What Aging Motorcyclists Think About
I have a friend who has an aversion to motorcycles. Now I can understand this in part, because, even though I am a rider, there are certain kinds of motorcycles that I don’t like either. Foremost among those are those street legal racing bikes that are sold to any fool who has the money. Some of these bikes have a top speed of up to 180 miles per hour. The riders, squids in protective T-shirts and 1800 cc egos, some sporting stickers boasting, “Loud Pipes Save Lives,” are subject to a Darwin-like attrition rate, yet they are still in the gene pool.
I have the same ambivalent feelings about these kinds of bikes as I have about assault rifles. I believe that anyone should have the right to own one as long as they are as wise and responsible as I. You can see the problem with that one very easily, because if I had one, I would surely want to see if it really would go that fast or shoot that many bullets so fast. Other bikes I don’t particularly like are the pretentiously stylish ones. I pretend that I’m not pretentious and therefore ride a “sensible” ugly bike.
My friend has good reason not to like motorcycles. Several people close to her have been killed or maimed in motorcycle accidents. I have thought of many reasons why she is wrong to generalize so, but none of them ever trump the depth of her experiences. I have entertained her with stories of the joy of the ride. I’ve told her about the spiritual side of riding, the air, nature, etc. I’ve even quoted Burt Monroe’s classic: “You live more in five minutes on a motorcycle than most people do in a lifetime.” After that one she tried to hook me up with an acquaintance of hers who rides a Harley. That one really hurt! I’ve considered giving her that classic line, “Driving across the country in a car is like being in a movie theater. On a motorcycle you are in the movie,” exclamation mark, end of quote. However, she already thinks I’m corny, so I’d better choose carefully my words.
I don’t think this woman would ever, should our relationship become more serious, insist that I give up riding motorcycles and I don’t know how I would react if she did. I do like to think that I can walk away from anything or anybody I am attached to, if necessary. I also know that at the age of 65+, I will be faced with this question again at some time in the foreseeable future. I’ve already promised myself that the day I lose the presence of mind or the physical sharpness needed to ride safely, that will be the day I quit. In the meantime I’m going to try that other old saying on her: “You don’t quit riding because you get old, you get old because you quit riding.” I’m anxious to see how that one works!
![[PDA - Progressive Democrats of America - Stand Up. Take Action. Vote.]](http://pdamerica.org/images/ads/pdalink-150x200.gif)
August 10th, 2006 at 1:37 pm
You said, “…In the meantime I’m going to try that other old saying on her: “You don’t quit riding because you get old, you get old because you quit riding.” I’ll see if that one works…”
Can you imagine how you’d feel if she did choose to ride out of her absolute adoration of you…and then SHE got hurt? I’m only thinking of you here, mind you.
And then there is this: Since she never BEGAN riding, she can’t QUIT riding, so what would?
August 10th, 2006 at 1:46 pm
Sorry, I was interrupted…if one gets older because one quits riding, what does any of that say about someone who never started riding to begin with, but considers herself of a youthful disposition?
August 12th, 2006 at 3:22 pm
I’ve been riding motorcycles (MX) for a long time now, and I frequently get that “When are you going to quit?” question from family and friends, a question that I just shrug off for the time being. Fortunately, no one has ever given me an ultimatum before. Like you, I don’t know how I would react if a loved one insisted that I give up my bike.