Wildguzzi.com
General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: Lee Davis on September 06, 2017, 08:09:18 PM
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What was your first motorcycle? What made you buy it, and which bike do you now wish you had bought? As for me, the first was a 1970 BSA 441 that I bought new. It appealed to me because I would see one parked at a business all the time, and I began to lust after it. My roommate in school was a Kawasaki man (a 650), and he did flat track racing on a small two stroke Kawasaki… the kind of racing where you wear a steel boot on one foot. He kept urging me to buy the new Kawasaki 500 triple, but the BSA won out over everything else. The bike went 7800 miles before it blew up. Had it repaired and it blew up again. Traded it on a new VW. If I had to do it all over again in 1970, I would have gone with a BMW, or a Moto Guzzi Ambassador. But I was never good in my choice of women either…
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Honda CT 70, I was 10 years old.
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My first bike was actually two bikes and the proverbial basket cases one bike was a Honda 250 dream the other bike was a Honda I believe cl77 305 street scrambler what both of them for $85 and yes I brought them home in a basket neither one was running but I had enough parts so I chose to complete the street scrambler so I took the 250 engine put the 305 top plate on it put it in the frame started it up went for a ride for my own safety I painted the bike orange because I figured I needed all the help and visibility I could get that was approximately 42 years ago now it's a Guzzi convert
TOMB
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J.C. Penney's with a rockin' 3 horse Briggs. I blew her up one night running WFO down the 900 block of W. Portland about 3:00 AM. Hell, I must have been running............ .oh 35? It was a long push home :sad:
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2010 Kawasaki klr 650. Sold it in a week cause I almost dropped it lol
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Mine was a 77 Suzuki GS400 that I bought in 79 for $800 with 5K miles. Before that I had some informal dirt bike experience on cousins' bikes. I was 23 at the time. I rode it until around 46K in 89 when I bought the T-3. Did several Ozark trips with it and as far as Houston and return. Learned most of my street dos and don't on that bike. Very forgiving and under most condition would run all day at 75mph. Easy to work on. Picture was not mine, just a stock photo.
(http://thumb.ibb.co/kyuXwv/images_1.jpg) (http://ibb.co/kyuXwv)
GliderJohn
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1963 Honda CA110(Sport 50) are 13, purchased new with lawn mowing money.
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First bike I owned was a 1963 BSA Spitfire Scrambler 650cc. Engine was an A10 pushrod twin. Not unit construction, tranny was a separate component, driven by a primary chain. No battery, ignition was via Lucas magneto, lights were powered by a 6v generator (as long as rpms were kept up.) Lovely bike, solo saddle with just enough room to squeeze a coed on board, as long as she weighed less than I did (125 pounds soaking wet.) High scrambler pipes that ran down the left side of the bike.
Not knowing any better, I rode this machine from Charleston WV to McAllen Texas and back to Charleston WV in 1966. Memories of this ride stay with me to this day, over 50 years later. I guess I was pretty tough for a 125 pound kid from West Virginia. Helmet? .... nada. Rain suit? ..... a what? Saddlebags? ..... is there such a thing?
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Honda Super 90 with a 103 kit on it.
Got it from my brother when he bought a Yamaha 305 big bear.
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Mine was a used '72 Honda CB360. The tank was that ugly '70's Honda burnt orange color. I remember riding it up to St. Mary's Glacier near Idaho Springs, CO shortly after I go it. Almost dropped it trying to climb the road up the steep grade, as the bike gradually slowed to a stop. I suppose I panicked and forgot to downshift to first!
After that I upgraded to a few Suzuki 750's and then on to even larger bikes. This spring, when I bought my V7, it immediately reminded me of that first CB360. I hadn't ridden anything in years that small, and the V7 really recalls that small bike feeling, which is a good thing.
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Took my test on a training schools CG125, and then once I passed after a weeks intensive training bought myself a 1994 Kawasaki ZZR600, was a pretty good bike, heavy but stable and probably faster than I should have started on.
(http://thumb.ibb.co/e2ROKF/zzr600.jpg) (http://ibb.co/e2ROKF)
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MZ TS125!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4X7hIxE_Yo8
Would buy another in a heartbeat. Would survive a nuclear blast.
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Honda CM91 step through. Still have it
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1967 Kawasaki 100 D1 - rotary shift and a sort-of front down tube.
I kind of learned to ride on it. I also fell off a lot.
(http://thumb.ibb.co/hbqYKF/Kaw_100_D1.jpg) (http://ibb.co/hbqYKF)
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My first street bike was the 1977 Yamaha XS750 triple in silver and blue. It was 4 years old when I bought it. It only had a couple thousand miles on it and had every touring option available. It fell into my lap. As I was saving money I was test riding bikes in my budget. This guy came along and let me give him 60% down and $100 a month while he held the title. As a 19 year old I had the best bike among all my riding friends. That bike was my primary mode of transportation and since I lived in Daytona Beach, FL I could ride year round. I used to love fish tailing that beast on the beach sand.
I didn't realize how advanced that bike was at the time. I knew I didn't have to do chain maintenance like my friends and was glad for that. It was only when I found this 6 page brochure on the internet a few years ago that I realized what a gem of a bike I had. Wish I could have kept it.
(http://pic20.picturetrail.com/VOL1617/13756800/24772897/413535437.jpg)
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'72 CT90, still have it.
(https://photos.smugmug.com/All/i-THDMxzP/0/aac6f769/M/IMG_2071-M.jpg) (https://fotoguzzi.smugmug.com/All/i-THDMxzP/A)
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After a few years of a Bird Minibike I graduated to a KX125A from Don Weeks Kawasaki in Phoenix. They threw in gloves,goggles and a Kaw jersey. What a deal!
(http://thumb.ibb.co/hSC5zF/7528263118_331a8c6ba9.jpg) (http://ibb.co/hSC5zF)
fast picture upload (http://imgbb.com/)
Paul B :boozing:
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Mine was a used '72 Honda CB360. The tank was that ugly '70's Honda burnt orange color.
Hey, I liked that color!
Used '75 Honda CB550. I probably should have started with something smaller and newer but I loved that bike. First time I dropped a bike, it was that one. Went to stop on an incline with gravel and.....it was a slow but inevitable descent. Only thing really hurt was my pride.
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First " real" motorcycle was a Cagiva W8 125 cc
I was 16 .
http://www.motorcyclespecs.co.za/model/cagiva/cagiva_w8%20125.htm
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Honda S90.
I put a straight pipe on it and drilled a hole in the valve cover to vent it.
60-65mph depending on wind and grade of the road.
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My first motorcycle was a 200ccTriumph Cub that was converted back to street legal from a dirt track racer. Of course I didn't realize it at the time. Definitely the most unreliable motorcycle I ever owned . Got rid of it after a year or so and got a "real " bike, a Honda Super 90. I bored it, installed a Powroll stroker, a pumper carb off a chain saw, a straight pipe with a Snuffernot and stuffed it in a Van Tech frame. I commuted to class on it, rode it in the woods, on the rivers with studded tires, and even a little scrambles racing., when my draft notice arrived, I put it back in the stock frame and sold it to a friend. I did tell him of the bike's history.
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Mine was a 1976 Honda xl125.....I just bought a 1976 xl350 do rebuild this winter....Im 3 times bigger than I was when I bought the 125 so I figured if I want to relive some of my past it better be 3 times bigger too
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I bought a 1968 Suzuki X6 Hustler 250 in 1974 as my first bike. I didn't know it at the time (and my mother DEFINITELY didn't know it) but that model had won the 250 class at Daytona four years in a row. The local RCMP detachment once told me I held the unofficial Manitoba gravel road speed record, with a pure pavement bike and the brakes and tires common in those days. They never ticketed me, though - don'cha love small towns?
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1972 Kawasaki H2, which I bought in 1978 when I was 20. I bought it because a friend had one and it seemed to be the fastest and meanest thing on the road. I took my motorcycle license test on it. I still have it and enjoy riding it very much. At about 400 lbs, it's a light motorcycle, and does about about 90 rwhp. Reeds have improved the torque curve greatly, and a few small suspension mods have made it handle very nicely as well.
(http://thumb.ibb.co/jp5KRv/jims_h2_killboy_gamma_800.jpg) (http://ibb.co/jp5KRv)
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The first motorcycle that was all mine (not shared with my brother like several Z50 Hondas) was a Benelli Fireball 50. It was given to me by the lady that drove the school bus. Didn't run, so was at a local shop (Hally's in Brunswick, MD) to be fixed, but never was. All I had to do was go and pick it up.
Hally's was a Guzzi dealer and that was my first exposure (in real life) to the brand. In the "showroom" (a corner of the building with glass block windows) sat a brand new, light blue metallic '76 Convert. Even at 13 years old I was quite small, so my father had to help me up onto it. It was huge! Funny how 6 years later when I bought a well-used one, it was still big, but no longer huge and intimidating. :azn:
Back to the Benelli. It was in good condition overall, had good compression, but no spark. Despite my brother's and my best efforts, we just couldn't get it to spark. One day I was sitting on it, just absent mindedly kicking it over with my thumb on the horn button. The horn was making an "eep" noise every time the piston came up to TDC. Hmm. We swapped one horn wire to the coil and the coil wire to the horn and bingo, it had spark! After cleaning the carburetor, it fired right up and ran great.
The only thing that really sucked was that every day when I'd get home from school, I'd ride the Benelli for a few minutes, until my bundle of newspapers was dropped off, then I had to ride my bicycle on the paper route! :cry: :laugh:
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Mine was a 1976 Honda xl125.....I just bought a 1976 xl350 do rebuild this winter....Im 3 times bigger than I was when I bought the 125 so I figured if I want to relive some of my past it better be 3 times bigger too
Are you really over 14 feet tall ? :shocked:
Dusty
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1980 Honda CB250T. A slug of a bike but probably a good place to start. Six months later I bought a 1982 RZ350 with 250cc stickers. Only one cop who pulled me over was dubious about it's capacity. Beginners were restricted to 250cc. The RZ totally popped my cork as to the thrill of motorcycling. I was hooked.
Same as these from the net...
(http://thumb.ibb.co/iFerpF/800px_Cheggy_s_Honda_CB250_T_Image_1.jpg) (http://ibb.co/iFerpF)
(http://thumb.ibb.co/dBnNwv/1984_RZ350.jpg) (http://ibb.co/dBnNwv)
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My first (and my second) bike was the Honda Dax ST 70 (end of the 60s). You Americans call the model "Trail 70". I am in the moment restoring the second one, using some parts of the first.
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Brother and I bought a Hodaka ACE 100 which the PO stripped down and modded for 100 class racing. Best dirt bike in the neighborhood. That Hodaka either its chrome gas tank is what made me buy the Anniversario V7iii 47 years later.
Have to say I am as thrilled with the little V7 as I was the Hodaka at age 12.
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1968 Honda Mini-Trail 70.
A zillion years later I passed it on to my nephnew and he rode it for quite a while until he killed it. I'd say we got our $268.95 out of it!
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First bike when I was 16 in 1959 was a 1951 74 Harley. Paid cash for it. The long hours on the farm payed off. How i survived (I don't know)
Back then when you went lots of places when you came back someone was sitting on your bike. I'm glad you don't see that anymore.
What a journey it has been. All 254 counties in Texas and the 49 Continental US states.
Tex
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I am truly amazed at the guys on this forum who still have motorcycles they bought many years ago.
I average 3 years and 30,000 miles on my bikes before I am looking for a new experience. I've had some for as little as 3 months and 200 miles, and the longest was 6 years and 60,000 miles. I have always had at least 3 bikes at one time and as many as 8 in the garage which was overwhelming. I just can't pass up a deal when I see one.
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1972 Kawasaki H1B.....16 years old, wasn't allowed to have a motorcycle and never rode one until I bought it and rode it home. Still remember the first left hand turn across traffic from a stop like it was yesterday! Still remember the power on a cool Fall night under full throttle. Still remember the sound and smell. Always wanted more power in those days so always upgraded to bigger and faster Japanese bikes. I always liked the European bikes but they were too slow and too expensive. Now that is all I want....an older classic European bike. Too expensive still true today!
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(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/eb/f5/cf/ebf5cfba8f0f620d1de09c305f7dfe26.jpg)
68 Rupp mini-bike. My older brother bought a 69 Honda Scrambler the following year, dropped the bike and never rode it again so I inherited that bike and sold the Rupp.
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_jzFHe1lqP_o/TOQivXN5fHI/AAAAAAAAABo/I5UZT8snNfU/s1600/cl4.jpg)
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I can still smell the amount of Gunk I used on that Harley. Put the bike in my name. Can't do that when you are 16 now. When I was 18 I bought a 56 harley. I think it was a Duo Glide.
Switched to Moto Guzzi in '71. Still have the 71 with 200K plus on it. Other farm boys were riding Triumps, BSA, Indian and some harleys. No safety courses and little for safety gear .Drum brakes and the front seldom worked. Still am amazed I survived.
So when I was 16 I thought I'd quit riding when I got "old", say 25 haha Maybe 35 or 45. No sense to quit now. i sometimes think about quiting and then I find a new ghost town or a dirt road.
What a trip,
Tex
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Honda CB250 Nighthawk.
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1975 Suzuki GT380 bought as a left over in 76 for I think $1100, I wanted a CB400 or an RD350 but they cost more. I put 9 thousand miles on it in one year, never really went anywhere, you just couldn't keep me off it. It was very smooth, almost no vibration, got only 35mpg, ground lots of things in the corners,sold it a year later and bought a 77 XS650D. Not so smooth!
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It wasn't my bike but I learned to ride on a friend's mid-sixties vintage Honda something-or-another like this:
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170907/ed4e22aa273adc6c64b70fd9fb85027f.jpg)
This was the mid-seventies and I was about 12 or 13. I remember 3 distinct thoughts I had at the time: 1) it wasn't cool because it was a four-stroke (I was into motocross), 2) it wasn't cool because it was "old," and 3) I was simultaneously thrilled and scared to sit on something with two wheels that had so much more power than my Schwinn.
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My uncle restored a rusty old Allstate 50cc moped for my 14th birthday, and I ran it full-throttle at 30mph until it fell apart. The first bike I ever bought, at 16, was a Yamaha Twin Jet 100. Top
End was 60, it sounded like an angry mosquito and left a trail of blue smoke, but man I loved that candy red and chrome!
(http://thumb.ibb.co/fZADmv/IMG_7397.jpg) (http://ibb.co/fZADmv)
(http://thumb.ibb.co/kYYAYa/IMG_7398.jpg) (http://ibb.co/kYYAYa)
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First bike was a '46 Harley model EL purchased used in 1955 for the grand sum of $350.00.
I went with the Harley for two reasons:
1. The dealer offered a pay as you ride option for $10.00 a week and a sixteen year old could
swing that.
2. The Ariel single that I was interested in wouldn't start for a test ride.
I had been accustomed to borrowing a friend's Indian Chief, so getting the "reversed" Harley home was a challenge and learning experience! I made it and am now happily mounted on a Guzzi Stone II.
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(http://thumb.ibb.co/h44HDa/i_Cc_NNB9t_L.jpg) (http://ibb.co/h44HDa)
My Sears Allstate for $14.oo
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1956 ALLSTATE (NE-CUSHMAN)~ bought with the money I got from selling my little mare, Trixie (we were moving of the farm to the big city of Powell). Sure missed her; but, thought the scooter was tooooo coool for school!!!!!!
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Hi all, my first bike, a Honda SL125,that got me hooked on two wheel travel.Then three Yamaha TY 175s for comp use. On followed a Yamaha Sr500, BSA 1946 350 single,trials gas gas 250, Yamaha TTR250, Honda 90 Postie,Suzuki DR 650, have gone full circle and now have a1968 Honda S90 and the Norge to keep me happy. Hope I still have many riding years ahead yet.
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Mine was a 50cc Malaguti Gabbiano. Can't find a photo online of that specific model (they probably only made 1..), but looks like the one in the photo below. The the engine was horizontal on mine with a 2-speed variator (Hi/Low like the Convert...). The one in the photo is the "Fifty" model which had 4-speed tranny and upward cylinder.
(http://thumb.ibb.co/kT9Z9F/Malaguti_Fifty_Gabbiano_Monomarcia.png) (http://ibb.co/kT9Z9F)
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Honda CJ360T. Put a lot of miles and had a lot of fun on that old bike.
(http://i135.photobucket.com/albums/q133/Katana936/Honda%20CJ%20360T/Tires%20and%20Heat%20Shield/DSCN2741.jpg)
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In 1974 bought a 175 cc Penton Jackpiner. No pictures but lots of great memories.
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In 66 my brother got a used Honda 305 Super Hawk, I got to ride the Cushman of my Dads. In 68 a fellow Cadet had a blown up Bridgestone 90 Trail that looked interesting. Brought it home in a wood box(engine), rebuilt it & road it till Sept 70 when I got hit head on. The next one w/ins money was a 70 Sachs 125 w/Hercules frame. In 74 I wanted to go to Ozark Mtn Music Festival and needed a bit bigger bike. Suzuki GT750, rode it till it crashed & burned w/another rider. Then got a 71 Bonnie and toured a little, not wanting to do tune-ups every 1200 mi I bought a 'T' in 76. All Guzzis since w/Duc Desmo 350 for fun. The Duc went road racing to a guy from MI w/I quit farming.
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1968-70 Rupp Mini Bike if I remember correctly. Not sure on the year....
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First bike was '69 Ducati 250 Scrambler. I was given it in 1979 by a friend of my Dad's who'd had it sitting under a plastic sheet in his garden for a few years and when we visited, he caught me looking at it and asked me if I wanted it!
Here's a pic taken back in the day;
(https://www.ducatiforum.co.uk/data/photos/l/2/2185-1380571968-bc20fc5c4d5d6be5fde652ad81114dc6.jpg)
Incidentally when it finally shat it's bigend/bearings I gave it away to the local bike mechanic that I used for repairs/spares - kind of 'freecycling' I suppose.
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I wasn't allowed a dirt bike, when I turned 16, after a lot of fast talk and promises, my parents cosigned a loan for a brand new/leftover 73 KZ400, kick only, single mirror. $900 if I remember right. Only new bike I've ever bought.
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Me and 2 14year old school mates bought a 500cc 1950's BSA twin for £2 10shillings between us. We thrashed it up and down the local pit tip mostly 3 up for about a month until a smoking lump of metal came out the side of the engine. Nobody told us to put some oil in it. We just pushed it into the quarry, that was about 54 years ago. Steve.
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1948 James ......very similar to pic below ...two stroke Villers, 2 speed, springer , hardtail, it was 19 years old when i got it and i paid $150.00 for it ....rode it till it was done totally , loved the thing ...set me on the path to nirvana... still have the Smiths speedo though :cool:
(http://thumb.ibb.co/kgN2eF/1948_JAMES_125.jpg) (http://ibb.co/kgN2eF)
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I bought a 1975 Honda CB500T used off of a long haul trucker that had medical problems and could not ride. It had a Wixom fairing that I took off. It had very low miles and looked new. The Bike was quite attractive but really vibrated.
My friend and I dubbed it the rolling paint shaker.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e1loktAYm4Y
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Back then when you went lots of places when you came back someone was sitting on your bike. I'm glad you don't see that anymore.
Tex
That was before my day. You mean you'd come out of a restaurant or bar, and someone was sitting on your bike fooling with it?
I think the ones who thought that was OK behavior have been taken out of the gene pool now, because I've not had that happen to me ....
Lannis
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My first bike, after moving to the States from Italy, was a Ducati 350 Road ( Mototrans), purchased new. it did look like the bees knees to me after lusting for the Ducati Scrambles back in Italy. Sometimes when cold it was a bugger to start (never did like that Motoplat ignition), but it did turn me in a died in the wool Ducati fan for a while
(http://thumb.ibb.co/iGcDmv/mototrans_1.jpg) (http://ibb.co/iGcDmv)
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Hell, how could I have forgotten about the first bike I actually owned, at 17 or so! A Kawasaki KH400, two stoke. It was stolen one night from in front of my house, I was heartbroken.
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170908/abc9cbdd4cda4565ee78672dc1cb4d9f.jpg)
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Hell, how could I have forgotten about the first bike I actually owned, at 17 or so! A Kawasaki KH400, two stoke. It was stolen one night from in front of my house, I was heartbroken.
A friend told me he wants to sell his S3. It's in darned nice shape.
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A friend told me he wants to sell his S3. It's in darned nice shape.
It sure was fun to ride. And look at. I think I'll stick with my more recent find, though. But thanks. [emoji846]
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NSU Supermax 250 cc, not sure what year but a great bike for a learner.
Many trips home 3 hours each way.
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Simson Super Sport 250.
Bought it from Fred's Cycle Salvage in South El Monte.
East German version of a BMW single.
kjf
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1975 Moto Guzzi 850 T-3. I bought it right after high school for the princely sum $800.00 ( on lay away ) :azn:
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I bought a Suzuki TC 120 from a dealer in Bradenton, FLA. It grenaded literally 2 blocks from the dealership. Similiar to this one:
(https://tse4.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.206e0c9ZwzFNpjk9FnzK2AEsDh&pid=15.1&P=0&w=223&h=168)
I took it back and whined and bitched til he felt sorry for me and gave me a yamaha 175cc Enduro, like this one:
(http://i.ebayimg.com/images/i/162285369384-0-1/s-l1000.jpg) I then rode it across the old Sunshine Skyway Bridge home to ST Pete on knobby tires. Never forget a thing like that. :grin: I dig Yamaha trail bikes. Next bike after that was a 69 Bonneville. So, it seems some things remain the same. I guess it's been about 45 years now. Here's my little brother about to put a big dent in one of my Yammie MXers: :grin:
(http://thumb.ibb.co/b8sVGv/Nort_wheelie.jpg) (http://ibb.co/b8sVGv)
online safety pics (http://imgbb.com/)
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I beat the hell out of a Yamaha 175 enduro like that for a couple years. Rode that thing way harder than it was intended to be used, and it survived.
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Honda CG125 don't know what they called them in US, cheap cheerful and way underpowered but got me hooked.
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That was before my day. You mean you'd come out of a restaurant or bar, and someone was sitting on your bike fooling with it?
I think the ones who thought that was OK behavior have been taken out of the gene pool now, because I've not had that happen to me ....
Lannis
The last time I found someone on my bike was in Sturgis. I had a custom Ezberg seat on the Ambo and found a dude sitting on it. At fairs, carnivals and other places it would not be uncommon to find a kid or grownup on your bike. Feel sorry for the cat that would sit on my bike in these days.
Tex
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My first road bike was a 1965? Bultaco Murcurio 175.
It was the perfect starter bike.
For the time and me......That bike was fast.
Only went down once. Showing off at a stoplight in the city in the rain.
From a start, spun the back tire and did a 180 in the middle of the intersection.
Probably a very valuable lesson....
Paul
(http://thumb.ibb.co/gjGNgv/Bultaco_Mucurio.jpg) (http://ibb.co/gjGNgv)
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My first bike was a silver 1977 Suzuki GT 550 introduced me to crappy electrics and a lust for ridding. Always made me feel like a bad ass when I kick started it!
Sent from my SM-N910P using Tapatalk
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A 1971, a 1967 Honda 65cc. We took out the back seat of my dad's Dodge sedan and sat it crossways to bring it home! Good bike to learn on with 4-speed. Shifted into 4th at 35 mph. Had it up to 55mph going down a long hill!
Fast forward 30 years... my nephew decides to buy a first bike because his friends are. Gets a Honda 750 crotch rocket and doesn't even get it out of the garage before losing control of it and crashing it into the wall. Sad to say he doesn't have much interest in riding!
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The last time I found someone on my bike was in Sturgis. I had a custom Ezberg seat on the Ambo and found a dude sitting on it. At fairs, carnivals and other places it would not be uncommon to find a kid or grownup on your bike. Feel sorry for the cat that would sit on my bike in these days.
Tex
I remember EZ Berg seats, some of the first "custom" seats on the market, pretty funky looking. And a gritty old guy making them, too ... Never owned one though ...
Lannis
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A brand new 1968 125 Rapido Harley Davidson made by Aermacci. Small, comfortable seat
(http://thumb.ibb.co/bzx4uF/rapido.jpg) (http://ibb.co/bzx4uF)
, reliable, and very easy to maintain. Would be happy to putt around town on a new one today. It was so good it gave me a false sense of what to expect from other bikes of the time. I rode it to work, school, & traveled around north GA on it till the need for speed got me looking for a bigger bike.
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Blue Yamaha Twin Jet 100 as a 14 year old. A cycle racer friend of my dad did some mods on it and I was beating S90 Hondas in a big way. I'd wind the snot out of it, then shift into top gear and disappear on them.... When officially licensed at 16, I traded up for a Yamaha 180. In my young mind, I now had a touring model and embarked on a 1000 mile trek from Wisconsin to North Dakota and back. Had a pair of tornados pass north and south of me just east of Fargo, adding to the teen adventure.
(http://thumb.ibb.co/hPHUBv/twin100.jpg) (http://ibb.co/hPHUBv)
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1975 Moto Guzzi 850 T-3. I bought it right after high school for the princely sum $800.00 ( on lay away ) :azn:
I can't remember anyone saying he bought a big twin Guzzi as a kid buying his first motorcycle before. In what year did you buy it?
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Late '83/early '84 I was taught to ride by my first boyfriend. He took me out to a rarely used airport, and on the runway showed me the basics. All I remember about the bike is that it looked similar to the pic below, with about the same size engine. I tried to buy it from him for $300, but my dad wouldn't hear of it. He'd almost lost his best friend in a motorcycle accident as a teen, and thought they were a deathtrap. Later, I would borrow my Aunt's early 60's Lambretta scooter, on the sly, for tooling around town.
After my boyfriend moved away, I kept in touch with his two best moto buddies, and you could find me two up most days, with one or the other. However, I never forgot how much I enjoyed riding solo on that airstrip.
My husband purchased a pair of Honda Metropolitans, for our 30th anniversary, this last June. I think I made his head spin with how fast I embraced the motorcycling world. Since then, we've taken the MSF BRC, gotten our licenses, and purchased "big kid" motorcycles. His is a Honda CTX700D, and mine a V7 III Anniversario.
(http://thumb.ibb.co/bMcqJa/Honda_CB250_CB360_CL360_CJ250_T_CJ360_T_Service_Repair_Manual.jpg) (http://ibb.co/bMcqJa)
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As with most I had a learn'n curve with Bonanza min bike, mopeds and a Vespa before I got my first motorcycle.
A 69' Cl 350 Honda.. a " BIG " bike.. two of everything.. 2 pistons, 2 carbs, 2 brakes. It introduced me to many adventures. The first one was the dreaded parking lot cable. I took off just caught 2nd then.. the steel snake... first the headlight got it..followed by the gauges ..over the bars and into my chest.. the bike continued forward the cable slid up to my lower jaw .. for a moment all I saw was blue sky before gravity took over... as I returned to earth I saw something amber also flutter down. The bike was now do'n the 20000 RPM's.. I rolled over and killed the bike.. my throat was hurting.. reached up with my hand.. pulled it away..Blood !.. visions of sput'n veins entered my mind. (just a bad case of cable rash) Then I hear hysterical laugher... seems I had witnesses.
Everything that use to stick out on the ride side of the Honda.. didn't anymore.. levers, brakes, turn signals.. the source of the fluttering amber.
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First bike i was 12, 1978 Honda cr80, rode it until the rims fell apart. first street bike i was 16, 1980 Yamaha RD400DS, the reason i lust after street 2-strokes to this day, am 50 now.
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First bike i was 12, 1978 Honda cr80, rode it until the rims fell apart. first street bike i was 16, 1980 Yamaha RD400DS, the reason i lust after street 2-strokes to this day, am 50 now.
Yep, when you get that two-stroke fever early on, it never really leaves. Love to hear that engine whine, smell the burning oil...
The RD400 was a nice bike. Loved my KH400, but it really took a back seat to the Yamaha.
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When officially licensed at 16, I traded up for a Yamaha 180. In my young mind, I now had a touring model and embarked on a 1000 mile trek from Wisconsin to North Dakota and back. Had a pair of tornados pass north and south of me just east of Fargo, adding to the teen adventure.
Wow -- that's an epic adventure! Lifetime memories!
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First machine with an engine and two wheels: RUPP minibike when I was seven.
First bike with a clutch & shifter: 1980 Yamaha MX100, 2 stroke play bike. Only brand new bike I've ever owned, bought it at an auction of a local dealer going out of business.
First road bike: 1982 Yamaha Virago 920. Picked up my student loan check on Thursday, cashed it on Friday and bought the first bike I saw on Saturday. I still had that bike 7 yrs later when I paid off the student loan.
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First machine with an engine and two wheels: RUPP minibike when I was seven.
First bike with a clutch & shifter: 1980 Yamaha MX100, 2 stroke play bike. Only brand new bike I've ever owned, bought it at an auction of a local dealer going out of business.
First road bike: 1982 Yamaha Virago 920. Picked up my student loan check on Thursday, cashed it on Friday and bought the first bike I saw on Saturday. I still had that bike 7 yrs later when I paid off the student loan.
First bike (actually the first three) were homemade trailbikes made from plans and conversion kits in Popular Science magazine. Start with a Schwinn bicycle frame and modify it for 8” wheels and a 3 HP Briggs, then a wooden one made out of 2x2 oak ….
First bike with a proper transmission and lights was a Rockford “Chibi”, la -
(https://photos.smugmug.com/General/i-3D5ZjcQ/0/6431897c/O/Copyofchibi3_zpsa03ce652.jpg) (https://lannisselz.smugmug.com/General/i-3D5ZjcQ/A)
And my first real road bike was one very similar to the Yamaha 180 twin mentioned a bit ago, a 1971 Yamaha CS-3 200cc electric start twin ….
(https://photos.smugmug.com/General/i-S3NXLxX/0/2262403c/O/CS3.jpg) (https://lannisselz.smugmug.com/General/i-S3NXLxX/A)
Didn’t know, back in those days, that this wasn’t a “Touring Bike”!
Lannis
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My first powered two wheeler was a briggs-powered mini bike, can't remember the brand. I was about 11 or 12.
It looked sort of like this one, but, more beat.
(https://i.pinimg.com/236x/69/7a/36/697a36c77fee79f17d2f36cd5bef5110--minibike-side-car.jpg)
The centrifugal clutch was worn out, so it would barely get going on it's own, and I didn't really didn't think about obtaining a replacement clutch. Instead, I trade it for a non-running Yamaha DT100.
(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/81/55/f5/8155f5c99b16c11c366cc72e66645360.jpg)
I got it running, and would push it about a 1/2 miles to a nearby field to ride it. My parents made me sell it when I got caught riding it on the street. :sad:
My parents were very anti-motorcycle, so, I got interested in 60's muscle cars instead.
Fast-forward to 2011, at the age of 43, I got my first street bike. a 2009 V7 Classic, and the hook was set:
(https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5459/9877757946_9710710fc6_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/g3S6iu)P9223112 (https://flic.kr/p/g3S6iu) by jay_snyder67 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/97354518@N02/), on Flickr
(https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2826/9877833633_4ca1d6191c_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/g3StNr)P9223118 (https://flic.kr/p/g3StNr) by jay_snyder67 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/97354518@N02/), on Flickr
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Fast-forward to 2011, at the age of 43, I got my first street bike. a 2009 V7 Classic, and the hook was set:
(https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2826/9877833633_4ca1d6191c_c.jpg) (https://flic.kr/p/g3StNr)P9223118 (https://flic.kr/p/g3StNr) by jay_snyder67 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/97354518@N02/), on Flickr
If this were my bike I'd have this picture blown up to the largest size the resolution allows, have it framed and put somewhere I could see it on every winter day. Great picture of a beautiful bike.
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Hell, how could I have forgotten about the first bike I actually owned, at 17 or so! A Kawasaki KH400, two stoke. It was stolen one night from in front of my house, I was heartbroken.
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20170908/abc9cbdd4cda4565ee78672dc1cb4d9f.jpg)
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I bought the exact same bike, 77, paid 8-900? still have that. planned on resurrecting it some day
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A 1948 Matchless 350. Rigid end. By the time I sold it in the mid 80' it had had at least 3 frames and about 3-4 motors, but still ran the same gearbox! I wish I could say the same for my Guzzi :rolleyes: . It was a bit like granddads old axe :grin:. Lost count of the miles, probably around 200,000 miles. At times it was a love-hate relationship. Range of the final iteration was 600-700 miles on a tank of gas. BIG tank, over 7 imp gallons.
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I bought the exact same bike, 77, paid 8-900? still have that. planned on resurrecting it some day
Mine was a '76 I believe, bought in '78. Forget what it cost but it was less than yours, I only know because I'm sure I didn't have that much money.
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Mine was a '76 I believe, bought in '78. Forget what it cost but it was less than yours, I only know because I'm sure I didn't have that much money.
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might have been less, it was showroom, but a left over. long time ago, but a great bike!
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My first was a '68 Honda CL-70 Scrambler. I had gotten a ride on someone's Motobecane Mobylette the summer before and was hooked. By Christmas, I had gotten a laborer's book (at 14!) and worked refinery shutdowns during Christmas break to buy it. That bike changed my world. Shown below with my friend, Bert aboard in Cura�ao...
(http://thumb.ibb.co/jvXb3k/IMG_0785.jpg) (http://ibb.co/jvXb3k)
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First real bike was a 1978 Triumph Bonneville, TI40. Purchased it on 12/3/83 and just sold it 30 mins. ago on 9/17/2017. Hopefully, it is going to a good home and will get the attention she needs. Since then have had Honda's, Triumph Sprint, Kawasaki and a Triumph Thruxton. The Thruxton (1st gen) was my favorite until my V7.
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First bike after I moved out,parents were anti- motorcycle,was a 1972 Honda XL 250 Motosport! Street legal for a while then stripped all the unnecessary crap and tried to keep up with friends on RM 250 Suzuki's...put a Poweroll 298 big bore kit,was close to fast,absolutely unbreakable! Now I needed a street bike and Norton dropped the price on Commando's 800.00$ so I bought my 1974 850 for 1895.00$ !!! Still have both...
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1963 Honda Benly 150, new $525. Road it for a year, traded it in for $425 on a New t100sc 500 Triumph.
Still have the t100sc.
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Brand new 72 450 Honda.
(http://thumb.ibb.co/iQosdk/IMG_3903.png) (http://ibb.co/iQosdk)
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Brand new 72 450 Honda.
(http://thumb.ibb.co/iQosdk/IMG_3903.png) (http://ibb.co/iQosdk)
great looking motor on the 450...always liked the 450/500 twins :whip2: never had one perhaps some day
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Out here a lotof the 450's were black, and got the nickname "Black Bomber".
Torsion bar valve springs I believe. Seemed to be a pretty nice bike and went pretty well.
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Yes, good looking motorcycle, but as soon as the Honda 550/4 came out, I sold it and bought that. Wish I still had both of those motorcycles.
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Yes, good looking motorcycle, but as soon as the Honda 550/4 came out, I sold it and bought that. Wish I still had both of those motorcycles.
I had a 550 four SS. It was my adventure bike. Took that thing anywhere, but slowly. :wink:
(http://thumb.ibb.co/ji87W5/Honda_550_SS007a.jpg) (http://ibb.co/ji87W5)
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1998 Harley Sportster 1200 95th anniv edition.
Here it is with the late wife's 883, Back in The Day:
(https://bobistheoilguy.com/forums/attachments/usergals/2017/09/full-17272-12358-lrbikes.jpg)
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1947 Doodle Bug , Made by Hiawatha Mfg in Webster City, Iowa . I think I was 12 years old when I got it. Grew up on a farm not far from a very small town it Iowa and rode it everywhere until I turned 16 and bought my first Harley.
(http://thumb.ibb.co/c35t4Q/1947_Doodle_Bug2.jpg) (http://ibb.co/c35t4Q)
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Out here a lotof the 450's were black, and got the nickname "Black Bomber".
The CB450-K0 (first version, 1965-1967) were mostly black. Those were the "Black Bombers." They also made a very few K0's, which were called the "Red Dragon."
(https://i.pinimg.com/736x/81/73/43/8173439bd1f14e68fffe29de468ac232--motos-honda-honda-bikes.jpg)
Torsion bar valve springs I believe. Seemed to be a pretty nice bike and went pretty well.
Yes, torsion bar valve springs, and valve adjustment was done by rotating the the rocker shafts, which have an eccentric on the ends where they attache to the cylinder head casing.
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The CB450-K0 (first version, 1965-1967) were mostly black. Those were the "Black Bombers." They also made a very few K0's, which were called the "Red Dragon."
(https://i.pinimg.com/736x/81/73/43/8173439bd1f14e68fffe29de468ac232--motos-honda-honda-bikes.jpg)
Yes, torsion bar valve springs, and valve adjustment was done by rotating the the rocker shafts, which have an eccentric on the ends where they attache to the cylinder head casing.
And the Death Knell for the British Twins that had ruled the roads for so many years .... since the 450 would outrun any but the most desperately-ridden BSAs and Triumphs .....
Lannis
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(http://thumb.ibb.co/mM9fm5/IMG_0509.jpg) (http://ibb.co/mM9fm5)
file image uploader (http://imgbb.com/)
My first big bike, still have it and its a keeper.....