Just info: Article about Over-40 riders

[Caffeine]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051126/ap_on_re_us/boomer_bikers;_ylt=Ag2XSFfg9ZbW8uHHBBlD.12yFz4D;_ylu=X3oDMTA5aHJvMDdwBHNlYwN5bmNhdA--

Just came across this (actually, it was posted on Fark.com).   Go ahead and throw in your 2 cents (or pence, lire, pesetas or what have you).

[TheGoodGuy]

i agree there has to be some regulations for bikers. Something in the lines of european and japanese class system.
Too many riders get on to bigger, badder, faster bikes and get killed. Also the issue of having a licence before buying a bike should be made.. i have seen dealers (my old dealer that is no longer around - the one that sold me my gs500) did that apparen tly.

i agree.. in anycase it doesnt matter to me im on 500cc and i technically have been riding for 8 years. So i can upgrade without problems. Oh by the way my insurance for this year is $68 liability.. $125 for full, but i dont ride it enough to justify full, i will when i start riding it a lot more i will upgrade.

[scratch]

Good read, good info. Considering I'm approaching that age group, and having already taken the MSF some 13 years ago; I have been interested in taking the Experienced MSF. My first MSF was the best thing that ever happened to me, I expect the Experienced course would be better for me, too. So would track days (wife/money/time permitting).

<clip>For Ruff, who serves as chief road safety officer for Tacoma's Harley Owners Group, ramped-up training regulations might not be such a bad idea.

"I'm not opposed to some way of making sure they at least have basic skills," he said. "There are a number of them that'll go out and say, 'Oh yeah, I used to ride a dirt bike,' and they'll go out and buy a Harley.

"If it keeps one person from killing themselves, all the better." </clip>
It's good to see that he sees a need, and is filling in as chief road saftey officer for his group.

[Cal Price]

Born Again Bikers they call it here, a very large percentage of new machine sales are to that category.

Guys/Girls who rode in teens and twenties find themselves with more time and a bit of cash on their hands as the kids have grown and flown. Pretty much describes my situation exactly. I came back to bike in the year 2000 after about a 35 year gap, lots of people who have kept up their liscense simply buy a monster and off they go without realising just how much things have changed. I had not kept up my paperwork and had to re-qualify is a newbie, at the time I thought it was a pain but looking back I realise it was the opposite. I started from scratch with the biggest permissable bike a Honda CG125 !   and when i failed my test I realised the test requirement that applied in the 60s, turn up and don't knock anyone over, had changed a great deal. I opted for govt approved training which allowed me to train and test on the school's 500cc, the training and subsequent testing was rigorous but fun and very informative and once passed I could ride anything I liked. I kept the 125 for a further six months before buying the GS500E.

I would be the first to agree that "Born agains" who have not ridden for years should meet some standard but quite how you administer that escapes me but a voluntary scheme would be a start and save lives without a doubt, well not from me anyway. last point, I'm 60 in a few weeks so a long way behind GSJack   who I admire a great deal for riding well into his 70s. I would never consider buying a bike that I don't think I could pick up.

[Badger]

This sounds like the classic "more dollars than sense" problem.  It's certainly not isolated to motorcycles.

The FAA had to deal with this a number of years ago.  They found that a lot of people who had gotten pilots licenses in their youth and subsequently had stopped flying for various reasons (money, family, whatever) would pick it up again later in life.  There was no regulation for subsequent training once one was issued a pilot certificate, and people who found themselves with surplus finances would purchase airplanes after not having flown in decades...sometimes to unfortunate results.  Although, perhaps a bigger problem was that the FAA reclassified all of the airspace and that significantly changed the rules, and many pilots who had been 'out of the picture' were unaware of the changes when they took it up again.

The FAA instituted the biennial flight review (BFR).  Every two years pilots are required to take some form of training with a flight instructor (ground and flight) and document it in their logbook.  This works for a couple of reasons that would be difficult to administer for motorcycles.  First, pilots are already required to keep track of certain events for regulatory reasons, and therefore already keep logbooks (creating a false entry in your logbook is purgery).  Second, there is a fairly well established network of flight instructors that can provide the required recurrent training.  Also, recurrent training is already quite popular with pilots...many places that provide aircraft for rental require you fly at least once every ninety days to maintain currency, or they will not rent you an airplane without a checkout.  Many insurance companies require recurrent training to maintain your policy depending on the type of aircraft.

I do think that motorcycles are different.  The rules don't change as frequently and there is significantly less complexity involved.  I think imposing regular training (like the every-two-year training required of pilots) on the folks who ride all the time is unnecessary.  That said, I still agree that there is a challenge with folks who have been away for a long time picking up too much bike for them.  My father-in-law (who hasn't ridden a motorcycle in decades) was making noises that he wanted to take my motorcycle out for a spin (I think that was defused when he found out it's not a harley).  He's recently retired and has been talking about getting a Harley for himself.

Rather than regulate recurrent training, I think they should let the insurance companies handle it.  In a way, it is their problem...when these folks crash their brand new $20K bikes, it's the insurance companies that have to eat that.  I think that if you're starting a new policy for a large bike, they should impose requirements for getting the policy.  If you can't prove some training or appropriate experinece, you are uninsurable.  I think this approach also doesn't single out the older riders who haven't ridden in years, but would also foist some training on the guys who want to run out and buy a 'busa as their first bike.  I think the MSF could do well to offer a "step up" or "rusty rider" course to satisfy these kinds of requirements...insurance companies could offer their own programs (or subsidise the MSF).

Of course, this wouldn't help in places where insurance isn't required, but I'd be willing to bet that the same folks that are spending a lot of money on their motorcycles aren't willing to go without insurance.  I'd think that a couple hundred dollars or so for a recurrent training course wouldn't be overly burdensome.

Just my thoughts, though.

[Cal Price]

I'd agree with a lot of Badger's points. In this country if you have a licence for 42 tonne trucks, Heavy goods vehicles etc you have to prove, normally by an employer's letter, that your driving experience is current. Heavy goods also requires periodic medicals, the faintest hint of a heart problem and no licence, same for taxi and buses.

The biggest obstacle to recurrent testing is that you would have to do it for all driving categories which would be an expensive-mountain-of-paperwork nightmare. Here motorcycle and cars licences are issued from when you pass your test(s) to your 70th birthday, thereafter you simply have to apply for renewal. Only if you have been involved in a safety issue are you likely to be eyesite tested or re-take a driving test.

I suppose the insurer's asking the question would be a start, some do here, incorrect answer invalidating insurance might be a big detterent to false declarations. having said that I am looking forward to riding for many years yet!