Okay...I have a question that is aimed at the riders who have many years in the saddle. I have 25 years of riding with alot of that commuting to work and pleasure but by "many" years, I mean something along the lines of 35 to 40 years.

Question:
In your opinion, what is/are the differences with today's motorcyclist the motorcycling community compared to 30 -40 years ago?

I'm sure there are going to be some things that are better now, and some that were probably better then, but that's not really the question as to better. Just the differences with the judgment left to the each reader's mind.

So to the graybeards who are long in the tooth..thanks in advance

 

We were lean, mean, longhair bike riding machines!! Mothers feared us and children cheered us.......

 

Todays motorcycles cost more money,are safer and handle better.

Roads are also safer and make it easier to go any almost anywhere.

Having said all of that, why so many are tied down to a trailer or truck? I am not talking about winter and snow either.

That might be a biggest difference.

 

I should probably not even be responding to this but I'm gonna anyway. I got into bikes about 45 years ago and got my 1st Harley 41 years ago this April.

Most of my recent exposure to the newer riders actually comes from what I read in this forum. I do have a few Biker friendly bars that I hang at when I'm home and a few friends that ride but for the most part I keep to myself anymore outside of this forum.

The major difference that I notice is that the newer riders seem to be more concerned with either worrying about what others think of them, or worrying about what others are doing with their lives. In the day as they say we just seemed to ride for the ride and had more of a live and let live attitude when it came to other peoples personal choices.
You wanted to wear a helmet ya wore one. If ya didn't ya didn't and no one felt the need to educate you.

We also weren't so concerned with being so PC. Most of the newer riders have heard of ABATE but I doubt that many of them know what those initials originally stood for and we were proud to let anyone know what it did stand for.

I'm probably just being a grouchy Old Man but I really don't have much desire to associate with most of the newer riders that I've come across and they probably feel the same about me which is fine. Just because we are different don't mean either one of us is right. I guess life would get pretty boring if we were all the same.

 

The availability of parts now is unreal. I remember putting my old '57 Pan back together with nothing more than a Jammer's Handbook. Don't even think they are still around. The carb parts were easy to come by though, I ran a bendix and was known to have robbed from a lawnmower once or twice to keep that old POS running.

 

First, there are a heck of a lot more of us now. Second, more now seem to have more disposable income. Richer you might say.

Thirty seven years ago I rode from south Florida to west Texas and I don't think I met (saw) more than four riders on the open road with bags or gear strapped on their bikes. In other words the cross country riders were few and far between. Today on that same trip I might see four hundred riders.

Because riders were fewer I think there was a closer feeling among riders than today. Back then we seemed to feel a common bond when we met up. I guess forty years before that it was even more camaraderie among riders.

But hey, it's all good. The roads are better, most people don't consider us different or weird now, there are more motels, more dealerships, more gas stations, more of almost everything. But I do miss that feeling of brotherhood that was so widespread.

 

+1 on both points.

 

Great topic. Some differences I've seen in my +30 years of riding are...

- Fewer riders wrench on their bike; they're dependent on dealers
- Lots more club, social activity, group rides, etc.
- More women, black and hispanic riders
- Some ride to support trend, not love of bikes
- Riders are more image and brand conscious
- Lots more affluent riders (ie, doctors, lawyers, etc.)
- Riders and bikes are within the limits of social acceptance by non-riders

 

We didn't have puters and forums back then to gather all this valuable info. about helmets,fingerless gloves and assless chaps. Just seems to me we had less stress and more fun back when a nickle would buy you a candy bar and a dime would buy a soda and on and on and on

 

Yep! No cell phone, text messages... meet up somewhere and ride.