Who's our most senior rider?

Dellortoman

Dellortoman

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Location
Tasmania, Australia
Most of us Laverda owners/riders are old farts. Just look at all the white-haired old buggers in photos of Laverda gatherings.

This post by Vince in another thread got me wondering how long some of us have been risking our necks riding motorcycles on public roads.
Vince said:
MT 125 was my first bike, absolutely gutless. I had to get it delivered as I had only ridden minibikes with no clutch. Been all downhill since. That was 1973 I think.
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I beat you by a few years Vince. I got my first bike in June 1968. Was on "L" plates for a couple of weeks until I passed my test and got a real motorcycle licence. Got the bike written off by a dozy car driver who "didn't see me" a few weeks later in August 1968. I still have the scars.

Riding motorcycles on the road is a risky business. Dodging idiots in cars is the main hazard. We all have mates who didn't make it this far. I'm 72 and got my bike license as soon as I turned 17 (minimum age to get a licence) 55 years ago. I've had a few nasty crashes in that time, but I'm still here and not planning to hang my helmet up any time soon. There must be others who have been beating the odds for longer than that. Maybe Legs or Chris P would be candidates for the most "experienced" rider in Australia. I Dunno about our friends in other countries.
 
Think Chris P beat you by a couple of years and he still is bloody quick as well. I started riding late compared to younger riders who have Dads who raced. You regularly hear them say their first bikes happened just after nappies. I guess we are all heading back to riding in nappies as well. My first motorcycle ride happened at 11 or 12. A mate had a Honda Mini Trail we rode around his backyard, never got it past 2nd of its 3 gears. That was in the Blue Mountains and then we moved to very central Sydney and the next riding happened at The Sydney Show Ground where they held the biggest agricultural show in Oz. For the rest of the year, they had a shop that hired out Deltax Rock Hoppers. Mini bikes with lawn mower engines on the weekends, dozens of kids did that. All with no clutchs but by then I was HOOKED and bought that MT 125 2 stoke Honda FOO FOO bike at 16 and 9 months. Got my Ls on a bike immediately with lots of Parental Greif. Sold and Implyed as good as the legendary Elsinor, it was nowhere even close to that legendary bike. I spent the next year teaching myself to dirt on Dirt Tracks all over the North Beaches of Sydney where there was lots of bush back then. Surprisingly enough some is still there. I did a ride a few years back with a mate at Red Hill near Narrabeen Fitness Camp, it was the same nightmare of 400mm rock steps as it was 40 years back, and just as illegal. Over the years I have probably ridden every Dirt spot around back then. Terry Hills Brick Pits, Cronulla Sand Hills, Menai near the Nuclear Reactor, all over Wisemans Ferry and The Blue Mountains, Nowra, Buladea, did I mention we did a lot of Dirt Biking back then? Most of these places are now Housing Estates or banned to riding. A few are still used.
 
Got my first registered bike in 1970, an 80cc Yamaha thingy whilst serving in the Royal Navy. But started riding a motorised bike way before that, a VeloSolex in Switzerland around 1965; same registration as a pushbike, 11 Francs a year which gave you a little reflective plate with a registration number stamped into it and the initials of the Canton, in my case VD for Vaud.
The Swiss were way ahead of Australia when comes to common sense concerning vehicle registration.
 
Well...I don't know how it was in 1965 as I was born in 1966 but I can assure you things have dramatically changed here in Switzerland regarding common sense in vehicle registration.
Legs said:
Got my first registered bike in 1970, an 80cc Yamaha thingy whilst serving in the Royal Navy. But started riding a motorised bike way before that, a VeloSolex in Switzerland around 1965; same registration as a pushbike, 11 Francs a year which gave you a little reflective plate with a registration number stamped into it and the initials of the Canton, in my case VD for Vaud.
The Swiss were way ahead of Australia when comes to common sense concerning vehicle registration.
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I've been riding motorcycles since '64, starting with a Villiers engined Excelsior, mostly around the farm, though I do have a conviction, from '68, showing some riding on the road.
 
Started riding legally 1963, 60 years on the road almost daily and still enjoying riding. 43 of those on Laverda's.
76 yrs old and still riding to work, gotta pay for all the bikes.
Started riding on a BSA C 10, bloody thing, solid rear end and girder forks. then progressed to a James Sports Captain no less.
Vellocettes for 25 or so years and then onto Lav's pus a few others in the mix.
 
Riding illegally on Puch moped and scooter from the family pool of bikes from 1967. First bike owned 100 Yamaha in '68 - licence at the same time.
Started racing 1969. Still around that crowd today. Only bikes owned now are two racebikes. Non Laverda.
 
So what is the actual age of the most senior rider? Not total time on type, but age. At what point do you hang it up? When do you switch to a different bike? When does a triple become too much to muscle around, I know my RGS is getting to be borderline around the garage or the parking lot? Especially with a full tank. It’s fine once rolling with the feet on the pegs, but I worry about it tilting and not being strong enough to correct it.
 
It's pretty easy to adjust some bits for aging riders. The side stand helps a hell of a lot, Higher bars and lower pegs, softer suspension, and lighter clutch pull. Not a lot you can do about the total bike weight or distribution of that bike weight. What worries me is my eyesight, that's why I do exactly what the experts recommend. Just keep at it for as long as you can,as it's a one-way trip.
 
chrisk said:
Fell off my wheelie walker today.

While on the floor, I found my glasses I lost last week, put them on and then I found the viagra pill I dropped twelve months ago.

Praise the lord, up I went.
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And now that think of it, my age was put in its place a few weeks ago. I was visiting a friend, his wife had one of her work friends there.

Early 30’s, good looker, Rachael's tits, great personality… when she said she really liked me …… and then asked if I had any single sons 😭
 
chrisk said:
And now that think of it, my age was put in its place a few weeks ago. I was visiting a friend, his wife had one of her work friends there.

Early 30’s, good looker, Rachael's tits, great personality… when she said she really liked me …… and then asked if I had any single sons 😭
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You obviously didn't tell her you found that viagra pill...................
 
Seventy-four now, realised a couple of years ago that the RGS was starting to be a bit too much weight wise. Bought myself a Ducati Monster 695, nice and light and got all the zip I need around the Adelaide Hills.
 
wel I am 71 and so are a lot of others on here, we did have the two johns in UK, John finnegan still riding at at 82 on his owned for many years 750 SF, and The Old Duffer (John Phillipp, 2 "L's" and 3 "P's" no "S's") on his 1200 Anni, who would have everyone believe that he was 87 but at his death he was 82. I suppose they dont count because they are both gone, but still of interest
CLEM
 
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