question about my dear old dad...

[emperkin]

My dad is 56 and looking to get back into motorcycles. He hasn't ridden in years. The first words out of my mouth was to take the safety course.

Here is the problem. We were at the local BMW dealer so I could drool over some stuff and I had him sit on a LT. He has some pretty bad knees and can not bend them real well. It was painful to watch and after he finally got his leg over, he couldn't comfortably sit with his legs on the pegs. Acually when he finally did, his ass was on the back seat! We are both big guys (over 6'4").

So now the question. What bike is for him? And can he even take the safety course? Or has this window just passed him by?

I was thinking of the Kawasaki Nomad, or one of the Harley's with forward controls. but I can't think of any bike to take the course with.

Any advice would be good.

 

[HONDARIDER]

Christ dude! 56...he's still a kid...he's got 20 good years of riding ahead of him...I've read about some older gentleman who've been real happy with the big step thru bikes like the Bergman 650 if lifting a leg over the seat is a problem...I'm not sure that the foot-forward riding position of your typical cruiser has any ergonomic benefits...more likely the opposite...the real question is what does he like? Where does he want to ride? What are his physical limitations regarding bike weight and such. i can't really guess what the best bike for him would be but certainly don't even consider counting him out as too old to enjoy riding.

 

[gfspencer]

What bike is for him?

If you want to stick with a BMW you might look at an R1200GS. It might "fit" him better.

And can he even take the safety course?

He should definitely take a safety course!

My dad is 56. Has this window just passed him by?

I'm 60. I plan on riding for a few more years.

I was thinking of the Kawasaki Nomad, or one of the Harley's with forward controls. but I can't think of any bike to take the course with.

Cruisers of any kind don't help my legs. They might help his. Go around to the different dealers and sit on the bike. If it hurts to sit it is going to hurt a lot more to ride.

I would really suggest that he start with a small displacement used bike. A BMW F650?? A small displacement cruiser. (It's tough to start with a big bike . . . . and new riders often drop their bikes. I would rather drop a used bike than a new one.) Although there are thousands of guys in his age group who have gone out and purchased a new Harley.

Good luck!

 

[emperkin]

physically he is actually quite capable. he just can't bend his knees far at all. there is no way he can get on a GS.

 

[MOTOR31]

Have your Dad look at a "C" model BMW. They are lower both overall and especially in the seat department. There will be more room for him to sit and "spread out" on it too. Look for the Montana and the CLC if he wants a dressed bike. Besides it's as close to the positioning of a harley as you can get on a beemer.

The training is a MUST for him if you care about him at all!!!!!!!

 

[OfficerImpersonator]

I'm sure I'll be chastised if my suggestion is sacreligious, but how about something along the lines of a Honda Silverwing?

Automatic tranny, available ABS brakes, easy on-off... Seems like it would be worth investing a trip to the dealership to see if this has any utility for dear old dad..

 

[OfficerImpersonator]

Website for the Honda Silverwing:

http://powersports.honda.com/scoote...lver+Wing+ABS&ModelYear=2007&ModelId=FSC600A7

 

[Holly]

Ergonomics

I??m 62 and lucky to have OK knees, but my bones are glass. If I fall they will break, and if I lift anything heavy, my vertebrae will crumble. Plus I??m 5??2" if I stretch. So for me the answer was a small (250cc) Yamaha Virago. The trick to to keep trying out the ergonomics until you find one that fits. The scooters are a good idea. I??m in Spain at the moment and totally surrounded by all makes of scooter. A 400 would be huge around here. So the larger scooters available in the US might be the answer for now. I??m told they handle much like a motorcycle.

The safety course is a must, plus riding with your dad at his pace until he is comfortable on his own. I plan to ride for many more years and hope to see him on the road.

Holly

 

[RGVILLA]

I'm 56, have been riding since i was 12, only a one year break when i was overseas in the army. First thing I would suggest to dad is start getting those knees in shape. I highly suggest either physical therapy or even better yet Iyengar Yoga. I have arthritic knees, bad back, shoulders etc. and after two years of yoga can ride all day. I'm 6' and ride an R1100R. I would also strongly suggest a safety course, MSF or other and a smaller displacement used bike. After some proficiency is developed your dad should go out and try on a bunch of bikes and see what he likes. If he doesn't get those knees in shape he is not going to have much fun. Good luck!

 

[Friedle]

Dad

Eric,

You are kind of putting the horse behind the cart here by worrying about what sort of motorcycle would be best for your Dad.

Before you go purchasing any bike,(new or used, BMW or any other brand), I would strongly suggest enrolling your father in a MSF Basic Rider course. The cost will be minimal and they will provide him with qualified instruction and a small (250cc or less) motorcycle to learn how to ride. The course will also address other important areas such as risk awareness; proper personal protective gear; location of the controls and how to use them; the basics of starting, stopping, turning and shifting. He will also be exposed to the basic concepts of situational awareness and street strategies and advanced braking, swerving and cornering techniques.

Most importantly is that your father will have an opportunity to find out in a relatively safe and structured enviroment if he really has the skills and desire necessary to ride a motorcycle outside of a parking lot enviroment.

99% of the students I have ever taught signed up for the course because they had a desire to ride a motorcycle. The other 1% usually are there at the insistance of some other significant party in their life, be it a spouse or a parent with a large insurance policy on their rotten bastard kid who they are planning on giving a 'Busa as soon as he finishes the course . Not all students pass. Some can't master the skills involved, some find it is a lot harder and/or riskier than they thought it would be, some just don't have the strength and/or coordination and some should just consider public mass transit systems rather than a motorcycle for a multitude of reasons. It is a lot easier and safer for the above group of people to determine that motorcycle riding is not for them in the parking lot rather than coming to that realization on I-5 at rush hour.

Assuming your Dad takes and passes the course and still has a strong desire to ride on public streets, picking a bike is the easy part. Visit lots of shops, sit on lots of bikes, determine which bikes he can get on and off easily and ride safely...and then buy the 3 or 4 bikes he liked best because who can live with just one bike.

Point being, make sure he really wants to ride first, then make sure he can physically handle the bike safely, and lastely go spend the money to buy the bike he like best.

You wouldn't believe how many bikes are listed in the "Motorcycles For Sale" ads that read something to the effect: "MUST SELL! 2006 Yokosuki 1375, much chrome, custom paint, very low miles, minor cosmetic damage, well below market value" from people who bought their bikes before even considering if they could ride them.

Friedle
very active MSF Instructor, amongst other things

 

[GeneT]

Exercise, exercise, exercise, I am 74 years old, older than dirt and have a shirt that says so.

I find if I hang out in the AC without exercise my knees stiffen up, along with the safety course have him move those knees, knee bends help me or just squat several times each day, it all helps. It works for me.

 

[bubbagazoo]

I will add my endorsement to the safety course first. And I will relate the experience of buying my Kawasaki which is intended to eventually be my DSW's ride. We were at the dealership looking at bikes and sitting on them. Just for the halibut, I suggested that she sit on a Ninja 250 (same price as the Vulcan 500). She could not get her feet on the rider's foot pegs. She does not have any issues with her knees. It was a simple matter of the geometry of her legs and the location of the pegs. Try the bikes out. If your Dad cannot sit comfortably on the bike, he is not going to enjoy riding it and will eventually stop. If bending the knees is an issue, even with something like getting the leg over the bike, then I think a step-through would be the answer.

 

[manicmechanic]

Also remember that, once he does complete the course, he need not be looking at 2 wheels if he thinks he may have problems holding the bike up. There are trikes and hacks available.

 

[BRADFORDBENN]

As some one with bad knees, I can tell you that finding the proper bike is going to be trial and error. However the first step is to take a training class. My wife took the class AFTER we bought her a bike. Well we sold that bike...

 

[braddog]

Safety course first....then...

He should be able to make it through the safety course OK with the bikes they have there. Then, it's on to his own bike. Here are my thoughts.

I, too, have crappy knees, and I'm 47. You can tell me to exercise all you want, but the fact is, my left knee will NEVER be much better than it is right now. It doesn't bend so well because of a rather severe motorcycle crash at 16. I did a number on my MCL of my right one last winter, but it's probably at 85-90% right now. By the way, I'm 6'2", and have a 34/35 inch inseam.

I got back into motorcycles and motorcycling about 7 years ago. My first ride was a Honda Shadow. It was fine for my knees, but not so good for my back or tailbone. I more or less stumbled upon my '77 R100RS, and the rest is history. The ergos are absolutely perfect for me. The weight is properly distributed so my back/butt doesn't hurt, and the knee bend is such that I can do the bend just fine and still be comfortable.

So, if it MUST be a BMW, I would think an R100 airhead would fit the bill real well. Another option would be a dualsport, maybe a Suzuki DRZ400, DR650, or a Kawasaki KLR650. Plenty of legroom on those bikes. Keep us posted, and Good Luck to your Pop!

 

[emperkin]

Believe me you don't have to sell me on the safety course. And my dad is coinvinced it is a must as well. He can hold any bike up and he can pick any bike up. He is a big strong guy. But his knees just don't bend.

My concern with the course is that they may give him a little nighthawk to ride as they did me. He can not ride one of those. Do they use other bikes on those courses?

Thanks for all the help.

 

[MOTOR31]

When my wife took the MSF beginners course there were a couple guys there that had scooters. They were allowed to ride them for the course instead off the Honda Shadows. It makes sense to me since the controlls are very different for the 2 styles of bikes. Why train on one style when you'll be riding something totally different.

 

[Friedle]

MSF bikes

Believe me you don't have to sell me on the safety course. And my dad is coinvinced it is a must as well. He can hold any bike up and he can pick any bike up. He is a big strong guy. But his knees just don't bend.

My concern with the course is that they may give him a little nighthawk to ride as they did me. He can not ride one of those. Do they use other bikes on those courses?

Thanks for all the help.

Hello Eric,

MSF bikes for use in the Basic Rider course are limited to 250cc or less displacement. There is no single approved or reccomended bike or brand. In my experience teaching we have used everything from 100 cc Kawi dual purpose bikes to Honda CM200T cc street bikes to 250 cc Honda Rebels and
Nighthawks to Suzuki GZ 250 to Kawi 125 cc Eliminators to Kawi 250 Ninjas to Kymco 250 cc V Rod look alikes...and I am sure there were some others I have forgotten.

Why not just go over to the MSF range you are thinking of taking the course at and ask to sit on whatever they have available. Thsi can often be done during the lunch break time. I get those sort of requests all the time, often from "vertically challenged" students but also from "mid life crisis" students as well.

Good luck, and don't forget to give your father a gift membership to the MOA when he passes.

Friedle
just back from a nice lunch ride during the first brief snow flurries of the year
here in the Mid Hudson Valley