Returning to riding

Hi all,

Returning to biking after a 10 year or so lay-off. Last bike was a late 90's ZX6R. Loved that bike. Took it everywhere. Sold it because an opportunity to buy my dream car came up (ahh to be young and stupid and full of cash). Marriage came, car disappeared.

So now I have a shiny new Street Triple headed my way in a couple of weeks. Still in my 30's so it's definitely not a mid-life crisis. But I ain't getting any younger and let's just say that helmet hair is a thing of the past!

What's the best refresher course to take to brush up on some assuredly rusty skills?


Cheers,

Bandra

 

Welcome

i hear this course is pretty good for returning to riding:
http://www.stayupright.com.au/masters-course

 

Thanks Aidan,

I really hope that late 30's ain't "middle aged" these days. But that course looks just the ticket. Nice one!

 

G'day Bandra and welcome to CR.

Enjoy the ride



PS. It is not a mid life crisis, rather a "Mature Decision"

 

Better believe it, average Australian male life expectancy is 79, divide by 2 and you end up with 39.5 years old, which is the middle of life. Welcome near middle age man (I'm guessing you are male).

 

:wave

 

welcome to CR

 

Welcome.

Can't be middle age if life begins at 40.

 

May have been a few years ago - average male life expectancy is now about 82 and females 84.

50 - its the new 30.

 

I did that course in March, when I got a bike after 25 years out of the saddle. Highly recommend it.

 

Welcome aboard and back to riding!

Mmm nice new triple eh? Very nice choice! What colour did you go with?

 

Hey welcome to Cr and back to bikes, nice choice on a triple!

 

Thanks to all! That's a pretty great reception.

I was hell-bent on white after seeing what others did with the 2012 model white (blacked out radiator cowls, white belly pan. Heaven on a stick!). The 2013 model I don't think quite does as well in white (the red nike swish on the R model, in particular, is tacky). The graphite looks rubbish in photos, but in the flesh it's really amazing. I'd *almost* changed my mind. I still went with the white, just cos.

Now to find a way to black-out the red on the R model. The thing about the triple is how under-stated it is. The engine punches well above its weight. And the handling, by all accounts, has no business being that great on a naked bike. So it's kind of a shame that the 2013 model has the red highlights to jump up and down and scream "look at me!". Maybe some black Plastidip is the answer. Anybody used it before?

 

Thanks, Riicho.

That's what I'm telling the Mrs. I'm not sure she's buying it, though. At this point I'd say she's humouring me.

 

Bugger. So 39.5 is the new 50's.

Wait, I think I see a conundrum:

Risky hobbies -> lower (average) life expectancy -> hit mid-life crisis sooner (in our 30s!) -> more risky hobbies -> ...

 

Thanks Don, 00snoopy and Pam.

 

Yeah, I'm buying this much better than that 39.5 figure.

 

So when you jumped back on the bike, was it... oh man can't believe I'm going to say this... just like riding the proverbial bike? How did you fare? Did you book the course the day you got the bike, or did you give it some time for the old skills to come back and then book the course? What would you recommend?

 

Thanks Rhi.

There's a thread on the triumph675 forum about the silly things people say when they encounter the triple for the first time (so it's, like, half of a V6!). It seems many people can't fathom the concept of a 3-cylinder engine. I think that's what sold me on the triple. It's a nice bike and all, but you can almost imagine when the original designers (back in the 1940's?) sat down and thought: You know what? 4 cylinders are too revy. 2 cylinders are too torquey. Sooo.... (trying not to look each other on the eye)... 3 then?