Seasoned bikers are the baddest and best riders on the streets. At least that’s what many will tell you.

But what they ignore — evidenced by declining eyesight, slower reflexes and a drop in overall physical abilities — is they’re not the easy riders they used to be.

“A lot rode in their 20s, and when they hit 45 or 60, and the kids are out of the house, they decide to get and ride a motorcycle,” said Dennis “Stump” Haberstumpf, a 65-year-old Harley-Davidson lover who has ridden more than 400,000 miles. “But what they don’t realize is that things have changed the past 25 years of their lives.

“Their reaction time is slower and things happen quicker. When you are going 60 mph and something happens, and you have a second or two to react and you have to think about it, you are in trouble.”

Older male bikers lead the pack in motorcycle and scooter fatalities, according to the Colorado Department of Transportation. Of the 86 bikers and passengers killed in 2013, 90 percent were male and nearly 57 percent were 45 or older. Twenty-four were 55 or older.

Of the 27 fatalities thus far this year, 93 percent were male and 44 percent were 45 or older.

“Your stamina is not what it used to be,” said Haberstumpf, who has crisscrossed the Lower 48 states on his bike three times. “You get tired quicker and you can’t focus on the road.”

To head off more fatalities, CDOT is spearheading a motorcycle safety awareness campaign called “Ride Wise.”

CDOT hopes to use older bikers such as Haberstumpf to persuade others of their generation to take safety courses to hone their skills.

“Many riders who have been on the road a long time believe they’re highly skilled,” said Glenn Davis, CDOT highway safety manager and a longtime rider. “While that may be true, statistics show us honing riding skills through training refines existing skills and prepares even experienced riders for unpredictable situations. We challenge riders to select a skill to work on this riding season and get some advanced training.”

In 2013, the most common causes of motorcycle crashes and deaths were losing control in a curve, speeding and running red lights.

Additional resources for riders, including class information, are available at comotorcyclesafety.com. The curriculum incorporates classroom education with real-life application on controlled courses so that riders can develop safe riding habits, said Davis.

Haberstumpf said he has taken two advanced courses — and learned something new in both.

“You learn things about the physics of riding, anticipating when you are riding and learning to scan the road, at least 10 seconds ahead of you,” he said.

Some older bikers, he said, probably won’t take any courses.

“A lot, I’m sure, are thinking that they have seen it all, and that there are no surprises out there,” Haberstumpf said. “But once you think you have stopped learning about riding, it’s probably time you put away your bike.”

Haberstumpf, who says he avoids riding in the city and on interstates, prefers to take his Harley Road King on two-lane rural roads. He envisions taking such a route later this month when he rides to Georgia for a Marine Corps reunion.

Haberstumpf, who advocates for motorcycle rights in the state legislature, said he and his fellow riders owe it to themselves and their families to keep learning to travel safely.

“Challenge yourself. I’ve seen too many people crash. Let’s not crash in the first place,” Haberstumpf said. “Let’s get trained.”

Monte Whaley: 720-929-0907, mwhaley@denverpost.com or twitter.com/montewhaley