Getting old sucks

I accidently left out the extra steel plate that I had put in my clutch when I serviced it earlier this year. Jeckyll and Hyde difference...

Wasn't long putting it back in!!

maylar said:

It was a "manly" clutch! Didn't much matter when I was 23...

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Correct. I was 22 when I got my 750. I remember gluing thicker leather to the middle fingers of my gloves to stop the wearing.
In also had a third zip fitted to my 49 year old leather jacket the other week. Its shrinking around the waist line so got a bit too much wear.
As for the sole on my right "low" flying boot. Well had to stitch in a new heavy leather sole a few years ago 10!! ] I wonder why.

Derek Wilson said:

I accidentally left out the extra steel plate that I had put in my clutch when I serviced it earlier this year. Jeckyll and Hyde difference...

Wasn't long putting it back in!!

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Well, that's a sign of seniority. Well done. Bring it on. I wont tell you how many times I attempted to start my post hole borer without turning it on.

Dereck

ps Is that a Derrick thing

Apologies to my trusty cycle. I cursed and swore as it died underneath me today, but heartened by the fellow enthusiast who rushed to my aid. 'Did I know what the problem was?' Well, couldn't be fuel, only filled up ten miles ago. Thoughts of returning another Tri-Spark crossed my mind too as I resigned to the push home, almost grateful to the bike that it had died not 300 yards from my front door. 'Okay, glad you're not stranded' said my good samaritan, just as I glanced down to see the petrol tap OFF!

EstuaryBoy said:

Apologies to my trusty cycle. I cursed and swore as it died underneath me today, but heartened by the fellow enthusiast who rushed to my aid. 'Did I know what the problem was?' Well, couldn't be fuel, only filled up ten miles ago. Thoughts of returning another Tri-Spark crossed my mind too as I resigned to the push home, almost grateful to the bike that it had died not 300 yards from my front door. 'Okay, glad you're not stranded' said my good samaritan, just as I glanced down to see the petrol tap OFF!

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Been there done it.
Dave

I've been able to ride motorcycles since I was 8 years old, and have had the fortune to own
several throughout my life. I'll be 60 this year, I've worked physically hard all my life, and glad I've been able to,
still am working, a fairly easy job now. But I was diagnosed 20 years ago with L4 "spondylosis" (lumber area ISSUE),
translates to left leg sciatic ISSUE , numb left leg pretty much all the time. I've just lived with it,
declining on the surgery. Then, 17 years ago I broke the tibial
plateau of my Right knee when the kicker failed on my Shovelhead right before me and my
new Mrs. were to leave for Sturgis. Instead, ended up in the hospital getting
2 screws installed in my knee. Now I find myself with all 3 of my main bikes up and going
dependably. 2 of them are kickstart only... I've been putting the rounds on the Commando
lately and several opportunities certainly yesterday after work running errands, involved
several times to kick. But, it's so rare for it to not tick over on the first kick. Once, I barely
put anything into it and it just rolled through and fired up ! So thankfully I've got it as close to being as perfectly
tuned as it is. I rode it to a car show last night, it generated quite a bit of interest, I live in
a rural area, many people commented they had not seen a Norton in person. Kinda
made it worth all the time I put into it the last couple of months after it's 6 year slumber.
I made sure to get back home well before dark as it's getting cooler and deer are everywhere.
I had a great time and ride though, that addictive Norton growl in the cool night air....
Am I feeling it this morning ? Oh yeah, but
I've resigned myself to riding as long as the good Lord helps me kick 'em
over, fortunate to be able to ! So, reckon my take is- Getting old is what You've got to live with !!! -
Have a good safe weekend, happy Labor Day, America is still a great place with a lot of great people !
God Bless, this a great community thanks to all of You on the forum, from all over the world.
So cool to have in common what we all do.

I am currently fixing my gearbox, one nut and bolt at a time. So far I have got the primary drive dismantled, that has taken me three days at 15 minutes each day. When I was a kid, I would have had it done and finished two and a half days ago. But at least now I can bring myself to actually look at my bike. I am beginning to get enthused again. As you get older, your friends die around you. Grief is horrible.
One of my friends, I have known since I was 18. He would be the bravest motorcycle racer I have ever known. I fought with him on several occasions, but we were always friends. In later life he used to help me race and I often let him ride the Seeley 850 in races. He died of heart failure while driving his girl home from a shopping expedition. I never expected how much his death would affect me. The worst thing was the way his relatives behaved at his funeral. I might be too sensitive.

I am so sorry for Your loss, I have always ran in a small circle, and most of my few pals
are older than me. Easy to take people for granted, our next moments are not guaranteed. Focus
on that gearbox, I'm guessing Your friend would want You to. Hang in there.
Dave

One thing I have learned - you should visit your friends fairly frequently. It amazes me, the number of them who have died from cancer - very few die from accidents. It is not what I would have expected when I was young. I knew a lot of guys who died in road accidents back then. I did not think the trend would change as they got older - but it sort of makes sense.

acotrel said:

The worst thing was the way his relatives behaved at his funeral.

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"Funerals always bring the worst out in people. " Comment made by uk funeral director at a family funeral back in the 70s. Nothing changes.

My best man at our wedding 40 yrs ago this summer , called yesterday to tell me , that we had become the old men we used to laugh at in the Tavern when we were young ... he was involved in tragic accident the labour day weeks after our wedding and suffered catastrophic brain injury , he was calling from the nursing home where he has lived since the passing of both his parents , more than 20 years ago ..... he still has a sense of humour ..... and can laugh

Craig said:

My best man at our wedding 40 yrs ago this summer , called yesterday to tell me , that we had become the old men we used to laugh at in the Tavern when we were young ... he was involved in tragic accident the labour day weeks after our wedding and suffered catastrophic brain injury , he was calling from the nursing home where he has lived since the passing of both his parents , more than 20 years ago ..... he still has a sense of humour ..... and can laugh

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That's the kind of story that puts a few aches and pains in perspective. Time to go for a ride while I still can.

The accidents took a great many in their 20's-30's, and the Reaper has been steadily, but rather quickly, claiming the remainder of my friends. Their numbers are dwindling rapidly and it saddens me for many were a great joy to have known... a few were Norton riders and died barely out of their teens.

If getting old sucks, then best we stick an arthritic finger in it's pie hole

No matter what has , or has not happened to you ,be the issue road stuff, health or money stuff:there are always people worse off and people better off than you. Get used to it.

These words are owed to my late friend Mitch Howard who after a life in the fast lane died falling down stairs.

My best man Greg recovered enough, sort of to move back in with his parents at 23yr old .... he spent almost a dozen nights in drunk tank as police thought him drunk not injured , over those years he was struck down by a car once and a truck once , the car broke his leg and arm , the truck his hip and shoulder , he knocked his front teeth out at a wedding reception on the back of a chair , he walks ,barely and has only one ear, other lost while sliding down tarmac .... still loves to talk and laugh bout the fun times of our youth , he was champion spring board diver , and I followed him down dirt roads on bikes while he doing his version of Rollie Free on his Yamaha 400 special , Greg could do a one and half off any waterfall in province .... now he mostly deaf, can’t walk well, only remembers stuff from before accident .... but still laughs at life and wears a kinda smile mostly .... toughest man I have ever known .... Greg has never complained , never about what fate has dealt him , never ever said anything hurt , he just continues to laugh and enjoy the stuff he can still do and enjoy ..... really is simply an amazing man , to call me after 40 years of daily agony and say we turned into the old guys we used to laugh at in Tavern .... well I had no response but to just laugh and that what he wanted to hear !!! He would disagree with the title of this thread .....

I usually piss around running on Monday evenings with friends and have never taken any medication. Last visits to doctor there has been mention of taking blood pressure tablets. Or, excercize three times a week where I get up a sweat and have to take extra breaths the end of it when talking. I was to book in every month for a nurse to check my BP and see the doctor in three months.
So far I have achieved the extra 1 run per week, making plenty of sweat, but because of the breathing training at karate and the musical instrument I play, my breathing is pretty dam good.
First visit to the nurse we talked about the BP being close to the "limit"and she recommended I get vaccinated against shingles. So yes, I will get that vaccine at the next visit.

Got a new email from my new running group last weekend advising of a running [ how not to get injuries ] semninar at the local physio. Shit, I had never been taught how to run before. [ just like I have never been taught how to ride a commando ],.. I have learned about the science of running correctly.

Note from the last newsletter applies here.



One to end the week on:

I don't run through injury. That would be stupid.
I simply refuse to believe that injury exists.
That's toooottallly different.

Keep,living well

Dereck

Words of wisdom there.

I have a friend who was taken out by a motorist who didn't look. 'He broke the middle tendon in one of his knees as well as other shit including some brain damage. The surgeon told him he might never walk again. 3 months later, he asked the surgeon if he could run. The surgeon said what ever you can do, just do it. He then told the surgeon he had done a triathalon the previous weekend. "Fuck ! Really" was the response.

I posted this quote in another post, but it would seem to fit better here:

The Dalai Lama, was asked what surprised him most about humanity, he said:

“Man.
Because he sacrifices his health in order to make money.
Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health.
And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present;
the result being that he does not live in the present or the future;
he lives as if he is never going to die, and then dies having never really lived.”

In stark contrast to:


Hello, there, my friend.
: : : You say your old man dressed up as Santa Claus and can't get his belly
: : : through the fireplace?
: : : And you hang up a purple bulb on the tree and three thousand volts go
: : : through ya?
: : : And your brother made an animal cage out of your Erector set, and Grandma
: : : can't get out?
: : : And someone opened a window while you're sortin' stamps and all your triangles
: : : are flying around the house?
: : : And one of your gifts, a strange little shiny box, suddenly takes off and is
: : : now circling the earth at twelve-hundred miles-an-hour?

: : : Is that what's troublin' you, bunky?!?

: : : WELL, PUT YOUR HEAD DOWN LOW AND TAKE A RUN FOR IT!! YOU'LL NEVER GIVE UP...NEVER GIVE UP...NEVER GIVE
: : : UP...

If you ever decide to stop riding don't consider that as the end, consider, that it signals a new beginning. My plan is to buy an ultra-light aircraft and take the risk-taking that I love so much to the skys. I thought about signing up to defuse IEDs, but there is no motion, unless, of course, you fail...

Best