Callow Youth

[OTB]

Fact: The older we get, the longer it takes to heal.

Fact: The older we get, the slower become our reaction times.

Fact: The older we get, the more our vision degrades and our hand/eye coordination degrades.

Fact: The older I get, the more I have to lose, and the less willing I become to lose it.

I was driving to van home from work the other day in the unseasonably warm weather the east coast was having, glorying in just having the windows down, when three brave lads on sportbikes passed me on the Baltimore Beltway doing well over “the Ton” in heavy rush hour traffic, weaving back and forth between lanes of all but stalled vehicles, with closing speed differentials somewhere in the 70-90 mph range, by my well calibrated seat-of-the-pants-o-meter. Scary.

Two weeks ago, during a similar break in the spring drearyness, I was out tiptoeing the Bimota on through a stretch of sweepers not far from my home, the corners still dusted with a light coating of winter sand/cinder/salt crud from the last sleet storm. In the middle of a turn I was passed on the outside of the double yellow by a wobbling Gixxer mounted hero, clad in “racing” shorts and that always handy wife-beater t-shirt, tenny shoes and no gloves. I’m sure he thought he impressed me with his skills.

The older I get, the less I really care what other folks do, as long as it doesn’t have a negative effect on me and mine. I don’t even rant about the long-term negative effects that such idiocy has on the perception of the public in general. I know that along with the tweet-tweet of robins will soon come the wrecks and the in-depth reporting pieces by the local media on the scourge of high-speed racing bikes turned loose on a terrorized public, and the calls for “somebody” to “do something”.

I guess what warms the cockles of my hard little heart is when I pick up another cheap sportbike from some young guy who scared himself silly, or like the guy I just bought the Superhawk from with a scant 1500 miles on it; wife was out shopping and saw him making an arse of himself on the thing, came home and made him sell it; I got an almost new bike, he screwed himself.

There is always the “Darwin Effect”.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve pulled my share of boneheaded moves; like the time in my youth when I grew impatient with a bunch of Harley riders cruising up one of “my” favorite backroads at ten under the speedlimit whilst I sat back twiddling my thumbs (lots of opposing traffic and all double yellows) till I’d finally had enough and blitzed up the middle of their two-by-two formation. THAT pissed ‘em off and got them following me at well over the limit, shaking fists and hurling dire threats. Not something I’m proud of.

Or the time I ran my number-plated no-lights racebike up the interstate to do top-gear redline plugchops the night before the race to get the jetting right.

The state trooper wasn’t impressed with my explanation.

Ah, youth. If we’re lucky we survive it and maybe even learn from it.

[OneSickPsycho]

I think we've been through this before, but would it be too weird if I just started calling you 'dad'...

[Mr Lefty]

Originally Posted by OTB

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve pulled my share of boneheaded moves; like the time in my youth when I grew impatient with a bunch of Harley riders cruising up one of “my” favorite backroads at ten under the speedlimit whilst I sat back twiddling my thumbs (lots of opposing traffic and all double yellows) till I’d finally had enough and blitzed up the middle of their two-by-two formation. THAT pissed ‘em off and got them following me at well over the limit, shaking fists and hurling dire threats. Not something I’m proud of.

yeah I can see how they'd be pissed! hopefully you had a good tank full of gas!

[marko138]

Ah yes. Stupid Yutes.

[itgirl]

thank god for OTB to keep us all grounded. this man is the face of wisdom.

[marko138]

And a good rider. You should ride with us some time.

[itgirl]

i'd love to. i don't think my skill level matches you guys though. i'd hold you back.

[WARputer]

Originally Posted by OTB

Ah, youth. If we’re lucky we survive it and maybe even learn from it.

I totally understand your point.

[smileyman]

OTB is a wise rider. He presented 4 facts, all true. But there are ways to mitigate their effect.

With slowing reactions and physical abilities many "older riders" make up the difference with a little thing called anticipation. They anticipate and then their more practiced and reliable reactions, although slower, are usually correct and in the correct amounts to avoid trouble.

Yep we still take longer to heal no way around it, but being older you get the benefit of the doubt from doctors and way better insurance coverage. And willingness to let it all hang out is offset by knowing exactly what terms we are playing on and having the wisdom and self control to back it down when the chips are stacked the wrong way.

I still feel an older experienced rider has the better of the odds in most riding situations...At least in my experience I am still as fast as I once was, and have presence of mind to know my limits...

[OTB]

Originally Posted by smileyman

I still feel an older experienced rider has the better of the odds in most riding situations...At least in my experience I am still as fast as I once was, and have presence of mind to know my limits...

"I'm not as good as I once was, but I'm as good once as I ever was"

Toby Keith