[Jayhawk]

Duplicate.

[Jayhawk]

Originally Posted by Michael G.

Your right about non-riders, with many negative opinions, but I was a rider.
I brought my Goldwing down from Wisconsin 7 years ago when we move here full time.
Cycle riding gave me a high every time I rode, but people need to accept the consequences of what can happen at our age.

Well here's my thoughts:
Find a different pass time down here, seriously.
Traffic in Florida is nuts even in a car/truck

You don't heal very well at age 60, 70, or 80 after sliding across the blacktop.
Also, I didn't want my family feeding me through a straw for the rest of my life.

Your Life, Your Choice

Maybe you should get rid of your car then. Here is the AUTO fatalities in FLORIDA from only 2021:


Florida 3,863 auto fatalities

Deaths From Motor Vehicle Crashes - Florida Health CHARTS - Florida Department of Health


Florida 593 motorcycle fatalities

In 2021, the most recent year with complete data, 593 people died as the result of a motorcycle accident in the State of Florida

How Many Motorcycle Deaths Are There Per Year in Florida?.

How many motorcycle riders are in Florida?

620,077 registered

With Florida's warm and sunny weather, it's no surprise that many residents choose to ride motorcycles. In 2020 there were an estimated 620,077 registered motorcyclists in Florida

[Byte1]

Loud pipes and loud horns, and don't be afraid to upset folks. Better to be a victim of angry seniors than to be a dead or injured victim of unaware seniors. I rode in other countries where traffic was much worse and one had to be defensive ALL the time. Once you get away from mass populated areas, you can have a peaceful and enjoyable ride. BUT/BUT riding in the Villages is dangerous for EVERYONE. You can't even be remiss in your defensive travel while walking, biking, golf carting, etc. Seniors are not inherently evil, just seem to live with tunnel vision and deafness.

[tophcfa]

I have been riding motorcycles since my teenage years and can say there are lots of good rides in the rural areas away from the bubble. Just be very careful and defensive riding in and around the Villages, the area has without a doubt the highest concentration of bad drivers per capital of any area I have ever experienced, and I am from Massachusetts where drivers are referred to as massholes. And please, regardless of the law, wear a good full face helmet. There are way too many future organ donors riding around these parts without helmets.

[Michael G.]

Originally Posted by tophcfa

And please, regardless of the law, wear a good full face helmet. There are way too many future organ donors riding around these parts without helmets.

Sooo Helmets are the cure all.
What about your legs, arms, back etc.

Helmets are like having a peeing section in a swimming pool.

[LAFwUs]

Originally Posted by tophcfa

I have been riding motorcycles since my teenage years and can say there are lots of good rides in the rural areas away from the bubble. Just be very careful and defensive riding in and around the Villages, the area has without a doubt the highest concentration of bad drivers per capital of any area I have ever experienced, and I am from Massachusetts where drivers are referred to as massholes. And please, regardless of the law, wear a good full face helmet. There are way too many future organ donors riding around these parts without helmets.

Op, the above post is spot on!
Both my wife & I have been into bikes (choppers, cruisers & bobbers), riding building and teaching others to ride for nearly 2 decades.

Wear your helmet and ride VERY defensively at all times.

The worst will be the round-abouts, there are even multiple threads here, regarding them. Some have blatant disregard for anyone else, the laws, common courtesy, etc. Always be prepared for nearby cars & carts to do exactly what they shouldn't, this is true when you are on 4 wheels or 2.

2nd most common issue I've witnessed, is major intersection turn lanes. I cannot tell you how many near misses, accidents and folks locking up mid intersection, I've seen here.
If you are a good rider, you'll be fine, if you are not, this is going to be a sharp learning curve.
Be safe and enjoy your trip!

[Nucky]

Leave it at home. I have my memories but gave up my license eight years ago because I desperately want to live. Down here you want more metal surrounding you not less. You'll be too busy with other stuff anyway.

[Michael G.]

Originally Posted by Nucky

Leave it at home. I have my memories but gave up my license eight years ago because I desperately want to live. Down here you want more metal surrounding you not less. You'll be too busy with other stuff anyway.

[ThirdOfFive]

Originally Posted by Byte1

Loud pipes and loud horns, and don't be afraid to upset folks. Better to be a victim of angry seniors than to be a dead or injured victim of unaware seniors. I rode in other countries where traffic was much worse and one had to be defensive ALL the time. Once you get away from mass populated areas, you can have a peaceful and enjoyable ride. BUT/BUT riding in the Villages is dangerous for EVERYONE. You can't even be remiss in your defensive travel while walking, biking, golf carting, etc. Seniors are not inherently evil, just seem to live with tunnel vision and deafness.

Good advice.

I had a 117 dB monstrosity of a horn on my bike. I don't know if it was legal in MN...just on the line, I think. Maybe not down here either. But man did it work. I didn't use it much (got lots of attention from people it wasn't intended for), but when it did, it got results. Sounded just like a locomotive horn. I used it once on some ditz woman coasting through a stop sign with her head buried in her phone. One short blast and I thought she had whiplash her head jerked up so hard! But she got the message.

Never used it down here but I don't think it would have quite the same results, given that hearing is one of the first things to start going away when you hit geezerhood.

[Michael G.]

Originally Posted by Byte1

Loud pipes and loud horns, and don't be afraid to upset folks. Better to be a victim of angry seniors than to be a dead or injured victim of unaware seniors.

Nice

[jebartle]

Husband sold FAT boy after two close calls in round-abouts

[William MacEntee]

Originally Posted by Robbb

Renting a home in the Villages next week, thinking of trailering my motorcycle down to ride around the area. My concern is, from my limited experience, the Villages and surrounding area, are not really good riding areas due to heavy traffic and inattentive drivers. Looking for opinions from local riders. Tks

I am originally from Pennsylvania, but I live in the villages currently. I had a Harley Davidson for 50 years, but recently sold it, because the villages is much too dangerous for all the reasons stated in this thread.

[NoMo50]

As a full-time resident, and avid motorcycle rider, I can tell you there are a lot of good rides available here. You just need to get out of the bubble. And, you do need to be careful. Dress for the crash, not the ride. Wear your helmet, even though you don't have to. I frequently see one particular guy around our neighborhood riding a HD ******. He is always wearing shorts, tank top, flip flops, and no helmet. I wonder if he is out looking for Charles Darwin. When I ride, it is all about situational awareness...head on a swivel.

[Rwirish]

I would avoid riding a cycle.

[La lamy]

Not a rider here, but I see so many crazy drivers running red lights, not doing their stops, not using turn signals, or worse, using or leaving a WRONG turn signal on, I'd be extremely weary for you.