getting older and motorcycling

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Hal
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Re: getting older and motorcycling

#16

Post by Hal »

A French friend of mine hit a cow at about 80mph on his BMW one day. He ended up inside the cow, fortunately unconscious. He was lucky a car came along not too long afterwards and more lucky that the driver was a vet.

It was too late for the cow, but my friend survived.

Some years later, at a social event, people were discussing scars, and my buddy rolled up his trouserleg and sleeves to show his.

Someone said "You must be the guy in the cow!"

Turned out he was the vet, and recognised him by the scars!
"The Moving Finger writes, and having writ, moves on,
nor all your Piety nor Wit
can lure it back to cancel half a line...

so....probably best use Tipp-Ex in future?"

1977 GL1000 in bits
1978 SR 500 Yam
1995 Harley Sportster/Buell street-tracker
1992 Grinnall Scorpion SC3 prototype
2002 Caterham SV 220 Evo (4 wheeled motorcycle) :mrgreen:


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Re: getting older and motorcycling

#17

Post by MSGT-R »

It lends the term "holly cow" a new meaning!
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Re: getting older and motorcycling

#18

Post by rcmatt007 »

ba-da-bump
-Rodger-
all it takes for evil to prosper is the want of a few good men to do nothing-Edmund Burke
The question is not how much time do you have, it is what you do with the time that you have Gandalf
"One of the greatest dignities of humankind is that each successive generation is invested in the welfare of each new generation." Fred Rodgers
"it takes 10,000 hours to become an expert" ancient saying
78 constantly modified/customized since 1978, BOTM June 2015 de-evolving this very moment viewtopic.php?f=30&t=65511
76 Ltd "cookies bike" ALMOST DONE
79 project, finished, FOR SALE
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Re: getting older and motorcycling

#19

Post by i.candide »

As far as eye health, my ophthalmologist told me to take vitamins targeted to eye health. Octovite is what I use. I have noticed better recovery from headlight glare.

When younger, I always pushed the outside of the envelope, but since I turned 53, I take more care. Now, at 65, I just enjoy the sensory overload of plain old motorcycling. The kaleidoscope colors of the passing environment, the smells (not sensed in a car), the sounds of speed, movement and, when loud enough to overcome the other two, nature. That is what started me motorcycling in the first place.

Every time I get on a motorcycle, I say to myself, "This is most likely the most dangerous thing I will do today. I also remind myself - constantly - that I am the greatest danger to myself. All things happen because of what I do...or do not do..."Dangerous to Oneself".
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Re: getting older and motorcycling

#20

Post by Recycled Roadkill »

At 62 eyes are good, hearing still good and reactions are still good. At this point I truly believe what will keep me from riding my bikes is the ability to mount and dismount the bike. Otherwise I may need to install a trailer hitch on the rear to tow around my wheelchair. :oldies
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Re: getting older and motorcycling

#21

Post by scootsx2 »

I came very close, like about 1 - 2 feet, of hitting two deer with my trike last September when riding through Mark Twain National Forest in southern Missouri. I had seen quite a few near the roadside so I was keeping my speed to about 25 MPH and continuously scanning the the tree line. I suddenly spotted two deer darting out of the tree line with my peripheral vision and got on the brakes PDQ and managed to keep the trike straight. They crossed no more than 1 - 2 feet in front of me. They were a blur but I could hear their hooves on the pavement.

My wife was riding pilon and we both left butt creases in the seats.

Long story short... despite aging eyes (and early stage cataracts) I have managed to keep my peripheral vision and it saved our collective butts, not to mention those two deer.
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Hal
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Re: getting older and motorcycling

#22

Post by Hal »

I remember a few year ago driving with my wife along the river road below the village, when I saw a deer running towards the road in a field on the left.
Knowing there was a wire fence and a hedge between the field and the road, (but also knowing deer) I said "Watch this!" to Fran.....and just a couple of seconds later the deer shot out of the field about 20m in front of us.
She was surprised as she hadn't seen it in the field!
"The Moving Finger writes, and having writ, moves on,
nor all your Piety nor Wit
can lure it back to cancel half a line...

so....probably best use Tipp-Ex in future?"

1977 GL1000 in bits
1978 SR 500 Yam
1995 Harley Sportster/Buell street-tracker
1992 Grinnall Scorpion SC3 prototype
2002 Caterham SV 220 Evo (4 wheeled motorcycle) :mrgreen:


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Re: getting older and motorcycling

#23

Post by rcmatt007 »

it isn't just deer.... on the news last night saw a bus that was taken out by a turkey (well, the turkey was taken out by the bus). the dirver was slightly injured, the winshield was a mess
-Rodger-
all it takes for evil to prosper is the want of a few good men to do nothing-Edmund Burke
The question is not how much time do you have, it is what you do with the time that you have Gandalf
"One of the greatest dignities of humankind is that each successive generation is invested in the welfare of each new generation." Fred Rodgers
"it takes 10,000 hours to become an expert" ancient saying
78 constantly modified/customized since 1978, BOTM June 2015 de-evolving this very moment viewtopic.php?f=30&t=65511
76 Ltd "cookies bike" ALMOST DONE
79 project, finished, FOR SALE
'86 1200 (Beth's)(FOR SALE) with motorvation sidecar (sidecar sold) , July 2017 BOTM
'17 HD Road king and 08 HD Heritage softail (Beth's) (FOR SALE). I guess you can say we have MBS
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Hal
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Re: getting older and motorcycling

#24

Post by Hal »

That, as they say, is nothing! (though unusual...)

Two days ago I heard on French news that the TGV high speed express from Paris had had an unpleasant encounter with a large wild boar on the track.....with a delay of several hours as a result.
"The Moving Finger writes, and having writ, moves on,
nor all your Piety nor Wit
can lure it back to cancel half a line...

so....probably best use Tipp-Ex in future?"

1977 GL1000 in bits
1978 SR 500 Yam
1995 Harley Sportster/Buell street-tracker
1992 Grinnall Scorpion SC3 prototype
2002 Caterham SV 220 Evo (4 wheeled motorcycle) :mrgreen:


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silvertramp
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Re: getting older and motorcycling

#25

Post by silvertramp »

We have lots of turkeys here. They fly accross the road at eye level. It's happened to me more than once. Scary.
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Greg
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Re: getting older and motorcycling

#26

Post by Greg »

October several years back traveling somewhere on Nebraska's 80 heading out west my F150's passenger side got wiped out from the mirror to the rear quarter panel by a love sick buck. The bad part of that whole scenario was that the buck did not kill itself out right. I had to walk back with shot gun in hand (I was going bird hunting) to finish the poor thing.I knew it had to be done but I hated doing it with Mom /Pop and couple young children not far from the deer struggling to stand on his two rear broken legs and me vying for position for the cleanest shot that would put the poor thing out of his apparent misery . One of the hardest things I've had to do that bothers me even today several years later.
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Re: getting older and motorcycling

#27

Post by rcmatt007 »

I recall (1984 or so) heading up to del norte CO.... and looking to the left as a man got out of his truck, pistol in hand, and did the same merciful thing.... but the sight of it has stayed with me (fortunately the kids were in the sidecar on my right and did not see it)
-Rodger-
all it takes for evil to prosper is the want of a few good men to do nothing-Edmund Burke
The question is not how much time do you have, it is what you do with the time that you have Gandalf
"One of the greatest dignities of humankind is that each successive generation is invested in the welfare of each new generation." Fred Rodgers
"it takes 10,000 hours to become an expert" ancient saying
78 constantly modified/customized since 1978, BOTM June 2015 de-evolving this very moment viewtopic.php?f=30&t=65511
76 Ltd "cookies bike" ALMOST DONE
79 project, finished, FOR SALE
'86 1200 (Beth's)(FOR SALE) with motorvation sidecar (sidecar sold) , July 2017 BOTM
'17 HD Road king and 08 HD Heritage softail (Beth's) (FOR SALE). I guess you can say we have MBS
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Offcenter
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Re: getting older and motorcycling

#28

Post by Offcenter »

Getting older? Watch the video on this page.
http://www.cbc.ca/landandseanl/2013/02/ ... -mary.html
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Hal
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Re: getting older and motorcycling

#29

Post by Hal »

Talking of slowing reflexes, weakening, feeble, aged muscles, failing eyesight, high blood pressure, dribbling, deafness, dandruff, 'The Shakes', etc etc, as if they are obligatory for us veteran bike riders, I have to report that after my amusing incident on the snow on Wednesday (2 days ago), where I managed to kick the Vetterised GL1000 up twice out of quite dramatic slides, far from having any kind of pain, ache, or even twinges in either leg or hip, I FEEL BETTER THAN BEFORE IT HAPPENED!!!

I'm bouncing around like a fit young kangaroo.

What's more, at a 'vintage' motocross last year, riders in their 70s were leaving the youngsters behind! They were obviously expert riders when young, but it does go to show that the sort of decline people take for granted isn't inevitable. :orange
Last edited by Hal on Fri Mar 01, 2013 3:00 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"The Moving Finger writes, and having writ, moves on,
nor all your Piety nor Wit
can lure it back to cancel half a line...

so....probably best use Tipp-Ex in future?"

1977 GL1000 in bits
1978 SR 500 Yam
1995 Harley Sportster/Buell street-tracker
1992 Grinnall Scorpion SC3 prototype
2002 Caterham SV 220 Evo (4 wheeled motorcycle) :mrgreen:


Hal's Nalbum
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Re: getting older and motorcycling

#30

Post by MSGT-R »

I am so glad you saved it in time and didn't shove your leg up through your hip joint!
81 Interstate: gone but never forgotten.
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