mid life crisis bikers

Originally Posted by SVeeedy Gonzales

Still remember getting my first car 2 years after my test, having never driven anything from the day I passed. Nuts. Drove all the way home at 60mph in the slow lane trying to come to terms with how daft the rules were to let me get in a car and drive it on the roads with no real experience.

As an old man, I may forget where my slippers are, which way round my wig goes on, and in whom I left my false teeth. But even I can remember that there is no such thing as a "slow" lane, young man! Only inside lane, and central and outside overtaking lanes......

And another thing I can still remember (learnt from when I was 16 and riding a BSA C15) is that it hurts when you fall off. So I spend my time trying not too rather than riding like Ruben Xaus on a bad day. I guess that's why my insurance is so low.........

Originally Posted by Jabba-the-Hutt

The real "middle aged" risk is with the genuine "Born Agains" - those without any acceptable proof of NCD or evidence of having ridden for a number of years.

DAS-passers are different (better?) in that at least they've had some recent training and passed a DSA Test on a "big bike" fairly recently.

sorry,,,,i did really mean born agains....

Well I guess I'm one of the highly dangerous Born-again Bikers.

Not quite 40+, but got the SV after 8 years off bikes and then only 100cc commuters apart from about 3 years on 550/600cc machines in the mid-eighties when I was 18-21.

First time out on the SV I nearly fell off at every roundabout
So booked up 2 hrs on a CB500 at a training school and the instructor said I had no real problems.

That was 3 1/2 years ago and no accidents to date.
I'm not someone who wobbles about either as the ZX6 and 2 CBR600RR riders found out last night
So I think I fully deserve my cheaper insurance premiums.

Originally Posted by El Boccadillo

As an old man, I may forget where my slippers are, which way round my wig goes on, and in whom I left my false teeth. But even I can remember that there is no such thing as a "slow" lane, young man! Only inside lane, and central and outside overtaking lanes......

Yeah, I know that, you know that, but most of the people I speak to glaze over when I call them that. Most people only know them as the fast, slow and middle lane. And trying to talk about them as "overtaking" lanes is even worse... the only time most car drivers accept them as "overtaking" lanes is when I go past them at 70mph (in the middle lane, to their left, since they're sitting at 50mph in the outside overtaking lane) and they swerve and almost strike the central reservation before flashing and beeping (OK not everytime, but every few weeks there's one that bad...) at me because they think I just did somethng dangerous or illegal.

Anyone else have this problem when talking about traffic lanes, or is it just me!?

Originally Posted by SVeeedy Gonzales

... the only time most car drivers accept them as "overtaking" lanes is when I go past them at 70mph ...

How fast?????? Clock needles sticky??

Originally Posted by SVeeedy Gonzales

... Anyone else have this problem when talking about traffic lanes, or is it just me!?

Nah! I'm on your side really! It's all about reps in Mondeos and Corsa-driving chavs who won't pull over from the outside lane...and doddery old geezers like me who think the lanes are ordered as Truckers, respectable-family-men-in-Volvos, and Policeman about their legitimate business (ie familiarising at 159mph).

Originally Posted by El Boccadillo

How fast?????? Clock needles sticky??

Well, you know, 70, 80, 90... it's all the same when you're overtaking, innit? No pont paying attention to the speedo once you're over 70mph

Originally Posted by El Boccadillo

why is this thread headed "Mid Life Crisis Bikers"?

Sorry.
That was the inference of the R4 piece.

I think the bloke they had on formed his opinions from 40-something R1 owners squeezed into leathers 2 sizes too small.

Originally Posted by Jabba-the-Hutt

DAS-passers are different (better?) in that at least they've had some recent training and passed a DSA Test on a "big bike" fairly recently.

I wouldn't be too sure about that...

for my ten pence worth, I met the 'born-again' biker on the way home last night. I may have only had a license for 8 months, but it's eight month's daily commute in London, the DAS course last year and checking this site regularly for advice. This moron OVERTAKES ME when I'm filtering past traffic on a ducati. expensive ducatti leather jacket, chinos and brogues...nice. cuts in in front of me as on coming traffic builds up, then tries to cut in front of the car he's parallel with. car slams on brakes, he panics and slams on brakes... I go wide round both of them... pull up at red lights. He comes up again GOES ROUND ME crosses the white lines and waits halfway out into the junction for the lights to change, revving the **** out of the 'cati. lights change as he's coming off a rev, he dumps the clutch, gets at least 4 feet on what's left of the power before he stalls, legs akimbo as if they're trying to power him along flinstone style...*****. I pulled alongside him and just held his gaze for a couple of seconds before leaving....he know's exactly what I was thinking.

I think it's very hard to generalise, unless you ride regularly, just getting on and going after an absence of 20 years cos you've still got a license canbe a risky thing. Bikes have changed a lot, power is seriously up. to be honest though I think it's just down to the individual. either you're stupid or you're not.

Originally Posted by curium

Sorry.
That was the inference of the R4 piece.

Aw, shucks! The ol' (male) menopause means my hormones are unstable...get a bit irrational sometimes.... doesn't really show though....

Originally Posted by curium

I think the bloke they had on formed his opinions from 40-something R1 owners squeezed into leathers 2 sizes too small.

Look: you've bl00dy done it again! How did YOU know that I have been squeezing into leathers (at least) two sizes too small?? Are you calling me a fat lad as well as old??? I fought in three wars....(blah, blah, blah)

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