are in the breeze.

Only a biker knows why a dog sticks his head out the car window.

There are two types of people in this world;
people who ride motorcycles and people who wish they could.