How Old is too Old?

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I'm 72 will be 73 very shortly. I have been riding since I was 15. During the years when money was tight I worked on other people's bikes and test rode them for as long as the owner would tolerate, one test ride took 3+ months. When I completed the work and wore out the owners patience I'd find another. I worked at a Triumph dealership; when a Triumph was dropped off the owner would list the work he wanted done; they always asked when they could come back and ride off. The owner of the dealership owed every one money including the Triumph imported, Johnson Motors-I believe; consequently parts were strictly COD, so we didn't have all the parts (frequently) to complete the service. When the motorcycle owner would ask, 'Do you have what you need to do the work?", the answer became a mantra: We Have The Technology. My "paychecks" were mostly IOUs written on pieces of scrap paper, but I loved It! From some else's quote our dealership was a case of: Where the uneducated teach the unwilling to do the impossible on the obsolete. I was willing to do anything if it involved a motorcycle and a test ride.

I bought a used Trident, T150T 328, I'll never forget that bike.

I sold that and put all of my backyard motorcycle money together and purchased a new 1970 CB750K1 The next day I rode it proudly to work at the Triumph dealership and promptly got fired. I went to the Norton dealership and parked the Honda way up the street and got hired on the spot by none other than Ron Fratturelli and learned a ton about Commandos. One day I got up the balls to ride the Honda to Ron's; he came out and I could tell what was going to happen next, but cut him off and told him I wanted to trade it for a new '71 Commando; that shut him up and I got my first Commando. I have never been without a personal ride.

When I got remarried in 1979 I was riding a T140D, my wife to be asked if I'd stop riding? The prenup I wrote had two short paragraphs which essentially said that I would ride until I wanted to stop. I told her that I loved her, but wouldn't want to have to choose, so don't ever ask again, she hasn't. When I started "collecting" motorcycles she did pipe up and ask me why I needed so many motorcycles I answered her question with another question, very Socratic of me. The question I asked was why do you have more pairs of shoes them Imelda Marcos?

When I got sick of working for the man I retired and purchased Rocky Point Cycle; I will "work" and ride until I die.

The only question I ask after slinging a leg over is: Is this my day to die? I have only gotten a positive feeling about that possibility once; I pushed my '72 Combat (real Combat) back into its garage spot. I will never question that feeling, just go by it.

You are only too old if you think so...

Best.
 
RoadScholar said:
I'm 72 will be 73 very shortly. I have been riding since I was 15. During the years when money was tight I worked on other people's bikes and test rode them for as long as the owner would tolerate, one test ride took 3+ months. When I completed the work and wore out the owners patience I'd find another. I worked at a Triumph dealership; when a Triumph was dropped off the owner would list the work he wanted done; they always asked when they could come back and ride off. The owner of the dealership owed every one money including the Triumph imported, Johnson Motors-I believe; consequently parts were strictly COD, so we didn't have all the parts (frequently) to complete the service. When the motorcycle owner would ask, 'Do you have what you need to do the work?", the answer became a mantra: We Have The Technology. My "paychecks" were mostly IOUs written on pieces of scrap paper, but I loved It! From some else's quote our dealership was a case of: Where the uneducated teach the unwilling to do the impossible on the obsolete. I was willing to do anything if it involved a motorcycle and a test ride.

I bought a used Trident, T150T 328, I'll never forget that bike.

I sold that and put all of my backyard motorcycle money together and purchased a new 1970 CB750K1 The next day I rode it proudly to work at the Triumph dealership and promptly got fired. I went to the Norton dealership and parked the Honda way up the street and got hired on the spot by none other than Ron Fratturelli and learned a ton about Commandos. One day I got up the balls to ride the Honda to Ron's; he came out and I could tell what was going to happen next, but cut him off and told him I wanted to trade it for a new '71 Commando; that shut him up and I got my first Commando. I have never been without a personal ride.

When I got remarried in 1979 I was riding a T140D, my wife to be asked if I'd stop riding? The prenup I wrote had two short paragraphs which essentially said that I would ride until I wanted to stop. I told her that I loved her, but wouldn't want to have to choose, so don't ever ask again, she hasn't. When I started "collecting" motorcycles she did pipe up and ask me why I needed so many motorcycles I answered her question with another question, very Socratic of me. The question I asked was why do you have more pairs of shoes them Imelda Marcos?

When I got sick of working for the man I retired and purchased Rocky Point Cycle; I will "work" and ride until I die.

The only question I ask after slinging a leg over is: Is this my day to die? I have only gotten a positive feeling about that possibility once; I pushed my '72 Combat (real Combat) back into its garage spot. I will never question that feeling, just go by it.

You are only too old if you think so...

Best.
Click to expand...
Thanks @RoadScholar - reminds me of a song I posted somewhere else - but it's relevant here...
Cheers
 
RoadScholar said:
I'm 72 will be 73 very shortly. I have been riding since I was 15. During the years when money was tight I worked on other people's bikes and test rode them for as long as the owner would tolerate, one test ride took 3+ months. When I completed the work and wore out the owners patience I'd find another. I worked at a Triumph dealership; when a Triumph was dropped off the owner would list the work he wanted done; they always asked when they could come back and ride off. The owner of the dealership owed every one money including the Triumph imported, Johnson Motors-I believe; consequently parts were strictly COD, so we didn't have all the parts (frequently) to complete the service. When the motorcycle owner would ask, 'Do you have what you need to do the work?", the answer became a mantra: We Have The Technology. My "paychecks" were mostly IOUs written on pieces of scrap paper, but I loved It! From some else's quote our dealership was a case of: Where the uneducated teach the unwilling to do the impossible on the obsolete. I was willing to do anything if it involved a motorcycle and a test ride.

I bought a used Trident, T150T 328, I'll never forget that bike.

I sold that and put all of my backyard motorcycle money together and purchased a new 1970 CB750K1 The next day I rode it proudly to work at the Triumph dealership and promptly got fired. I went to the Norton dealership and parked the Honda way up the street and got hired on the spot by none other than Ron Fratturelli and learned a ton about Commandos. One day I got up the balls to ride the Honda to Ron's; he came out and I could tell what was going to happen next, but cut him off and told him I wanted to trade it for a new '71 Commando; that shut him up and I got my first Commando. I have never been without a personal ride.

When I got remarried in 1979 I was riding a T140D, my wife to be asked if I'd stop riding? The prenup I wrote had two short paragraphs which essentially said that I would ride until I wanted to stop. I told her that I loved her, but wouldn't want to have to choose, so don't ever ask again, she hasn't. When I started "collecting" motorcycles she did pipe up and ask me why I needed so many motorcycles I answered her question with another question, very Socratic of me. The question I asked was why do you have more pairs of shoes them Imelda Marcos?

When I got sick of working for the man I retired and purchased Rocky Point Cycle; I will "work" and ride until I die.

The only question I ask after slinging a leg over is: Is this my day to die? I have only gotten a positive feeling about that possibility once; I pushed my '72 Combat (real Combat) back into its garage spot. I will never question that feeling, just go by it.

You are only too old if you think so...

Best.
Click to expand...
Just lead, I'll follow... As soon as I stop laughing!!!!! Seriously, heroes are hard to find. Thanks 'Dr. Scholar'!

Walker
 
"Here in Normandy, if you don't ride in the rain, you can't call any of your bikes a daily ride!"

LOl.

getting caught in the rain is one thing, leaving home in a downpour not as much......
 
I'm almost 72. I still ride, but not a lot since it is not enjoyable in the traffic, heat, and humidity in the Washington DC area. Today, my motorcycle enjoyment is rebuilding bikes and helping others with their bikes and questions.
 
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