Musings of an aging FJR rider

[Mike Aldea]

I'm a couple months away from being 65 and have two sports touring motorcycles in the garage. A '95 Concours and a '06 FJR. Before the wife developed back problems we spent years riding the entire Eastern Seaboard including the Canadian Maritimes on the Connie. But now it is doubtful she will ever try to get on another motor. I write the preceding to establish some credentials before suggesting something sacrilegious . . . rent a Mazda Miata for a weekend and take a trip together. You might find it almost as much fun as a Goldwing and more enjoyable in your day to day lives.

But you have already made the decision so I wish you the best of luck with your Goldwing and hope it turns out to be even more than you had ever expected.

 

[YooperDick]

You make some good points, Harleystar. It is rather expensive. Without precipitating a statistical debate, I would challenge the level of danger associated with flying. Consider the following:

General Aviation Statistics
Only three out of every 1000 people in the US are pilots.
Out of 67,000 licensed instructors in the U. s. only 15,000 are active.
Only 6% of the U.S. women are pilots.

• 1998 in the United States and its territories, 43,920 people died in transportation-related accidents. Aviation accounted for 683 deaths, with 621 of them in GA.
  
• Bicyclists, recreational boaters, and people walking in front of trains notched 794, 808, and 831 fatalities, respectively.
  
• Women pilots threaten some men's macho identity. Some men think that they are losing status by sharing the skies with mere women. I have found the women pilots I have taught to be better, over all, than the men.
  
  Sayings:
  Plan for the worst and ask for ATC help up front.
  The best way to hurry up is to slow down.
  Best way to learn is by doing or by not doing, something General Aviation has 98% of the planes flying 80% of the hours flown.
  
  General Info
  Less than 1% of aircraft accidents, caused primarily by fire, result in fatalities. Fires in aircraft are a rarity. The most dangerous aspect of an inflight fire is the pilot who reacts incorrectly by not following the POH.
  60% of fatal accidents are the result of improper decisions; 20% are the result of improper technique.
  30% if all accidents are the result of flight into IMC conditions. 300,000 planes in 1980
  190,000 planes in 2000..Oh, where have all the airplanes gone? Gone, gone, gone?
  
  On average there is one operational error by ATC out of every 200,000 performed.
  
  Only 98 back-course approaches exist in the U.S.
  
  Homebuilt aircraft fly five percent of total flight hours but have 25 percent of maintenance accidents.
  
  Decision making by the pilot is judged to be the direct casue of 85-percent of aircraft accidents.
  
  1996 Statistic
  23% of accidents were related to weather. Of these 8% gave icing as a cause.
  
  Pilot population peaked at 827,000 in 1980. In 1999 we are at 635,000 and only 5% are women.
  
  On average there are only two SVFR accidents per year but the fatality rate is over 80%. Over 60% of the accidents occur on departure. 30% result in flight into rising terrain.
  
  67% of all pilot violations have to do with airspace deviations
  
  68% of all runway incursions are caused by G.A. pilots.
  
  Since 1993 we have had a 73% increase in near misses in the U. S. but only a 1l% increase in activity.
  
• The Katana promises to the the safest trainer ever.
• The C-172 is equally safe
• #l accident area is loss of aircraft control on the runway but incurrs few fatalities..
• Only one ourt of every ten engine failures result in a fatal accident.
• VFR into IFR percentage-wise kills the most.
• very high percentate of fuel exhaustion accidents occur within one mile of destination airport.
• One in five of Piper Cherokee accidents occur due to fuel problems.
• Fatal accident rate of Piper Warrior is significantly worse than other trainers.
• One in five of Tomahawk accidents are stall related. Written by Gene Whitt
  
  Back To 4VFR.COM

There are roughly 5,000 motorcycle fatalities each year.

Also, as you know, the first step toward securing a private pilot license is passing a medical exam which becomes more difficult as one ages.

 

[harleystar]

You make some good points, Harleystar. It is rather expensive. Without precipitating a statistical debate, I would challenge the level of danger associated with flying. Consider the following:

General Aviation Statistics

Only three out of every 1000 people in the US are pilots.

Out of 67,000 licensed instructors in the U. s. only 15,000 are active.

Only 6% of the U.S. women are pilots.

• 1998 in the United States and its territories, 43,920 people died in transportation-related accidents. Aviation accounted for 683 deaths, with 621 of them in GA.
  
• Bicyclists, recreational boaters, and people walking in front of trains notched 794, 808, and 831 fatalities, respectively.
  
• Women pilots threaten some men's macho identity. Some men think that they are losing status by sharing the skies with mere women. I have found the women pilots I have taught to be better, over all, than the men.
  Sayings:
  
  Plan for the worst and ask for ATC help up front.
  
  The best way to hurry up is to slow down.
  
  Best way to learn is by doing or by not doing, something
  
  General Aviation has 98% of the planes flying 80% of the hours flown.
  
  General Info Less than 1% of aircraft accidents, caused primarily by fire, result in fatalities. Fires in aircraft are a rarity. The most dangerous aspect of an inflight fire is the pilot who reacts incorrectly by not following the POH.
  
  60% of fatal accidents are the result of improper decisions; 20% are the result of improper technique.
  
  30% if all accidents are the result of flight into IMC conditions.
  
  300,000 planes in 1980
  
  190,000 planes in 2000..Oh, where have all the airplanes gone? Gone, gone, gone?
  
  On average there is one operational error by ATC out of every 200,000 performed.
  
  Only 98 back-course approaches exist in the U.S.
  
  Homebuilt aircraft fly five percent of total flight hours but have 25 percent of maintenance accidents.
  
  Decision making by the pilot is judged to be the direct casue of 85-percent of aircraft accidents.
  
  1996 Statistic
  
  23% of accidents were related to weather. Of these 8% gave icing as a cause.
  
  Pilot population peaked at 827,000 in 1980. In 1999 we are at 635,000 and only 5% are women.
  
  On average there are only two SVFR accidents per year but the fatality rate is over 80%. Over 60% of the accidents occur on departure. 30% result in flight into rising terrain.
  
  67% of all pilot violations have to do with airspace deviations
  
  68% of all runway incursions are caused by G.A. pilots.
  
  Since 1993 we have had a 73% increase in near misses in the U. S. but only a 1l% increase in activity.
  
• The Katana promises to the the safest trainer ever.
• The C-172 is equally safe
• #l accident area is loss of aircraft control on the runway but incurrs few fatalities..
• Only one ourt of every ten engine failures result in a fatal accident.
• VFR into IFR percentage-wise kills the most.
• very high percentate of fuel exhaustion accidents occur within one mile of destination airport.
• One in five of Piper Cherokee accidents occur due to fuel problems.
• Fatal accident rate of Piper Warrior is significantly worse than other trainers.
• One in five of Tomahawk accidents are stall related.Written by Gene Whitt
  
  Back To 4VFR.COM
  

There are roughly 5,000 motorcycle fatalities each year.

Also, as you know, the first step toward securing a private pilot license is passing a medical exam which becomes more difficult as one ages.

"Without precipitating a statistical debate"

In the famous words of Inigo Montoya "that word, I Do Not Think It Means What You Think It Means”.

OK, enough with the humor. Perhaps I should have stated that flying, as in general aviation-GA, is a high-risk activity. No amount of statistical recitations will change that. Is it more dangerous than a motorcycle? Doing some superficial Google research, it appears the overall death rate for mileage traveled is moderately higher for a motorcycle and both, GA and motorcycles, are much higher than autos (there are many factors so I'm not quoting numbers). For older more experienced riders, motorcycles are still not "safe", but the associated risk is acceptable to most and older riders are older for a reason. The same can be said of flying. If you are very cautious and follow the rules, the likelihood of death and injury is very remote. However, flying is very unforgiving and certain types of mistakes are often fatal.

That being said, for older people who are having issues holding up their FJR, flying would not be high on my list of new activities to suggest. I had a great time learning and flying but I was much younger and still had pretty good vision.

BTW, I trained on a Piper Warrior and am still here ;-)

 

[Wolfhound]

I'm 63 now, married with an 11 year old Son. Sold my FJR & bought a GW. Nice for all. Sold the GW & now have a Hayabusa, great for me. I'm now about to own another FJR & all will be Happy around here. Once that is dialed in I will probably get a small sport bike to get out & play on locally.

 

[FJR Bill]

You make some good points, Harleystar. It is rather expensive. Without precipitating a statistical debate, I would challenge the level of danger associated with flying. Consider the following:

General Aviation Statistics

Only three out of every 1000 people in the US are pilots.

Out of 67,000 licensed instructors in the U. s. only 15,000 are active.

Only 6% of the U.S. women are pilots.

• 1998 in the United States and its territories, 43,920 people died in transportation-related accidents. Aviation accounted for 683 deaths, with 621 of them in GA.
  
• Bicyclists, recreational boaters, and people walking in front of trains notched 794, 808, and 831 fatalities, respectively.
  
• Women pilots threaten some men's macho identity. Some men think that they are losing status by sharing the skies with mere women. I have found the women pilots I have taught to be better, over all, than the men.
  Sayings:
  
  Plan for the worst and ask for ATC help up front.
  
  The best way to hurry up is to slow down.
  
  Best way to learn is by doing or by not doing, something
  
  General Aviation has 98% of the planes flying 80% of the hours flown.
  
  General Info Less than 1% of aircraft accidents, caused primarily by fire, result in fatalities. Fires in aircraft are a rarity. The most dangerous aspect of an inflight fire is the pilot who reacts incorrectly by not following the POH.
  
  60% of fatal accidents are the result of improper decisions; 20% are the result of improper technique.
  
  30% if all accidents are the result of flight into IMC conditions.
  
  300,000 planes in 1980
  
  190,000 planes in 2000..Oh, where have all the airplanes gone? Gone, gone, gone?
  
  On average there is one operational error by ATC out of every 200,000 performed.
  
  Only 98 back-course approaches exist in the U.S.
  
  Homebuilt aircraft fly five percent of total flight hours but have 25 percent of maintenance accidents.
  
  Decision making by the pilot is judged to be the direct casue of 85-percent of aircraft accidents.
  
  1996 Statistic
  
  23% of accidents were related to weather. Of these 8% gave icing as a cause.
  
  Pilot population peaked at 827,000 in 1980. In 1999 we are at 635,000 and only 5% are women.
  
  On average there are only two SVFR accidents per year but the fatality rate is over 80%. Over 60% of the accidents occur on departure. 30% result in flight into rising terrain.
  
  67% of all pilot violations have to do with airspace deviations
  
  68% of all runway incursions are caused by G.A. pilots.
  
  Since 1993 we have had a 73% increase in near misses in the U. S. but only a 1l% increase in activity.
  
• The Katana promises to the the safest trainer ever.
• The C-172 is equally safe
• #l accident area is loss of aircraft control on the runway but incurrs few fatalities..
• Only one ourt of every ten engine failures result in a fatal accident.
• VFR into IFR percentage-wise kills the most.
• very high percentate of fuel exhaustion accidents occur within one mile of destination airport.
• One in five of Piper Cherokee accidents occur due to fuel problems.
• Fatal accident rate of Piper Warrior is significantly worse than other trainers.
• One in five of Tomahawk accidents are stall related.Written by Gene Whitt
  
  Back To 4VFR.COM
  

There are roughly 5,000 motorcycle fatalities each year.

Also, as you know, the first step toward securing a private pilot license is passing a medical exam which becomes more difficult as one ages.

Interesting stat's and enjoyed reading them. However, I don't recommend older people that have never ridden motorcycles to take up the hobby. Best to build the skills when young, make mistakes, fall down and pick yourself up with lesson learned. Same for flying, I would not suggest someone in their 50's or older to get into flying for the first time...Not saying they can't or shoudn't but I think basic air skills/knowledge is best learned when one is young and skills developed over the years which likely keep them safe untill they can't pass a flight physical. I've been involved with aviation since 1967. I'd be happy as a clam flying with an 80 year old bush pilot in Alaska that has been doing it for 60 years, but not so happy with a 60 year old that's been at it for 5 years or so. So I'm not at all sugggesting "old" pilots need to fold their wings. Bill

 

[JR'SFJR]

I'm 68, my wife doesn't ride and my long distance riding has changed after shoulder surgery 2 years ago. I fabricated a motorcycle loader for my pickup and now haul the bike to the mountains. I just returned from a fun CO-WI trip. I rode everyday in CO for 2 weeks while visiting my son, with the biggest days at 450 miles. I also rode some in WI while visiting family and since we are discussing flying, I went flying several times including taking the oldest granddaughter up for a flight. Compared to busy FL training skies, I rarely saw another aircraft. What fun.

I think about the day when the FJR might to too heavy, but for now, I love the performance, electric windshield, looks, handling and being able to load her up with camping gear.

 

[Redfish Hunter]

Here is a picture taken on the Million Dollar Highway in Colorado this past July:



On the left, my 68 year old father and on the right my 44 year old cousin. Take note, the younger and stronger man is on the GoldWing. Let me also mention we never ran off and left that GoldWing on any trip, ever. It handles well enough to keep up with our "Vacation Speed".

The first thing on my mind here is that there is absolutely no shame in riding a GoldWing. That bike is still in a class of its own, even with the BMW K1600GTL in the picture. Everybody, even non-riders know what a GoldWing is and they all recognize the prestige and cost of this wonderful motorcycle. It is really the Gold Standard by which other touring bikes are judged. Comfort is obviously fantastic but don't think that the big Honda is slow. It is faster than almost any car sold in the U.S in the 1/4 mile and it handles better than you would ever think.

As others have noted, if it falls over... It does weigh about 900 pounds and a tip-over is difficult. But, it does not fall over as far as an FJR.

I will not get into how a man should treat his wife or where her wants should fall in comparison to her husband's. That is a decision best left to each of you. I do things all the time that I know are going to irritate my wife BUT... I believe in the philosophy, Happy Wife, Happy Life.

Mrs. Redfish will not ride on a motorcycle. She just will not. I had her sit on the back of that white Hondapotamous in that picture on Labor Day. She said it was nice but refused to ride it. Completely uninterested. But... If my wife were willing to ride with me and I thought we could share just one motorcycle trip a year, there is not much I would not do to make her happy. I would buy a GoldWing so fast it would make your head spin just watching me run to the Honda dealer. In fact, if she were more comfortable, I would buy a damned Harley Davidson. Yes, I said it. If my wife would ride with me and that is what she wanted, I would happily put a big Electra Glide in my garage.

I hate to say it but I would rather bank on the proven reliability of the 'Wing than gamble on the BMW. I am sure it is a great bike and I am sure many of the issues are internet exaggerations. However, there is only one king. That is the GoldWing.

 

[Fred W]

a·nal·o·gy (

-n

l

-j

)n. pl. a·nal·o·gies


1.
a. Similarity in some respects between things that are otherwise dissimilar.
b. A comparison based on such similarity. See Synonyms at likeness.

Honda's Goldwing is to motorcycles as the Cadillac Escallade is to automobiles. It is the American luxury barge of motorcycles.

Without the American desire for over-sized, behemoth vehicles there never would have been a Goldwing, nor an Escallade

Can either be ridden/driven fast? Yep, but that isn't it's strength. It's better for covering huge miles in relative comfort, carrying every little thing that the missus must have along for the ride, with the minimum amount of involvement with the outside world.

Does it cost a lot? Yep, and people seem willing to pay the price of admission for some reason that I cannot completely fathom.

For the same $63k as a base Escallade you could buy a BMW 550i sport sedan. I know which one I would go for.

 

[Redfish Hunter]

Fred, I am sorry you have so much hate for the big 'Wing. I promise, you don't have to ride it. You do know that GoldWings are sold and ridden in other countries besides the U.S. I'm sure. Why are you so upset that the OP wants a GoldWing? If it makes things happier and better for he and his wife, what is the downside? A few extra gallons of fuel burned per year?

Every motorcycle is not for every rider. We all like what we like, and ride (hopefully) what we want. I don't remember the OP wanting an Escallade but it's his money not ours.

If it makes you feel any better, my favorite GoldWings were the 1200s that came out in 1984. They were very close in size to a Gen2 FJR but were heavier, about 750ish pounds. Back then a 46 mpg monster of a motorcycle. Now it would be considered almost a Sport Tourer.

If my wife wanted to drive an Escallade, I'd find a way to make it happen. If that would be what it took to get her out on the road with me, seeing the wonders of this world, I would do it. Fortunately, she does not want one. She prefers the fun and nimble 3 series and it sells for much less than the 550i.

 

[Fred W]

RH,

You read "hate" in my words? Where did I say that I hated either the Goldwing or Escallade or people that ride/drive them?

I really couldn't muster up that much emotion for things like this.

I have no desire for either one, but someone else very well may. I wouldn't hate them for that.

PS - I'd prefer a fun 3 series myself too. I was just trying to come up with something that was of a similar price to the Cadillac.

 

[Redfish Hunter]

Of course to play devil's advocate, at least the Escalade can pull a trailer. With the proper setup a Cadillac Escalade could pull a boat, a camper, or a motorcycle trailer with a GoldWing loaded up.

Mrs. Redfish loves her 328i. As much as I hate to say it, that has been the best car we have ever had. Absolutely trouble free so far and always fun to drive. Of course it is not so fun to keep clean as it is black on black. And she does not have to wash it...

 

[Geezer]

My car is black. Mazda calls it Brilliant Black, and it is very shiny. It also shows the dirt and since I have a long gravel driveway it gets dirty very quickly.

 

[FJR Bill]

I'm 68, my wife doesn't ride and my long distance riding has changed after shoulder surgery 2 years ago. I fabricated a motorcycle loader for my pickup and now haul the bike to the mountains. I just returned from a fun CO-WI trip. I rode everyday in CO for 2 weeks while visiting my son, with the biggest days at 450 miles. I also rode some in WI while visiting family and since we are discussing flying, I went flying several times including taking the oldest granddaughter up for a flight. Compared to busy FL training skies, I rarely saw another aircraft. What fun.
I think about the day when the FJR might to too heavy, but for now, I love the performance, electric windshield, looks, handling and being able to load her up with camping gear.

Amen brother...Bill, just 2 years younger

 

[bikerkash]

If your wife is a fearful rider on her own bike it's only a matter of time before something bad is going happen. If you enjoy having her with you and have concern for her safety you already know the answer you need a two up bike she also enjoys. If it were me I would not sell your FJR. You will not get much for it. I recently sold an 08 AE with 57K for $4,900.00. Keeping the FJR for riding on your own would be a smart move. I have over 140k on the AE bikes and continue to get a rush every time a ride them, they are quick and agile.

 

[ndivita]

An update....

I now own a beautiful GL 800 specimen, Goldwingus Americanus. 2008 Level 3, 9,106 miles, never dropped, never stored outside, well cared for in every respect. I love it. The add-on and modification possibilities seem endless; the only farkling possibility I have not found so far is for an espresso maker, but I imagine it is out there somewhere.

My wife is now actively quizzing me about when we will be taking a two up ride on this beast.

Here's some pics folks. Thanks for your insights.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/whuffc1537sm164/2013-09-08%2011.45.23.jpg

https://www.dropbox.com/s/copu2f3vy37ptms/2013-09-08%2011.45.32.jpg

https://www.dropbox.com/s/y8susfcu6k2mea1/2013-09-12%2019.14.03.jpg

https://www.dropbox.com/s/4i2kx1qep0ycis5/2013-09-12%2019.13.43.jpg

 

[Lauren_TK]

My wife had to give up two wheels due to vertigo. She liked riding, but was always a little nervous on two wheels.

The solution? She got a Spyder. She is way more comfortable, and we've ridden more in the six months we've had the thing than we have in the last few years combined.

 

[Fred W]

An update....
I now own a beautiful GL 800 specimen, Goldwingus Americanus. 2008 Level 3, 9,106 miles, never dropped, never stored outside, well cared for in every respect. I love it. The add-on and modification possibilities seem endless; the only farkling possibility I have not found so far is for an espresso maker, but I imagine it is out there somewhere.

My wife is now actively quizzing me about when we will be taking a two up ride on this beast.

Here's some pics folks. Thanks for your insights.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/whuffc1537sm164/2013-09-08%2011.45.23.jpg

https://www.dropbox.com/s/copu2f3vy37ptms/2013-09-08%2011.45.32.jpg

https://www.dropbox.com/s/y8susfcu6k2mea1/2013-09-12%2019.14.03.jpg

https://www.dropbox.com/s/4i2kx1qep0ycis5/2013-09-12%2019.13.43.jpg

Here: You dropped this: "1"

 

[ndivita]

I sure did!

Make that "beautiful GL1800...."

 

[russperry]

You make some good points, Harleystar. It is rather expensive. Without precipitating a statistical debate, I would challenge the level of danger associated with flying. Consider the following:

General Aviation Statistics

Only three out of every 1000 people in the US are pilots.

Out of 67,000 licensed instructors in the U. s. only 15,000 are active.

Only 6% of the U.S. women are pilots.

• 1998 in the United States and its territories, 43,920 people died in transportation-related accidents. Aviation accounted for 683 deaths, with 621 of them in GA.
  
• Bicyclists, recreational boaters, and people walking in front of trains notched 794, 808, and 831 fatalities, respectively.
  
• Women pilots threaten some men's macho identity. Some men think that they are losing status by sharing the skies with mere women. I have found the women pilots I have taught to be better, over all, than the men.
  Sayings:
  
  Plan for the worst and ask for ATC help up front.
  
  The best way to hurry up is to slow down.
  
  Best way to learn is by doing or by not doing, something
  
  General Aviation has 98% of the planes flying 80% of the hours flown.
  
  General Info Less than 1% of aircraft accidents, caused primarily by fire, result in fatalities. Fires in aircraft are a rarity. The most dangerous aspect of an inflight fire is the pilot who reacts incorrectly by not following the POH.
  
  60% of fatal accidents are the result of improper decisions; 20% are the result of improper technique.
  
  30% if all accidents are the result of flight into IMC conditions.
  
  300,000 planes in 1980
  
  190,000 planes in 2000..Oh, where have all the airplanes gone? Gone, gone, gone?
  
  On average there is one operational error by ATC out of every 200,000 performed.
  
  Only 98 back-course approaches exist in the U.S.
  
  Homebuilt aircraft fly five percent of total flight hours but have 25 percent of maintenance accidents.
  
  Decision making by the pilot is judged to be the direct casue of 85-percent of aircraft accidents.
  
  1996 Statistic
  
  23% of accidents were related to weather. Of these 8% gave icing as a cause.
  
  Pilot population peaked at 827,000 in 1980. In 1999 we are at 635,000 and only 5% are women.
  
  On average there are only two SVFR accidents per year but the fatality rate is over 80%. Over 60% of the accidents occur on departure. 30% result in flight into rising terrain.
  
  67% of all pilot violations have to do with airspace deviations
  
  68% of all runway incursions are caused by G.A. pilots.
  
  Since 1993 we have had a 73% increase in near misses in the U. S. but only a 1l% increase in activity.
  
• The Katana promises to the the safest trainer ever.
• The C-172 is equally safe
• #l accident area is loss of aircraft control on the runway but incurrs few fatalities..
• Only one ourt of every ten engine failures result in a fatal accident.
• VFR into IFR percentage-wise kills the most.
• very high percentate of fuel exhaustion accidents occur within one mile of destination airport.
• One in five of Piper Cherokee accidents occur due to fuel problems.
• Fatal accident rate of Piper Warrior is significantly worse than other trainers.
• One in five of Tomahawk accidents are stall related.Written by Gene Whitt
  
  Back To 4VFR.COM
  

There are roughly 5,000 motorcycle fatalities each year.

Also, as you know, the first step toward securing a private pilot license is passing a medical exam which becomes more difficult as one ages.

I'm not sure what all those percentages mean, but here are some other stats that people might be interested in....

From the Bureau of Labor Statistics, airline pilot is the 3rd most dangerous profession, only behind fishing and logging - 71 fatalities in 2011. And that's in the profession of flying, not weekend warriors in their frequently poorly maintained private single engine craft.

683 fatalities in aviation among 597,000 licensed pilots? - that works out to just under 0.1% annually - that is EXTREMELY high. From the 2009 census, there were 211,000,000 licensed automobile drivers, and according to the NHTSA, there were 33,883 fatalities - that works out to under 0.02%, or ~7x less likely than in aviation.

If your numbers on bicycle fatalities is right (794) and the number of people who ride bikes is given as 57 million (per the 2002 report from the NHTSA) then the fatality rate is .0014%, or 80x less than in flying.

Motorcycles in general are quite dangerous - just over 5200 fatalities in 2008 among 6,000,000 registered motorcycles, or about 0.08%. Still that rate is 1.3x lower compared to general aviation.

Personally I'm all in favor of doing what you want and am not too hung up about danger the quotient, but if you're advising people to consider flying based on its relative safety to other daily activites, I think your thesis is not well supported.

 

[mr.paul]

Well, I know I am way late to this thread, but want to add this to all the others.

God help us all if we have to stay with every decision we have ever made in the past, especially when we were young. And different bikes are for different "seasons" and situations. It is great that we have choice. And, we can change our minds.

The Wing sounds great for your purpose and I am confident you will be pleasantly surprised. You may even wonder why you didn't do this sooner. I recall a Motorcyclist article about a group ride to Laguna Seca on sport (touring?) bikes and the disappointed photographer that had to ride the Wing to haul his equipment. They noticed when they stopped for breaks, the photog had hung with them and was more comfortable to boot. Got them to thinking differently about the Wing.

And you lucky dog! Not only have you gotten to have a great marital relationship, but have owned a couple of the greatest bikes the world has produced. You are blessed indeed. Some don't even get to experience one.

As a side note, I just recently met a couple on an Island in Lake Superior that were on matching, his and hers CanAm roadsters. They live in Nevada, but have traveled together on the "trikes" over the whole country. She said she couldn't take the Harley anymore and thought she was done. She has rediscovered her love of traveling in the open air again through the CanAm. She expressed her concerns to her husband about the bike (that he loved), and he showed up with the Spyder Roadsters within the week. Now she can't wait to see what the next trip will be. They even take their dog along. She thought that his change for her needs was a very loving gesture to her and appreciated it. Helps that he is a successful lawyer too.

mr.paul