HOWEVER young you may feel, it is a sad fact that people do slow down as they get older.

Healthy lifestyles are enabling us to live longer than ever before.

But regardless of how fit we may feel, the natural ageing process does mean men and women cannot move as fast in their fifties as they did in their early twenties.

Crucially, reaction times also slow down.

And this is the major reason why more and more men in their thirties, forties and older are being killed or seriously injured as they crash hugely powerful and speedy motorbikes.

Many of the victims will have bought bikes in the past few years, perhaps getting back on to two wheels for the first time since their late teens.

And that's another reason for the crashes.

Today's 900cc motorcycles are very different machines from the 250cc bikes of twenty years ago.

The difference in acceleration and top speeds make it like comparing Del boy's Reliant van with a Ferrari.

Coroner Michael Singleton has expressed his concern at seeing the "distressed and anguished" faces of bereaved family and friends at inquests so frequently and said there was "a lesson to be learnt".

There is a strong case for government to strengthen licensing requirements for riders of such powerful machines.