Sorry Al but how long has it been since you have thrown a leg over your motorcycle.
We all know your thoughts on road vs racing, bit of a broken record really, in 50 years of riding on the road as well all my mates who started riding bikes at the same time and we are all still riding on the road, we haven't in 50 years of riding together lost anyone from riding on the road, yes a few have had accidents and injuries but always got back on the road without being put off, I have lost more riding mates through life mistakes and bad health, heart attacks, the big C and alcohol abuse, not riding their bikes on the road.
I been riding for 50 years now I still ride my hotrod Norton I built, my 1200 Triumph Thruxton and my high powered Honda CRF450X dirt bike, in my 50 years of riding on the road I have only had a few short breaks in that time 3 left knees injuries in my younger day, a fractured arm in my later days when thrown over the Norton handle bars and 3 license suspensions, I still ride all my bikes like I stole them and really haven't changed my riding style since I first time I jumped on a bike after leaving school at 15, at 64 I still ride my high powered dirt bike that does wheelies in all gears and is very quick and powerful in the dirt, I have always had a bike Al I don't know how you can keep talking about all your racing in reality its been so long since you been out on your bike and when you were racing you had a lot of long breaks in between, I couldn't do that just a week off my bikes is way too long.
Maybe you should stop thinking about it and get back on your bike and don't listen to no one but yourself and do it, if my wife told me to stop riding, she would know not too as I wouldn't listen to her, my bikes are my life, I don't just talk about days gone by as I just get on them and go, the roads are just as dangerous as you make it out to be, I am more wiser when out these days and paying attention in what others are doing around you and having a bike that has the power to get you out of any troubles.
Get back on your bike before its too late instead of talking about how it was, any way I am out of here, I am going for a ride even if its overcast here.
Ashley