When my legs get too weak to hold up my bike...

We all every one of us have this in common... GETTING OLD.
Sure we're good to go now but what happens "When my legs get too weak to hold up my bike?".
I guess if I still have the juice to do it I'll get myself a side hack rig.
I'll get the most powerful bike made - no brand loyalty at this point. IF Triumph is still producing the Rocket 3, I'm in. The dam thing has a small car engine in it. I'll buy every weather proofing gadget they make and the best riding suits I can find. I'll get an enclosed side car and keep my gear in that. I'm going everywhere I can find gas and that sucker will fit between. I'll make sure I get one loop in before it gets too late - the whole lower 48 from where ever I"m at all the way around at least once. I can also pull a camp trailer with that bike. Don't like the weather? Just put up the camper and take the day off... I think that's called a gypsy but I'm not sure. I get such a proud feeling when I go someplace far away on my machine. I'm self sufficient - the tool box and spare parts my only life line.

I met a guy at the bar last night an older gent named Kent. Nice guy, retired teacher, soft spoken easy going. He was hunched over slightly - maybe age, maybe life just beating him down.... I promised myself - I'd do my best to never be that guy. And not for any particular reason, he just looked so lonely, he never rode. While I was recovering form my back injury I had to take years off - the bike just sat in the garage under a cover. I couldn't look at it without feeling shame. I was as low as I've ever been. Life was a drudge of work and sleep.

What ever doesn't kill us makes us stronger - my pop used to tell me. Living through those years was hell on earth for me. I wasn't living - I was existing - I was surviving... My back never got better I just manned up to the pain. To this day I still get to the point that I might take me a while to get off my bike once I stop. My right foot has been numb for years - it's never coming back - i understand that now. I just forget about it.

I find people that ride see life differently - we're adventurers in our own right. Its safer in a car. But life isn't safe, look at any nature channel and eventually you are going to see something get eaten. Life is the journey taken - the memories you make at the risk of making them. Those moments transform people into riders and only another rider can understand and feel those emotions. Once that transformation happens that person can never go back to the way they were... it's in our blood, in our DNA, we're mutated adrenaline junkies.

I will not go softly - I'm going out full throttle - popping caps - living large and fast.
So when my legs get too weak - you'll see me and my rig - flags a flappin in the wind - big bug ridden smile on my face - I'm a rider can't deny it.

At least that's the plan - I can only hope I'm smart enough to implement it in a timely fashion... Pretty much near the top on the "bucket list".

So I was wondering given my example - what's your plan when your legs get too weak?

first I would try a bigger fuel tank for less stops, after that as it got worse maybe inflight fueling it works for miltary aircraft. after that maybe just give it up or possibly a sidehack never a 3 wheeler. I try to do everything I can think of on a bike so I won't have any I wish I would of.
Deerslayer

I hear ya RK. I seen the slow and traumatic demise of my father and his friends who refused to relinquish 2 wheels in a timely manner, it was never good. Never living far into there hard earned retirement. Consequently I think about that too. While thus far my legs,hips etc are no problem, other important 2 wheeled survivall skills are diminishing ever so noticeably. Things like hand/eye coordination, read and react, perefery vision to name a few. On the plus side the 40 years or so of riding serves me well and is actually a difference maker. I automatically can gauge the flow of a traffic scenario. Also and always when first embarking on a trip I still fight the psychological paranoia of it all(high speed flat tire, high speed cut off etc). It goes away pretty quickly. Each day on the road does start that way initially.

If I am fortunate enough to have lived long enough to get to a point, I'll hopefully hang up the touring and the big touring bikes for smaller rigs like a fat boy low and yes, even a Sportster. They sure are making pretty nice looking Sporties and just ride around locally.

For touring I would get a sidecar, and for around town I would have a light oldskool chopper. I'm sure at some point it will be over and I'll have to give it up. If that day should come, I will be proud to have made it that far in life.

Everything changes, nothing stays the same.

In theory, a sidecar seems like the way to go. Everybody thinks a S/C is easier and no big deal to drive. In practice not so much. I had a Ultra w/ sidecar from 2007 to 2012. Its a fight and it takes forever to get use to. A sidecar bike is a total 180 degrees from 2 wheels. Its scary,hairy and death around every corner,lol. I've been in situations too many times while riding the S/C bike that I should have crashed. Little kids and fools and I'm over 18.

The HD sidecars, at least, floats nicely and the passenger is in total comfort from jarring bumps and other ride disruptive elements. The driver of the bike is and until he gets used to it (if you ever do) is freaking out by how the tub interacts with the bike and causes the bike to do things you never thought possible or normal, none of them good. Why? The tub is hard wired to the frame with the minimum of give, so the tub, particularly in turns, is trying to force the bike itself to track in the direction the tub is pointing and not the turn itself. Straight aways on good roads its awsome. Especially hairy on high speed banked interstate roads. All banked interstate roads aren't always banked like you think they should be but on 2 wheels you don't notice it. On a S/C bike you get played on a funky banked high speed interstate road.

No friends the S/C bike is not the dream bike alternative. I'm thinking the the 3 wheeler may be the way to go over the S/C bike. I've never ridden a 3 wheeler so I cannot compare. I'm just hypotheticating the comparrison thinking the side car has to be worse of the 2.

If your legs/hips are weak chances are your upper body strengths not gonna be there either. The S/C bike is a total interactive deal for the driver of the bike. Bull dogging it and muscling it by leaning to go your way in turns.

I got rid of mine because I didn't want to be guilty of dangling my grand children in harms way (and the reason I got the S/C bike in the first place), God forbid anything ever happened. Your riding senses have to be even more keen and dialed in on a S/C bike as does your physicality in my experience.

Thanks for that input, cause I didn't know that. I thought just the opposite - but now that you explained it - it makes sense.

My system is weak these days - New Years resolution- loose some weight... first thing I did was get rid of the lame GF... but my pants are still too tight- bu dum bump! So I'm dieting and started training on my bicycle again - took the last 6 months off. I'm over doing it as always - did a 24 mile high intensity ride Friday night - got dehydrated - felt sick when I got home but kept drinking - I thought I got it squared away... Saturday morning I get a call to ride with some friends - I'm stoked but still not feeling 100%... Long story short- towards the end of the day -yesterday was really warm- I was getting woozy as I went to park and for the first time since I got the bike I dropped it on its side. I don't know what hurt more - my pride or my skinned knee... MY PRIDE...
As I sat there on my ass in the parking lot the back tire spinning and burning a hole in the black top I was disoriented and dizzy my strength was sapped... I got the bike back up and on the kickstand. I felt like shi!... and embarrassed - it only happened in front of about 100 people.

I went over to my buds - no one saw but I knew...

Maybe I'm getting closer than I think - I know I was just fatigued but it made me think the whole way home. It was a real smash to my confidence and I was shaken.

I just went out for a quick ride and I'm back today but yesterday might just have been a view into a time that is coming no matter what I do.

I guess I better get my training wheels out of storage.

RK, you are too young an healthy to think the end of your riding days is near. The guy that purchased my Heritage was 68 and I bet he has another 30 years in him. As far as your drop, shit happens. Don't let it get to you. Last year about 4 AM on my way to work I stopped at a gas station. When I went to leave I dropped it... and it wasn't even in gear. It happens for whatever reason... sick, dehydrated, or just not focused. Don't let it shake your confidence.

I understand about wanting to drop weight and get in shape. I am in the same boat. I am right on the verge of getting started

I have never rode a bike with a sidecar, but I always thought they would be tough. I know a couple of trikers and they love them. A trike would probably be the best alternative. Unless something happens, I always plan to have a bike or trike.

RK, When you first start out training you take it slow...and hydrate hydrate hydrate. I'm sorry you dropped your bike...been there done that a few times. It sounds like a simple matter of you over doing it,got degydrated and didn't get fully hydrated before you went out and about. Bike okay?

Thanks KS,

Yeah - now a couple days have passed and I'm back to 100% - but I got heat stroke Saturday - I know - Heatstroke in January... I had on older rider come up to me right after I dropped it - He said - nobody is perfect....

You're right shit happens. Confidence is back - my mindset must have needed a reboot - does make one think though...