Author Topic: What Was Your First Bike  (Read 14618 times)

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Offline KB02

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Re: What Was Your First Bike
« Reply #125 on: June 25, 2007, 05:34:12 AM »
My first bike, ever:
1978 Honda XR75

Since then, many others.
1978 CB750K Project
2000 Ducati ST2
...and a pedal bike

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Offline greenjeans

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Re: What Was Your First Bike
« Reply #126 on: June 25, 2007, 08:09:25 AM »
72 & 74 Suzuki GT 750 "WaterBuffalo"  bought boxes and boxes of some GT750s '72 & '74 for 75 bucks about 10 years ago.
P.O. was in over his head and had the wife on his arse... He wanted 300 for it all, with the help of his wife, I got it for $75.
Took the best/cleanest parts of each and made one pretty nice ride.  That thing was a beast.  750 2-strokes have a good sound to them.  Wish I never sold that thing......if I only knew then...
Yep, I'm the kid that figured out how to put things back together...eventually.

Offline tsflstb

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Re: What Was Your First Bike
« Reply #127 on: June 25, 2007, 10:27:42 AM »
1981 GS750L.  Way too big and heavy for a first bike, but I didn't know any better. 


Offline Frrrrunkis

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Re: What Was Your First Bike
« Reply #128 on: June 26, 2007, 08:15:51 PM »
the only one I have...



Previous owner wrecked it, decided he was through with anything with less than 3 wheels, gave it to my dads uncle, who gave it to my dad, and my dad gave it to me

the original front turn signals were sawed off, original headlight case was busted on one side, and missing the grommet in the top
the reflectors were gone
the odometer had a huge gash in the top side of it, where it hit the pavement
the engine was stained badly, and what clear coat remained, had turned yellow
clutch cable was broken
the side stand is completely gone, bracket and all
the dents in the tank
muffler was not attached to the headers
the bottom tree was stretched out, so when the wheel was straight, the bars were slightly to the right (not even noticeable unless you actually look while driving it)

BUT... it runs and rides great still
« Last Edit: June 26, 2007, 08:30:17 PM by Frrrrunkis »
1975 CB400F - "Ol' Red"
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Offline canyon750

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Re: What Was Your First Bike
« Reply #129 on: June 26, 2007, 09:14:29 PM »
Ahh memories...  My first bike was a Honda (of course!) 1979 CM400T.  I bought it from a friend who had 3 bikes in his garage, all sitting there for over 5 years.  Actually I bought the 750 from him too.  Great little bike and perfect for a first time rider.
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pyro139

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Re: What Was Your First Bike
« Reply #130 on: June 26, 2007, 11:20:43 PM »
my farther taught me to ride when i was 7 on a old motobicane moped, my 81 cb650c is first bike i owned, i now have motorcycle and a scooter and need a trike to complete set ;D

Offline Ingrid

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Re: What Was Your First Bike
« Reply #131 on: June 27, 2007, 03:57:44 AM »
Mine was a 1980 CX500. Man did I abuse that bike, but it never died on me. Great memories!!

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Re: What Was Your First Bike
« Reply #132 on: June 29, 2007, 03:33:03 PM »
If I remember, and it was long, long ago, my first bike was a 1969 Honda S90. I spent about as much time fixing and tinkering (fixing usually because of my tinkering) than riding it. But when the temperature and humidity were just right and the pavement was smooth and maybe even sloped down just a bit, I could strip down to a light tee-shirt and cut-offs, put my belly button on the seat, with my chin on the fuel cap and open her up. Straining my eyes to look downward without lifting my head I could get her wound up to 60 MPH (assuming the speedo was right). I didn't really care how accurate the speedo was, this was way fast (and maybe just a little wobbly) and I was indestructible at 14!

Offline Dead Bound

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Re: What Was Your First Bike -
« Reply #133 on: October 09, 2009, 09:19:12 AM »
My first bike was a 1997 250 Yamaha Virago.  My mother gave it to me because she quit riding.  I drove 12 hrs to pick it up in IA.  I sold it last year with 2100 miles and bought a 1978 CB550.  I'm thinking now that I was crazy. 


Offline ev0lve

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Re: What Was Your First Bike
« Reply #134 on: October 09, 2009, 11:49:50 AM »
CB400 Four. Sold it to a friend who sold it to a friend. Heard he finally sold it off to a stranger last year. Wish he'd asked me first  :( To this day I still try and shift into 6th  ;D
« Last Edit: October 09, 2009, 11:52:41 AM by Iggy »

Offline Aaron Richard

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Re: What Was Your First Bike
« Reply #135 on: October 09, 2009, 11:54:16 AM »
In 1993, i bought a 1972 cb450 with 7k miles. bought it from an 80yr old guy after he had it in his garage for 8 years. came with huge cop fairing and bags on it. those were the first to go. great first bike to learn on ;D

Offline mlinder

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Re: What Was Your First Bike
« Reply #136 on: October 09, 2009, 12:12:51 PM »
I said trail 50 before, but I was wrong, was a trail 70. This one.

No.


Offline grumburg

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Re: What Was Your First Bike
« Reply #137 on: October 09, 2009, 03:53:52 PM »
1969 Suzuki 350 Rebel. Purchased 1972 for $500. Traded in 1973 for a new 1972 GT380. $350 and Rebel out the door.
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Offline Damfino

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Re: What Was Your First Bike
« Reply #138 on: October 09, 2009, 08:49:57 PM »



Back in 1977 I got a brand new Honda XL 75.  My Pops paid $600.00 for it at Elmhurst Honda in Elmhurst IL.

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Offline MJL

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Re: What Was Your First Bike
« Reply #139 on: October 09, 2009, 10:14:54 PM »
My first motorcycle was an '82 Kawasaki KZ440. The starter was bad so I had to push start it, a few weeks later I met a guy who had a spare starter so we swapped. I had it for about a year when I traded it in on a new Ninja.  It was a slow bike, topped out around 65-70, but always started easy and got great mileage. I wish I still had it.
No matter how fast or how far I rode, I couldn't leave her memory behind.

Offline BeSeeingYou

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Re: What Was Your First Bike
« Reply #140 on: October 09, 2009, 10:41:50 PM »
1979 Yamaha XS650 Special.  Bought it new in 79 and having never ridden one other than as a passenger I rode it home from the dealer. :)  Have taken it to California and back and many trips between Minnesota and Montana.  Still have it.  First photo is from 1981 and the other is a recent photo.

Offline bucky katt

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Re: What Was Your First Bike
« Reply #141 on: October 10, 2009, 05:40:06 PM »
my first ride was on a brothers cb450.........i think. the first one i ever owned was a 51' triumph tiger 100 hardtailed chopper complete with the long assed girder front end. got it from a co-worker going off to prison for 175 dollars. i got someone to cart it home, i rode it around the front pasture for about 10 minutes then i hit the road. i rode a series of old trumps and nortons in the early-mid 90's  i got back into riding in 2005 with a k6 750.
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Offline mick7504

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Re: What Was Your First Bike
« Reply #142 on: October 10, 2009, 09:42:03 PM »
I think my first ride was on a Honda "Step Through" that I rode into the back fence and ended up at the hospital for 7 stitches in my leg.
The progression from there was to a BSA Bantam and there was a lot of them around back in the 60's.
Along the way came a Villiers, a Zundapp, a Royal Enfield, a Matchless, a BSA 600cc single side valve.
We named this Beeza "The Beast" because that is what it was. It had a decompression lever that had to be used to kick start it and if it ever kicked back you would know all about it. With the head off you could easily fit a closed fist down inside the bore.
A Triumph Thunderbird then came along complete with apehangers and megaphones and plenty of chrome.
I think it cost about $80.00 which was quite a bit of money back then.
This one was named "The Chrome Coffin" and was the envy of all of the kids in the neighborhood but not the local constabulary mainly due to the exhaust system.
In 1969 while I was still at Secondary School, 3 or 4 Honda 750's hit the road in our town and I developed an instant obsession for one of these machines.
By about 1973 my obsession had been fullfilled and the rest is history.
They were good days.
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Offline Spanner 1

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Re: What Was Your First Bike
« Reply #143 on: October 10, 2009, 10:21:23 PM »
Mine was a Bridgestone 175 Dual Twin...very rare in Ireland, wait ,very rare anywhere !! NO dealers, no parts, 'yer on yer own ' son with that thing !!!...... swapped it after a year ( wish I had it now!) for a Yamaha 200 Electric ( Electric start !!!!!)..... loved the 'Briggy' with its big 'twin-leading-shoe' front brake....if I could only get my K1 to stop that fast !!
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Offline Freaky1

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Re: What Was Your First Bike
« Reply #144 on: October 11, 2009, 03:35:55 AM »
The first bike I ever rode has the dubious honor of being the first bike I eventually owned and also the first bike I crashed. My cousins had a early Honda Z50 and the first day I rode it by myself I was maybe 7 and I ran it through a split rail fence and busted the brake lever off the handle bars. My dad bought it for me a few years later, I stripped it and had it all back together and running nice, I loved that bike. When I reached my 20 and had been living on my own for a few years my parents gave it to my nephew who ended up selling it without telling me, now I wish I had it for my son. I looked some of them up and wow people want a ton of money for a nice one...maybe I'll pick up a basket case and make it my next project.
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Offline demon78

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Re: What Was Your First Bike
« Reply #145 on: October 11, 2009, 04:17:07 AM »
The first I bike I owned and drove was a 1951 Matchless 500 single that was 10th hand when I got it in 59, taught me about riding, mechanics and a bunch of other things, I was hooked forever.
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Offline Redman

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Re: What Was Your First Bike
« Reply #146 on: October 11, 2009, 04:26:09 AM »
  The first bike I ever rode was a 1965 Norton Atlas 750 in 1965. Talk about starting off big. It was my boss`s bike when I worked at his service station. He was getting rid of it and let me take it for a spin. Eventually my older brother bought it and I rode the hell out of it.
   A year later, my best friend and I got 1966 Cb160`s. We rode those everywhere including off road. Sure miss those days.

Offline 72 yellow

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Re: What Was Your First Bike
« Reply #147 on: October 12, 2009, 12:20:26 PM »
In the summer of 1966, I learned to ride on a high school friends 305 Superhawk.  Rented a few Suzuki 80s to try riding off road.  In 1970 I purchased a new 70 1/2 CB450 w/disc brake at Anderson's in Pontiac MI.  A guy I worked with had a brother who worked in a chrome plating shop, so I had the chainguard, side covers and toolbox plated.  I sold it in 1973 and got a new Sportster XLH. 

Offline le_sterls

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Re: What Was Your First Bike
« Reply #148 on: October 12, 2009, 01:27:31 PM »
My first and only bike, a '77 cb550. On the second picture, it's the one on the far left.

That's what I'd like to hear.
'77 CB550k - running... For now...

Offline b82ta

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Re: What Was Your First Bike
« Reply #149 on: October 13, 2009, 08:30:13 AM »
First bike was my dad's old minibike... an Arctic Cat Ramrod minibike.  2 stroke w/ torque converter, front brakes only and no working kill switch.  Oh yeah forgot that the slide cap would pop off the carb allowing only full throttle.  made things interesting....

Second bike was my mom's old Honda Z-50, much nicer, and the 3 speed was so much more fun than the torque convert... I still love riding the z-50.



was a little hard on it in the early high school years...



but I rebuilt it just before going off to college, and it still runs excellent.