Have been riding for 20 years but been away for 5. Making a return and about to buy a modern classic torn between Scrambler and Speed Twin ( used to have a Scrambler) live near Tunbridge Wells and need to find a group I can join for trips out etc. Have a great weekend and all the best.
Find something you feel confident on, weight, power, seat height etc and don't go over large (subject to your own size) as this will undermine your confidence. Before group riding, ensure you are fluently back up to speed and I don't mean mph. After every winter lay-off, so only months not years, I always make a point of having the first few rideouts on my own to readjust my parameters and switch on. Enjoy, relax and build up steadily
Greetings from across the pond. 2018 Speedmaster here bought new as a leftover in 2020. Fun bike. Always get compliments.
I'm a relative newbie to biking - passed my test just 5 years ago despite now being 72. I've got a Speed Twin 1200 and a Street Scrambler (the "baby" 900 version) - both are great bikes. The Speed Twin has loads of grunt, and if you get the Euro 4 version (pre-2021 makeover) you can decat it for even more grunt. Neither are particularly heavy or tall, particularly the Street Scrambler which I use as my any day hack. For rideouts, join TOMCC, they have branches in Sittingbourne and Ashford which might be closest to you. Go to https://www.tomcc.org/ for more details. I can thoroughly recommend them, great company and advice from helpful fellow members, and only £22 a year to join!
@Paulie Walnuts Hi and welcome, Paulie. You’ve already received lots of encouragement and advice as you return to riding. I’ll just add to test ride both bikes if you can get that to happen. Keep us posted and good luck with your return to the roads!
With reference to "back to biking" I passed my Motorcycle test back in the 80's and probably haven't been on a bike for about 30 years! In those days at the age of 17 your could by a 250CC motorcycle stick on a couple of L Plates and off you went. Not quite up to speed with the latest laws, but thankfully they look far better now than they use to be. I'm looking to attend a "back to biking" course as i need to make sure all is well before deciding whether to buy a motorcycle or not. Has anyone else been in a similar situation? If so, how did you get on?
I stopped riding my Tbird in 70 when I moved out to the Channel Islands. Thereafter marriage, sons and houses to buy all took precedence over motorcycling. My return to riding wasn’t until 01 when I purchased the Ducati you see below. Fast forward another 20 years when I could see that the day was coming when the riding crouch on the Duke was not going to be tolerable for extended trips. So something lighter, with a few electronic aids, a 50% increase in power and a more upright riding stance heralded the purchase of the Striple. I have only ever owned four bikes and still have the three mentioned above. From the above timeline you will deduce that I’m no spring chicken but we have just booked our hotel for our third year in mid Wales where we will clock up close to a thousand miles in six days. So you are probably 10 years younger than me, what are you waiting for. As Steve Parrish says on the back cover of his autobiography “Don’t die wondering”.
My "potential" return to motorcycling is very much a measured/managed approach having not ridden a motorcycle for a considerable amount of time. I thought it would be best to attend a "back to bike" training course in order to gain confidence and to be critiqued by a professional motorcycle instructor. I was a tad anxious to say the least but having an excellent instructor really helped and I thoroughly enjoyed myself.
I have also purchased the "Motorcycle Roadcraft" Police Riders Handbook" which makes an excellent read!
Im on my 3rd stint. Moped/250 when i was 16/17 then bought a car at 20. Roll forward 15 years and i could afford a "leisure hobby" so a Ducati 900 it was. Sold it when i turned 40 to release funds for a house move etc. Then aged 60 decided life is too short and bought a 2021Speedmaster and a 78 Bonneville: one to ride one to tinker with. My biking is now totally pleasure and weather-dependant. I don't like group rides, preferring to go at my own pace and head wherever the mood takes me. Biggest difference i find this time round is the state of the roads. Maybe they weren't that bad back in the day or maybe times have changed and there's less pothole budget to go round but the difference is shocking. Best advice i can offer is use your head constantly and try to stay within your limits.