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Done Riding. Balance is gone

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KsTeveM said:
I am planning on riding till I can't.....or just don't want to punish my body. Then I plan to be the Support And Gear wagon for the younger folks that are riding hard....my son, my nephew's son, my kids kids etc. Here lately I wish I had someone that was "hardcore" enough to drive a Tacoma to my camping places with our camping crap, food, ice chests etc......and a spare bike in the bed. Self reliant, reliable rig, find their own way, explorer type, willing to drive across the country, get back in the woods, knows how to "jeep" and navigate well....to include sniffing out my SPOT waypoints. Seems like it would be fun to still do your own thing during the day site seeing and then catch up at cool campsites and still be "part" of the camaraderie with the two wheeled folks for dinner and breakfast! I even been day dreaming about the 4wheel drive build. Instead of a pull out drawer with a camp stove or cute little ice chest, I want to build a pull out drawer with a 500 mounted to it, tires/wheels removed, handle bars removed etc. I bet I could stealthily carry a spare bike down low and fit all the gear in the truck bed/camper or on a rack above the slammed 500. But I tend to get ahead of myself, I've got a lot more in me I hope on 2 wheels. Just planting seeds for guys ahead of me that still want to be part of rides in a bad*** way. And if you read my last ride report, please put an external speaker on your rig so you can play the Nuge when you start getting close to my camp with beer. Pic below of my sons KLX140L I put in the bed of my truck this weekend, had to get creative sucking the suspension down enough to get it in there, then tie down. Makes me want to accept my own challenge and build a platform for a full size bike to shoe horn back there. All in due time my little pretties. I will enjoy every chapter!!!!!!

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You know @JMZ brought his 500 home in his wife’s CRV.
 
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I know for the wife and I, we have the Spyder RT. I told her when I got older that would be my ride. Lol. Plenty of room to store my camping gear.
 
LaserDave said:
Miata gotta bigger car?? :lol2:

Sorry, I got to drive a first year Miata a couple times and it was a blast!
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I had a 91 model I supercharged and did some suspension work to. Way more fun than a car should be.
 
Hi sorry to hear your balance issues are sidelining your riding. My wife won’t consider riding with me due to her balance issues. I’ve read that a sidecar might be easier to ride in some respects, said to be more stable. Perhaps a sidecar might be an option to keep you on a motorcycle. I might invest in one one day just to get my wife to come along!
 
bwdmax said:
You know @JMZ brought his 500 home in his wife’s CRV.
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Yup, I know. It's easier to do that if you never plan on riding said 500......

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My mother and I were driving through Winters Texas in 1979, and I saw a man in a wheelchair who was a paraplegic, and he had a Goldwing with a specially built sidecar for his wheelchair. It had the bars and controls relocated to the hack, and it was the only vehicle he owned and operated, rain or shine!!

I told my mom, "You see that man right there? That's me, if I ever end up too broken to ride a regular bike!"

I really hate to hear you have to give up riding. I hope and pray you get better, and can return to riding soon! :pray:
 
misterk said:
I think when my 2 wheel days are done, I am going to go with a side car rig
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I would rather have side car than a two up front or two in back. A friend of mine had one of those Harley Davises three wheelers and was pulling a trailer around a sweeper curve north of Rockdale. The next ride he had was in a hearse. What is strange the day before he just got back from a long several state trip on his rig. He had been on two wheels for decades and had recently got the HD rig and small trailer. I stopped at that curve on 487 north and said hi a while back. We went to Biker Church together. Baldy was a retired veteran and just a real nice guy.
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Downs said:
Texas laws kind of make SxSs a non-starter for me since I can't really operate them like a little car.
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Another thing that Arizona is better at. You can even license four wheelers out here. When I was a kid I had a tube frame (Chenowith) sand rail that was licensed that I drove to work every day. Head lights, tail lights, brake lights and horn was all that was required although I did have a plexi windshield too. Lot of fun.
 
Reminds me of a story I once heard about a similar rig. Older couple that always rode together, but when he couldn't pilot anymore, he built a rig like what you described. They had riden together so long, that she would just sit behind him, lean back on the tail box, and read a book. After he had the rig built so he could ride from the sidecar, she was so used to her position, that she'd keep on doing the same. He said it was always a hoot when he'd come merging onto a freeway at speed. Because his wife would be in between him and the car in the lane beside, they couldn't see him at all. All they would see is this motorcycle merging at speed, with a lady sitting in the passenger seat, calmly reading her book :)
 
Rydah said:
Reminds me of a story I once heard about a similar rig. Older couple that always rode together, but when he couldn't pilot anymore, he built a rig like what you described. They had riden together so long, that she would just sit behind him, lean back on the tail box, and read a book. After he had the rig built so he could ride from the sidecar, she was so used to her position, that she'd keep on doing the same. He said it was always a hoot when he'd come merging onto a freeway at speed. Because his wife would be in between him and the car in the lane beside, they couldn't see him at all. All they would see is this motorcycle merging at speed, with a lady sitting in the passenger seat, calmly reading her book :)
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Hmmm, gonna have to think about that a while. Who did the driving/riding/steering etc?
 
LOL, sorry. Thought I had included the quote from post #37 above. The guy in the sidecar.
 
If you're considering a sidecar talk to those that have or had one. I considered one but went with trike which was tough to ride. Have to steer them. Sidecar rigs are similar
 
Hump said:
I’m in my early 70’s and realize my riding years are limited. My balance, strength and stamina have definitely declined in the last few years. I’m not giving up but am changing my strategy. I plan on hauling to rides more and riding lighter bikes. My Africa Twin will possibly go up for sale next year or become primarily street oriented. The Husqvarna 701 Enduro will be my primary ride. I recently picked up a Beta 500 RR-S for some of the more challenging rides that my group likes to go on. I’m fighting it but hoping I can still hit the dirt for a few more years.
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dont get hurt by holding on. I step it down a notch and went from avid dirt to no dirt basically. Moving to Texas helped cause there is very limited dirt riding
 
Boulder Ed said:
dont get hurt by holding on. I step it down a notch and went from avid dirt to no dirt basically. Moving to Texas helped cause there is very limited dirt riding
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Appreciate the advice. I grew up on a ranch in SD, 45 miles off a county road and 90 miles from town. In my teen years my game for fame was riding race horses and saddle broncs. When I went into the AF my first 4 years were in rescue and recovery with multiple night jumps and helicopter extractions. I consider myself still pretty tough and physically younger than my years. I’m taking a measured approach to this age thing but I’m a long way from the rocking chair. I’ve lived on the edge for the majority of my life and I will push the envelope as long as I can. I’m not a nursing home candidate and God willing I will never end up in one, because that’s not living.
 
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