Off Camber - Old Dog, New Tricks
Going all in on an old flame
You’re reading this because of a simple, almost throwaway, comment a friend made a little over six months ago. Just days after my birthday, they asked if I had anything special planned for my 60th trip around the sun. I’m sure the person who said this doesn’t remember the conversation, and honestly, I’m not 100 percent sure who actually said it to me. The question, however, stuck with me. It nagged at me in a very subtle way, like a tiny splinter in my finger that I couldn’t see to remove but could clearly feel when I slid it across my skin.
I thought of it periodically throughout my day. Or in the middle of the night after one of my old man trips to the bathroom. However, these weren’t thoughts of regret – or even ones looking backwards. Rather, I was considering what the next 10 years had in store for me. I’ve learned and experienced a lot over the last decade and was puzzling over how I was going to apply the knowledge gained to the next 10.
Although this rumination covered all aspects of my life, only one thread bears mentioning here: What role do I want motorcycling to play in my future? Of course, riding will be a big part of it. After all, more than half of my life and almost the entirety of my professional life have been devoted to, no, consumed with motorcycles. What more do I have to do?
Way back in the 1980s, one of my college professors said that past a certain age (and I am most certainly past it even if I can’t remember what age it is) the best I can hope for is to lose just one percent of my ability in any activity per year. That was the best case scenario. Use it or lose it is the more succinct way of putting it. And from that thought came the germination of – if not a plan – most certainly an idea. Or perhaps, a pledge.
I will recommit myself to motorcycling.
While not exactly a big surprise, given that I write for a motorcycle publication, this represents a sea change of sorts. I can trace the genesis of this decision to the purchase of my KTM 790 Duke (and the subsequent torrid affair). This rekindled passion has increased my recreational street and track riding significantly. (Having my kids get old enough to not require constant attention on the weekends was also a contributing factor.) And yet, below the surface, I’ve been dissatisfied with my riding for quite a while. On the track, I’d noticed that I was riding like an old man with my ass firmly planted in the seat, and my attempts to mitigate that issue were fruitless. Other, similar issues with my technique were also making themselves noticeable and resisting my efforts to remedy them.
Another area in which I have never been happy with my riding is my off-road skills. I’ve always been a self-identified street rider, but my time testing adventure bikes has made me realize that there is a lot to see and ride through after the pavement ends. My time teaching my daughter to ride in the desert this year has piqued my interest further.
While I’m not a naturally gifted rider, I have had the good fortune to spend my motorcycling life surrounded by some amazingly talented riders who were more than willing to share their knowledge with me. Also, it turns out that I’m pretty coachable. So, it was only natural for me to look towards riding schools to achieve my goals. For brushing up on my paved riding, I’ll be attending Yamaha Champions Riding School, with the goal of breaking some bad habits and getting my body position to where it should be. For off-road riding, I’ll probably attend more than one school since I have such a large skill deficit. While I may be too old to ever become a good off-road rider, I’d settle for proficient adjacent – or at least not fearing for my life every time my knobbies enter any sand over an inch deep.
This plan is all well and good, but if I formulated it after my birthday back in April, why am I writing about it now? Six months is a long time without action. Well, the honest answer is that I needed to do some other work first, and I’ve been doing that behind the scenes since May. Namely, I needed to get in shape if I really wanted to stand a chance of achieving my goals.
So, this project will have three phases: focus on my body, recapture (and expand) my paved riding skills, and go all in on off-road riding. As it stands, this series of articles will have three parts, but who knows, maybe I’ll stumble into some other ideas along the way. Since I know my age group is well represented in our readership, I’m hoping to inspire some of you to recommit yourselves to motorcycling, too. I firmly believe that the more we put into riding, the more we get out of it.
Let’s get started.
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Like most of the best happenings in his life, Evans stumbled into his motojournalism career. While on his way to a planned life in academia, he applied for a job at a motorcycle magazine, thinking he’d get the opportunity to write some freelance articles. Instead, he was offered a full-time job in which he discovered he could actually get paid to ride other people’s motorcycles – and he’s never looked back. Over the 25 years he’s been in the motorcycle industry, Evans has written two books, 101 Sportbike Performance Projects and How to Modify Your Metric Cruiser, and has ridden just about every production motorcycle manufactured. Evans has a deep love of motorcycles and believes they are a force for good in the world.
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The year I turned 60 I decided that if I was ever going to try drag racing - I'd better get to it - and I did. I electrified an old GT550 (with seized engine) and two years later won my local track's points championship. Since then I've gone over 200 mph on another e-bike (Hayabusa - at 63) and started doing track days at 65 on a Ninja 300. I'm doing my first roadrace next year (about the same time I turn 69).
The point is that every day is a gift and we should never take anything for granted. Dedication to activities are what keep us young and motivated - and happy.
I found recently that my balance was not what it once was. Worse is that I find myself freezing when slow speed going gets slow. I have resolved that in the Spring I will find a big parking lot and work on my figure eights. Oh, I'm 69 years old.