Hello Dennis & Barb,
Well, I can give you a small start - expand to the younger riders way to communicate on rides. While "we" do enjoy our CB radios and the communication they provide on rides, the newer Gold Wings represent a cost of $1000 - $2000 for OEM CBs or some rigging for a handheld CB to be linked with a bluetooth pairing. I made the choice to expand to implementing a Sena 50s and Sena Freewire 2.0 on my 2004 Wing. I can now communicate on rides with any riders who have a bluetooth (and the Cardos and Senas use the new MESH communications) and I can use my CB at the same time.
I made the change because of talking to younger riders and finding out what they were using to communicate on group rides. I now ride with BMWs, Harleys, other Honda models, Triumphs, Kawasakis, Yamahas, and Ducatis. On a recent ride it was even enjoyable to converse with a group of crotch rocket riders coming from the other direction from my group. The ladies co-riding were laughing at being able to talk to other riders on the road.
The younger riders are out there. They enjoy going on group rides and they are even receptive to sharpening their riding skills. What they are not receptive to are seminars, lectures, and "patches". I have been riding this past season with a range of riders and most of them are younger than my sons. They had a blast, traveled backroads they never rode before, and as they rode with me, I slowly built on their skills. Some of the riders who had to do less than the posted speed limits on the curves early on my rides were doing the posted speed or even 5 or more over by the end of the season. When we stopped for lunch or ice cream I would complement them on their pacing and how they were doing great on the curves.
Those riders joined more rides as I scheduled more rides. I'm looking forward to next year's riding season and so are they.
