When is it time to call it?

iMO Your local tracks have a lot to do with these decisions…I have noticed a trend around me for the local tracks to build bigger & bigger jumps. I know the younger guys want the big air for the instagram bangers but when I see a track starting to go the big booter/ gap way I tend to go somewhere else… I know its a personel decision to jump or not jump something but its a confidence thing…nothing like driving home from a track where you couldn’t muster the courage to try the big jump…I tend to go to the tracks that inspire confidence not kill it…with that said, it’s getting harder & harder to find a good, rough natural terrain track these days…… I”m currently in south Florida, you think there would be a beatup natural terrain sand track around? Not that I know of….

Dude you’re badass! My goal is to be you when I’m in my 70s. That’s so awesome.

I quit at 25. Started when I was 8 . 

For me it was all about “ how good can I get at this”.

Managed to get to pro level and race British nationals back in the day.

It got to a point where to get to the next level was gonna take money we did not have so at that point I’d gone as far as I could with what I had so quit.

I did love racing at that level but I more loved always striving to get that bit faster so when I felt like I’d hit that ceiling I lost interest in it and hung ‘em up. 

Exactly--  I'm 65 and quit racing modern bikes YEARS ago.  Vintage MX is a complete blast !!  Super competitive but not ridiculously risky tracks .  We have an 11 race series here in the AHRMA Mid Atlantic region and routinely get 175-200+ entries . In fact we just got back from the AHRMA National finals in Henryetta ,Oklahoma  and had a huge turnout . And you can compete against guys like Tom Benolkin, Trampas Parker, Trey Jorski, etc etc---  definitely not slouches lol.  As a sidebar--  I won the +60   AHRMA Vintage National Championship , my 35 yo daughter won 6 different titles, and my son-in-law took  home 3 Titles , AND I was awarded the 2024 AHRMA Off-road "Mechanic of the Year" award/trophy---way too cool  LMAO !!! I guess  racing 144 motos (winning 109 of them and 10 titles) with only ONE mechanical DNF all year on 40-50 yo bikes went a long way towards that MOY award  !!   

 Anyway --don't hang it up if you can still go forward on a motorcycle . We have quite a few +70 guys that still haul the mail, and even former Factory CZ GP racer Henry Greff runs the  + 80 class and rips !!!  

My last race was REM's last race. I was there for the first one so the last one seemed like a good time to call it after years of dealing with lower back issues.

My son (30) had his come to Jesus moment last weekend racing NGPC in Havasu. With two boys under three and a third due next month, said all he could think about was not getting hurt, time to hang up the racing and concentrate on them. That said he did say he hopes they like golf, baseball, checkers, anything but motorsports because with three boys, he doesn't know how he would pay for it. ha

Taught my daughter how to ride when she was 5 years old, she came with me for a summer and then discovered Soccer, no longer wanted to ride……and I was happy with it… that was 16 years ago…. i still have her Honda crf50, can’t bring myself to sell it…Don’t think I could handle seeing my kids busted up from riding  but I know if I had a son I would probably be all in just like many….tough decision ….

I’ve had to stop riding now after a bad shoulder injury that’s left permanent nerve damage and me needing a full shoulder replacement, but they tell me I’m still two young for that. If it was just the shoulder, I’d still ride, but the nerve damage sealed the deal. It shoulder randomy gives out, giving me excoriating pain that makes me feel sick causing my whole body to be weak and when I happens I have no control over the right arm no strength or control. Don’t fancy it happening landing from a jump, or wide open down a straight etc, its just another serious injury waiting to happen. I didn’t stop motocross it stopped me 😂 

Sorry to see that @kennyc . There are lots of different ways to enjoy motorcycles with your kids ... look outside of mx racing, if needed. 

I thought you were talking about old man-done riding stuff, kids are a different issue. Here's our story to help, or not. 

TBI

My kid started racing as soon as he could ride and he went through a rash of injuries. Broken foot, arm, broken femur, lots of sprains and strains all by the age of 8, but it was the traumatic brain injury that made me question things. 

He shorted a natural terrain double on his 65 in the desert and rattled his melon bad. Helicopter rides. One week in ICU. And for one year he was not my son. He was there physically but his personality was missing, he was a shell going through the motions. Then, at the one-year mark from the crash, a switch flipped in his head and he was back. My wife and I still talk about that day standing in the kitchen he came back to us. 

We waited a second year before letting him ride moto again but once he got the itch to start racing mom said "Put him in a cage, no MX racing" so from 11 to 22 y/o we went UTV racing and it was after the UTV stuff he started racing bikes again, at least until last weekend that is. 

Anyway, we took the route that we thought was best for our son, I hope my story and others help you in your decision.  

I've spent money on riding lessons to help keep my son safe. So far nothing major. One broken arm from and idiot on a quad stopping abruptly on a jump in front of him at Briarcliff. We stay away from practice with quads now. Haven't been to Briarcliff since because of quads and it's a 200 mile drive.

$30k in my back injury out of pocket in a year, plus $10k working with a personal trainer to come back stronger. Blew my 3 bottom discs out. I'm not quitting, just coming back stronger. Elbow and shoulder is screwed up, but recovering so far with peptide injections. Rode for 1 months this spring and had to put money into my back. If I didn't do this like a normal person I'd have been recovered without remission. I can't quit. Not happening. 

I've seen some really nice kids get hurt because they lack safe technique at our local tracks. They have pipes, and bs they don't need, but no riding lessons. If I can help them, I try to. You can't help someone that doesn't want help tho.

That’s a tough one, I hope he’s all good and making a full recovery. Similar to you, started riding when I was 6, raced my entire life with the exception of the last couple years due to my own injuries. I have a lot of passion for the sport and love everything about it, but I would try to put my kids off racing at all cost I think. 

Oh man, I’ve been where you are back in 2019. I didn’t see him hit the ground but I saw his 65 cartwheeling and knew it wasn’t good. I got to him and he still wasn’t moving. There’s nothing worse than that helpless feeling as I was screaming at him to wake up. I didn’t take a breath until he finally opened his eyes. He ended up with a pretty bad concussion and a lacerated spleen. I lost my shit in the hospital and of course blamed myself. He would’ve never rode if I didn’t. My wife talked me down from that ledge. He spent a night in the hospital and 6 mos no dirtbike, bicycle, video games, etc. We had a long conversation in the following days and I told him if you never want to ride again I understand and we can find something else to do together. He’s now 15 and is a better rider than I ever was or will be. We both know the risks, accept them, and try and be as safe and smart as we can. We enjoy every weekend at the track. I’m sorry you and your little guy are going through this. Give it some time, he will heal. Have that conversation with him and let it be his choice where you go from here. 

I agree on the AHRMA racing. I did my first one at 68 a month ago at Barbers Motorsports Facility. It was so much fun. Henry Gref and his son parked next to me. Henry is a bad ass. At 80 he is still ripping. I talked to him off and on all weekend. What a life he has lived.

Anyway I have been riding dirt bikes continually since 1966. I raced in the 70s but stopped in 1976 when I joined the Air Force and got married. I have always had modern bikes and rode tracks. 

I hope I can still ride when I'm Henry's age.

I thought last year was the end at 41. A day of riding and I could not walk for a week (hip). Then I had hip replaced and now I can moto like I am 20 again. I went way past my “time to call it” second lease on moto life.

That was the exact reason I got my son's into riding.  I knew getting to spend time with them would be limited once they started driving and chasing tail.  They would usually bring the tail to the track with us but it was all good. We were spending time together. 

I lost my youngest 5 years ago at 27.5 yo. We were still spending lots of time together. We had just spent a week together at the ww ranch national in Jacksonville a month before he was killed.  So most all our memories where from racing and we were still making them. It's a sport that lets you enjoy time with your boys 

Still doing it with my grandson now..  

Bad part is that as a parent if we let our kids ride and or race then we are responsible if they get hurt. 🙁

I know that feeling, too. My son is 15 and he just had a big crash recently. Not a hospital trip, but he's wearing a wrist brace from what was originally thought to be a fracture (downgraded to a sprain). 
We both know the risks and we're still going to ride. It makes me nervous to see him getting faster though, I'm not going to lie. 

Which nerve isn't working properly? I too am waiting on a reverse shoulder replacement. My axillary nerve is fucked as well.

Nothing wrong with pausing for a season or longer when life gets in the way.    Early 40's now and I'm selective on where I ride,  conditions , tracks exc.

It's a drtbike, so things can of couse happen but I'm more worried riding a street bike in traffic than I would be riding some sand whoops all day long.

What is a reverse shoulder replacement?  A injury to the back of the shoulder? I,ve been having injection the last 4 yrs on what as my good shoulder. Most are in the rear inside the shoulder blade but had them in the front too. Actually I had probably 1,500 injections to keep Truckin.  Riding I would would never stop for a injury.  I had ovr 2 mil of work injuries & I didn’t stop working.  Body is severely injured everywhere but I make riding work.  My nerve etc in my shoulder makes my rt arm & hand pump up & go numb .  Top 20 national speed of 91 yet but only for 2 Lsps then my arm is done.  Lead 2 laps then pull off & do a FMF promo add Live .   Fmf etc pays me 1k signup for 3 classes- 6k .  500 a lap it becomes the sport’s biggest craze .who can lead the most  1 Lappers. I just want to lead a lap or 2 anyway.  Nov 18, I,m 58.  Just found out my dementia Dad now has hospice care. He can’t walk at all anymore in the nursing home.  It went from not being able to figure out how to bend, turn, stand. Then hospice is the next . Wheel chair only from room to dining room then back to a room.  If you hv a lot of talent on a bike put the sprint Laps down.  I only hv 2 laps & my arm is done. Beats nothing  , bonus no ama advancement points , no training needed, easy Laps in 50,55b , everyone else is pacing for 4 laps not me . Haha 

Best part of  just doing 2 Lap all out speed laps . Even if you crash leading lap 2 . So what you never planned on finishing anyway. Lol. The bad is this is the only part of The DBP u get to see.

"It's better to burn out...than it is to rust," -- Neil Young

Maybe it's like what Hemingway said about going bankrupt- it happens slowly, then all at once. As a guy who's first race was in 1980 at age 13, and my last race in 2020, you'll know. There will be no doubts. If there are doubts about quitting, you'll probably keep going.

I'm 37 and for me it was never an issue of me getting injured. I had kind of accepted that injuries happen. About 4 years ago what changed everything was when I was riding with my brother and watched him indo and proceed to be unconscious for about 2 minutes. We're both husbands with kids and It was the first time in my life I was on the other side of an injury and it was way way harder to deal with. My brother is fine now, but It made me realize what my wife is always worried about, and what she has to feel when or if I get injured for a hobby I love. I rode 2 times after that, and took some time to make sure I wasn't making a decision solely based in fear then sold my bike. I already had started to get involved in triathlon, so it paved the way for me to really go all in on another hobby. I've been heavily involved in tri since. 

I quit 3 or 4 times between 18 and 55 lol. I finally realized I didn't have it in me to train enough to be relatively safe racing anymore. I was too afraid of getting a serious injury (this was driven home by a bunch of my peers having it happen to them). I've done some trail riding since but have really become a snowmobile junky. Fortunately for me I have access to one of the prime spots in the midwest to go play with my sled.

Hope your boy gets better soon. 

Tough pic to see. My daughter loves moto and wants to race, but I don't want her to and I'm steering her away. I've seen too much in 40 years of being in this sport. I've seen the worst you can imagine, and I never really got over it. I don't say that on here because I know there are many people here who have kids that race and why bring it up and bum people out?

If you look at what these kids are capable of in terms of jumping and going fast these days and what it takes to be competitive, the risk is only getting higher. I'm encouraging my kid to pursue music instead. 

I gotta admit, seeing people close to me get seriously injured has had me questioning why I still do it. I've donated to more GoFundMe's than I've paid electric bills lately. At 58 I just make sure if I'm not in shape, I don't over ride. When I'm in shape, all good, let er rip... Especially if there's a plastic trophy to be won.😄

 I love the atmosphere at the races. The ball busting between friends/rivals, the camping, the whole thing. I'm not much of a drive to the races at 5:30am, race, come home by 7::00pm kind of guy. I like the whole weekend experience. Sometimes "Life" gets outta the way long enough to let me put together a whole season. I'm thankful for those times. and the memories I'm left with.  Hard to walk away from that.

I stopped at 60 when the fear outweighed the fun. Jumps were becoming too big, and 2x concussions in under 6 months had me shook. The risk/reward ratio got skewed too far and I called it done. I still ride street, but I don't miss moto much. That's mainly due to my son's riding and racing that still keeps me very invested and involved in the sport, even tho we will never go Pro.

For kennyC, been there, done that, multiple times, starting at age 7 with a bruised spleen, up to last year's broken arm. Every single time he's been itching to ride again within days of the injury. Kids are resilient, and they come back fast. Sometimes stupid fast like this vid shows.  Give him time to decide if/when he's ready. And be prepared - as they get faster your fear level will increase. There are times I am sick to my stomach when he is out there. We all know what the consequences of this sport can be when it goes bad. 

53 and diagnosed with Parkinson's just over a year ago. I ride a bit here and there, and did one vintage race on a buddy's PE 175 this year. Used to do quite a few races and definitely miss it but I just can't do it safely any more. I go out to the track, hang out with friends, and do some easy laps when it's not too busy. Will keep doing that for the foreseeable future. My symptoms are noticeable but not debilitating and medication helps a lot. Moto is great exercise and exercise is the one and only thing proven to slow the progression of Parkinson's.  

As far as kids getting hurt, my kid had a compression fracture of a vertebrae a few years ago. He was a beginner and I let him take my 350 (he'd mainly just ridden my 250F to that point). I really felt guilty about letting him on that 350 - he got overconfident and rode over his head, which is way too easy to do with a 350 or 450. You can just twist the throttle and go fast without having the skill to do it safely. So I sold my 4 strokes and bought a 144 2 stroke and told him that now he'll have to work for his speed!