Would you rather be

I don't mind being me. I never got serious as I knew it was a path that wouldn't make it. I've always ridden for fun since I was 3 (I'm 30 now). 

Went to college, been working in the workforce for 6 years now (construction), and still ride and love the sport. 

I'll never quit riding until I'm physically not able to.

It's life behind bars for me. 

MC has 72 SuperCross wins. I have lapped him 4 times in "Funs."

I’ve never been really fast, but I’ve been sorta fast (if you squint while watching..) for about 50 years now. Easy answer for me..

The older i get the more i wish i never worried about speed and wish i just focused on learning how to throw big whips 😂

This past weekend I was running in 3rd in the +50 class after the first lap, then I dropped the anchor and fell back to 9th by the end. This was really frustrating because I can usually stay about 4-6th. 

At 52 I shouldn’t care where I finish, but I care just as much now as ever..still wish I was faster, but don’t have much time to practice..

Also notice if I have one close call (crash) it really slows me down the rest of the moto..

It depends. I'm a slow, no-talent never-was hack. Would I like to have been faster? Of course. But would I have had more fun? Doubt it, plus riding my own pace and staying in my lane I've been able to stay healthy and out of the ER for the most part, so I'm happy to be where I am. 

But if we're talking Jett-level, generational speed, I'd have to say I'd take it. Even if only for a year. 

Where does painfully slow, injury riddled, long history fit in?

I don't have pro speed, but I'm faster than most of my friends and I've won local and regional races and series against what is very tough (to me) competition. That's all the "speed confirmation" I ever need. I'd rather have it that way and be able to ride with my son, like I do, than have won any pro race in the past but be done riding. 

At 57, I am happy being able to just ride.  I go out and do what I feel comfortable doing.

Average speed and continue to ride. 

Plenty of guys/friends I rode and raced with that passed me up and even turned local pro that never or hardly ever throw their leg over a bike anymore. Happy that I still have the love to ride if and when I get the opportunity, slow or not.

Yet we all always strive for more.

I didn’t care at all the 2 races I did. I rode once at Denmark 1st ride of the yr & didn’t ride last yr. It rained all night & in morning.. I didn’t think Denmark woukd race but open ride in the afternoon. I get there last practice is on the track. So I skipped practice & didn’t look at the track. Haha. I just raced to hv fun racing & it was. Janky start not many where ready I was 2 straights behind. Fun letting it hang out to catch up. The 1st floater jump I 1st saw a racer then to a drop away I was 4 ft from the rt to pass a guy. & landed on the side steep bank. Lucky not to crash hard then run guys down & battle, it’s fun leaders where gone. A older vet said I passed some fast vets. 2nd motos I had trouble breathing I didn’t know the wild fire smoke rolled in. Race day is fast doing 2 classes. It comes down to exp & not speed. 3 injection a week in a lot of pain. Just ride with what’s left of the bod. I wish I would’ve quit the hhg rig at the end of 95. To avoid serious injuries & surgeries at work. And raced pro nationals & AX . Plan was 3-4 races then turn it on.  Wild fire smoke, getting rained out etc. every time I rode I was getting it back. 1st time riding deep sand in 25 yrs I hit the sx track. Blast skimming whoops & railing . Suspension forks way too soft packing in the bottoming area& shock kicks left& rt. I used caution passing I didn’t want to crack them with the rear tire. Basically ok with the improvement & was not up to my speed yet.  Positive is my wrist I broke driving 2 yrs ago is healed it’s just arthritis.  59 on 11-18 it’s next yr for me. 12+ age 125 class because it’s fun & there safer than 50+. At Xmas tge 50+ leaders bike was seizing he put his hand up . And a rider hit him so hard he blew the caliper , foot peg off & broke his leg.  I got taken out cheap shot on the start then hit on the ground.  50+ in Wi. Is serious I guess. Oh yeah I made it home alive . That’s a bigger accomplishment than winning a LL title. And I made money 1 week impossible to do now. My whole body is spasming so that’s not the best. 

Searched for the van thread I can’t find it. Ta ya Kay her American work name an Ukraine Hotty in real life she’s Real cute & Very cool. She Luvs my g20 she & probably Christina put 5.6 miles on it. I don’t care as long as they don’t wreck it. Haha. 2nd attempt to send not sending a pic this time because it gets deleted. I sent pics on here of her anyway 

Easy answer for me. I always just rode for fun in the local hills and then once I could afford it we started spending weekends in the desert. I didn't even enter a race until I was 32 (1991) Then I got hooked on racing, I was racing or going to the desert 2-3 times a month. My kids got into racing at that time too. My daughter wasn't into the competition so much but my son was all onboard. Never got serious about racing but got hooked on racing just the same. I was racing the same (slow lol) guys week after week and got addicted to it. I joined the othg and then the otmx when I turned 40. I was all enthused to race into my 80's until 2020 at age 61. Then had a goodie and decided I was done racing. I turn 67 in January and still ride the desert and dual sports (my wife rides also) regularly. Plus both of my kids have kids and campers now and we all camp in the desert and ride together. I have years worth of memories riding / camping with my kids, plus watching the grandkids learning to ride and spending family time together is something I wouldn't trade for anything. Not even being the fastest guy in the galaxy for a few years. 😎

Also an easy choice because honestly as much as I love motocross and racing, I never was that good at it 😔😂😂😂

You could ride into your 80,s if u wanted to. There’s quite a few truckers in there 80,s fit & lean . My 2nd to last delivery was a cool old timer his 1st yr trucking was in 66 after Vietnam the yr I was born.  I walked ovr to him & said that’s the worst truck I ever drove in 6 decades back to the 70,s. He asked how old r you ?  I think the big age difference is cool & styles of riding,  Vets are usually smoother . Day off & run all day call diff Ukraine work people.  New bushings in steer axle etc scarry b4 cutting left& rt etc.  my body is hammered Real bad . We,ll see how it holds up a 30+ AX title at 59 on a 04 cr125 would be cool.  Jan, Feb work is always bad

Send those pics big dawg 

Most of the friends I have who I raced as a kid and who turned pro and raced all over the country, along with some dabbles in Supercross and Pro Motocross, don't ride much if at all anymore. Some of them from being completely burned out and sour over the sport, and some just too busted up to withstand another day at the track.  I remember being a bit jealous of them in my teens, wishing I could have those same experiences, but now looking back, I'm happy that I still have a love for moto, and that I still have a hard time sleeping the night before because I'm so excited!

Hell yeah. I just turned 48 this summer and still love it. I'm in New England so I have down time in the winter. My mood definitely changes when I cant ride. Its like therapy for me. When work is tough, or life in general, I'm like I need to ride! A lot of my crew begged out on riding this summer and my best friend was crazy busy with work. I ended up at the track solo a lot. I still went home every day with a big smile on my face

Just wanted to clarify, I'm still riding and plan to keep riding as long as I physically can, hopefully into my 80's, but I'm done racing. At least for the time being. The 70 class is 3 years away so never say never I guess. But I'm done with blind jumps and riding with guys who seem to crash every moto, which is where I was in the 60 class. For years (like 30+) I raced the same guys who I trusted, we rode within our means and didn't push ourselves over our heads. Sure we'd spin out or tip over in a corner here and there, and we were anything but fast. But we had a great time and we were more concerned with working Monday than winning Sunday. The last few years in the 60 nov otmx class there were new guys coming in who's desire to win out weighed there talent and to be honest were crashing by themselves damn near every moto. I finally collected one after a blind jump and fucked myself. Had I had a "Run of the mill" broken pelvis and femur I probably would be back racing now. But a botched surgery, infection, almost losing a leg, combined with 2 plus years of surgeries and financial stress sucked the motivation out of getting back on a track. Guess I'm a pussy at heart 😗  But you know what they say, you are what you eat !

So racing again for me ? Maybe..... but it'll be rolling around in the 70 class with zero expectations besides having fun.    

My next cycle around the Sun makes it 75 turns. Still riding and racing. Had my Pro License in the early 70's, however only rode a few before the draft took me. Some overseas racing, then home. Raised a family and built a business. In the NW I race 70 Masters and I am usually in the top 3 dependent on who shows up. Do not see myself quitting only managing the risk reward equation. That said, I have no intention of going to a race and doing laps! I intend to be competitive even when I get to the 80 class. In my dreams I truly miss not having an awesome Pro Career, other than that "Life Behind Bar" is so awesome

Riding and racing have saved me from myself over the years, and from depression over problems I had no control over (divorce, deaths in the family etc..)

If I had only a 10 year "Hero" stage and done.. I'd probably be in the ground today. 

I am 38 years old now. I always rode OK, but never at blazing speeds. Had a pile of injuries when I was younger and a few scattered throughout my 30's. I have not ridden since June of this year and I am really not missing it. Sold my 450. My 125 and 300 are on the chopping block. The fear of getting hurt has outweighed the fun for the first time in my career. I am going to take 2026 off and see what happens.

Newbie 60 year olds, now there's a contradiction in terms hahaha.   

43 here and never really got the chance to ride moto when younger but had a CT70 to terrorize the neighborhood with. I was hooked. Bought my 1st YZ125 in my younger 20's, track days and the occasional race. Had a couple other 250f's and hung it up cold turkey in 2010 and bought a boat. My family talked me into something safer. Got married, had 2 kids and got them into the sport. Raced their 1st series this summer. Now the wife is having FOMO that it's wrapped up here in MN. We've met so many great families and kids have great track friends. I had to scratch that itch and just bought a bike again. Got out 2x so far and holy RUSTY!!! Having a blast though and can't wait unit next summer.

I guess it might be the fact that I've never really been able to be 110% into it that drives my passion; that, and a knack for mechanics. Used to always say "better at fixing them than riding them." LOL