Funny article on being "Old School"

[GSXR7ED]

I'm not there yet

I have had people come up to me as I'm getting off the Bandit and tell me I'm too old to be riding one of those things.

You, too?



I have not had that for some time, probably because the bike has had a trunk and soft saddle bags for a few years, and gives a different image.



Also, mine is not black, grey, or forest green, and while I do have a Mustang, it is also none of those, so I am probably disqualified.

Wow...I've not been told that...but what matter does it make?


Ed

[argonsagas]

Wow...I've not been told that...but what matter does it make?


Ed

It really does not matter at all. The last one that asked me did so from about a hundred feet away. He was a postman and paused during delivery to ask if the bike was really mine. He was impressed that I was still riding a motorcycle, but thought the Bandit was way too much for me.


I sort of became accustomed to such comments many years ago when I rode a Moto Guzzi with full bags and windshield and people frequently said they thought the bike was much too big for me to ever pick up if it fell.

The Guzzi had a low centre of gravity and was actually much easier to pick up than either a Bandit or GS.



and i did have to pick it up a few times, usually because the bike had such excellent balance that i sometimes got off it and walked away, forgetting to put down the sidestand.

[GSXR7ED]

It really does not matter at all. The last one that asked me did so from about a hundred feet away. He was a postman and paused during delivery to ask if the bike was really mine. He was impressed that I was still riding a motorcycle, but thought the Bandit was way too much for me.


I sort of became accustomed to such comments many years ago when I rode a Moto Guzzi with full bags and windshield and people frequently said they thought the bike was much too big for me to ever pick up if it fell.

The Guzzi had a low centre of gravity and was actually much easier to pick up than either a Bandit or GS.



and i did have to pick it up a few times, usually because the bike had such excellent balance that i sometimes got off it and walked away, forgetting to put down the sidestand.

As I get older, I'm starting to see more people are determined to impress their opinion on me as if I didn't have a thought process about it. I've trained myself to ignore comments that are basically knee-jerk reactions but sometimes it's not easy.

Case in point, yestreday...I prepared a FEDEX shipment for a piece of test equipment going back for Calibration...the sucker weighed 116! Anyway, the Packing & Cracking civilian came over and said, "that's not gonna fit" meaning the 4-wheel cart was already full. Then he mumbled under his breath, "why don't you take it back and bring it tomorrow?"

He then said, "why don't you have the FEDEX guy pick it up from your location?" All the while, I have this heavy piece on a two-wheel dolly pleading with him, "where can I put this?"

When he said to take it back, instead of getting mad I said, "are you really gonna make me take this back because there's no room?" After I said that, he directed me to an empty cart and helped me with this "two-man lift" piece of equipment.

Sorry I drifted off topic but sometimes I wonder why people are so easily ready to push work away. The facility is the pick-up location for FEDEX/UPS so I don't understand why he didn't want to INITIALLY help me. Rant over...


Ed

[mrbill5491]

You're right Bill! That jacket was a good shield from the wind...as were the chaps.

I wore the jacket only for my only ride in LA before my clutch cable broke. I felt bad-a$$ in this vintage jacket. Thanks Bro!


Ed

Anytime friend.

[JustRide]

Yep that part got me a little too. Hard to think you could agree with all of it though. RG500 eh? Very cool.

I too agree. I will have a sportbike until I just cant ride it anymore. Its just what I like. Besides once you put the helmet on your age doesn't matter.

[spartan300]

haha Im saving that one!