There are very few regrets about my 40-odd years of motorcycling, but there are a few that are worth mentioning.

I’ve listed just five. How many do you have?

1 Earplug regrets

My biggest regret is not wearing earplugs.

Wind noise can be over 100dB at highway speeds and after just 15 minutes it can do damage to your ears.

I’ve lost a little bit of hearing over the years, but mainly I now have ringing in my ears (tinnitus) which is sometimes so bad it wakes me at night.

Simple $2 foam earplugs would have saved my hearing.

Now, I won’t even ride to the nearby shops without shoving in my Alpine MotoSafe earplugs that filter damaging wind noise so you can hear emergency sounds (sirens, horns, screeching tyres) and pleasant sounds (your bike’s exhaust and Bluetooth intercom/music).

2 Crashing regrets

I’ve had a few crashes over the years and I’m now suffering from the residual pain from old injuries.

Every single crash was my fault to some degree and I regret not having taken a little more care.

3 Selling bikes

I have owned a lot of bikes over the years and couldn’t afford to keep them all as I updated to newer, faster, more expensive models.

There are several I regret selling, but none more so that the 2010 Ducati GT1000 that I had heavily modified exactly to my riding style and tastes.

4 Training

I’ve been lucky to be invited to several free advanced rider training courses over the years and have paid for a couple myself.

Every time I go I learn something new.

I just wished I’d gone to them earlier in my riding life.

5 Overseas travel

Again, I’ve been lucky to have been invited by several motorcycle tour companies to join their tours and ridden in many countries on motorcycle media launches.

However, I should have also shelled out the cash and joined some of the more adventurous tours that may soon be beyond my abilities, what with the aches and pains of those crashes!

• Now tell us about your riding regrets and leave your comments below.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com