Author Topic: Your first bike ?  (Read 1914 times)


Online chuck peterson

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Re: Your first bike ?
« Reply #31 on: July 02, 2022, 04:54:25 AM »
1970 YaMAha R5 350…after my high school graduation in 1976

Against my parental wishes …

Found another one a few years ago and brought it back to life





Really really really lucky not have injured myself. Could have used some 2x wheellearning experiences before launching that rocket

First time giving my brother a ride, he straightened up so fast on the back seat in a corner it sat the bike up straight and put us off the road, between two trees, and down 10ft into a ditch…we dragged it out…

“Don’t tell Mom…”

That first incident probably scared me enough to keep me alive …
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Offline steven c

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Re: Your first bike ?
« Reply #32 on: July 02, 2022, 07:15:01 AM »
My first bike a 1975 Suzuki GT380 that I bought as a left over in 76 from New England Cycle to the dismay of my parents (they got over it), put 9k on that bike in one year and didn't really go anywhere, you  just couldn't keep me off it. It was very smooth, didn't get very good MPG, and dragged a lot of things in the corners and all my other riding friends rode 4 strokes and didn't like breathing my exhaust so I had to bring up the rear. I would love to ride one again for an afternoon.

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Offline Zenermaniac

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Re: Your first bike ?
« Reply #33 on: July 02, 2022, 08:02:47 AM »




Not the actual bike but identical to it. 1972 started my road to ruin.

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Re: Your first bike ?
« Reply #33 on: July 02, 2022, 08:02:47 AM »

Offline Moparnut72

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Offline LowRyter

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Re: Your first bike ?
« Reply #35 on: July 02, 2022, 09:50:19 AM »


(web photo)
John L 
When life gets you down remember it's one down and the rest are up.  (1-N-23456)

Offline Ryan

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Re: Your first bike ?
« Reply #36 on: July 02, 2022, 10:47:33 AM »
A non-running Kawasaki H3 tripple. Borrowed Mom's wagon to bring it home, had it stripped in the basement before she got home from work. 17 years old. Rode the crap out of it, then bought an Intercepter.

Offline LaMojo

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Re: Your first bike ?
« Reply #37 on: July 02, 2022, 02:39:53 PM »
Honda 1966 CB160.

Offline sib

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Re: Your first bike ?
« Reply #38 on: July 02, 2022, 03:12:30 PM »
Sorry, no pics, but my first bike, acquired in ~1973, at age ~30, was a Honda CB77 Superhawk 305 cc.  It was VERY used when I acquired it, and I kept it for several years, including a stint in NYC.

Fast-forward several decades, at age 71 in 2013, I got a new Moto Guzzi V7 Stone.  A couple of years later, I sold it and got a '16 V7 Stone with AMS/TC and 6-sp gearbox.  I really enjoyed that bike and rode it for ~5 years and ~35,000 mi, until it was totaled in a crash (not my fault, but still my pain and suffering).  A year later, I optimistically got a V7E5 850 Stone.  That'll likely be my last bike.  Post trauma, I'm having difficulty riding it because of a combination of fear, insecurity, and poor balance.  I did manage to get in a ride ~a week ago on my 80th birthday, but I don't know if/when I'll ride it again.  So it goes.
Current: 2021 V7 Stone E5
Previous: 2016 V7II Stone
Previous: 2013 V7 Stone
Several decades ago: 1962? Honda CB77 Super Hawk

Offline blackcat

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Re: Your first bike ?
« Reply #39 on: July 02, 2022, 03:36:57 PM »
First bike was a Rump Roadster, I was about 13-14 years old and it was a blast. We had a big long hill near to own house that led up to a large public playground. Fun times.

1968 Norton Fastback
1976 Lemans
1981 CX-100
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1997 Daytona RS
2007 Red Norge

Offline wymple

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Re: Your first bike ?
« Reply #40 on: July 02, 2022, 10:42:47 PM »
1970 YaMAha R5 350…after my high school graduation in 1976

Against my parental wishes …

Found another one a few years ago and brought it back to life





Really really really lucky not have injured myself. Could have used some 2x wheellearning experiences before launching that rocket

First time giving my brother a ride, he straightened up so fast on the back seat in a corner it sat the bike up straight and put us off the road, between two trees, and down 10ft into a ditch…we dragged it out…

“Don’t tell Mom…”

That first incident probably scared me enough to keep me alive …


I had the last year R5, a 72. It was my 1st real  "jet".
No trees were harmed by the conveyance of this message, but a lot of electrons were seriously disturbed.

Offline richardhula

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Re: Your first bike ?
« Reply #41 on: July 03, 2022, 02:52:49 AM »
A 1971 Yamaha AS1 in my case although well into my twenties by then. 125cc 2T twin with oil injection and 5 speed box was quite a revelation on such a tiny bike then. You had to watch the torque when pulling away from standstill when cold, as it would easily lift the front wheel. The hot UK summers of 1975/76  had me using it every day in preference to car and seeing 80 mph with a tail wind.


Offline Scott of the Sahara

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Re: Your first bike ?
« Reply #42 on: July 04, 2022, 08:13:07 AM »
In 1977 I was offered a 1966 Suzuki 150 Twin, that was not running. I think I paid either $100 or $150 for it.
Bought a battery and cleaned up the carbs and got it running.
One thing I did that later bit me in the backside was, I did not tighten the main needle valve coming into one carb.
So as it eventually loosened up it would restrict fuel to one cylinder.
I finally found the problem, but a few weeks later I put a hole in that piston.
Two Stroke. I had to mix the oil while I filled it with gas.

Offline Stretch

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Re: Your first bike ?
« Reply #43 on: July 04, 2022, 09:47:10 AM »
1975 Honda CB125S. Bought it used with 500 miles on it.

Great bike!

                                        -Stretch
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Offline Furbo

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Re: Your first bike ?
« Reply #44 on: July 04, 2022, 01:13:51 PM »
Well my first dirt 2 wheeler was this..  [after a few years with a early Honda ATC] 




My first street bike was a 77 Suzuki GS400. Great starter bike.

Mine too. a '70 model my Grandad got at a garage sale for $70.
Killeen, TX
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Online Dave Swanson

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Re: Your first bike ?
« Reply #45 on: July 04, 2022, 06:43:39 PM »
1974 CB750 here.  Bought it brand new at 19 years old.

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Offline stonelover

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Re: Your first bike ?
« Reply #46 on: July 05, 2022, 12:08:58 PM »
First bike was a 1946 model EL Harley Knuckelhead purchased for $350.00 in 1955 on the  "Pay as you ride" plan.
$10.00 a week was doable at age 16. Since I had often ridden a friends Indian Chief, there was a bit of a learning curve getting the HD home!

Offline nwguy

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Re: Your first bike ?
« Reply #47 on: July 06, 2022, 10:12:44 AM »
Mine too was an orange RD400. I ran it out of 2 stroke oil one morning on the way to school. Went from 70 to zero mph in about 3 seconds. Then I too carried extra spark plugs!

First bike I owned was a Yamaha RD400 two stroke. Ring a ding, ding, ding.  Looked like this.   Many interesting crashes on that thing.  I carried an alligator bag full of spark plugs because it would usually foul one or more plugs every 200 miles or so. 





The first bike I ever rode on was on the back of a mid 1970s Kawasaki Z900 when my older cousin came to visit from out of state.  That wild ride with him around Atlanta is what hooked me on motorcycles.





Oddly enough, more than 40 years after that formative Zed 900 experience, I’m now riding the new incarnation of the same bike, a Z900 RS Cafe.  I’ve come full circle I suppose. 




Current:  08 Norge, 06 Suzuki Burgman, 06 Yamaha Morphous

Past:  3 Buell Lightnings, 02 BMW R1150RS
05 Ducati Multistrada, First gen Kawasaki Concours, Kawasaki Vulcan 1500 Classic, 02 Honda ST110, Aprilia Falco, Suzuki VX800, Yamaha Radian, Suzuki TS185, Yamaha RD400

Offline Guzzi Gal

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Re: Your first bike ?
« Reply #48 on: July 06, 2022, 04:55:51 PM »
My first was the Metropolitan, ninety days later the Anniversario arrived, and five months after that came the Vespa. In less than
a year we had six motos in the garage. :evil:

:bow: Thanks for enabling my MG obsession! :bow:
"Anni" '17 Moto Guzzi V7 III Anniversario #220/1000,
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Offline Dimitri_Harkov

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Re: Your first bike ?
« Reply #49 on: July 07, 2022, 02:00:06 AM »
My first was a late 70s Puch Monza:


Not the actual bike, since I foolishly let it go :(

Second one and first 'real' motorcycle as far as the laws here are concerned was a Brixton BX125R a.k.a Sunray:




I had to sell it too for lack of space but am strongly considering getting another one now that I have space.
One can't beat the easy fun of a light motorcycle.

Cheers,
D.
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Offline ScepticalScotty

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Re: Your first bike ?
« Reply #50 on: July 07, 2022, 12:28:48 PM »
Kawasaki KV75 - the one with the handlebars that folded up - but I never did that. I think I was 8 or so. No brakes to speak of, no air filter, tyres had seen better days. I thrashed it around Bulls Hill Quarry which was just off the Woy Woy Road, and also in the Dubbo Valley, and at Jillaby and Hungry Creek.
It was my main bike until I was 11 and got a disc vale 100cc Ag bike that again had seen better days, but I absolutely loved that thing!!!! Fun times at Mooney Creek with Dad and his mates on the dirt track and the trails.

The joys of a Central Coast childhood.  :grin: As the infamous song (Central Coast State of Mind) goes...."beachside paradise north of Sydney, I'd give my left kidney, to be a Coastie.........."
Scotty

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Offline vintage53

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Re: Your first bike ?
« Reply #51 on: July 07, 2022, 02:29:34 PM »
1975   Honda CB500T

Bought new, sold it 16 years later.

Here is an image of one.

 



I do have a black and white photo somewhere?
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Offline egschade

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Re: Your first bike ?
« Reply #52 on: July 07, 2022, 05:03:53 PM »
Kawi KE175 a looooong time ago



The elder Eric in NJ

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Offline dguzzi

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Re: Your first bike ?
« Reply #53 on: July 07, 2022, 05:38:18 PM »
  No one ever asks about our second or third motorcycle....
'03 EVT
'87 Cagiva
'72 Commando
'71 Commando
'90 Miata
'16 Mustang

Offline nc43bsa

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Re: Your first bike ?
« Reply #54 on: July 07, 2022, 06:50:19 PM »
  No one ever asks about our second or third motorcycle....

OK, my second bike was a 1974 Norton Commando, and my third bike was a 1980 Ducati 900SS.
1990 MilleGT

Offline angusmcoz

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Re: Your first bike ?
« Reply #55 on: July 07, 2022, 07:25:25 PM »
Age 15 I bought a 1975 Yamaha DT175. The beginning of a life long obsession. Photo is right color but not my original bike.


Offline egschade

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Re: Your first bike ?
« Reply #56 on: July 08, 2022, 06:19:07 AM »
2nd and 3rd bikes...

CL175




Sachs 125


The elder Eric in NJ

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2005 BMW F650GS

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Offline normzone

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Re: Your first bike ?
« Reply #57 on: July 10, 2022, 01:51:51 AM »
1972 Honda 350 CL, circa late seventies.

I put my 1939 Buick Special up as collateral while I made payments.

Someone I knew told the owner of the bike "Don't worry, you'll get your money. His mother would kill him if he let that car go."

That's the combustion chamber of the turbo shaft. It is supposed to be on fire. You just don't usually see it but the case and fairing fell off.

 

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