This life is too good to waste

Published: 03:18PM Feb 17th, 2012
By: Web Editor

Dear MCM... Chris Brown’s letter in January’s edition struck a chord with me. Like Chris I too started riding at 16 years old. I am now 71 (about 25 in my head). I too had a long lay-off, 26 years in my case, but like Chris, never lost the interest.

In 2008 I bought an old Yamaha XJ600 from a neighbour, covered 7000-odd miles in just over two years, including (in May 2010) a weekend in the Isle of Man (the last time I’d been there was TT Week 1960!), which showed up the old Yam as being out of its depth trying to keep up with my son’s Suzuki GSX650F and my daughter’s partner’s Honda VFR750.

A couple of weeks later I part exchanged the XJ for a 1996 low mileage Suzuki RF900R. Since then I’ve done about 5000 miles on it. Great fun! As Chris rightly says, this is not a dress rehearsal. We get one chance at this life, so grab it with both hands.

Bob Newell,
via email

1 Response to “This life is too good to waste”

#1

candym  Says:

May, 4th 2012 at 10:34 pm

Eye tests for the 70s and over.
I had a born again 70 something fly past me and i was doing 70+ and he was smoking a rolled fag!!!
I do feel though that motorcycles need more physicala attributeses than when driving a car and so age is more of a concern when riding a bike and fitness.
By the way i am 50 this year and ride in all weathers.

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