When do you call it quits?

[Colorado Ron]

The night before I was to head out on the CDT ride, my wife informs me she has NEVER felt good about it. She has never said that to me before. Ive gone to the Arctic Circle, Iceland, Central America all within the last couple of years and she never has said anything. I chalk it up to jitters. About 5AM I wake up to my 4 year old lil girl (I have 6 kids total) screaming! She was having a bad dream (never happened before). She said that I was going to ride my motorcycle to heaven and not say goodbye!!!??? I dont scare easily, but I have to admit the hair on my neck raised.

I went on the trip anyway....

Hit a corner too fast about an hour into the trip and couldnt hold the corner. Went off the road and indoed (sp?) the bike. Totaled the bike but it was like I landed on a pile of feathers!!

Guy comes out of his house and says 6 other riders in the last year have died on that corner and he thought I was #7.

Im just glad I came away completely unscathed. I never dreamed I would stop riding, but now this has got me thinking twice. The old saying "you know when you know" sure holds true. I just cant believe that I have no desire to ride...... maybe ever.....

[DaFoole]

Spooky stuff.... No one can tell you when to quit. Has to come from within. You have children which makes a BIG difference. I do not, so......I keep on goin'. If you feel you should stop, do so. Listen to that inner voice. You will probably take it up again later when it seems right. Others poo-poo that intuition. I do not and have not. Some days it just doesn't feel right and I don't go.

My .02 cents.

[KG6BWS]

Originally Posted by DaFoole

If you feel you should stop, do so. Listen to that inner voice.

About the best advice I think you could get in this situation.

[usgser]

Originally Posted by DaFoole

Spooky stuff.... No one can tell you when to quit. Has to come from within. You have children which makes a BIG difference. I do not, so......I keep on goin'. If you feel you should stop, do so. Listen to that inner voice. You will probably take it up again later when it seems right. Others poo-poo that intuition. I do not and have not. Some days it just doesn't feel right and I don't go.

My .02 cents.

Well said go with your gut feelings. Young kids are great and important but they don't know what they're talking about neither do ladies who don't ride.. I really don't like in city crazy traffic anymore so I compromise and find a back road around the city. Yeah screws up the planned time frame but I've pretty much given up on firm schedules too. I've had anxiety before riding sometimes and rode anyway till the cob webs blew out of my head. The more often you ride the less time for cob webs to form. No one can tell you when to quit and drive a mini-van. You'll know when. If in doubt go for a ride and think about it afterwards. It don't mean you don't love/care about your wife or kids. There are no Motorcycle Gods or real Gods guaranteeing anything. I plan to ride til my mid-late 80's if my body holds up and the brain can keeps a grip on situational awareness (aka: survival instincts). If either rot enough to the point of ok I just can't do this anymore is it's more fear than fun I'll quit but I'm dumb/stubborn enough to fight it till my guts speak to me. Good luck on your decision don't make it lightly. Try some of that 'look inwards' hippy dippy crap. Quitting ridding is a big step for a lot of folks. Don't fool yourself into selling out and maybe getting back into it a fews later. Odds are you won't and even if you do you'll be starting over w/o the edge that previously kept you alive. If you do quit it ain't the end of the world but your world will be way different. Don't let me or anyone else decide for you. It's an inner gut call listen there...you'll know.

[Barman]

I've had too many wrecks, too many close calls. Too many horrible drivers with what seems no respect for
fellow drivers/riders until it's too late...
I found myself making sure my affairs were in order before every ride. Had the fear. Time to quit after 35 years of riding.
Maybe I'll get my nerve back, maybe I won't.

[skidxr]

Sounds like your invincible!!! If the motorcycle gods got your back you might as well keep riding... Slowing down might help too...

[slowoldguy]

Hey. Not gonna stop but a near miss has got me thinking about slowing down a little. Haven't been on a bike in a month since the rear stepped out going stupid feckin' fast on a wore out borrowed TKC rear, literally slammed the inside peg on the pavement so hard it popped me back upright. I can tell myself it's the 100 degree heat keeping me off the bikes but...

It'll make a thinkin' fella think and somebody like me? Well, it at least makes me wonder.

But I'm riding tomorrow.

[F15beeper]

Where's that corner? I'm leaving next week for the CDT.

[tallnbig68]

As with others, a little voice (one of many I hear) was louder than the others, Stop, if you wish to stay alive.
Round that time (2005) was experiencing medical maladies, first a diagnosis of Sjongren's Syndrome, a form of Lupus. During further investigation an enlarged left kidney, a diseased spleen and other complications. That was the spring of 2006. Needle biopsies revealed a rather massive amount of cancer in my system. Figured OK, surgery when?
Late November 2006 was the time. Mum's 90th birthday was earlier in the month and I wanted to be around for that. Tried to ride every day until the date of surgery. My 1981 Goldwing was well and truly abused. I become weaker over time. The surgery was the third week of November being on the table about eight hours or more. There were complications aside from the operating table being a wee bit too small for my 6'8" length and my 39 inch arms. Nothing fits, even now!
Out came the left kidney, the spleen, a bit of my bladder and all the lymph nodes in my chest and under my arms and my groin. All riddled with cancer. I was quite weak afterwards, yet was discharged two days later as I was responding well.. Christmas was very quiet, and first week into the new year started chemo for Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma. What they don't tell you is the extreme tiredness and the weakness with chemo. Six rounds two weeks apart and two more doses two months apart. Tried to straddle the bike. I couldn't lift my legs let alone mount the beast. Figured I'd wait. The time never arrived.
Nope, not happeneing. As I had both Lupus and cancer had another three years of specialty chemo, and those three years with a dose every five weeks did me in. I have no internal immune system to fight fevers or colds, the chemo effectively damaged my heart such that am unable to walk more than a few yards without using a puffer. Any form of exertion means dizziness and so far the cancer is in remission; the Lupus just makes the whole affair much worse. Sold the Goldwing to a friend, the machine was on its third 100,000 kilometres and parts were not readilly available.The mechanic at the local dealership was younger in years than age of the machine; the machine was not welcome at the dealer. It had been fun. It served me well. These days the side effects of the chemicals ingested continue to bother me, teeth disintegrate and require removal, stamina is nil, frequent restful periods and then wide awake periods in the night. Then contracted Cleulitus in my lower left leg a year ago; six weeks in the local hospital. That has put me further back. It was three months before I could walk upright with a wheeled walker. I hate pedpans and all that
they imply.

Sure I'd love to ride again however the idiots on the highways and byways scare me, they do as they wish when they wish. No form of the best form of protective clothing will ever be suitable for me if there's an accident and the machines of today are so the dealer has to see it to repair it. And because of my physicall massive size, most if not all of the new machines simply are way too small.

Maybe at age 66 it is time to stop. Look with envy at times as others riding. However 40 degree Celsius summer days combined with very few riders with whom I would wish toassociate and general nonsensical attitude of the whole wheeled world makes me rethinks. Will i die on a motorcycle in an accident or should I prolong my life by never riding again? Suspect the latter is the best course. If my physical and yes mental existence improves and there is machinery to allow me to ride again shall reconiser; until then, not.

[YOUNZ]

Originally Posted by tall big 68

As with others, a little voice (one of many I hear) was louder than the others, Stop, if you wish to stay alive.
Round that time (2005) was experiencing medical maladies, first a diagnosis of Sjogren's Syndrome, a form of Lupus. During further investigation an enlarged left kidney, a diseased spleen and other complications. That was the spring of 2006. Needle biopsies revealed a rather massive amount of cancer in my system. Figured OK, surgery when?
Late November 2006 was the time. Mum's 90th birthday was earlier in the month and I wanted to be around for that. Tried to ride every day until the date of surgery. My 1981 Goldwing was well and truly abused. I become weaker over time. The surgery was the third week of November being on the table about eight hours or more. There were complications aside from the operating table being a wee bit too small for my 6'8" length and my 39 inch arms. Nothing fits, even now!
Out came the left kidney, the spleen, a bit of my bladder and all the lymph nodes in my chest and under my arms and my groin. All riddled with cancer. I was quite weak afterwards, yet was discharged two days later as I was responding well.. Christmas was very quiet, and first week into the new year started chemo for Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. What they don't tell you is the extreme tiredness and the weakness with chemo. Six rounds two weeks apart and two more doses two months apart. Tried to straddle the bike. I couldn't lift my legs let alone mount the beast. Figured I'd wait. The time never arrived.
Nope, not happening. As I had both Lupus and cancer had another three years of specialty chemo, and those three years with a dose every five weeks did me in. I have no internal immune system to fight fevers or colds, the chemo effectively damaged my heart such that am unable to walk more than a few yards without using a puffer. Any form of exertion means dizziness and so far the cancer is in remission; the Lupus just makes the whole affair much worse. Sold the Goldwing to a friend, the machine was on its third 100,000 kilometres and parts were not readily available.The mechanic at the local dealership was younger in years than age of the machine; the machine was not welcome at the dealer. It had been fun. It served me well. These days the side effects of the chemicals ingested continue to bother me, teeth disintegrate and require removal, stamina is nil, frequent restful periods and then wide awake periods in the night. Then contracted Cellulitis in my lower left leg a year ago; six weeks in the local hospital. That has put me further back. It was three months before I could walk upright with a wheeled walker. I hate bedpans and all that
they imply.

Sure I'd love to ride again however the idiots on the highways and byways scare me, they do as they wish when they wish. No form of the best form of protective clothing will ever be suitable for me if there's an accident and the machines of today are so the dealer has to see it to repair it. And because of my physical massive size, most if not all of the new machines simply are way too small.

Maybe at age 66 it is time to stop. Look with envy at times as others riding. However 40 degree Celsius summer days combined with very few riders with whom I would wish to associate and general nonsensical attitude of the whole wheeled world makes me rethinks. Will i die on a motorcycle in an accident or should I prolong my life by never riding again? Suspect the latter is the best course. If my physical and yes mental existence improves and there is machinery to allow me to ride again shall recognizer; until then, not.

A growing number of conventional doctors [that actually give a shit about their patients] are now practicing alternative medicine ie: much less man made drugs and mostly natural substances to actually restore the immune and filtering systems, to cure, rather than just treat symptoms. The rub is, requires radical dietary alterations. Although, very effective, especially against cancer.

[NJ-Brett]

Well, if you are going into turns too hot all the time, maybe its time to give it up.
You could just try riding safely...

[eakins]

Originally Posted by NJ-Brett

Well, if you are going into turns too hot all the time, maybe its time to give it up.
You could just try riding safely...

that's what i was thinking. need to upgrade riding skills.
i have a wife and daughter but i'm not stopping. that's an easy out way too many guys use. my wife and i ride together plus we're doing a used goldwing hack so we can all go.

one way or another each of us die. i want to use my time in a way that i enjoy it to the max and see the most vrs sitting at home waiting to die.

[NJ-Brett]

That sounds good to me.
You can have fun, you can be fairly safe, or you can ride a big bike fast, and do exciting things.

I ride a slow light nimble bike, away from high risk roads, and have more fun then when I had bigger faster bikes.

Despite almost getting killed dirt riding, I still do.

Originally Posted by eakins

that's what i was thinking. need to upgrade riding skills.
i have a wife and daughter but i'm not stopping. that's an easy out way too many guys use. my wife and i ride together plus we're doing a used goldwing hack so we can all go.

one way or another each of us die. i want to use my time in a way that i enjoy it to the max and see the most vrs sitting at home waiting to die.

[390beretta]

Listen to your mind. My guess is that you have a "thing" in your mind about how you should ride in order to be ......whatever noun you want to put here. I'm 66 yo and know that I'm not as good as I once was, so I make adjustments to my riding style and my mind set. I'm a lot more careful now than I once was. I only go for it, when I'm pretty damn sure that it's just me determining what happens. I think a lot of riders want to "challenge" the conditions, whether it be on the dirt or the pavement, they also have little patience for cagers, especially the asshats we all deal with, but if you want to continue riding into your 80's as I hope to, you MUST recognize your limitations as Clint said. Go for it!, but carefully!

[2handedSpey]

If my daughter said that to me, the bike would be gone. No questions asked.


you're a full-grown man & someone's father. This is more than about you. (IMHO, YMMV)