Who here doesn't actually ride?

I'm 52. Didn't ride MX for 20 yrs after riding most of my life previously.
Started riding MX again last March when my 12yr old son decided to ride MX.
We rode play bikes and trails all his life but never MX.
It's great for my mind and soul to get to share this with my only child, my body on the other hand is playing catch up!

Hung up the boots last year after riding all my life. 40 yrs old, family and other obligations take precedence over the track these days. Son says Mx is not his thing, he's into soccer and self analyzed the possible injury's of mx and determined that it's not worth the risk. Still holding on to his bike just in case but not upset that he chose another sport. I don't miss it nearly as much as I thought I would and now realize how niche and inclusive MX is in relation to other sports.

in my early 30s, rode from 12 to 25. still follow the sport, hard not too evn though i havent ridden a motorcycle in prob 5 years

old habits die hard. still attend nationalsl too!

I’m currently out with a torn ACL and ruptured meniscus and am awaiting surgery.

I didn’t ride a lot of Moto these days anyway and then when I chose to, this happened. I’m gutted, it’s ruined my summer.

My Moto days may be over now. I might just stick with trail and a bit of enduro in future.

Great topic.
I'm also late 40's...was B grade moto in AU in my 20's then went on to enjoying a hell of a lot of trail riding but haven't thrown a leg over a dirt bike in about 10 years.
Currently have a street bike...but yeah zero intention of ever racing moto again...it was a great chapter in my life that has closed.

Will never stop watching the races though.

Haven't ridden in about 6 years . Not interested in ever hitting the track again but I'd like to get a KDX or something and hit the trails maybe .

I still ride as much as I can but I just turned 41, and have our first child on the way. My career takes up a lot of my time too. Plus old injuries have been giving me problems. I was unable to ride most of spring because of a neck/back issue. So I know for the moment riding has been put on the back-burner a bit. I've only been out 3 times this whole year. It's kind of depressing. And I'm sure once the baby is born, I will be busy with him. So this is the first time that I'm facing riding not being a routine thing for me. I'll never give it up, as long as I'm able to. Even if I have to scale MX way back and just ride trails or something. But it's just weird that I am at a point where other things are just too important. But that is part of why I waited until I was older to have a child. But that time has come, so obviously priorities change. Hopefully it's something we can do together, at some point. I still have my mtb and my R6 to take out for a quick ride w/o taking up my whole day at the MX track, so I think that'll help me adjust. It's interesting hearing everyone's story.

Work is important, as it provides for our families. But I would never take a job for the sake of my "career" that meant I could not ride moto.

I also feel having a healthy outlet such as moto makes me a better husband and father. I don't feel the need to be with my family 24x7.

Those are just my priorities, and I'm not saying anybody else's are wrong.

I don't ride dirt bikes anymore, but I do ride and race mountain bikes. Rode dirt bikes as a kid and went to a few supercross races growing up that got me hooked!

I went from casual fan to avid fan in 2010 and have always wished it happened sooner. Thinking about all the RC/JS/CR battles I missed out on.. not to mention all the Alessi chaos and RV dominating 250s. Some legendary stuff happened right before I really became a MX/SX nerd

I have a bike and ride occasionally but nothing competitive like it used to be. Once you have kids and jobs its just to demanding to be able to ride enough to be in the riding fitness you need to be competitive. I found Golf has scratched my competitive side and keeps me grounded without the constant injuries.

I used to ride between 5 YO and about 17 YO. Got into street bikes. Now into early 30's and went back to riding moto. So much more fun than street riding!

I don't ride but I follow the sport close and hang out on Vital all the time.

Between MTB, skiing, working quite a few hours a week, some other hobbies, riding moto has fallen off.
I'll probably pick up a bike next summer and get back out there. I live close to the Gifford Pinchot, some of the best tech single track in the nation IMO.

Similar to everyone else here, family, work time blah blah blah.

However, one of the best purchases I have made in 2020 was buying a pit bike. A KLX110L. I can come home after a long crappy day of work and I'll go hop on it for 15-20 minutes, do some wheelies, hit some small jumps in the back yard and then put it away and go back inside to do whatever is needed.

It isn't that loud so the neighbors don't complain, easy to start and hop on for some quick fun. And with the pit bike, I wear my helmet and some old sneakers. No hauling for 2 hours and loading up gear and other B.S.

I swear just 15 minutes of wheelies and using a few trees as turn markers in my yard literately makes me feel mentally better after a long day of work.

It doesn't replace the fun of a big bike on a nice track but damn its easy, cheap, and still gives me little moto time.

My friend does the same with his XR80 and he lives in a sub division, but the thing is SO quiet. He has a couple small jumps in his tiny back yard but it is still enough to go "play" on.

I quit for a year and a half then came crawling back after gaining 30 lbs and the depression set in, it’s basically the only hobby I’ve had my whole life. Sometimes I ride about once a month other times I ride almost every weekend just depends on what life is like that month

I don’t even really try to go fast anymore though I’m mostly a sunday cruiser now. Hit a few jumps and rail a berm or two and get my fix. 90% of my focus is on my career that I love

49 still rippin'

I haven't ridden or owned a bike in 10 years. Sold my CR250 in 2012 before my last move across the country. I'm over 60 yrs old but still follow the sport closely. Watch almost all the SX and MX races and visit Vital WAY too often (as said above 5+ times a day). Once it gets in your blood, it never leaves. I recently got into nitro RC trucks. There is a dirt track 10 minutes from my home so I run my truck there some and hope to get decent enough to race one day. It is a lot harder than it looks, for me at least. It's about like a kid who can barely use the clutch trying to learn to ride on a CRF 450 ! I can't make it around the track before crashing. It gives me something to putter around with though.

I did 6 weeks of 7 days a week trying heal some big injuries from trucking. Back is better but not the hip,butt, knee and leg to foot is numb yet. Get all your gear including your boots indoors. My boots and goggles r junk. I, m working on 3 bikes and 2 vans, so busy. And working 7 days a week 4.5 to 8.5 months straight 20-23 hrs + . Countless details of life r way behind. Still in pain I rode yesterday. With a 1/4 lap I passed a new yz. Jumped everything the 1st lap. I usually walk the track 1st but no time. Track is hard pack with a lot of powder on top with big braking bumps in the back it’s soft. A lot of floaters landing on the down side of the hill. It was rough a yzf 250 broke a linkage bolt. I thought all the hills where similar but 1 surprised me I flew nearly to the bottom. I still up shifted in the air to clear the next table top. 2nd lap I cleaned it up land down sides smooth and started linking sections together. Which feels great along with floating ovr the hills. 1st ride since 2010 I think, 1-2011 bad surgery with 1 yr for full recovery. I don’t think I rode in 12 then 4-13 all my bikes where stolen. My pinky and next finger is numb threw the hand into the wrist from surgery. I had no arm pump in that hand my rt arm pumped up tho. I noticed my fingers sliding all ovr the clutch lever. I need 2 sided tape. That’s from the back shoulder joint flamed up and muscle knots yet. It would take 9 months of 7 days a week of pt to get well. So I figured I,ll ride with the body I hv. I turned the idle too far down on big down hill threw the braking bumps I stuffed it into the off comber rut and hit the ground. 4th gear back section I was running a 125 kid down . Cloud of dust I couldn’t see the turn ruts in the corner . 3rd gear i high sided down again. Straighten the brake lever fired it up and kept riding. New Fox instinct boots , 09 tld thick pants Incase I crashed on the hard pack and stones , 90,s cotton Jersey was . soaked. The stock 04 with iKat, hrc
Method pv adjustment and fmf was extra snappy. It’s like riding on ice with hills. Super fun. When I got there no 1 else was there. Then a few Bros showed up. 86 not too muggy although I wished it was. I 1st rode this track in 1990 the layout is totally diff. Kinda strange I felt comfortable and confident I noticed something off to the side . Next lap look ovr flying ovr the hill. The chassis is so good going threw the big braking bumps, holding a line and jumps.

I don’t know if it counts as not actually riding, but my riding is very very limited these days. I’m 31 and between work, house stuff, daughter horseback riding, 6yo son starting to ride, I just don’t have the time or money to ride myself. The moto focus is on my son at this point as I’m almost 30 years into riding. I won’t lie, it bums me out going to the track to work with my son and seeing a lot of friends and moto buddies riding while my bike sits at home in the garage, but seeing the excitement and smile on my sons face makes it worth it for me.

I’m 66, raced a lot when I was young. Three years ago decided to get back on the track, last time was mid 80’s

I don’t ride much but not by choice. In 2019 bought a trail bike to get my feet back under me. Along with a Yz250f. But haven been able to do much of that either. I retired in Jan, but before that my job made it hard to do anything.

In the last three years, Covid lock down, broke foot getting ready for deer season. Caught Covid last year. Then 8 weeks back knee surgery inner/outer meniscus. It will be fall more than likely before I can get back on the track with my knee.

Someday I’ll get to load up and go back to the track.

I’m 62 and stopped riding moto around 7-8 years ago. Raced locally from the age of 12 and then did vintage stuff into my 50’s. It was beating my body too much and it was hard to get to work the next day. I do ride at least once a week on my Harley so I’m still getting my riding fix. Moto is my passion, I would never check in on a street riding forum

My body is totally beat to hell . You would b surprised on how well you can ride yet. I stand a lot landing from a floater off a hill into a sweeping long rutted corner . Just relax and let the bike work under ya. Breaking in the suspension on the 2 hr 04 . I was shocked at how great it worked. Forks seemed a little soft towards the end but they soak up the big braking bumps so good.

Raced moto or off-road 15-25 times a year and rode at least once a week from age 6 to 18. Was completely burnt out by the time I chased the '99 National Hare Scrambles series at age 18. I parked the bike and only looked at it or fired it up maybe 3 times over the next 5 years. One day just woke up thinking "I want to race again". I walked right past the old turd '98 KTM125 sitting in the living room of my apartment and drove to the Honda dealer and grabbed a brand new CRF250X. That was a Friday afternoon, I went play riding to figure out the bike Saturday and went to a hare scramble on Sunday morning all by myself. My old gear from 1998 was basically falling apart during the race and my camelback nozzle fell off on lap two and I somehow won my class. Just like that, I was back to racing and haven't really looked back.

Aside from taking a little time off here and there to heal some injuries. I've been riding and racing enduros and hare scrambles and riding as often as I can since 2005. I'd like to ride more but a wife, kid and house crap takes up a lot of time.

I don't ride moto anymore, but ride and race MTB. I got into mountain biking to get in better shape for moto and it turned out to be much better for my lifestyle. I can come home and ride out of my garage to trails or travel less than an hour to hundreds of options. I realized moto just required too much time to drive to a track etc and the maintenance required to keep the bike at the level I required. I may get a trail bike of some sort as many friends ride some off road, but doubtful as the time I spend training and racing the MTB is already more than I have to spare. I am a bigger fan than ever and appreciate all the content available now with online and podcasts.

23, haven't ridden in years with other priorities in life. Still extremely passionate and involved with the sport, and attend as many races as I can every year.
I'll get another bike eventually, just need to get settled in life a bit.

I took 8 years off after riding and racing my whole life, had two beautiful babies and supported my wife while she pursued her dream of becoming an RN. She graduates in August and I bought a bike in March thinking this was my time to get back into the sport. I have ridden 4 times, two of those being XC races here in Montana. The speed is still there but my reaction time and muscle memory is what I notice lacking the most. I crashed pretty good my first race back and if I’m being honest it scared me pretty good. I do not have the desire to push the limit anymore and have realized my time being competitive might have passed, surprisingly I am alright with that. Time to ride for fun as my father always told me and teach my son to do the same. I have too many people counting on me daily to be an idiot and wad myself. Long story short, if you want to you still have time to get back into it but don’t be surprised if it is in a different capacity!


Photo credit- Jason Geer kickass photographer extraordinaire

I'm out for a while with a broken bike that I can't fix yet. For the time being, I'm helping my daughter develop into a racer. She's pretty intense! It makes me proud.

I'm closing in on 60... Up for dual knee replacement next year. I ride a pit bike these days. We'll see how the knees do, would like to get an enduro for some single track rides if the recovery is good.

No moto for a very long time for me.

....but I do ADV.

I don't ride and in fact could argue I never really did. Last bike I owned was a 97 YZ250. I tore my meniscus on my 2nd or 3rd ride. Ended up selling the bike to my brother and never got back on. But followed the sport since the mid 80's. I grew up in an area that had tons of moto guys. Moto seemed more popular in my neighborhood than any stick'n ball sport. So it just stuck.