[Yorkie]

I thinks its a familiar story - I am a year younger than you. Started riding on the street at 16, gave up when my kids were very young (and my Dad had a serious MC crash) then got back on a bike once the kids went off to college. Following a smash a couple of years ago I sold the street bike and now I'm focused on off road riding. I live in LA and the "battle" to get to the open road has just become too fraught with distracted idiots. Its just no fun anymore.

None of the younger guys where I work ride street bikes. They cite the danger. Ironically, a lot of them ride road bicycles but they have no interest in motorcycles. Quite a few seek their fill of freedom with vehicle camping (overlanding) and a few are building expedition type off road vehicles.

If the number of MC registrations are anything to go by we are seeing the slow extinction of the motorcycle. Sad.