12 Of The Best Motorcycles For Senior Riders

If a young heartthrob in a stained wifebeater shirt and leather jacket is the image that jumps to your mind when you think “rider,” you may be surprised to find that the majority of motorcyclists in the United States are over 50, with millions of riders over the age of 60. Like any large cohort of the American public, these motorcyclists defy easy categorization, and different subgroups of seniors are looking for different motorcycles.

Some motorcycles on this list are right for lifelong riders, still fit enough to keep checking big rides off the bucket list. Some bikes are right for a well-seasoned rider seeking a smart, manageable option. Still other motorcycles are great for senior riders who are riding for the first time and are looking for something small and fun. There are options available for seniors with decreased mobility, such as automatic transmissions, electronic rider aids, or lighter weights. There are even three-wheelers to keep things stable and assist aging riders.

By choosing the right motorcycle, senior riders can continue riding into their golden years. The following roundup represents various types of motorcycles for seniors at different life stages who want to keep alive the spirit of adventure that a good life requires, no matter what your age.

How about a transcontinental touring machine with the comfort of Grandpa’s armchair? Senior riders with touring experience are right at home on a Gold Wing.

Although there are probably instances of people successfully making a Gold Wing their first bike, this is really a motorcycle best left to the seasoned rider. Although the flat-six engine’s position lowers its center of gravity, this is a heavyweight machine that, when loaded with fuel, luggage, and a passenger, can tip the scales at over 1,000 pounds. Nobody of any age is going to manhandle a Gold Wing with a touring loadout.

However, good riding technique, such as that of an older, experienced rider, can tame the mighty ‘Wing even when fully loaded, while less technical riders may struggle to throw it around empty. But ride it properly, and the Gold Wing can open up the country in a way few machines can, with its smooth double-wishbone front suspension, copious storage, and nav system. A bevy of rider-assistance systems, such as a 7-speed dual-clutch transmission, cruise control, heated seating, walking mode, reverse, and airbags, round out the reasons why Honda’s big touring machine is actually a great fit for some senior riders.

The BMW is a clean, sporty touring machine powered by a German-made engine with a solid pedigree, the iconic boxer twin. The bike is equipped with ShiftCam technology, which helps provide immediate low-end power, giving senior riders the fun they are looking for while making the bike feel more confidence-inducing at slow speeds.

The sleek sport bike lines disguise the fact that riders straddle the 1250RT and R 1300RT brethren in a more upright, athletic posture, increasing comfort for older backs and necks. The BMW is loaded up with electronic wizardry to give senior riders back a little edge that the years may have taken off. These include dynamic electronic suspension adjustment that adapts the suspension’s performance to real-time driving conditions. Opting for a late-model R 1300 RT gives senior riders access to BMW’s automatic shift assistant, which uses throttle position and riding mode data to shift gears automatically. Bikes equipped with this option have no clutch lever, and the foot lever is, in fact, a switch.

These Beemers are equipped with radar-assisted cruise control, as well as lean-sensitive electronics that can help reel in riders of any age who start to get too far out on the ragged edge. Opting for the chassis height control allows the bike to automatically lower its height when it comes to a stop, ensuring more solid footing.

The Harley-Davidson Street Glide Ultra is the retirement goal of millions, made incarnate in machine form. Any HOG Rally attendee will note that a few gray whiskers in no way ruin the look that goes with riding a Harley. In fact, the mark is known for appealing to an older crowd, and one of its most popular models lately is the Street Glide Ultra.

The Street Glide has done well for HD since its inception and through a variety of guises. Set up in Ultra form, the Street Glide Ultra delivers the classic big-twin cruiser rumble courtesy of its hefty 114 cubic-inch Milwaukee-Eight engine. Senior riders who want to spend some of their golden years touring the highways and byways are advised to consider the Street Glide Ultra’s equipment, which includes an updated take on the classic batwing fairing for wind protection, various rider aids, and enough luggage space to easily accommodate two full-face helmets.

Its relaxed riding posture is comfortable, and when a passenger is coming along, they will find the seating plush and supportive. Also supportive is the wide dealer network and helpful community of fellow Harley riders.

Senior riders appreciate a machine that can make riding easier on older bodies. In particular, joints in the hands, wrists, and knees, all of which handle a fairly heavy workload when commanding a motorcycle, can use a little help. 

Enter the Honda Rebel 1100 DCT. It is a bike with presence. It is a bike with heft. But, perhaps most importantly to senior riders, this is a bike with a Dual Clutch transmission, or DCT, similar to what can be found in its big stablemate, the Gold Wing. The Rebel’s DCT, along with its 27.5-inch seat height, helps make the Rebel intuitive to control. Its long wheelbase and classic styling draw attention on bike night, while its Honda build quality reduces reliability concerns.

The 1094cc parallel-twin provides smooth power that comes on predictably and impressively. The Rebel is, in fact, a serious and adaptable cruiser that gives senior riders plenty to love.

A vintage-styled British cruiser is just the thing to make your Pops want to “ton-up,” as they used to say in Old Blighty during the high water mark of the cafe racer scene. The Speedmaster, proudly made in Hinckley, Leicestershire, appeals to seniors familiar with the British motorcycle scene. Through steady development the Speedmaster has matured into a smart, capable cruiser. 

Over the years, it has seen an increase in displacement to its current 1200cc size, a move to fuel injection in 2008, and the inclusion of rider aids like ABS, cruise control, and selectable ride modes. Seniors who opt for the Speedmaster over its sibling, the Bobber, get a motorcycle with a plusher seat and the ability to give a passenger a spin.

The Speedmaster occupies the wide middle ground allowing riders to cruise, hit the backroads, or embark on the occasional weekend excursion. The Speedmaster deftly handles all of these duties for senior riders and cheerfully exudes British class in the process.

Kawasaki has been hanging the Vulcan nameplate on a bike every year since 1984, making it a mark that is fairly familiar to seniors who were involved with motorcycling in some way over the years. In its current iteration, the Vulcan S is a modern sport cruiser hybrid that carves out its own niche. Its offset monoshock, structural layout, and motor are all derived from the legendary Ninja sportbike. Developing over 60 hp from its 649cc parallel-twin engine, the Vulcan S is plenty powerful. Its spliced-in sportbike DNA makes it responsive, and, perhaps one of its primary virtues, it is considered reasonably priced by many motorcycle shoppers.

It’s on the radar of seniors looking for an easy-cruising bike with a big presence. Clean, modern body panels clad a sportbike-derived chassis, giving it an aggressive look and a reputation for handling corners well despite its low seat height. That low height, when paired with the sub-500-pound curb weight, makes for an easy bike for senior riders to handle in the parking lot and during slow-speed maneuvers.

Also appealing to seniors is that this Kawasaki features the company’s ERGo-Fit system, which tailors bike control positions to the rider, helping seniors find a comfortable riding position that can accommodate riders with limited mobility or joint pain. The footpegs, handlebar, and seat are all adjustable with this system, and after getting it dialed in, seniors can fire it up to enjoy its sportbike-influenced ride, smooth power delivery, and predictable cornering.

The Royal Enfield Meteor lures older riders in with timeless simplicity in a manageable package. It keeps them with the charms of its 349 cc air- and oil-cooled thumper single, comfortable stance, and its classic lines. Seniors have come to appreciate the virtues of keeping things straightforward. The Meteor manages that trick while still having a personality, as well as a stance and logo that invite conversation.

Its small displacement could put it at risk of feeling like a toy, but instead it feels substantial when put to the tasks it was built for: namely, zipping around town to restaurants, errands and meetups, and occasional jaunts into rural highways for a spot of motoring on a fine day. With less than 20 horses in the stable, it is not going to snap Grandpa’s head back when he rolls into the throttle, but its single cylinder will happily thump away, getting him down the road smoothly, if not with undue haste.

Unlike its stablemates, the Classic and the Hunter 350, the Meteor features the more upright riding stance of a European horseman. A cool heel-toe shifter, of the kind usually found on big tourers and vintage rides, and a fat 4-gallon gas tank complete the cruiser aesthetic. That fuel tank, when paired with the Meteor’s motor, which returns 60 mpg, means there are going to be a lot of meetups for coffee and spins around town before senior riders will have to swing by the gas station.

If your Grandpa rocks a faded HD tattoo, or your Grannie used to wrench on her ‘Busa’s extended swingarm before speed cameras ruined the fun, it may be hard to talk them into getting into the saddle of an Eliminator. As for legions of other riders, including many seniors, it should be easy to get them behind the Kawi’s handlebars, because it’s probably just what they are looking for.

Yanking 45 hp out of a 451cc motor will tell you immediately that the Eliminator 450 is no slouch when it comes to pound-for-pound power production. In fact, this little 450 will get up and go, with its speedometer topping out around 100 mph. That gives it the chops to handle occasional high-speed highway and interstate work without undue complaint, though wind buffeting and the noise of its revved-up motor may be a bit off-putting for riders who have to do more than a quick hop on and off.

The Eliminator shines as a city bike. Its light 386-pound curb weight and low seat height make it manageable at stops and in slow traffic. It also features a standard assist-and-slipper clutch. This clutch makes shifting easier, requiring about 20% less effort to fully depress than non-assisted clutch levers. This helps older hands manage the shifting duties around town and extends the amount of saddle time that senior riders can handle comfortably.

The BMW G 310 GS is a compact bike with a style that blends streetfighter and adventure bikes, making it a mobile and capable ride at only 386 lbs. It is an urban adventure bike in a tight package that should be appealing to older riders who can ignore the naysayers. Some have criticized this bike for having an Indian origin but commanding BMW prices for the bike, parts, and labor.

Anyone familiar with recent Indian bikes will doubt claims that Indian-made motorcycles are bad. BMW produces these bikes, along with other lightweight models, in partnership with Indian firms at its state-of-the-art global manufacturing hub for 500cc and smaller bikes in India. The resulting product, derived from the tough G 310 R, is the lightweight dual-sport/urban adventure bike, the G 310 GS.

This bike looks like the little brother of the 1250 GS. Like its bigger adventure stablemate, the 310 GS is capable, if not as tall. Its suspension, though offering more travel than the 310 R, will let its limits be known rather quickly if older riders decide to throw caution to the wind in order to see what the little Beemer is made of off-road. But if they stick to just running around town and the occasional dirt road, its admirable characteristics will be on full display, and it will make cruising the back roads feel like a high adventure.

So…what has three wheels and is the subject of a lot of arguments? “This guy!” answers the Can-Am Spyder RT. Is it a true motorcycle, a trike, a car, or a snowmobile in disguise? Well. Yes, no, and maybe to any and all, but what can definitely be said of Can-Am’s creations is that they are a heck of a lot of fun. It is evident that the reverse trike layout of the Spyder RT and its siblings provides stability, but it is no one-trick pony.

What is evident after closer inspection is that the Spyder RT is clearly a luxury touring machine that competes with the likes of the Gold Wing and Harley’s touring lineup, with an impressive list of features. The Spyder RT features traction control, stability control, cruise control, ABS brakes, and, since 2014, a very reliable 1330cc Rotax triple engine paired up with a semi-auto trans that has a reverse gear.

Braking is distributed proportionally across all three tires by a braking system that reduces the driver’s workload. Ample storage makes this a fun vehicle to use as a grocery getter in your senior years, or to get out there and see the country from the comfort of the Can-Am’s stable saddle. Riders who do choose to tour with the Spyder RT in their golden years will be happy when skies turn gray, as the somewhat futuristic front bodywork, fairing, and windshield provide a surprising level of weather protection.

If the Spyder looks like it’s touring from the not-too-distant future, the Freewheeler, one of the trikes from Milwaukee’s favorite motor company, takes things in a retro-modern direction. It incorporates classic American styling elements such as hot rod bob-tail fenders and ape hangers to appeal stylistically to the senior set, with a few well-placed nods to days gone by.

However, in days gone by, you would have needed to build something like this with your buddies out of donor bikes and junkyard parts, resulting in something that would be hard-pressed to match the build quality and attention to fit and finish you get with a modern Harley-Davidson. Instead, Harley has done it for you and done it better. Trikes have historically had a bad rap when it came to handling, but the Freewheeler boasts a drag-torque slip control system along with a variety of braking, cornering, and traction control aids to assist riders and deliver predictable handling.

The paint is lustrous, the big twin is reliable, and it provides the power cruiser experience. As a touring platform, it features good wind protection and a weatherproof hard trunk. The big trike is nimble around town as well. Stop-and-go traffic is made easier on aging legs by the Freewheeler’s stable three-wheeled stance. Seniors will enjoy this stylish bike as it comes, but since it is an HD, the parts catalog and aftermarket are deep, and one could spend retirement customizing the Freewheeler.

You may not know it, but there is, in fact, a Vespa dealer surprisingly close to you. Not only is it there, but it is full of cool European mopeds, motorcycles, scooters, and more. It is the “and more” category that brings us to the Vespa shop today in search of good motorcycles for senior riders.

This is the category where you will find many unfamiliar machines, including an unusual three-wheeler. That trike is the reason to hunt down the nearest Vespa dealer: it is called the Piaggio MP3 HPE Exclusive, a hybrid machine that blends the ease of use of a scooter with the stability of a reverse trike. The Piaggio is equipped with dual-leaning front wheels on its reverse trike layout. These two front wheels lean at different rates, mimicking the feel of a two-wheeled machine in curves. As the rider comes to a stop, the wheels can be locked into place, providing stability.

To make dismounting easy, the trike features step-through seating like a scooter. A blind-spot radar monitoring system, combined braking system, ABS, and rear-view camera provide additional safety. An automatic CVT transmission reduces rider workload. A reverse gear and a rear-view camera assist in maneuvering the Piaggio in tight parking lots, but this trike, like all of the rides on this list, beckons senior riders to stay out of the parking lot and out on the open road.

To determine inclusion on this list of potential motorcycles for senior riders, a variety of considerations were at play, with many sources consulted. As a lifelong rider, dealer and writer, I looked at manufacturers’ websites, model reviews and articles from reputable brands such as Cycle World, Motorcyclist, Rider Magazine, TopSpeed, Ride Apart and others to identify motorcycles that offered such features as low seat, low-effort shifting, cruise, low center of gravity, ABS, and radar cruise control that assist older riders. Social media was used to ascertain sentiment regarding the suitability of the machines selected. The author’s riding experience then informed the final selection.