View Full Version : Whose a midlife crisis biker then?
mysteryjimbo
09-02-05, 12:24 PM
Are you a middle-aged biker going through a midlife crisis?
I've just read this article on the BBC.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/4208163.stm
Just curious. I'm not. I'm one of the lucky few under 30.
i want the "more than likely" option
:lol:
is 36 midlife?
blacksheep
09-02-05, 12:33 PM
I suppose I'm middle-aged (49) and I'm back into biking, but there's noooo crisis I'm having the time of my life :D :D :D
fizzwheel
09-02-05, 12:34 PM
Did my CBT a month before I was 30... does that count ?
eek...
Anonymous
09-02-05, 12:37 PM
Very unfair to Charlie Boorman as hes been a biker since a kid as is quite accomplished I understand. Also they couldnt have found someone looking less like they were wearing leathers if they tried.
These figures are from the states though, where they don't need to wear helmets and tend not to bother with protective clothin...
it is if you die at 72
:lol:
Now I technically might be considered a mid-lifer (where the hell the years went I'm really not sure) and I returned to biking two years ago but don't feel it's a mid-life crisis just the final realisation of a passion that's been lying dormant since I sold my last bike many moons ago.
.
Fizzwheel Said
Did my CBT a month before I was 30... does that count ?
I did my CBT at 44.
My wife thinks I having a MLC, while every one else thinks I'm mad!
Me, well I didn't want to get the end of my life and regret not doing it when I could.
Still learning but don't regret it a bit
Tris
fizzwheel
09-02-05, 12:48 PM
Wish I'd done it when I was younger. I would be able to afford to insure an Aprillia RSV-R Millie now
timwilky
09-02-05, 12:49 PM
Total claptrap.
Biased anti biking. why not write an article on the number of under 25 drivers who have accidents within 2 years of passing their tests. guess they would then stop under 25s from driving.
Anonymous
09-02-05, 12:49 PM
A bit offtrack, but the whole midlife crisis thing makes me laugh. As far as Im concerned its a time when people realise theres more to life than the mundane and sometimes (if lucky) have the time and/or money and/or confidence to indulge themselves.
I think people not brave enough to embrace this are those that like to think of it as a crisis.
Bring it on, I say :thumbsup: :D
Nutkins
09-02-05, 12:51 PM
I don't know! .... what are the requirements?
Quantify "mid-life", "crisis" .... and in my case, "biker". :lol:
Nutkins
09-02-05, 12:55 PM
"WOMEN Dressing in leather appeals to many middle-aged men"
Too true!
My daughter thinks I'm having my MLC but I'm not :evil:
I'll have my MLC in about 10 years time THANK YOU
Then I'll probably take up hand gliding or something similar :lol: :lol:
fizzwheel
09-02-05, 12:55 PM
Total claptrap.
Biased anti biking. why not write an article on the number of under 25 drivers who have accidents within 2 years of passing their tests. guess they would then stop under 25s from driving.
I disagree. There is some truth in it.
Are you suggesting it's safe for anyone with a license earned many years ago to go jump straight on a powerful sportsbike with no recent experience? :?
No its not safe, my dad knows of somebody who had a bike license and was used to riding old Brit bikes, he didnt ride for something like 30 years, went into a dealer and took out an R1 for a test ride, rode it 300 yards up the rode and ploughed into a brick wall and spent 6 months in hospital
My dad found it odd riding newer bikes after years of riding old british ones, he says its not the power he could deal with that by being careful with the throttle he said he couldnt get used how much better the brakes we're
mysteryjimbo
09-02-05, 12:57 PM
Total claptrap.
Biased anti biking. why not write an article on the number of under 25 drivers who have accidents within 2 years of passing their tests. guess they would then stop under 25s from driving.
Id say it was only higher but not significantly different to those over 25. Its the experience that makes the biggest difference.
My dad got on my SV one.. I had to point out to him the brakes where on the other side and the clutch was not one up... but one down for first.
Quoting the first para:
'It was meant as a syndrome involving men in their forties or fifties indulging in nothing more harmful than the odd tattoo'
Mrs would go bananas if I came home tattooed. Far more than she did when I got a bike.
According to the definition in the article, i.e. returning to bikes, then no, as I'm not a born again biker :lol:
I'm just a new-born biker as I didn't ride a bike 'til I was 39 and was 40 before I owned one :oops:
But at least I've had some recent training, which is more than the case with the genuine born-agains. I suspect that the safety record of people like me (young-middle aged DAS passer) is actually better than that of the genuine born-agains for this reason. FFS, I probably passed my test on a bike more powerfull than some of 'em rode in the past :wink:
so, who's the 2 "balding funsters" then :roll: :?:
so, who's the 2 "balding funsters" then :roll: :?:
"Guess the balding funsters" would be a good poll :thumbsup:
Very unfair to Charlie Boorman as hes been a biker since a kid as is quite accomplished I understand. Also they couldnt have found someone looking less like they were wearing leathers if they tried.
:lol:
Nice to know they've got people putting these stories together who know what they're talking about... Although Charley DOES look rather suave in that pic. :D
fizzwheel
09-02-05, 01:50 PM
My dad got on my SV one.. I had to point out to him the brakes where on the other side and the clutch was not one up... but one down for first.
My dad rides both old and modern bikes and he gets muddled up sometimes
I watch him try to change gear with the back brake one day when we were out.. I laughed and so did he but we both agreed that it could have been nasty if he had been going fast, ( we were riding through town and slowing down for traffic lights )
it is if you die at 72
fat chance of lasting that long!!!
A bit offtrack, but the whole midlife crisis thing makes me laugh. As far as Im concerned its a time when people realise theres more to life than the mundane and sometimes (if lucky) have the time and/or money and/or confidence to indulge themselves.
I think people not brave enough to embrace this are those that like to think of it as a crisis.
Bring it on, I say :thumbsup: :D
Here, here.
I was never into bikes when I was a teen, I loved watching them on track and would admire them on the road, but I was never interested in buying one. I far more preferred (dare I say it cars) and still do.
Anyway, I think its a case of getting to a point in your life when the kids, whilst still young (7 + 11), are not babies any longer, the house is in some sort of decent order and your able to afford a treat and lets face it in the real world an SV isn't exactly the most expensive toy out there.
I work damn hard and talked about doing my test for years and never got round to it until out of the blue my wife bought me lessons for my birthday. As a result of this I got my test and can't wait to get my bike.
So for me its a treat and something I am looking forward to, not a mid life crisis.
With regards to accidents, we all need to be sensible and vigilant, like my mate always says, "ask yourself, what speed would you like to fall off at?".
out of the blue my wife bought me lessons for my birthday. As a result of this I got my test and can't wait to get my bike.
Didn't happen to be the day after she found out how much your life insurance is worth did it? :lol:
Just joshing ya... ;)
I'm in the right age band and I returned to bikes after a 16 year gap, the article implies that we BAB's should get training and I agree, I took the Bikesafe within a month of getting the bike, but I fear that it won't be long before they legislate on this. There's nothing stopping car drivers jumping from a Nova at the test to a Ferrari the day after.
Nick762
09-02-05, 02:26 PM
Middle aged hem hem... well, at least 40 something but no way born again. This puts me in the risk group of newly qualified riders although I hope with rather more road sense.
This article says nothing new, we've known and it's been discussed on here ad infinitum that picking up a modern bike is fraught with risks if you last rode 20 years ago. All it does is comfirm that it's not just us Brits who are afflicted.
As for this...
As the British lobbying organisation, the Motorcycle Action Group, told legislators: "To ride a modern sports bike after only 10 to 20 hours of instruction seems to be a recipe for disaster."
That applies to anyone of any age and is completely irrelevant. In fact it goes against what has already been implied earlier in the article namely that us old gits are coming back to biking with no instruction at all. Three or fours days training sounds pretty good to me.
There's nothing stopping car drivers jumping from a Nova at the test to a Ferrari the day after.
apart from humungus insurance costs :shock:
There's nothing stopping car drivers jumping from a Nova at the test to a Ferrari the day after.
apart from humungus insurance costs :shock:
And the time taken to install the mega-watt sound system, the baked-bean can exhast pipe and having it resprayed Burberry check :lol:
There's nothing stopping car drivers jumping from a Nova at the test to a Ferrari the day after.
Absolutely true, although very few will ever get the opportunity as the costs are prohibitive!
Compared that to the comparative financial ease of passing your DAS on a battered GS500 and jumping on a super sports 1000!
mysteryjimbo
09-02-05, 02:46 PM
There's nothing stopping car drivers jumping from a Nova at the test to a Ferrari the day after.
Absolutely true, although very few will ever get the opportunity as the costs are prohibitive!
Compared that to the comparative financial ease of passing your DAS on a battered GS500 and jumping on a super sports 1000!
I dont know about you, but i wouldnt call it finacial ease with a woman and a young child! :lol:
But as the subject is "middle aged" who in general have a higher disposable income....... i'm out of the age bracket so i'd be stung with a higher insurance premium (huge springs to mind, £1000+ for TPFT on 1000cc SS bike).
The article does have a point about how bikes have changed.
The old air cooled engines never made as much power as bikes today.
If you've got the cash and can afford the insurance then you buy the best.
GSXR1000, R1, ZX10R they're bikes for people experienced on superbikes, not a 1970's Z900. I remember when the Genesis came out and we all stood round it in awe.
Since I was 20 the biggest break I've had from bike ownership was 2 years when I moved to the UK. Course finally got my license...
All these articles and statistics quoted are bad for biking. I say bring back hanging for scare mongering journalists.
fizzwheel
09-02-05, 02:49 PM
All these articles and statistics quoted are bad for biking. I say bring back hanging for scare mongering journalists.
Well said that man
:lol: The key word is comparative. :wink:
DAS : £500
Kit : £500
Second hand GSXR 1000 : £4500
Insurance : £1500
First year cost : £7000
Okay, not an inconsiderable amount of money, but well within the reach of many.
timwilky
09-02-05, 03:02 PM
Total claptrap.
Biased anti biking. why not write an article on the number of under 25 drivers who have accidents within 2 years of passing their tests. guess they would then stop under 25s from driving.
I disagree. There is some truth in it.
Are you suggesting it's safe for anyone with a license earned many years ago to go jump straight on a powerful sportsbike with no recent experience? :?
No, what I was trying to say is that age is irrelivent. it is the experience that matters.
My twin brother after a 20yr layoff last bike a cx500 went straight out and bought a zx7r rode it for a year, another year layoff and then a ducatti 900ss.
For myself I had a 25 yr layoff. the last bike I had was a suzuki 250 hustler and never got round to passing my test as I was happy with the 250 so I had to do my DAS as there was no way I was riding on fart power . I think from riding with him he was still a far safer rider even after all his layoff than I was after doing my DAS. Yes I had the more upto date training. but he had far more confidence, riding skills having rode bigger( more powerful) bikes back in the 70s than I ever had.
(Hope that makes sence)
wyrdness
09-02-05, 03:33 PM
I had a "mid-20's" crisis and started riding aged about 27. Mid-life crisis is looming. I was considering chucking it all in and buying a pub recently. Ideally I'd like to go and live in New Zealand but no idea what I'd do for work there.
Captain Nemo
09-02-05, 04:12 PM
midlife crisis??
just because you buy a shiny bike, black leather, flash your hair green , have loads of tats done, go drinking in nightclubs, buy silly clothes that wont be "in" next week, grow a pony tail, become a budhist(delete and add any other religion if required) get a teenage girlfriend doesnt mean that your having a crisis.................
it just means that you now have some disposable income and time and want to spend it on all the things you couldnt afford to do when you were young enough to get away with it....
i think
Carsick
09-02-05, 04:14 PM
just because you buy a shiny bike, black leather, flash your hair green , have loads of tats done, go drinking in nightclubs, buy silly clothes that wont be "in" next week, grow a pony tail, become a budhist(delete and add any other religion if required) get a teenage girlfriend doesnt mean that your having a crisis.................
Apart from the silly clothes and the religion and the fact that I'm putting blue bits in and not doing green, that's all pretty much normal for me.
Btw, if this is midlife then I'm not even making it to 50.
Mid life crisis? perhaps, but not born again biker. 38 and just bleached my hair and had my tongue pierced :D Going back for it piercing a 2nd time hopefully next week.
Carsick
09-02-05, 05:38 PM
Going back for it piercing a 2nd time hopefully next week.
Did you make the classic mistake of leaving it out for a day? I repierced mine myself after I did that, just took a bit of time and some loud music so I couldn't hear the muscle fibres making that horrible noise.
No, the first one's still in. I just fancied having 2 in to be different 8)
Carsick
09-02-05, 05:51 PM
fairy muff.
I'm getting something else pierced in the next week or two, whenever I get time to go up.
Then it's more tattoos over the next few months while I can afford it.
Of course, I'm only 23, so it can't really be called a midlife anything.
I fancied "something else" pierced, but SHE won't let me do it :cry:
She's probably right, the goldfish would sink with a ring in it :lol: :lol:
Carsick
09-02-05, 06:02 PM
I fancied "something else" pierced, but SHE won't let me do it :cry:
I'm not getting something quite so lewd as to require " I'm just not going to tell anybody what it is till it heals.
I remember when I got one of my tats, I told a few people and was being patted on the back all day.
I started at 17, so if it was a mid-life crisis I'm now living on borrowed time! :roll:
I'm planning on having one later in life though... it's the only way I'll be able to justify buying a Caterham Seven and racing it (assuming I just happen to have about £25k sitting about)! :shock:
Anonymous
09-02-05, 09:55 PM
definitely a mid life crisis
ride a bike
divorcing hubby
got new tattoo
couple of piercings
but my kids think im quite cool compared to other mums so ill carry on until i embarrass them.
my mum on the other hand is completely horrified at my behaviour :lol:
Yeah prob a midlife crisis passed when i was 34 and divorced my Ex when i was 32
although my piercing and tattoo were done in my late twenties
I dont feel old anymore! Cheers guys!!
*walks off all smug*
:lol:
I dont feel old anymore! Cheers guys!!
*walks off all smug*
:lol:
How the hell can you feel old at 27 :lol:
I dont feel old anymore! Cheers guys!!
*walks off all smug*
:lol:
How the hell can you feel old at 27 :lol:
I had a heavy paper round.
I dont feel old anymore! Cheers guys!!
*walks off all smug*
:lol:
How the hell can you feel old at 27 :lol:
I had a heavy paper round.
Not that heavy
I dont feel old anymore! Cheers guys!!
*walks off all smug*
:lol:
How the hell can you feel old at 27 :lol:
I had a heavy paper round.
Not that heavy
Then it must be all this fast living Im doing - NOT! Either way, feeling fiiiiiiiine today and its almost Friday too. 27 eh.....
Thank god it's nearly friday
chazzyb
10-02-05, 09:37 AM
but my kids think im quite cool compared to other mums so ill carry on until i embarrass them.
'fraid I go out of my way to embarrass my kids. It's a sport, you see.
"Dad, you are such an idiot/loser/pratt/etc." - YES!
but my kids think im quite cool compared to other mums so ill carry on until i embarrass them.
'fraid I go out of my way to embarrass my kids. It's a sport, you see.
"Dad, you are such an idiot/loser/pratt/etc." - YES!
Can't wait till my kids are old enough for me to embarrass them. Uncle Buck stylee!!! :lol:
454697819
10-02-05, 01:48 PM
Total claptrap.
Biased anti biking. why not write an article on the number of under 25 drivers who have accidents within 2 years of passing their tests. guess they would then stop under 25s from driving.
Out of interest do you have a thing against under 25 drivers?
as what you have written can be taken as if you think they should be banned!
Carsick
10-02-05, 01:58 PM
Total claptrap.
Biased anti biking. why not write an article on the number of under 25 drivers who have accidents within 2 years of passing their tests. guess they would then stop under 25s from driving.
Out of interest do you have a thing against under 25 drivers?
as what you have written can be taken as if you think they should be banned!
see here http://forums.sv650.org/viewtopic.php?p=244899#244899
mysteryjimbo
10-02-05, 01:59 PM
Total claptrap.
Biased anti biking. why not write an article on the number of under 25 drivers who have accidents within 2 years of passing their tests. guess they would then stop under 25s from driving.
Out of interest do you have a thing against under 25 drivers?
as what you have written can be taken as if you think they should be banned!
I was an under 25 biker until last year! 1 accident just after my 25th and it wasnt my fault. We're not all unsafe.
454697819
10-02-05, 02:58 PM
Total claptrap.
Biased anti biking. why not write an article on the number of under 25 drivers who have accidents within 2 years of passing their tests. guess they would then stop under 25s from driving.
Out of interest do you have a thing against under 25 drivers?
as what you have written can be taken as if you think they should be banned!
I was an under 25 biker until last year! 1 accident just after my 25th and it wasnt my fault. We're not all unsafe.
That was my point, waht timwilky wrote initialy infuriated me as i am an increadably safe driver and im 19, have clocked up stupid car milage, modest bike millage witn no inciddents from me!
however i calmed down and was asking the question before i went off on one! which im not going to do now even if he said he hated all under 25 drivers! and even definatly not now iv read the link to the other post!
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