First motorbike @ 56 YES/NO

[Landsurfer]

Do it !! get on the Bike and go off on adventures ..... but don't give up cycling at 56, i've fractured my spine twice and live with the resultant pain quite well ..... i find cycling helps .... But get your CBT ... get a motor bike and add to your life experience.

Mine ....

 

[ClichéGuevara]

I've a good friend who I trust implicitly. He owns a very large Triumph motorcycle. Occassionaly he'd ask me to ride pillion, which I did. I don't anymore as it scares the living daylights out of me.

I'm 65, I wouldn't buy or ride a motorcycle. When I need it I will buy an e-bike.

Quite a few friends and family have motorbikes, some are keen amateurs, others are professionals in a variety of ways, including instructors and track racers. You can really tell the difference as a pillion. The amateurs feel faster, but the pro's will definitely get along the same route in far less time and leave the passenger feeling far more relaxed.

 

[screenman]

Go for it.

 

[kingrollo]

If I wanted a Jaguar then I wouldn't buy one of these, and an AJS (Not an AJS at all) is the scooter equivalent.

View attachment 505496

Still not understanding....The AJS is vespa clone and of the in production scooters it comes with the lower seat height.
I haven't the time or inclination to own and maintain a 30 year old vespa - and want auto - not geared - so all roads lead to the AJS.
Sure it's not a bona fide Vespa - apart from that I don't see a down side.

 

[Landsurfer]

There are loads of Chinese Vespa clones ... they all have one thing in common .... their good ! ... 20 factories making 20 models with 20 names ... but they are all the same bike .... and for the money good value ...
My sister has been poring over piles of magazines looking for an affordable dealer supported UK version and has come up trumps ...
Looks like a Vespa ..
Sounds like a Vespa ...
But ...
Doesn't break down like a Vespa as it uses a generic 125 auto driveline ... used in millions of "twist and go" scooters.

 

[Landsurfer]

Quite a few friends and family have motorbikes, some are keen amateurs, others are professionals in a variety of ways, including instructors and track racers. You can really tell the difference as a pillion. The amateurs feel faster, but the pro's will definitely get along the same route in far less time and leave the passenger feeling far more relaxed.

Over the years my wife has, on many occasions, fallen asleep as a pillion.
When i tap the brakes at roundabouts there is a clash of helmets and she wakes up ... checks out where we are ............. and goes back to sleep !!!!!
She's not the only one ...
On a trip to Olivers Mount a few years ago we had the sight of me and Graham riding along the A64 with both our wives asleep on the pillions .... Third party evidence was provided by Paul on his 1127 Suzuki / helmet cam ......

 

[vickster]

Get one if you want, just don't ride it like a cOck like 90%+ of bikers and scooterists around here.

Maybe go have a couple of lessons to see if it's for you, just be aware that it's more dangerous than cycling!

 

[kingrollo]

There are loads of Chinese Vespa clones ... they all have one thing in common .... their good ! ... 20 factories making 20 models with 20 names ... but they are all the same bike .... and for the money good value ...
My sister has been poring over piles of magazines looking for an affordable dealer supported UK version and has come up trumps ...
Looks like a Vespa ..
Sounds like a Vespa ...
But ...
Doesn't break down like a Vespa as it uses a generic 125 auto driveline ... used in millions of "twist and go" scooters.

Wot did she go for ? - lexmotto do one and the used prices seem much lower than used AJS - seems quite a few dealers in the midlands

 

[Landsurfer]

Wot did she go for ? - lexmotto do one and the used prices seem much lower than used AJS - seems quite a few dealers in the midlands

Lexmoto .... uses it for the 12 mile commute to work and sunny days at the weekend to visit friends

 

[Landsurfer]

Get one if you want, just don't ride it like a cOck like 90%+ of bikers and scooterists around here.

Maybe go have a couple of lessons to see if it's for you, just be aware that it's more dangerous than cycling!

But Cycling isn't dangerous .... so how can motorcycling be "more" dangerous ??

 

[vickster]

But Cycling isn't dangerous .... so how can motorcycling be "more" dangerous ??

It can be. I do seem to recall @kingrollo having some concerns about some of the driving on the roads when cycling, at higher speeds on a motorbike, those risks presumably increase. I'm sure riding like a c0ck doesn't help

You cite a broken spine...motorbike accident?

 

[Landsurfer]

It can be. I do seem to recall @kingrollo having some concerns about some of the driving on the roads when cycling, at higher speeds on a motorbike, those risks presumably increase. I'm sure riding like a c0ck doesn't help

You cite a broken spine...motorbike accident?

Car bomb in Belfast .. My patrol was taken out by a car bomb just off the Falls Road, Boss was killed, i spent 3 months in hospital ... recovered ..then went off to the Falklands .. lucky me ..lol ....
2nd time .. Mountaineering accident ... while a member of a military Mountain Rescue Team ... how embarrassing ..

 

[MarkF]

Still not understanding....The AJS is vespa clone and of the in production scooters it comes with the lower seat height.
I haven't the time or inclination to own and maintain a 30 year old vespa - and want auto - not geared - so all roads lead to the AJS.
Sure it's not a bona fide Vespa - apart from that I don't see a down side.

There is not much more reliable than an old Vespa like mine, the engine has 3 moving parts I think.

The Lexmoto/Ajs/Thing is an Italian pastiche, it's a very, very cheap, poor quality scooter but with a decent engine to be fair, you can buy a nearly new one with less than 1k miles for about £1k....which says a lot.

Want auto, fine, Vespa for the image or Honda PCX (or Jap/Italian similar) if I wasn't bothered. No road would lead me to an Ajs/Lexmoto.

 

[Landsurfer]

There is not much more reliable than an old Vespa like mine, the engine has 3 moving parts I think.

No doubt why the motorways and roads around the UK are littered with broken down ones every bank holiday weekend ...

However your quite right the ENGINE has 3 moving parts ... the transmission has 400 .....

 

[bigjim]

I ride a Honda VFR 800. It's a beautiful machine and a joy to ride. But to be honest it's way too powerful, IMO for the UK. It's so smooth the speed creeps up on you. I don't use it enough these days. It's definitely a license loser. I do feel a lot safer on a M/C than the bike. Traffic tends to keep well away from you and they don't overtake. I'd buy a scooter in your position. Preferably Honda SH330i. Quality machine that is very capable even on the motorway. They do a smaller version but not really worth it if you intend to do motorway stuff. The mechanic I use says he does really well repairing Chinese scooters. Rarely works on the Japanese stuff. Only replaced a regulator and an exhaust on my Honda in 16 years.
I was doing a fixed base tour a couple of years ago in France. It was 30+ degrees every day. At breakfast there was always a couple of motorcyclists there. I was really jealous watching them ride effortlessly away whilst I had a day of tough hill climbing in that heat to look forward to.
Re age. In my early 50s [71 now] I used to work as a motorcycle courier in Manchester between my professional contracts. You learn how to ride well very quickly. There used to be a saying. "If 3 couriers were sat round a table having a pint and one of the glasses fell off the table, it would never hit the ground."