Old dogs, new tricks and bikes

bcubed · 10-26-2007, 11:06 PM

Here's the deal: I've started to get into touring and thought it'd be a great way to get closer to dad. He's not a motorcycle rider, but loves traveling (the bicycling tour of Tuscany he took last year sounds real fun to me.) Something like a camping trip through Skyline Drive for a long weekend.

The problem is that he's 68. I don't want to overwhelm him and scare him off of riding. I suspect he can learn to handle the bike, but it's been a while since he's dealt with a stick shift and I think it'd be easier for him to learn one thing at a time.

The only auto bike I've heard of was a scooter I rented in Mexico. Now I know they make scooters these days with plenty of guts for back-road riding, but is there something that looks like a motorcycle with auto?

TFee3 · 10-27-2007, 06:32 AM

I'm not sure about a scooter with an automatic transmission, but I'm age 67 and just got back into biking after 20 years. Don't sell your dad short. I'm sure he will learn to ride a shift type motorcycle quite easily. If he's that old, his first car was probably a stick shift. Suzuki sells a scooter for about $8,600 that's REALLY nice. BUT, there's a problem. If you've never ridden one, you'll be surprised. Having your feet in front of you rather than around the bike is a whole new ball game. You just don't have the same control you do when your legs are around the bike, and to me, it feels REALLY unsafe. I'm sure those who have them will disagree, because it's what you get used to riding. I just think that if you ride a motorcycle, your dad will feel more comfortable riding one, too.

A suggestion, teach him to ride yours before he goes off and buys one. My son and I rode together for years, and we had a ball! He was just diagnosed with MS and doesn't ride anymore. I really miss it. I got back into biking at my age, because in a few years, I know something will catch up with me, and I'll not be able to ride anymore. You might suggest nicely that time waits for nobody, and if he doesn't do it now, it might be too late sooner than he thinks. Friends ask me why I bought a new bike at my age. I tell them there is only one thing that makes a person feel freer, and that's a horse on an open prairie. I don't have a horse, and I don't live by a prairie, so I bought a new motorcycle. Just that simple.

By the way, I love to ride so much that my wife accuses me of trying to find a way of sleeping with my bike instead of her. Hmmmm, I'm working on it!

CB750F · 10-27-2007, 10:27 PM

Look for an older Honda A bike (400A, 450A, 750A) for the cheap route on a automatic bike. They have high and low, no clutch. There are a few automatic bikes out there Ridley comes to mind and a few imports are out there.

rocksolid · 10-27-2007, 11:17 PM

Dad will do fine with the gears. It's something that comes back quickly. I recommend the MSF course so that he can make his mistakes with a pro to correct any problems, and learn on a 250 that he doesn't have to worry about fixing. (And they are great fun too.) I started riding again after years of not riding and it came back quickly. My bike for getting back to riding is a VT750C. It worked out fine. I never had so much fun, and I appreciate the freedom more than in my younger years of "Hot Rodding". I just bought a VT1100c2 Sabre.

Rocksolid

YamahaFan · 10-31-2007, 11:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TFee3

Having your feet in front of you rather than around the bike is a whole new ball game.

lol funny you said that.

YF

TFee3 · 10-31-2007, 01:01 PM

YF - I had to think about that for a while, but now I get it!

I never thought about it when I wrote it! Now, I'm laughing, too!

10-31-2007, 01:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CB750F

Look for an older Honda A bike (400A, 450A, 750A) for the cheap route on a automatic bike. They have high and low, no clutch. There are a few automatic bikes out there Ridley comes to mind and a few imports are out there.

http://www.ridleymotorcycle.com/

10-26-2007, 11:06 PM	#1
bcubed Verified Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 25	Old dogs, new tricks and bikes Here's the deal: I've started to get into touring and thought it'd be a great way to get closer to dad. He's not a motorcycle rider, but loves traveling (the bicycling tour of Tuscany he took last year sounds real fun to me.) Something like a camping trip through Skyline Drive for a long weekend. The problem is that he's 68. I don't want to overwhelm him and scare him off of riding. I suspect he can learn to handle the bike, but it's been a while since he's dealt with a stick shift and I think it'd be easier for him to learn one thing at a time. The only auto bike I've heard of was a scooter I rented in Mexico. Now I know they make scooters these days with plenty of guts for back-road riding, but is there something that looks like a motorcycle with auto?

10-27-2007, 10:27 PM	#3
CB750F Shantytown Mayor Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: Huntingdon Co, PA Posts: 4,721	Look for an older Honda A bike (400A, 450A, 750A) for the cheap route on a automatic bike. They have high and low, no clutch. There are a few automatic bikes out there Ridley comes to mind and a few imports are out there. __________________ 07 Ninja 500 98 ZX6E

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10-27-2007, 06:32 AM	#2
TFee3 Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Gravois Mills MO Posts: 1,890	I'm not sure about a scooter with an automatic transmission, but I'm age 67 and just got back into biking after 20 years. Don't sell your dad short. I'm sure he will learn to ride a shift type motorcycle quite easily. If he's that old, his first car was probably a stick shift. Suzuki sells a scooter for about $8,600 that's REALLY nice. BUT, there's a problem. If you've never ridden one, you'll be surprised. Having your feet in front of you rather than around the bike is a whole new ball game. You just don't have the same control you do when your legs are around the bike, and to me, it feels REALLY unsafe. I'm sure those who have them will disagree, because it's what you get used to riding. I just think that if you ride a motorcycle, your dad will feel more comfortable riding one, too. A suggestion, teach him to ride yours before he goes off and buys one. My son and I rode together for years, and we had a ball! He was just diagnosed with MS and doesn't ride anymore. I really miss it. I got back into biking at my age, because in a few years, I know something will catch up with me, and I'll not be able to ride anymore. You might suggest nicely that time waits for nobody, and if he doesn't do it now, it might be too late sooner than he thinks. Friends ask me why I bought a new bike at my age. I tell them there is only one thing that makes a person feel freer, and that's a horse on an open prairie. I don't have a horse, and I don't live by a prairie, so I bought a new motorcycle. Just that simple. By the way, I love to ride so much that my wife accuses me of trying to find a way of sleeping with my bike instead of her. Hmmmm, I'm working on it!

10-27-2007, 11:17 PM	#4
rocksolid Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Pittsburgh, Pa. Posts: 922	Dad will do fine with the gears. It's something that comes back quickly. I recommend the MSF course so that he can make his mistakes with a pro to correct any problems, and learn on a 250 that he doesn't have to worry about fixing. (And they are great fun too.) I started riding again after years of not riding and it came back quickly. My bike for getting back to riding is a VT750C. It worked out fine. I never had so much fun, and I appreciate the freedom more than in my younger years of "Hot Rodding". I just bought a VT1100c2 Sabre. Rocksolid

10-31-2007, 01:01 PM	#6
TFee3 Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Gravois Mills MO Posts: 1,890	YF - I had to think about that for a while, but now I get it! I never thought about it when I wrote it! Now, I'm laughing, too!