A New Trend with Older riders

[willowstreetguzziguy]

Saw this on another thread and got me thinking... as baby boomer riders get older (mid 60's and up), they have more money and time for riding. But their upper body strength can't or doesn't want to handle the 500 lb+ bikes that many manufacturers seem to be making.

So with their money and time they are seeking out sub 500 lb bikes and enjoying the lighter freedom that these bikes possess. I hope we'll see more and more manufacturers choosing to build and sell sophisticated / lighter bikes to this segment. How many older Guzzi riders are saying NO to the 1400 cc Guzzis and saying yes to the V7/9? If this is the trend and I think it is, this doesn't bod well for Harley. The bike makers who make an about face and recognize this segment will thrive. The ones that don't face an uphill battle. 

Plus we live in the "Golden Used Bike" era with so many choices out there with used bikes, some riders may never buy a new bike again!

Granted with a passenger you need a bigger bike, but if you are traveling solo, you don't need a big and heavy bike! We are beginning to rethink what we really need and use.

[Triple Jim]

My reason for gravitating toward lighter motorcycles is not related to upper body strength, but because I've learned that I enjoy riding light motorcycles that handle well, rather than heavy ones that really don't provide any advantage other than a smooth ride.  Motorcycles like the Yamaha FZ-07 that weighs under 400 lbs are most likely to be the ones I'll buy in the future.

[Rich A]

I don't think it is a new trend, more just a natural consequence of the aging process, i.e., the same thing has happened for every generation of riders as they get older.

Rich

[Testarossa]

We had an exhaustive discussion of these issues recently. See
http://wildguzzi.com/forum/index.php?topic=88923.0

[sib]

Count me in.  I've been riding a V7 since I was a young man of 71, I'm turning 75 tomorrow, and I have no interest in anything heavier or faster (or even louder).

[cruzziguzzi]

I backed into a sweet little Harley 883 behind a rifle trade several years ago. For a passel of reasons to include but not limited to; size, sound, looks, reliability, ease of (nonexistent) maintenance.... It gets more miles and smiles than every other bike listed in my signature line - put together.

I'm just enjoying the hell out of small & simple.



Todd.

[motoTommaso]

I see a lot Harley and Gold Wing riders turning to trikes but those are 700+ # bikes to begin with.  My 500# bike is enough for me.

[Sheepdog]

I've always enjoyed lighter bikes. It was the reason I chose the Calvin (which is very light in it's class) and more recently, a BMW R1200RS (I went to the dealer to check out the RT, but bought the RS due to lighter weight and the conventional forks). I turn 61 next month, but my reasons for a lighter bike have more to do with handling/braking and the tight quarters of my shop.

I started to have flexibility and back issues, so I began a very light calisthenics regime. 30 crunches, 18 20lb curls per arm, and 20 pushups every day. I also ride my bicycle about 40 miles a week. This has allowed me to maintain muscle mass, it strengthens my core, and enhances my flexibility. The entire calisthenics routine only takes minutes and it has helped me to take off a little excess weight. There's that word again..."weight." I guess motorbikes aren't the only things that perform better when they weigh less...

[Bill Hagan]

I resemble this thread!   

Bill

[menzies]

True for me, I will most likely buy a Roamer this week or next. My Stelvio has been on consignment and I will sell the Breva.

Upper body strength with arthritis in the shoulders and dual knee replacement are limiting me greatly with everything I do these days.

[oldbike54]

 No stats to support this , but it seems we are seeing more medium size motorcycles on the road now than a few years back . Of course the definition of medium sized , or middle weight has changed , but I see fewer behemoths including liter sized sport bikes , and more rational motorbikes now than previously . It's not like the behemoths have disappeared , and the big boys are bigger than ever , but maybe their percentage of the market is shrinking .

 Dusty

[Penderic]

Whatever works! 

[Chuck in Indiana]

Granted with a passenger you need a bigger bike,

Not really. Crank up the preload and go with the AeroLario. <shrug>

[Psychopasta]

I think there's a lot to this idea. I put it down to wisdom rather than failing health, of course.  Lighter bikes with great power/weight simply are better, but they are not as impressive. I'm definitely adding lightness to bikes these days.

- Pasta

[Rough Edge racing]

 I'm 6 foot ,170 pounds , 70 years old.I was a construction worker with good strength.. I do exercise daily but I feel not quite as strong. ..I bought the 96 900 Ducati monster because it's about 430 pounds with fuel...My old 850 Guzzi feels top heavy in comparison. My friend's 1050 Triumph speed triple feels heavy and wide....I have no interest in the 600 plus pound two wheel Buicks...

 

[Tom]

I like riding anything with 2 wheels and an engine.  It's the moving them around that sometimes is problematic.     I'd still like to get a Triumph Rocket III or a Cali 1400.  A Boss Hoss is fun.

[not-fishing]

False premise, those of us who have worked Construction all our lives and spent some time lifting know that it's more about leg strength and form.

Also, I don't know about the aging thing.  When I was young I rode a Cafe'd 400, it wasn't until I was 60 that I bought a liter+ bike.  I "share" a V50 with my youngest son but prefer to ride my Griso or V11 Lemans.  and I have pushed the Griso, uphill because I "misread" the odometer

Actually I wasn't much stronger in my 20's & 30's I just had tremendous endurance to suffering.  It wasn't until I was 40 and spent years in the gym that I was truly strong.

Now in my middle 60's after a recent heart attack I know I have to loose that "40 lb belly".  My good news was months ago when my stress test showed that even at +50 lbs I only fell one "step" short of maxing out treadmill protocol.  The Cardiologist said my heart was fine and I was just "Abbie".

[Rough Edge racing]

False premise, those of us who have worked Construction all our lives and spent some time lifting know that it's more about leg strength and form.

 I was an electrician, not residential . We had to use  hands and arms all the time for climbing , cutting and bending huge wire, hack sawing conduit , linemans' pliers and twisting screwdrivers ...But there was also shoving  pushing and lifting....I still have a very strong hand grip, no clutch lever is too stiff   

[Testarossa]

So now the thread has come down to how much strength we've kept or lost over the decades. As a skier, I'm still strong in the leg, but my upper body strength has declined and I don't have the wind I need for climbing and pushing.  YMMV.

At 70, Sir John Falstaff claimed his arms were growing stronger. Evidence: when he was 20, he couldn't push his P***k down with both hands.  And now he can.

[Chuck in Indiana]

And now he can.

 

[Lee Davis]

I have always preferred smaller bikes. Have a V9 for town runs. But, I have reached the "Dickey Do" age...   My stomach sticks out more than my dickey do.

[vstevens]

A couple years ago when I was determined to return to motorcycles,(in my mid-fifties). After many years with a Vespa 150 ET4 (a fantastic bike by the way) the heavier bikes seemed intimidating.  So, I rented a Harley RK to 'test' myself.  After a couple hours, confidence increased and I learned to manage its weight in parking lots and slow speed maneuvers.  Not too long after that I test ride a V7 and fell immediately for its light weight and guzzi character.  It was the right choice for me.  However, my wife doesn't like to ride pillion on the V7 but enjoyed the RK.  There may still be a Harley RK in my future.  (The 1400 guzzi's are great bikes but are too 'fat' for my liking).

Ironically, my wife enjoyed riding pillion on the Vespa 🛵 (granted we were both a bit lighter then). 

[wirespokes]

I think it has a lot to do with the macho aspect. New riders tend to think big is best, and wouldn't want to be caught dead on no sissy bike. As an example, I had a GF just learning to ride and her first bike was a Honda Shadow. When that gave her sore shoulders after a couple months she traded it for an R1100RS. She couldn't have been taller than 5'5", but she learned to control it. She got a 1973 R60/5 about the same time and eventually that became one of her favorite bikes.

As guys get over the image thing, they realize the smaller bikes can do pretty much everything the bigger ones can, but with less effort and much more fun.

There's a lot of truth to the statement that it's more fun to ride a slow bike fast.

[Tom]

The snobbery that goes along with bigger is better attitude is that there are a lot of fun rides on smaller machines.  I rented a Scarabeo moped in Rome and had a great time using my experience/skill riding it in traffic for the day. 

[Chuck in Indiana]

There's a lot of truth to the statement that it's more fun to ride a slow bike fast.

Absolutely.

[Antietam Classic Cycle]

My buddy Leo (82 years young) just bought another tall and not exactly light bike - a new Africa Twin. He also owns (and rides) a Super Tenere and Tiger 800. The lightest bike he has ('09 KLX250S) rarely gets ridden.

[guzzisteve]

Not me, I got a sidecar rig. If I can't walk anymore I'll put it on the LH side and make a chariot.

[Calculon]

Motorcycles like the Yamaha FZ-07 that weighs under 400 lbs are most likely to be the ones I'll buy in the future.

The local Yamaha dealer was offering demo rides on Yamaha bikes last weekend and I got to ride the FZ-07 amongst others.  It was a really nice bike with lots of power and very flickable, but it kind of reminded me of why I like my Guzzi as I'm more about feeling the wind in my face and taking things in than going as fast as I can or leaning my bike over as much as I can.

I'm not near my sixties yet, but I like a lighter bike as it's easier to handle and I don't take many long trips, where I'd need the carrying capacity.  When I back my bike into the garage, it's uphill and there's a couple cracks in the pavement, which add to the challenge, so a lighter bike is preferable.

[blackbuell]

This is the reason I bought my BMW F800GT for long distance riding. I honestly would rather have a larger displacement bike for cross country duty, but no longer feel comfortable with heavier bikes. The diminished physical strength associated with my 68 years is compounded by my short stature.

Jon

[pete roper]

I think my next motorbike will be a Royal Enfield Himalaya. Why? Because I'm an old fart and Guzzi isn't making anything that interests me. After nearly 40 years that sucks!

Pete