Too old for a sport bike?

[DoxaDavid]

Question for my fellow motorcycle affecianado's!

I have had the itch of late to get a sport bike. Not going to track it or anything and not even sure what I want. Haven't owned one since I was 18 and that wasn't a pure crotch rocket but a '85 Honda Nighthawk 700S. Loved that bike and was a hoot to drive.

So now I am in my late 40's and haven't worn any baseball caps backwards in years. Regardless, like soooo many of us that like the feeling of accelerating and carving up a good twisty road, my Harley CVO Street Glide even with an upgraded motor really isn't built for that.

Going 200mph or having a bike capable of it isn't that important to me. Having something that handles great and can accelerate like a bullet is more inline with what I think is fun.

My wife thinks I'm nuts and too old for that kind of bike. What do you fellow motorcycle enthusiasts think?

Same topic, suggestions as to what kind of bike may meet my needs? Ducati Monsters have always caught my eye. BMW K1200R looks like an interesting bike or a Buell 1125CR? Pure crotch rocket or a "sport" bike?

Any insight, suggestions or advice is welcome.

[wantonebad]

Not necessarily trying to get all moralistic on you or be judgmental but driving a motorcycle of any kind is a real gamble and a sport bike in particular isn't the best move for a middle aged man who has a family. You could be in the best shape of your life, but your reaction time is never going to be what it was in your 20's and early thirties and operating that kind of machinery is reliant on having quick reflexes and dodging trouble before it happens. I was pretty fearless as a youth and frankly pretty stupid on my bike, my wife made me give it up and I miss it from time to time but if I kept it, I'd probably not be here right now. I don't know that to be fact, just a feeling. Maybe I'm projecting a bit, I'm perhaps just a tad older than you as a guess and I'm glad I'm not having to weave away from a someone cutting me off cause they can't see me or don't care. JMHO

[GerardoG]

I am not into motorcycles, but family members in late 40's are into Triumph. I can not give further details, all I know is they ride several times a week.

[azguy]

easy, Ducati Monster

[DoxaDavid]

Originally Posted by wantonebad

Not necessarily trying to get all moralistic on you or be judgmental but driving a motorcycle of any kind is a real gamble and a sport bike in particular isn't the best move for a middle aged man who has a family. You could be in the best shape of your life, but your reaction time is never going to be what it was in your 20's and early thirties and operating that kind of machinery is reliant on having quick reflexes and dodging trouble before it happens. I was pretty fearless as a youth and frankly pretty stupid on my bike, my wife made me give it up and I miss it from time to time but if I kept it, I'd probably not be here right now. I don't know that to be fact, just a feeling. Maybe I'm projecting a bit, I'm perhaps just a tad older than you as a guess and I'm glad I'm not having to weave away from a someone cutting me off cause they can't see me or don't care. JMHO

Your not wrong Marc. The first question is to have a bike or not and I already do so its not a question of whether or not I am going to ride.

I realize what you say is true and I'm in pretty good shape for my age but no, not a teenager or in my 20's. I don't plan on ridding it like I stole it either but enjoy the thrill of twisting the throttle a bit as well as snaking around on a twisty road.

[T. Ferguson]

No, you are not too old. Reg Pridmore is 75, is still running one of the great track schools, and is still faster (and smoother) than any of his instructors. I know because I've seen him pass all of them, with me on the back of his bike!

Have fun and keep the shiny side up.

[Viffer]

I'm 58, own a couple of Honda VFR750's both are very comfortable sports touring machines. Not too "arse in the air", fully faired, V4 engines with plenty of grunt and possibly the best bikes Honda have ever built. Plan on riding mine until I can't get my leg over, my favourite mode of transport.

[GB-man]

You are already riding a Harley so I don't see much added risk. Why not? I like the Beemer

[Presa canary]

Triumph triple...

[colpol]

Going to be a lot of comments on this one

I'd try to go round some dealers & get some demo's - In the UK its possible to get demo's although generally have to sign up for a massive excess charge on the insurance if anything goes wrong

A sports bike from yester year is a totally different bike from 25 years ago

I'd ask yourself some serious questions on why you want the bike & what type of riding you want to do. I've ridden "adventure" bikes for nearly 25 years - couple of africa twin's, couple of klr650's & at the moment got a xt660z tenere. In the summer we can look at a map, decide where we're going to go & get there in comfort cos of the upright position plus they don't hand about either if you open them up although nowhere near as fast\ performamce of a sports bike

[DoxaDavid]

Originally Posted by Viffer

I'm 58, own a couple of Honda VFR750's both are very comfortable sports touring machines. Not too "arse in the air", fully faired, V4 engines with plenty of grunt and possibly the best bikes Honda have ever built. Plan on riding mine until I can't get my leg over, my favourite mode of transport.

58 years young and still kicking it!

Yes, not looking for my "arse" to be up in the air either!

[DoxaDavid]

Originally Posted by Presa canary

Triumph triple...

I have read people who have them love them.

[DoxaDavid]

Originally Posted by colpol

Going to be a lot of comments on this one

I'd try to go round some dealers & get some demo's - In the UK its possible to get demo's although generally have to sign up for a massive excess charge on the insurance if anything goes wrong

A sports bike from yester year is a totally different bike from 25 years ago

I'd ask yourself some serious questions on why you want the bike & what type of riding you want to do. I've ridden "adventure" bikes for nearly 25 years - couple of africa twin's, couple of klr650's & at the moment got a xt660z tenere. In the summer we can look at a map, decide where we're going to go & get there in comfort cos of the upright position plus they don't hand about either if you open them up although nowhere near as fast\ performamce of a sports bike

No doubt the technology has improved significantly in 25 years. Going in the pickers as we call it in the Midwest isn't what I'm looking to do so an adventure style enduro bike isn't what I'm looking for. Already have a bagger that is a great cruiser for two up or longer trips.

This is going to be mostly used for around town, driving to work and on the weekends to have a bit of fun on. I haven't ridden a lean forward pure super sport model and don't think that is what I want either. Something in between with a more upright position that is comfortable, nimble and has enough power to make me smile when I crack the throttle.

[Jakey]

Have you considered a Ducati Diavel

[DoxaDavid]

Originally Posted by Jakey

Have you considered a Ducati Diavel

Funny, just read about that model last night and it certainly looks like it ticks off the boxes of what I believe I want!

None around my area to see so will have to see if I can find one. Hard to buy something like that without ever riding it first to make sure it IS what I want.

[dysondiver]

hate to be doom and gloom , but the born again biker bracket is where a lot of accidents happen , what i would suggest is go get some revised training , advanced training , or the likes ,,, the other thing is , sports bikes these days are so hard core they are not as much fun as they used to be after an hour .
and as the power to weight thing has gone crazy they arent nearly as forgiving ,if your out of practice , there are some nice sports tourers that may fit the bill ,,, but , having said that , a bike on a nice day is still a good way to travel.

[Headshrinker]

I was in the same situation several years ago. Firstly, the insurance on a sport bike is unbelievably expensive. I was quoted from $4000 to close to $5000 per year for a Honda CBR 1000. The bike itself was only $10,000. I decided on a Harley V-Rod for almost $18,000. The insurance is only $220 per year. It goes like hell, 3.5 seconds from 0-60mph. It's a beautiful motorcycle at around 600 pounds.

[2th Dr]

I'm 52 and ride this...

hon09-dn01.jpg

Honda DN-01 700

[Pix]

Try out a few and see what feels and fits you well, sign up for some track days to learn how to get the "Chicken Strips" off the tires! Oh yea, full face helmet to keep the bugs off your teeth from the big grin you will have.

[SJL]

I used to ride bikes until about ten years ago. Never had a "big" crash but had few mates who ended up plated and pinned. It made me rethink what I was going to do so I sold the Fireblade and bought a Westfield (Lotus 7 alike)

I then had the itch to build one so now have a Westfield Megabusa. It has a Suzuki Hayabusa engine but four wheels so I can't fall off it - always a good thing!

I have done almost 12000 miles in it since 2009 and I could not recommend a more fun bike/car crossover. I don't have a windscreen so wear a crash helmet so you get the bike feeling but with a steering wheel.

The top speed is only 130mph but it gets there quick. I have played with a few big litre bikes when out in it and it's very rare that you come across a biker who is good enough to catch me on a twisty road.

Just suggesting it might be worth looking at a Caterham (they are sold in the US now) as an alternative.

[watchwatcher]

Don't know much about bikes, but I do know age is purely a number. Get what you like and enjoy the hell out of it.

[DoxaDavid]

Originally Posted by dysondiver

hate to be doom and gloom , but the born again biker bracket is where a lot of accidents happen , what i would suggest is go get some revised training , advanced training , or the likes ,,, the other thing is , sports bikes these days are so hard core they are not as much fun as they used to be after an hour .
and as the power to weight thing has gone crazy they arent nearly as forgiving ,if your out of practice , there are some nice sports tourers that may fit the bill ,,, but , having said that , a bike on a nice day is still a good way to travel.

I wouldn't say I'm in that category. I have a bike now and have ridden motorcycles since I was a kid. Not that I have mad skills or anything when it comes to tracking a sport bike but I wouldn't say I'm a born again biker.

Taking a track class to get some additional training isn't a dumb idea and one I have looked into. I know people who have ridden sport bikes for years take them and learn something new every time. Education is always a good thing!

[DoxaDavid]

Originally Posted by SJL

I used to ride bikes until about ten years ago. Never had a "big" crash but had few mates who ended up plated and pinned. It made me rethink what I was going to do so I sold the Fireblade and bought a Westfield (Lotus 7 alike)

I then had the itch to build one so now have a Westfield Megabusa. It has a Suzuki Hayabusa engine but four wheels so I can't fall off it - always a good thing!

I have done almost 12000 miles in it since 2009 and I could not recommend a more fun bike/car crossover. I don't have a windscreen so wear a crash helmet so you get the bike feeling but with a steering wheel.

The top speed is only 130mph but it gets there quick. I have played with a few big litre bikes when out in it and it's very rare that you come across a biker who is good enough to catch me on a twisty road.

Just suggesting it might be worth looking at a Caterham (they are sold in the US now) as an alternative.

I've seen those on shows like Top Gear. They look like a riot to drive.

I have an AMG SLK coupe which granted won't perform like yours but fills my need for a 4 wheel performance vehicle.

[DoxaDavid]

Originally Posted by Headshrinker

I was in the same situation several years ago. Firstly, the insurance on a sport bike is unbelievably expensive. I was quoted from $4000 to close to $5000 per year for a Honda CBR 1000. The bike itself was only $10,000. I decided on a Harley V-Rod for almost $18,000. The insurance is only $220 per year. It goes like hell, 3.5 seconds from 0-60mph. It's a beautiful motorcycle at around 600 pounds.

Boy that is nut$!

Didn't even think about that. Called my agent and had him look up a few of the bikes I am considering and adding any of them was between $3-400 a year more.

Maybe BECAUSE I'm old and can only bike for 4 months a year in this state it doesn't have much of an impact!

I guess being older does have a perk now and again!

[andromeda160]

I loved my sportbike, too much power for an 18 y/o though, I had it maybe 6 months before I sold it off. One thing I did notice, was anything over a 45 minute to an hr ride and you feel like crap when you get off. But my 98 cbr900rr was amazing, nothing else I could've bought for $1,600 would rocket me to speeds past 165MPH(when my parents found out how fast it went itHAD to go or me with it)

Ultimately it's a personal choice. If you feel you have the self control to not get carried away, go for it. I found riding a bit boring though following the law, 55 mph speedlimits became 80+, highways became 120+. And its probably good I was forced to get rid of it as I probably would've ended up dead or in jail xD

[GradyPhilpott]

Originally Posted by watchwatcher

Don't know much about bikes, but I do know age is purely a number. Get what you like and enjoy the hell out of it.

I'm thinking you don't know a lot about age, either.

Yes, a youthful outlook can do wonders for anyone, but age has it's ways of reminding us that we aren't like we used to be.

I just finished about nine months of bowling regularly in two leagues, subbing in two, taking one lesson per week and bowling a few tournaments along the way.

I can hardly walk because of my feet and knees, my back is killing me, and I have "tennis" elbow.

Give me two weeks of rest, though, and I'll be ready to start the Summer leagues and resume the lessons.

We old guys need to keep going or we're likely to seize up and start a steady decline toward the grave.

There's no good reason to hurry up the process with poor choices, though.

Regard the following.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/0...torcycle/?_r=0

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/201.../#.VUK1_JN-WZ8

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/thunde...aths-1.2743274

http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/201...cle-fatalities

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukne...or-a-fall.html

https://www.google.com/search?q=midd...utf-8&oe=utf-8

[Wesley Crusher]

Kawasaki H2R

It has 300hp...

[tkerrmd]

Originally Posted by Headshrinker

I was in the same situation several years ago. Firstly, the insurance on a sport bike is unbelievably expensive. I was quoted from $4000 to close to $5000 per year for a Honda CBR 1000. The bike itself was only $10,000. I decided on a Harley V-Rod for almost $18,000. The insurance is only $220 per year. It goes like hell, 3.5 seconds from 0-60mph. It's a beautiful motorcycle at around 600 pounds.

Yeah baby my favorite Harley!! Almost got one after a test ride last year!!

Porsche power!

Over head cams and water cooled!!


Never too old to ride

[CDNWatchNut]

I'm 49 and have ridden a sportbike for many years. Still have my GSXR 750 in the garage that I ride often...it's still a rush to ride, it never grows old. However, I will say it's not the most comfortable long distance touring mount which is why I have my old man sportbike also, a Yamaha FZ1. There's no reason whatsoever why you can't ride a sportbike based on age, it comes down to what you enjoy riding, and feel comfortable riding. I say go for it! Just buy a bike that you can ride comfortably and within confident control.

[watchwatcher]

If knowing a lot about age means sitting around thinking I shouldn't do something because I'm too old, you are correct. I don't know much about it. And I don't want to.

Originally Posted by GradyPhilpott

I'm thinking you don't know a lot about age, either.

Yes, a youthful outlook can do wonders for anyone, but age has it's ways of reminding us that we aren't like we used to be.

I just finished about nine months of bowling regularly in two leagues, subbing in two, taking one lesson per week and bowling a few tournaments along the way.

I can hardly walk because of my feet and knees, my back is killing me, and I have "tennis" elbow.

Give me two weeks of rest, though, and I'll be ready to start the Summer leagues and resume the lessons.

We old guys need to keep going or we're likely to seize up and start a steady decline toward the grave.

There's no good reason to hurry up the process with poor choices, though.

Regard the following.

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/0...torcycle/?_r=0

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/201.../#.VUK1_JN-WZ8

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/thunde...aths-1.2743274

http://articles.sun-sentinel.com/201...cle-fatalities

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukne...or-a-fall.html

https://www.google.com/search?q=midd...utf-8&oe=utf-8