I'm 54 and haven't ridden since my early 20's. Am I nuts for wanting a motorcycle?

What do you suggest for beginner???

No, you’re not crazy. But you do need to be smart about it.

Sign up for and take the MSF beginners class before doing anything else.

I have ridden motorcycles since I was 14 (I'm now 73). Best advice I can offer is to constantly assume that every stupid SOB you are sharing the road with will try to kill you every minute. You can never relax or assume that anyone will pay any attention to you.

quote:

Originally posted by Ronin101:
I'm 54 and haven't ridden since my early 20's. What do you suggest for beginner???

I rode daily for three years in the early 80s. Life got in the way; I’m 70 now and started back again 4-5 years ago. I’ve had a 2009 KLR650, 2018 Africa Twin, and now a 2021 Rebel 1100 w manual transmission.
The Rebel is the easiest to ride due to low seat height.
Every day I ride I wish I had ridden the day before also. Go for it.
BTW, there are tons of defensive riding videos on YouTube. After you gain basic riding skills you’ll learn more there than anywhere else.

I'd start with what style you want & a budget.
I had a Kawasaki Vulcan S & loved it. 650cc P-twin from the Ninja 650 in a cruiser body.

If I were buying today, it'd likely be a Triumph, probably a Speed Twin 900.

As much as I would want something Supersport, I'm too heavy 'footed' to not get silly on it.

I went through the same thing about 20 years ago (age 56), after a 20 year layoff from a Suzuki GS 850. I was smart enough to start small and bought a Kawasaki Super Sherpa 250cc dual sport bike, helmet, jacket, and gloves. Then I took the basic MSF course. After a year or so, I upgraded to a KLR 650. A couple of years later I got my dream bike, a BMW GS 1200 and took another MSF course.

Buy a well maintained and adult owned mid-displacement motorcycle that you can get both feet (flat) down on the ground at the same time.

Work on your skills for a year or two w/that and then sell it to get something that you've really got you eye on.

Advice beyond motorcycle selection -

Get a good/quality helmet that fits well, riding boots (no laces to get caught on the pegs while you are trying to put your foot down during a stop!) and a pair of high-quality riding glove with reinforced palms.

And don't loose your cool and composure at the stupid SOB's that Lobo refers to. Very quickly shake off the anger and focus on the task at hand.

Look ahead.

Learn how to counter-steer and practice practice practice the skill.

Do not 'target fixate' on the thing that you are trying to avoid, whether it be a pot-hole, a car, an oily looking spot on the road or a pedestrian, etc., because if you are looking at it you will hit it. Look where you need to go!

Practice braking HARD, biased to the front brake.

Always have an 'escape' route.

Leave it in first gear when stopped at a light to allow for a quick exit if someone is bearing down from you from behind that may not see you.

Have fun!!

Sleep on it for a few days. I quit riding in my late 50's, sold my BMW R1100R. Mid 60s got the urge, bought a Triumph Bonneville America, rode it about 500 miles and then sold it. Too many crazies for me.

I rode from age 15 to 38 and then life happened. Five years ago my wife of 48 years passed away and I bought an RV and motorcycle couple years later.
Three years ago at age 69, I bought a 2015 Honda CTX700DCT ( bike had been in storage since 2015 and had 75 miles on it - I replaced all fluids and tires).
I just ride local country roads and enjoy it.
I found site called MCRider.com that offers free training vids every week. I bought good protective gear.

I got into motorcycling almost 5 years ago at age 46. Previously, the closest I had come to riding a motorcycle was I had a moped as a teenager.

My first time sitting on a motorcycle was at the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) Basic Rider Course. I would strongly encourage the OP to do the same. The instructor was a retired CHP officer who rode a motorcycle for them and was an excellent instructor.

During the afternoon break on Day 1, I asked the instructor's opinion and he recommended a bike I hadn't considered as it was a little larger than I had been looking at (e.g. Honda Rebel 500). The recommendation was based on my size/strength/skill as well as how well the bike steered/rode. It was a Honda Shadow, and I found a used one in mint condition that had been garage kept one with only 1100 miles on it. It ended up being a great first bike that rode for 2 years. I upgraded to a mid size cruiser, an Indian Scout, and have been riding that the last 3 years.

Find a MSF course near you. They are inexpensive, you’ll learn or re-learn valuable skills, and it’s a great way to figure out if bikes are something you really want to do before you spend money on one.

After that, find a used bike that’s small enough to muscle around a bit if you pitch it over further than you intended on a parking lot and cheap enough you won’t get too upset if you add some dings to it. Find you a good parking lot near where you live and practice low speed maneuvering.

Then, once you feel like you’re ready and are comfortable riding around town and with the low speed stuff, start looking for a bike that fits your image of what you want and suits the style of riding you are into.

My first bike was a Yamaha V Star 650. I rode that little bike all over West Tn and down to Birmingham and back. My brother still has it.

Since then I’ve had a Harley V Rod (lots of fun in a straight line for short distances but a maintenance nightmare), a VStar 1100, a Dyna Superglide, a Streetglide Special, and currently my main bike is a Roadking. I’ve also got a little Sportster 1200 I chopped into a bar hopper. It’s an absolute hoot for about 30 minutes at a time, but I’ve ridden that Roadking to Virginia Beach and back in comfort.

I almost bought a Ducati a couple years back, but my reflexes aren’t what they once were and I decided that I’d best stick to cruisers.


Best advise I ever got was to assume every car you see is an ex that you owe money to. Ride defensively.

As an MSF instructor who teaches over 20 Basic Rider Courses per year, I agree with the recommendations to take the BRC first. It'll give you an excellent foundation on which to build your skills, both physical and mental.

What type of bike are you considering?
cruiser?
touring?
sport?
adventure?

quote:

Originally posted by creslin:
What type of bike are you considering?
cruiser?
touring?
sport?
adventure?

Well I was looking at an Indian FTR and then I came to my senses lol. It would be for mostly in town and short day trips. Been looking at naked sport? Stock? Like a Honda cb650r or Yamaha mt 7. I would be taking the ABATE course since I need it for the lisc.

haha nothin wrong with the FTR.

I have an Indian Roadmaster and it's been top notch.

It has a 120 hp and
83
Dtlbs of torque. A review I watched said it was a poor choice for new riders

The other issue is my wife is a 911 dispatcher and you can imagine the calls she has taken

It's not necessarily age, it's physical and mental limitations that are the factor.

Maybe look into a Yamaha MT-03, MT-07.

quote:

Originally posted by Ronin101:
I'm 54 and haven't ridden since my early 20's. Am I nuts for wanting a motorcycle?

What do you suggest for beginner???

Been riding motorcycles since 13 now 63. Hard to explain to many people but riding a motorcycle is soo good for the soul... So long as you are not stupid about it. Some people are just to impulsive to ride for long. Wearing dark riding gear is something I don't do these days at my age.

For a street bike I would look at something in the 650cc - 850 range. The Yamaha street 700 twin has a really sweet engine and comes in 4 flavors. MT 07, XSR 700, Tenere 700, and YZF R7.

I recently retired from motorcycling. There is certainly joy, unexplainable, in taking a cruise. There can be rejuventation of one's soul. But, I determined that I needed to simplify my life and focus on fewer endeavors.

I encourage you to avoid restarting the motorcycling hobby until you are sure that it alone will meet your needs.

If you need a "re-entry" bike, the Suzuki SV650 is a classic choice. Some find the Kawasaki KLR650 useful. I would avoid the BMW K1600!