Older riders, do you think riding the old thin steel double loop flexy framed bikes of the 70s-80s made you a better rider . IMHO I think riding a bike that was twisting/flexing/sliding under you prepped you for when a bike got out of shape when you where riding at the limit on any bike even the new phenominal bikes of today. I have a 2016 Kawasaki H2. Riding twisties with guys riding New Suzuki GSXR1000RR, Honda CBR1000RR,new Yamaha R1 have said to me they thought I would crash at every turn when seeing the rear of my H2 sliding around/squirming (The H2 rear steel tube frame is just 1 thin tube on each side of bike no additional support , so it flexes/squirms when you push bike around corners) I know its flexing/squirming around but it just reminds me of old GPZ/kz CB750s ect ect that flexed more and without any traction control/electronics. And my skills have deteriated ALOT with age and injuries.

Possibly I grew up on Honda fours and gpz1100s I know when I first got a bike that really handled I thought there was something wrong with it

Better ride - not sure. But certainly different.

I remember old 2Ts with fondness and have owned and restored a few recently. I described my last KR250 as being like it had a hinge in the middle of the frame

Everybody whinged about Mach IV's back in the day and still do regarding handling but I thought mine was fine.

Backing it in like a dirt bike and drifting it out of roundabouts on K81's...just par for the course.

I was 17 and had NO fear...that was after the broken pelvis / ankle but....like I said..17.

My Z1000 (25) used to get a bit of a weave up at speed but not as bad as the XS1100 (23) where the front tire lost it's air fairly quickly at 100mph...that was a bit scary..

Did any of that make me a better rider?

Not for a few years....we all (most?) settle down with age and by the time I'd moved onto Speed Triples (43), Diavels (53) and MV's (57) I had already toned it down.

Better to keep riding albeit a bit more sensibly.

Yay! I remember the old K81s, first marketed as TT100 as I recall. Had them on my CB750 K1. They were the tyre to have!

Yup, had them on my Commando too. Now there was an interesting handling bike when the Isolastic wasn't shimmed up right!
But even now I like softer suspension settings so you get a bit of a wallow when cornering, it seems to make it all bit more forgiving.

Of course the Guzzi's skinny front forks also gave a bit of that feel.

Interesting subject. I have been riding British bikes daily since the early 70s'. 100,000 miles on a Bonneville, 250,000 miles on a Norvin, 50,000 miles on a Vincent HRD and have just now added a BSA Rocket 3 to that lot. They all hold a line around a corner so easily, some thing the MV will not. Its always trying to turn in on itself and wanting to fall in. Its takes concerted effort to steer it out to keep it up right.

nope, you just adjust to what ever bike you are riding

50 years of riding this year and no, old bikes are just that "old" give me new all the time. Better suspension, gadgets etc etc. Keeps me young, lol. To many people still live in the past.

Hmm, been riding since 1967. The older bikes had stamped steel frames (Honda Super 90). Not fast or powerful enough to really show handling faults. But, extremely fun!!