This is fucking winning right here. I’ve always said age is just a number. You don’t need a 40” vertical or a 4.4sec 40 to race motorcycles. We all know about how fast Rossi is at his age, and how Biaggi won WSBK titles over 40. But closer to home, Batey was only a few months away from being 50 when he was running 6th-7th in an AMA SB race at Road Atlanta (and unfortunately crashed). Some people will remember Mark Sheldon, former Southern Director of STT. He was well up there in age, and was still capable of running a pace fast enough to Podium or win any 600cc Expert race in the SE. Ever watched the WERA Senior SBK races? Many of those guys are the same guys running up front in the regular races. As long as someone is fit and healthy, the age is irrelevant. I’ve known of several people who were away from racing for 5-10 years, and came back to be very competitive, if not just as competitive as they were when they stopped.
As one ages, certain physiological changes do happen. - Reaction time gets longer - Fast twitch muscles don't react as fast - Peripheral vision decreases - Mental processing time lengthens - Bones are less flexible, and will break under stress easier - Healing takes longer - Stamina decreases While many of these things can be held off or minimized by proper nutrition, stretching, exercise, and training, they cannot be stopped. While I might be able to become as fast as I once was, I certainly do not have the same potential for improvement that I had 10 or 20 years ago. But this time its purely for love of riding and for fun.
I don't know about the others that you guys are talking about, but, I didn't leave the track for being out of shape, or scared. However, starting a family and a small business within an 18 month period, leaves little time to go on 2,3,and 4 day racing excursions, a couple of times a month. I can, however, leave the house at 8:00 am on a Saturday, go race for 90 minutes straight, and be home for dinner. Don't even get me started on the 3 hour Ironman we ended the year with last year.
I read these threads and wonder if I’m smart doing track days w a son at home or if I’m crazy. I don’t race and wear the Best safety equipment I can buy, race cars for a while and felt being in an open cockpit car could be a little crazy as well. Yeah I know I can walk out and get hit by a bus , I guess I love motorsports so much and sometimes I feel I am being selfish or immature doing a hobby I love.
Do what makes you happy. If you’re happy with riding ... ride. I stopped, and have now switched that over to fishing. Convinced my wife it was safer, and she’s supportive of it and feels better while still getting me out of the house to unwind a bit. That makes me happy. But then she sees pics and hears stories of some of the stupid shit I’ve done to try and get a fish, and she’s commented I may be better off on a bike. It’s all a trade-off.
I understand and she says to do what I like but hints at her really not liking the bike. idk I have some thinking to do either ride track days or race cars but I am doing something.
I'm fortunate enough to have had the opportunity to buy one of my dream bikes brand new and have managed to hold on to it all these years. Not many miles put on it now, but I'd never get rid of it. I do get it.
Well, I haven't picked up a CBR900RR yet but I did just buy the exact same helmet I wore back in the day. Brand new too! It's a start at least, now if I could only fit in my old Joe Rocket leathers. (still have them btw) https://www.ebay.com/itm/Shoei-RF70...D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557
Check the build date on it. It doesn’t matter if it is new, if it doesn’t have the build date clearly marked, or if it is out of date, it won’t pass Tech and you can’t race with it.
Track days are just as dangerous as racing. I wear the best gear as well and it almost didn’t matter a couple years ago when I got taken out. I made a small mistake but it just so happened to be at the absolute worst time and the other guy couldn’t avoid me, neither could the second guy that probably saved my bacon. My daughter was 2 weeks old when this happened. Now two years later I’m having my brain scanned (we know it’s there but gotta see if it’s working) and it’s the first time in a while I’m not scratching my skin off waiting for the season to start. I’ll race this year but I’m taking it much less serious and doing a weekend when I feel like it. We all know what can happen. I can’t stop being me but my choices of what me does and my priorities have changed. It’s not just because of my kids but my own quality of life. If I can’t remember the number to get hookers and blow well than what the hell kinda life is that Do what you love and follow your dreams. You get one life and living it in a bubble is stupid.
My wife didn't really want me to get back into motorcycle road racing. She knows I push hard and crashed often before, without the good training available today. I have a lot riding on me with my own business and loans for the business and buildings. However, just last night she asked me when I'm going to go race my gokart. She said you need to go have some fun with it. I just need to get caught up at work and moved into the new building before I can do that.
Like the both of you I have a wife and kid, my wife would rather me not Be on a bike to the point she told me to sell it and we can get another race car. Racing cars is my true passion but it was getting expensive. She rather pay the racing bills than medical bills. Not that car racing is totally safe but she feels it’s safer.
Oh, this helmet will never see a track. Will be purely a shelf queen. (reminder of the good ol' days)
