I’m not sure whether it’s age related or years away from biking that qualifies being labelled as a Born Again but I’m in my mid 40’s and have been away from bikes since 2004. My bike history, well I’ve had plenty of the fast ones, 7x7rs, tl1000rs, R1’s etc A sports tourer, Honda 800vtec and a few supermotos, CCM and KTM’s but it’s been 12yrs since I slung a leg over a bike and now I’m getting that itch again.

I really (not really) need (no I don’t) a motorbike again and was wondering how those who have found themselves back on two wheels after such a lengthy ‘holiday’ have got on? Did you do a refresher course or just got on a bike and it all came back to you?

Again but I’m in my mid 40’s

The right age to become a GS’er then!

Not born again here – I’m 47 and have had bikes since I was 30.

I’d suggest some kind of refresher training, some police forces do a days ride out and classroom session. But it’ll all come flooding back as soon as you sit on a new bike!

I’ve got two at the moment.

Sensible:

Silly:

Fairly recently bought a VFR800 for £1400 after a couple of years off the bike. Felt sketchy for the first few rides, so took a free ‘advanced’ rider course (Like ridesafe) paid for by the lovely Welsh Government.

Loving it, although don’t get to ride that often.

Would love to justify spending more on a bike, but TBH for the amount of use, my current ££££’s/smile ratio is really good.

I’m 45 but only been riding for three years – no “born again” status for me!

Also, no beard, so can’t have a GS… 😛

Rachel

my daughter made me sit on a soft tail slim at a rock festival… queue CBT being booked. eeeek. Last weekend she asked when I was taking her to the Harley Dealership to have a look. So we went to the Harley then the Triumph dealer and we’re heading to the Victory dealer next weekend. Eeeeek.

Also, no beard, so can’t have a GS…

Easily solved..

I’d definitely do a refresher course, you’re almost guarantee to either learn something new, up your confidence level, or both

I did my IAM a couple of years after doing my test and it improved my riding no end

Fireblade owner here, though it’s not getting ridden much unfortunately – limited time, commute by bicycle

Come back to the orange and get a KTM 690 Duke 🙂

Not quite born again as I’ve been back on bikes for the last 4 years after a long break but about the same age as you. Had the sports bike’s before but always felt more at home on the big trail bikes, mainly Honda, before the become trendy.
Got the itch again and bought a KTM 990SM and it lived up to it’s reputation as a hooligan bike. I didn’t do any refreshers but took it easy to start with and built up from there. The wife recently showed an interest in getting back on bikes and changed the SM for an 1190 Adventure. Great bike, fast enough to worry sport bikes and comfy enough to ride all day. Looks a lot heavier and cumbersome than it is, only the panniers stop you going mental on it as it really does handle.
Only down side is the price of good protective clothing as I’d sold all mine when I gave it up before.

Any born again bikers on here? What you riding?

Surely Jesus wants you for a Sunbeam.

My mid life motorbike is now a Suzuki GSXS1000F
Went the sportsbike route for a year or two, dropped bars etc. and found that I wasn`t as agile as my younger days.
Can`t fault the Gixxus for what it is.

Yamaha MT07 – small light (think RD350lc with lots more horses and brakes that work) cheap as chips and wheelies like no ones business (i never said that)handles well enough for normal riders.

I have been dropping in and out of bikes for nearly 30 years. I dont have an issue getting used to them again, its just like riding a bike!
I have been buying slower ones though as time progresses, I dont feel the need to go teararsing around these days, so as you say, supermoto’s, buells etc.

I’ve been hankering after the old style SV650, but I do like the look of that MT-07. I have many happy memories of my 350LC. I might have to go and have a look at one. Just for research purposes you understand. And not research I’ll be sharing with the better half at the moment 😉

Don’t test ride MT07 – you will be writing a cheque. They weigh nothing it is a giant killing piece of madness that is effortless to ride

We rode at Dalbeattie on Sunday afternoon and as we were leaving a guy rode into the carpark on a Yamaha (which I thought was an MT, with the high pipes). We then drove home.

Can’t help thinking that this is too much of a coincidence…

http://www.itv.com/news/border/2016-08-08/motorcyclist-dies-on-a710-near-dumfries/

RIP

Don’t test ride MT07 – you will be writing a cheque. They weigh nothing it is a giant killing piece of madness that is effortless to ride

That’s my kind of test ride 😉

@br – I’m not sure that’s a bike issue 🙁

No, the coicidence was that it was the same type of bike we’d just seen.

Ooh you lot have some nice bikes. I quite fancied a street tracker style bike, something fun and a bit different. I won’t be doing Ewan McGregor epic journeys or looking to break speed records just something to blow the cobwebs away on days that allow me too. Here’s one example Custom

Womble,
The only issue is that bikes like that VERY rarely ride as well as they look. Mate of mine turned up on a CCM Flat tracker, lovely little thing based upon a DRZ400 engine and flat track frame/geometry…

However i’ve never ridden such a disjointed machine, it just felt so so wrong as <50mph… it was just awful.

Mine

The only issue is that bikes like that VERY rarely ride as well as they look

Yep.

tbh Anything naked is a pain once above 60/70 and covering any kind of distance, even just a bikini-type fairing makes a lot of difference.

And once older/wiser/faster you also quickly realise that even a ‘slow’ bike is actually far faster than pretty much anything (other than a fast bike) on the road.

Footflaps – re beard: I don’t think ginger is my colour, really…

Rachel

I hear ya. I guess I was being seduced by the looks and the image (the noise potential 8O) of a street brat/flat tracker. It’s funny though how my taste has changed as I get older. Growing up with pocket rockets, then road rockets, I had no interest in any other style of bike. I then went on a CCM demo day and fell in love with wide bar, torquey throbbers. The CCM was an unreliable pos and made way for a KTM which was the most fun I’d ever had on two wheels. Weeksy, I fear the Orange side is still whispering to me 😆