As this riding season comes to a close, plus the fact I'll be 82 in Feb, add in some personal circumstances, and I'm left with the conclusion that it's time to sell my '08 S40.
I bought this bike in 2014, purely because of my past experience with a Ducati 250 single. If a single could shove me down the road at 60-70 mph, why would I need anything more?
I've tried this bike as a 'tracker', 'bobber', cruiser and finally as a 'standard'. The standard won!  
In the 11 years I've owned this bike, I've also bought/sold a Honda VT600, Kawi Vulcan 500, and a second S40. The Kawi had the best motor, but the mufflers wanted to lever the rear wheel off the ground in corners! Scary!
Any way, if circumstances change, I will too, it's been a blast! I'll stay on the site as interested observer(ha!).
Cheers!  
ps: still believe Suzuki should have built this as a 'standard'. Oh well.......

Hay Zip ...

I suspect I'll be ridding a Honda Trail 125  in 15 to 20 years .   Have you thought of anything like that ?

You don't quit Ridding when you get Old !  You get Old when you quit Ridding !    

I'll be 73 in a few months. (Feb)

https://www.motorcyclespecs.co.za/model/Honda/honda_ct125_hunter_cub.html
203 pounds wet .

There is no need to give up with motorcycles just because you get old, just don't ride them, drive them instead.    

I bought my first sidecar outfit when I was 16, and can honestly say they are far more fun than a solo motorcycle.  

Suzuki Savage



CJ 750

Time is not always our friend.

I have several friends who rode into their 80's - but none of them made it to 85 on 2 wheels.  Eventually - we will all find that we just can't keep riding.

Find a way to give it up willingly when it is time - there is no reason to ride when you can no longer do it safely.

I hope to be able to ride as long as you have......it is a goal of mine to stay healthy and agile.

Boofrickinhoo ! Just sold it 4 hours ago.
2 inquiries in a day.
Will stick around. Sad, but a bit giddy at the same time. Looking for possible rentals in the spring.
Cheers!  

It's not a case of 'giving up' . More a case of not burdening my daughter with getting rid of all the detritus of my 81 years. Some can cope, some can't.
Picking up your own trash is not a bad idea and opens up other possibilities.
Now I will have time to learn guitar and put my impulse buy of 5 guitars to good use.
Yes, in the  weeks after I retired I bought 3 motorcycles and 5 guitars. Motorcycles won!!!!!
Cheers!  

blod wrote on Today at 02:39:07:


That is a bit hateful sounding - it is his decision to make and I am sure zipidachimp has thought long and hard about what is right for him and his loved ones.  If he and his family no longer enjoy or feel safe when he is out riding - it is time to move on to the next chapter in life.  We will all be there someday.

I have had 2 friends in their 80's who rode longer than they should have.  One of them started dropping his bike on a regular basis, as he just wasn't strong enough to hold it upright when he came to a stop on uneven ground.  It was really scary watching him drop his bike in town with heavy traffic rushing around.  The other one started falling behind on group rides and often would just stop and start looking around, as he was uncertain about where he was - one or two of us would have to fall behind with him and make sure he made it to the lunch stop (and then back home again).

I have a great deal of respect for people who take the initiative to move on to the next phase of their life willingly.  I had a grandmother that lived to be 104 and she aged gracefully.  When she could no longer maintain her home she moved to an apartment.  When she could no longer drive she sold her ca and moved to a small efficiency apartment near her son's house (my uncle).  When she could no longer live alone she moved into assisted living - and she did it all willingly and never once complained about the changes that were required.

I had a friend and a mother that did not do so well.  When my friend passed away after 4 years of fighting cancer - it took me and 2 other friends 2 years to sort through his unfinished projects, house and pole barn and get his estate settled.  My mother never downsized and lived on a 36 acre farm, and it took 1.5 years to get her estate settled.

I hope that I can age gracefully and willingly take care of my business while I am still healthy enough to do the cleanup work myself.....I don't want other people working to get my affairs settled!