I don't like to ride with people my own age!!

[DenverDuc]

Hello FOG, I got a little issue. (I don't mean to rant...)

I want to start riding with an more "MATURE" crowd. I am 25 years old and cannot stand "some /not all" of the people I have ridden with who are about my age (I'm 25). Now this could be just me, but it seems like people in the under the age of 25 +/- just don't a have a real grasp on safe/responsible riding. (I am referring to the squids who dont wear helmets, wheelies on the highway, and SUPER aggressive on the street). Now I have ridden with some great people, it just seems like there is more and more accidents, mishaps, etc.....(by the way I have seen 2 motorcycle accidents just this week)

Here is my personal example of what I went through.
I have ridden bikes all my life, dirtbikes/street, anything.
I purchased a new R6 when I was 21 and after about 2 years of riding and really learning/honing my skills I decided I was not mature enough to be riding a bike, it took me awhile to figure this out/ accompanied by a few idiot drivers) and a monster of a ticket. Granted I considered myself a safe rider but I have some agressive tendenacies which is why I bought a dirtbike and did some track days. Needless to say I sold the bike (R6) and after two painfull years of not riding I decided I was "READY" to get back in the saddle. I have always had a tremendous respect for motorcycles and the responsibility they entail.

Does anyone else feel the same way? Thoughts,opinions advice welcome....

[Repsol a095]

If you ride with Konich, you won't get in trouble for riding fast

[lightning126zp]

Ride with me and you'll be wanting to speed up

[txrc51fatboy]

riding is not a race, this is the main reason why i rode alone alot in texas, and here so far. i am sure i will find people here that ride like i want to.
if you want to race lets hit the track

[64BonnieLass]

My .02 is that it's not the age group per se, that you have issue with. It's finding people who ride the way you do. There are people in all age brackets that will ride at the level you like, the trick is going to functions and events and getting to really know people to figure out who you jell with. And I think you do have to meet people to do this vs. online conversations. The act of talking to people in person and understanding them will go a long way.

Good luck in your pursuit of riding buddies.

[Bueller]

I'm old(er) and I do stupid shit all the time.

[pilot]

You'll find quite a diverse group of riders coming out of the Morrison Conoco on Saturdays and Sundays. Also, IMI is a decent place to meet up with people and a chance to get to know their style (both riding and thinking)- before you hit the street.

[Duc'nnit]

Hell, I thought the Wheelier's and Super Agressive Riders were us.....

[konichd]

If you ride with Konich, you won't get in trouble for riding fast

DAMMIT!!!!!

Just like a lot of the others say its not really an age thing as a "riding maturity level" I suppose. I know a lot of "young" CSCer's that practice safe riding habbits, I also know a few older ones that don't. You'll just have to find out as you join group rides what people are "in tune" with your riding perception.

[Repsol a095]

Konichd,

Are you calling me old? If so, how does it feel to be a "young" slow, I mean safe rider? Thanks for showing up on Saturday, by the way. I guess the only time I get to ride with you is when it is raining in Utah.

[konichd]

I was at the Conco on Sat. and Sunday, where were you?

Let me guess, too fast for ya wasn't I?

[Repsol a095]

John and I were waiting for you between nine and ten, but I guess the young guy needed his beauty sleep.

[konichd]

Funny, I left at 9 with the rest of the kids

[TheSollyLama]

You know I was always a HD, chopper guy. And bought my chopper back when I was 20 years old from some hard core patch holders in Iron Cross MC in GA. But I had always rode with HD patch holder types from Rebel Riders to Hell's Angels and Pagans.
And I was always far younger than all them. Most were Vietnam vets while I was born in 1972......They never realy had a problem with my age, but it was just sort of out of place. When stationed at Ft. Benning, there were all of two HD's in the parking lot, one of them my XLH. Everyone my age had a GSXR 750.

Now that I'm in my 30's I bought a sportbike and suddenly everyone is a decade younger than I am. We call Josh 'old man' but I have many years on him!

From one extreme to the other. Youngest in a scene to the oldest.

I may catch flak for this- but I find myself longing for some peers my own age to ride with. I just don't have much in common with 20 somethings anymore. I prefer Ted Nugent to Tupac. I don't wear baseball hats sideways. My pants actually fit. The only one I call 'Dawg' is my weimarener.

Mostly I see this horde of young riders show up in the spring, stand next to their bikes rather than ride them, or if they do ride it's in a parking lot doing the same wheelie over and over. Most wreck their bikes within a couple months and move on to another fad by mid-summer.
It's an elitism of mine. But I do judge a biker largely on their time actually RIDING.....

Having said all that, I do know some great younger riders that are serious about actually riding. Mostly it's the females. Last year if there was 25 bikers standing around and I suggested a blast thru some twisties, I basically didn't bother asking anyone that didn't have tits, cause they simply didn't want to actually RIDE the bike.
I think the ladies are more interested in riding than posing and stunting. So often it was me and a couple girls with bikes that hit GotG or ripped up marksheffel.

I am just spoiled to old school bikers I think. I used to love hanging out with the patch holders because it was about the bikes, not looking cool next to one.

Maybe I am jaded at this point and often dismiss younger riders as following the latest Mtv fad which just happens to be bikes this month.

But as far as riding with an older crowd, I grew up that way and I think it did alot to make me appreciate the ride, more than the fashion.

Like the sticker on my windscreen says.......It used to be about bikes, now it's a fucking fashion show!!!!

Still though, I'll ride with anybody that will actually go past the city limits and knows that hoisting a sportbike's front tire is about as impressive as spinning tires on a dragster......not very.

[DenverDuc]

Hey "TheSollyLama," you hit the issue right on the head. Thats basically what I have been seeing with the 20 something age group; simply sitting around like their at a fashion show and not riding. (or if the are riding, they're doing stupid crap).

With that being said, I am going to ride with you guys someday soon. I work on the weekends so Thursday and Friday mornings are my only days off. If I get lucky and get a Saturday off, I will be ready to ride in a heartbeat.

[PharmerKyle]

Thurs & fridays, eh?

I'm not yet FOG, but have developed nearly the same allergy to the pups.

PM me if you ever want a southern route and company.

[Oldgreen]

I am 50 and just bought a Ninja 636 after 17 years in my cage. I ride the speed limit most the time. I equate my Ninja to a concealed weapon, when I need mach 1, I have it. Do I cheat once in a while, sure. But I read all this stuff on the sport bike forums about all the "dick" cops. I haven't had a second look by a cop since I bought my bike. Maybe it is the "Old Guys Rule" sticker on my cowl! If any of you FOG's or wanna be FOG's need a partner, I live in Estes Park and can ride on Tuesday and Wednesdays.

[Crisco]

Well im not your typical 19 year old.

I ride my bike rain or shine and I love it.

Even if I do the speed limit or go on a cruise with CSC members........I am still enjoying the moment on my bike.

I don't plan on learning how to wheelie or what if feels like going 120mph passing semi trucks in the middle of a highway.

I bought a V twin my good friends bought CBR RRs and R6s. I didn't just buy a bike to show it off or get girls (doesn't mean I don't lol) but if I am either going to work or riding to my friends house I am not showing off or being a squid because I don't feel like its the right thing to do.

Most people that see me don't believe im remotely close to 19 tho.

[Nick_Ninja]

One of my Harley buddies sent this. He's over 60 years young.

• Midnight bugs taste best.
• Saddlebags can never hold everything you want, but they CAN hold everything you need.
• NEVER argue with a woman holding a torque wrench.
• Never try to race an old Geezer, he may have one more gear than you.
• Home is where your bike sits still long enough to leave a few drops of oil on the ground.
• You'll get farther down the road if you learn to use more than two fingers on the front brake.
• Routine maintenance should never be neglected
• It takes more love to share the saddle than it does to share the bed.
• The only good view of a thunderstorm is in your rear view mirror.
• Never be afraid to slow down.
• Only Bikers understand why dogs love to stick their heads out car windows.
• Bikes don't leak oil, they mark their territory.
• Never ask a biker for directions if you're in a hurry to get there.
• Don't ride so late into the night that you sleep through the sunrise.
• Pie and Coffee are as important as gasoline.
• Sometimes it takes a whole tankful of gas before you can think straight.
• Riding faster than everyone else only guarantees you'll ride alone.
• Never hesitate to ride past the last street light at the edge of town.
• Never mistake Horsepower for staying power.
• A good rider has balance, judgment, and good timing. So does a good lover. (AMEN!!!)
• A cold hamburger can be reheated quite nicely by strapping it to an exhaust pipe and riding forty miles.
• Never do less then Forty miles before breakfast.
• If you don't ride in the rain-you don't ride.
• A bike on the road is worth 2 in the shop.
• Respect the person who has seen the Dark side of motorcycling and lived.
• Young riders pick a destination and go... Old riders pick a direction and go.
• A good wrench will let you watch without charging you for it.
• Sometimes the fastest way to get there is to stop for the night.
• Always back your scoot into the curb-and sit where you can see it.
• Work to ride-Ride to work.
• Whatever it is, it's better in the wind.
• Two lane blacktop isn't a highway-it's an attitude.
• When you look down the road, it seems to never end-but you better believe it does.
• Winter is Natures way of telling you to polish.
• A motorcycle can't sing on the streets of a city.
• Keep your bike in good repair: Motorcycle boots are NOT comfortable for walking.
• People are like Motorcycles: each is customized a bit differently.
• If the bike ain't braking properly, you don't start by rebuilding the engine.
• Remember to pay as much attention to your partner as you do your carburetor.
• Sometimes the best communication happens when you're on separate bikes.
• Well-trained reflexes are quicker than luck.
• Good coffee should be indistinguishable from 50 weight motor oil.
• The best alarm clock is sunshine on Chrome.
• Learn to do counterintuitive things that may someday save your butt.
• The twisties- not the superslabs- separate the bikers from the squids.
• When you're riding lead--don't spit.
• If you really want to know what's going on, watch what's happening at least 5 cars ahead.
• Don't make a reputation you'll have to live down or run away from later.
• If the person in the next lane at the stoplight rolls up the window and locks the door, support their view of life by snarling at them.
• A friend is someone who'll get out of bed at 2am to drive his pickup to the middle of nowhere to get you when you're broken down.
• If she changes her oil more than she changes her mind--follow her.
• Catchin' a June bug (or yellowjacket in your goggles or honeybee down your shirt) @ 70 mph can double your vocabulary.
• There's something ugly about a NEW bike on a trailer.
• Hunger can make even roadkill taste good.
• Sleep with one arm thru the spokes and keep your pants on.
• Practice wrenching on your own bike.
• Everyone crashes. Some get back on. Some don't. Some can't.
• Beware the biker who says the bike never breaks down.
• Some bikes run on 99-octane ego.
• Owning 2 bikes is useful because at least one can be raided for parts at any given time.
• You'll know she loves you if she offers to let you ride her bike. Don't do it and she'll love you even more.
• Don't argue with an 18-wheeler.
• Never be ashamed to unlearn an old habit.
• Maintenance is as much art as it is science.
• A good long ride can clear your mind, restore your faith, and use up a lot of gasoline.
• If the countryside seems boring, stop, get off your bike, and go sit in the ditch long enough to appreciate what was here before the asphalt came.
• If you can't get it goin' with bungee cords and electricians tape-it's serious.
• If you ride like there's no tomorrow-there won't be. (Okay all you Power Rangers - pay attention!!!)
• If you want to complain about the pace being set by the road captain, you better be prepared to lead the group yourself.
• Gray-haired bikers don't get that way from pure luck.
• There are drunk bikers. There are old bikers. There are NO old, drunk bikers.
• Thin leather looks good in the bar, but it won't save you from "road rash" if you go down.
• The best modifications cannot be seen from the outside.
• Always replace the cheapest parts first.
• You can forget what you do for a living when your knees are in the breeze.
• No matter what marque you ride, it's all the same wind.
• It takes both pistons and cylinders to make a bike run. One is not more important than the other.

[Oldgreen]

Nick Ninja, Well worth the read, well worth the read. I just put a hundred on my bike today, miles that is.....yeeeeeeeeehaaaaaaaaaaaa.

[BlueDog]

I agree with ya, however it would be hard for me to find anyone my own age to go riding with in the first place...

[Scruff Dog]

I am 50 and just bought a Ninja 636 after 17 years in my cage. I ride the speed limit most the time. I equate my Ninja to a concealed weapon, when I need mach 1, I have it. Do I cheat once in a while, sure. But I read all this stuff on the sport bike forums about all the "dick" cops. I haven't had a second look by a cop since I bought my bike. Maybe it is the "Old Guys Rule" sticker on my cowl! If any of you FOG's or wanna be FOG's need a partner, I live in Estes Park and can ride on Tuesday and Wednesdays.

Oldgreen - I'm just down the hill from you and ride about whenever I want. Shoot me a pm if your want to ride with another old fart.

[mtnairlover]

I'm 43. I'm a girl. I bought my Zed last June and have 11k miles on it. I've been riding for a whopping 2 years. I don't fit any mold and dern proud of it.

Am I a good rider? According to others with more seat time, I am.

I ride with guys of all ages. I think the youngest was 18 and the oldest around 60. Yeah, I ride with guys, cuz there aren't too many girls in my area that ride...it's just a reality of mine. When I get a chance to, I do like to get down south and ride with girls like Sully and Beotch. But, that's not the point. I think it's the person, not the age/gender.

[daemon]

more to the point is really to find someone who you are comfortable riding with.
whether they be faster than you or not.
share with that person what your intent is for the day.
it's not about the race,but the pace.

does that make sense??