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I would suggest trying out the track before making any decisions. It's a totally different animal from street riding, with different goals and priorities.

I quit riding, sold my bike for almost a year. Probably the most miserable year of my life. I had other hobbies but nothing was like riding. I also found out that riding for the adrenaline rush was a toxic way of riding for me. I now ride for stress relief, travel to see new things, and of course meeting great people. I still like the adrenaline rush every now and then, but in moderation so it doesn't get out of control. I think everyone hits that rut of not riding, it's how you cope with it and move forward.

Most of you know I'm one of the old guys here. Less than a month away from 67and riding since I was 14. Have been away from riding several times thru the years. Couldn't tell you 'zactly when or for how long, but it prolly doesn't matter. At least once was due to finances. At least once was due to fatal accidents by riding friends. At least once was due to lack of energy for the whole riding scene. Bottom line, I'd say if it feels right for you, go ride. Stop when it no longer feels right. Sell your stuff when you're not using it #becausedepreciableasset. Buy new, better stuff if you decide to throw a leg over again. Yer welcome.

I got away from riding for about 15 years. My wife lost her cousin to a motorcycle accident and she was very uncomfortable with the idea of me riding. So I hung up my helmet and between kids, work, and life I kept very busy. Picked up a few hobbies to pass time I'm pretty sure I have the OR to thank for getting back into it. As a lot of you know I live right next to one of your favorite meet up spots. A couple years ago the wife and I stopped for fuel on our way home and there had to be 40-50 sporty bikes at the gas station (epic ride maybe?) She could tell it was killing me and after surviving 3 heart attacks in the previous couple of years I guess she figured I should do whatever the fuck I wanted. I was ordered to get another bike and here I am. One thing I can tell you for certain is you will never replace the feeling of locking your eyes on the road and having complete focus on nothing but the asphalt, the tree line ahead and the sweet howl of an inline child of mama kaw. Doc it seems to me bikes might be in your blood so don't go off the deep end. Sometimes you just don't wanna ride.

.........polluting the waters.

I started riding around 1992. First major crash in '96 that put me off bikes until the bug got me again in '99. Got layed off and sold that bike in 2002 to make rent payments. Didn't ride again until 2008. Been riding hard and lots of street miles(45k+ on 2 bikes) till my crash last fall. I picked up a new bike to replace the one I totalled but some of that diehard passion has been replaced by caution and at times a lack of interest, this year will probably be less than 5k miles total between all of my bikes. For me that want to ride has been there since I was in my teens. It fluctuates up and down all the time but as others have said it is a very hard thing to fully give up on and it is certainly a personal choice for each person.

I took an unwanted break from riding during my college years as my bike was stolen from me. At that time I couldn't afford to buy another bike with the cost of school an didn't want to risk having another bike stolen. Looking back it, a part of me is glad that bike was stolen. I was too young and dumb to own a sport bike as I was always pushing the limits with it (rode only for the thrill back then) and went down a few times playing around (luckily no injuries from any). Once I finished school and got my first professional job I was ready to get a new toy. I tried out the car scene for a few years, but it just didn't have the same feel. So I grabbed a new to me shadow 750 to start back into riding. This second entrance into the sport was different for me, as I wasn't in it just for the thrill of the speed. Now I took up riding for the feeling of being connected to the road and crunching miles. Today I get most of miles commuting to and from work and its a highlight of my day! But its true I rarely get an adrenaline rush like I did with my old sport bike. So my thought on riding is like many hobbies where it always comes in waves depending on what you have going on in your life. That is why I use my bike to commute so I always get to enjoy it, but also get practical day to day use out of it.

Happy Birthday ya old fart.

I find them much more interesting than oil threads.

I don't commute, that bores me. I only ride local on occasion. To me if I'm not looking for a place to stay for the night it's not worth getting the bike out. Does this mean I'm weaning off riding? Absolutely not! I'm put more miles on my bike every year than most of you all and that keeps increasing. But I love the long trips and seeing new things and going to new places as well as visiting places I know I love. Nothing but me the bike the road and leave all the worries of home and work behind. To me there is a point to every trip to where I take a deep breath and realize I'm in my zen moment that I've been looking for. Somtimes i find it in some fun twisties at mach retard and sometime i find it on a mountain road with beautiful views, sometime I even find it sitting down to a great meal after a long days ride but I always find it. Last year I did 15k this year I already have 15k with at least 3k more planned and much more planned next season. Guess what I'm saying is everyone is looking for something different in riding. But riding needs to be a part of your life not let riding control your life. I'm fine with letting the bike sit for a few weeks while I spend time with family and do other things it just makes that next trip that much more enjoyable. As far as the mortality thing I had my scare this year with my back injury and it opened my eyes to how fragile life is, but it didn't change my passions it just made me more cautious. Think most folks that have ridden with me this year have seen that I've taken it back a notch compared to what I used to do. But I'm still doing it.

I plan on riding as long as I am able.

Perfect timing, trucking business is booming right now. My sister is an owner operator.

Interesting you bring this topic up at this time. A little history, I have been riding on the street since I was 17 and I will be 60 this week. Always had street bikes and I also rode dirt for a time. When my kids were little the bike collected dust, I maybe rode 1000 miles a year. Once my last kid said he wasn't going to play college sports (2007) I bought a new bike because I always wanted to ride more miles. New bikes are so much better than 80's bikes, safer with better brakes and handling, ABS along with TC. Here is my dilemma Doc, after having a bad heart attack (37 minutes without a pulse and 8 days in a coma plus artic/sun protocol) I have had a miraculous recovery. According to every medical doctor or nurse I encountered I am a very lucky man. In less than three months I went back to work (flew to Mexico) last week. My cardiologist told me I would not be allowed to ride a motorcycle for 6 months to a year. I have gone through physical, speech and occupational therapies and brought up riding a motorcycle with docs and therapist and not one would even consider allowing me to ride. What I have found is the medical community encounter so many negative results of riding, I do not believe anyone will say "go ride." I am back to lifting weights, elliptical and walking 5 miles almost everyday. I talked to my wife and I will consider riding in December because the medical field wants reduce health risk and this is a very risky hobby. I understand their position, but most doctors, unlike you Ninja Doc, can not understand our love of riding. This sport is in your blood or it isn't.

Hahah I guess u completely missed what I was trying to say, in a round about way I was getting at I was least bothered about materialistic stuff and one of the only few priority I had in life was riding

Not specifically riding but I think everybody has burnout. If you take a break for a while and then get the itch again, you can pick up a bike no problem, you of all people know how to buy them. You could even hang onto the bike and ride it when the inclination hits. If you hardly end up riding, the insurance on a street triple is only like $20-30/month. It would be a $300/year backup-happiness plan.

I was able to get out on the Gravel and Chip roads around me for 145 miles today before it got too hot. Hope everyone enjoyed a great day of riding.

Yeah yeah, I was messing with you. Still using those leathers I bought from you a couple years back, btw!

@RonStopable may disagree

It's a random internet photo of an 821... My rear gets a lot of use... ...the brake you dirty bunch of savages

That's it I am bring out the big gun. My Flight line scoot, RIP

I generally don't share much of my personal life...I felt that the photographer captured the moment exceptionally well though. I've waited over a year for the eclipse so I could get this picture and really could not be happier with the result. The eclipse was an amazing thing to get to see and I will be in Ohio in 2024 to see it happen again.