Talk to me about caution! And wisdom!

[BikeMike]

I am 70 and new to street bikes. Been riding a Goldwing @ 1,000 lbs and the same horsepower as the vtr1000. My 60 year old cousin has a Kaw liter bike that he wheelies all over the place.
I am REALLY concerned that this new bike (2003 with 3,700 miles on it)annd 100+ hp isn’t going to end well for me.

I’d appreciate comments, insight, recommendations. Thanks!

[xeris]

"SO WHEN DOES THIS OLD ENOUGH TO KNOW BETTER KICK IN" alanfjones1411
Seems an appropriate answer to your dilemma.

[sirch345]

Only you will know if the new bike is going to turn you into an idiot rider, one who is going to be riding above their comfort level all the time. If you find that, then a Firestorm isn’t for you,

Chris.

PS. Welcome aboard

[acrmnsm]

I'm returning to biking after 15 or so years off.
I was a peg scraping hair raising lunatic, GSXRs, CBR6, lots of daft 400's.
Since getting on the VTR I have realised how my reactions at 52 are not like they were at 32.
I tell myself that I am learning to ride again. How would you teach your daughter to be a fast safe rider?
So I'm teaching myself in the same way.

Note, right now, almost all other bikers on the road are a lot faster than me. So the last thing you should do is compare yourself to them.

[alanfjones1411]

I sold my VTR about 3 years ago at the age 75 to another forum member.I really enjoyed riding it,for a number of reasons (not age related) it had to go regrettably and I found myself without a bike for the first time in 60 years.I now have a KTM 250 which I use for green laning only.It’s only you that is in control of the bike and you should ride it how you want to and feel safe in riding it.
Welcome to the forum

[haynesjones66]

i'm 64 and currently butchering my storm to suit my ageing bones. have fun while it lasts and regret it later!

pete

[fabiostar]

welcome along.. asking that is like walking into a bar and saying should i have a drink

Throttle works both ways.

[acrmnsm]

Just to resurrect this as its been on my mind too OP.
I've just done the longest run so far since getting my VTR and getting back on the road since 2007, a visit to the Wild South West Rally in Cornwall. It was a chopper thing, but I had a good laugh, they had a couple of Harley based drag racers doing burnouts, no health and safety nazis present! Got some good pics and vids.
Anyway I noticed a few things on my run down on a mix of A, B and dualler.
1) My neurons have retired. Events happen much faster than my lazy brain is prepared to be aware of, this is not the 32 year old Luke, This means I just cannot ride at the pace I used to, I am no longer a peg scraping fool. Ride accordingly. (My average milage over the 170 miles I've just done was 42mpg, which shows what a grandad I have become, measured Brim to Brim on two fill ups, I know some of you are getting in the low 30's you headbangers.)
2) Cars are loads bigger and this is a mega hazard, loads more SUV's too. In the old days I was used to being able to look over the cars and see the road ahead. Much harder now that every other car is an SUV and even the normal cars are wider and higher. Ride accordingly.
3) People can't drive, well maybe they never could, but there are loads more drivers now. You have to expect that every other road user is going to do a U-turn in front of you or just stop for no reason. Ride accordingly.

[tony.mon]

Just bear in mind that the best intentions are often waylaid by a bunch of riding fools having fun in Wales, Devon, Scotland, Northern Ireland or Yorkshire!
Get yourself along to one of these runs and regain your youth...