Riding a Honda Gold Wing at the Age of 87 - Age Need Not Be a Factor

I thought I started riding very late. I was 51 when I decided to ride for the first time. I took a Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) class to learn how to ride. I have met a few riders who are much older than me who are still riding. Leo, in the Polar Bear Grand Tour, is still riding at 97 although he switched to a trike about five years ago. Leo was riding before I was born. I eventually ended up in a Gold Wing Road Riders Association (GWRRA) Chapter F in New Jersey. The Wingers are a pretty safe bunch with a lot of safety classes and riding rules with safety in mind.

For those of you wanting to know how older riders are doing in GWRRA, a chapter member steered me to a video from CBC.ca about Frank and Mary. Frank ran a machine shop before he retired. He had always wanted to ride motorcycles but work got in the way. At the age of 67, Frank learned to ride on a used bike and then worked his way up to a Honda Gold Wing. He and Mary joined a GWRRA group in Newfoundland and now they are the most respected members in their motorcycling community. Frank is now 87 and Mary is 84. Here's a 22 minute video that appeared on TV recently that lets you get to know the couple up close. Being a GWRRA member may not appeal to all riders but Frank and Mary are thriving in this community of riders. Take a look at the video and see where you may find yourself in a few years - enjoying retirement doing what you love and having more friends than you ever imagined. Watch the Video.