Who started riding after age 30

[WellInsured]

I have long had an secret attraction to riding a motorcycle but with responsibilities of running a family business and other lame excuses I resisted the urge. Recently the urge rose up again and I started spending time lurking on this site as well as researching all sorts of questions I had to get answered. Then I signed up for the motorcycle safety course still never having ridden on a motorcycle! at the end of the second day at the course I made the decision to make the jump and headed to the dealer to put down the deposit!
I am now at age 48 a proud owner of a G650GS BMW , my wife is supportive although was a bit put off when I had the first bill for service which at $700 was a bit steep ( but then again it included the repair of minor damage from a collision with a wild turkey! but that's another story!!
This is a fun hobby / sport / pastime. Looking forward to lots of new adventures!

[bartman314]

1. 47. took the msf course with my wife, who was 45 at the time.

2. 2006 r1200gs. great first bike for me. i'm 6'3" 220 lbs and loved the ergos and stability.

3. wished i started earlier. my parents influence lasted far too long. also, wanted to start a new past time that something my wife and i could do together. funny thing is we have not yet gone for a ride together (long story) a year after the msf course.

4. now riding a 2011 multistrada 1200s - wowowowowow. incredible bike, i find myself giggling a lot.,

[Woland]

Originally Posted by Woland

I´m 36, got my license 3 weeks ago, picking up my first bike tomorrow and its a 07 F800ST. Guess if I´m itching to get out and ride it .

Couple of years on, I'm turning 39 in a few days, changed bike a couple of months back to a '07 R1200R and I'm still itching to get out and ride ;)

[geisterfahrer]

I had a Honda CB125S for a few months when I was 18. I rode it maybe a couple of hundred miles. I started riding again about four years ago, at 45. After a divorce, I bought an old Honda Nighthawk 650 on eBay. First thing I did, before riding, was take the MSF BRC, and get my certificate. That meant I didn't have to take the state test for my MC endorsement. Since then, I've had five different bikes (two of which I still own) and put a few thousand miles on. I'm looking forward to many more miles.

[t6pilot]

Rode some dirt bikes when I was a kid, didn't get back into till I was 58 yea I know fragiles bones and all that

[t6pilot]

Sorry hit wrong button got back into riding at 58 now 62 loving my new 1200gs leaving next week on another 2500mile ride though sierras and northern California

[EvilRoySlade]

Learned to ride in illinois motorcycle class, got my license and 06 F650GS bike after my 66th birthday. Ist time ever on a motorcycle. Three years and 50,000 miles later after a lot of offroad and my around the world ride I've downsized to a 2000 Kawasaki Super Sherpa and plan to be a minimalist traveller..

[TracePete]

1. I'm 41 and just started riding a month ago after taking the MSF. After lusting after motorcycles for years, a relative sold me a "67 dream that supposedly would run... but it didnt. After a month of working on it and realizing it may take me a year to get it going I bought ..
2. 2009 Suzuki TU250x. I bought it because of its classic looks and small engine so I can learn to ride safely ( I commute to work in a small town) and work up to a larger bike.
3. After an hour on the bike I definitely wish I had started earlier. However, I'm probably safer now than I would have been had I started riding when I was younger and dumber.
4. Still on my first bike, might get something bigger in a year.

[Hiram Walker]

I began riding at age 39.
I took a couple of dirt lessons with my kids.
I bought an 05 KTM Adventure 950 on ebay.
Took a street lesson and got my license.
As the big bike was off loaded I was pretty intimidated and scared of it. But I couldn't let my wife or kids know.
1st attempt to ride it I dropped it in front of my kids on a small paved hill that is our driveway.
At first I avoided the freeways. Until I rode up to Long Beach from the San Diego area, and got to a point where I had to get on a freeway if I was going to actually get to where I was going.
I'm 43 now, and ride it a few hundred miles a week. 99.9% pavement. I want to become a better dirt rider so my 2nd bike is a KTM 450 MXC. I am a novice in the dirt though, I just don't get out to the desert enough.

[BudCAD]

I was 32. My father was 57 when he had a brain hemorrhage and passed away. Started riding to spend time with my younger brother who had always ridden. Got him to take the MSF course with me. He found me an '81 Yamaha Maxim. Didn't take long to get hooked. I put 9,000 miles on that and started commuting 40 miles one way. Bought a new '03 Nighthawk, put about 16k on that, then bought a '05 V-Strom, hit a deer at 45, bought a KLR to keep me riding while we fixed the V-Strom.

The V-Strom has around 54k on it now. Time to start looking for a new one.

I'm actually glad I started late. Had I been younger I may have developed some bad habits. Having a daughter made me take it way more seriously.

[211mike]

Took the Motorcyle Riders Safety course last summer, August IIRC... at 41. Purchased a 2007 Honda Shadow 2 weeks later and have been asking myself why I waited so long to do it.

Wife was pretty pissed, actually did not talk to me for about 3 months...not sure it that is bad or not

On a side note, my Father-in-law is a coroner (spelling?) and sold his bike 2 years ago after being called to one to many accidents where "car pulled in front of motorcylce". I think I have convinced him to buy another one this spring, we will see.

[SoSlow]

I was 33... it was something I'd wanted to do for a while, my wife was very supportive of the whole thing.

2. First bike was a 2009 KLR650

3. I wish I'd started riding earlier but I wouldn't have been able to afford it.

4. Still happily riding the KLR and really enjoying it. No plans to get a different or additional bike.

[BudCAD]

Originally Posted by SoSlow

I was 33... it was something I'd wanted to do for a while, my wife was very supportive of the whole thing.

2. First bike was a 2009 KLR650

3. I wish I'd started riding earlier but I wouldn't have been able to afford it.

4. Still happily riding the KLR and really enjoying it. No plans to get a different or additional bike.

I had a 2007 KLR650 for a while after I hit a deer with my V-Strom. I miss that thing, great bike.

[gozirra]

At 31, or about a month ago to be exact. (riding from not b-day)
Had some early test run-ins with motorcycles, parent units never approved. (friends had random assortment)
Through teen years and university had a few jaunts on some bikes and was allowed to ride some very nice machines at garage speed. (under 15mph)
After university got into auto racing as a hobby, then business, then got burned out and walked away.

And then the big moment was bored in cube world deciding I needed something to do - MSF it was. (Dec. 2011)

Passed, licensed, etc, in process of grabbing top shelf gear (came from rally racing, safety is never a question) and maybe will start looking for a bike to start enjoying. (i would like to state early I hate the ADV site, like web crack!)




lurker now having to post.

[jamajo]

At age 35.

After getting rid of 220 pounds of ugly fat (ex-husband), took MSF class, and got a 1987 TW.

It was the perfect time for me to start riding, although I didn't ride a ton until about four years ago.

I now have a newer TW, a scooter, a GS, a Softail and a Spyder. I love them all, but don't ride the Softail much.