Guys:
Quick summation: "Like wrestling a Python!"
This weekend I got up the nerve to ride my recently purchased, lightly used (6 hours) 17' KTM 350 SXF. Call me a P_SSY, but a few details may help. I am 57, in good shape (run, lift, mountain bike,ski) but a "paper-pusher" and haven't ridden since I was 21. Not even a road bike. What got me back was 10 years of watching supercross/ motocross on TV, reading every magazine I could find. Then I rode on a half day tour on the desert during a trip to Las Vegas in 15'... Most fun I had in 32 years! And that was that... I had to get back... Took me a couple more years to get my employment back in shape, to get the greenlight from my wife of 30 years... See my first topic on VitalMX, "First Bike After 35 Years, need help!"
So yes, until this past Saturday, I can admit now I was a bit nervous. I should also say I rode with a good friend on trails/ fire roads on his sons Kawi KX250F a couple of times last summer. Problem was I went down real hard during my third ride with him. Broke my shoulder blade, along with bruises and scrapes.
So deep down, I was tentative. My buddy offered to take me on those same trails, but I thought the best thing would be to go it alone and do a track-day at a local track. Off to Wareham MX in southeast Massachusetts... Pissaa!
I can remember every turn, bump, rut, jump but to cut to the chase, I took two laps, fell three times and felt like I was wrestling a freek'in Python!!! The track is a true sand track, so probably not the easiest starting point. It got better, the next 10 laps had no falls, and I started to figure it out. Need a lot of work on the jumps... And yes, I am hooked! Can't stop thinking about it, reading stuff on technique, etc.
And for the past three days I feel like I just...wrestled a Python!!!
So are there any older guys like me, who have gotten back after a break with similar tales worth a laugh or two ?