Topic: So, Just How Did You Get Involved With Hondas, Mind Sharing Your Story?

[MikeSimon]

     . I liked everything about that CBX, except that Honda put a restriction on the speedometer and tach, for 1980.

It wasn't only Honda. Basically all bike manufacturers followed which I think was a mandate from the government. I forgot her name, but there was a nasty lady in charge of some place, either the DOT or the NTSB and they requested the limit of 80/85mph on the speedo. As you know, speed kills.

[bill440cars]

     . I liked everything about that CBX, except that Honda put a restriction on the speedometer and tach, for 1980.

It wasn't only Honda. Basically all bike manufacturers followed which I think was a mandate from the government. I forgot her name, but there was a nasty lady in charge of some place, either the DOT or the NTSB and they requested the limit of 80/85mph on the speedo. As you know, speed kills.

           Yeah, you re right. Just like Ralph Nader vs Chevrolet Corvair. By the time it finally went out of production, there had been quite a lot of improvements made. To me, it just sucked that the 2nd and last year of the CBX, before being loaded down with the fairing and bags and such, I just wish they could have squeezed another year out, before the restrictions on the Speedometer & Tach. They had made quite a few improvements over the '79. Thing is, when I ended up needing some cash, I actually put both the CBX and the GPZ up for sale and if I could have gotten enough for the GPZ (though I really like it as well, though not as much as the CBX), if I could have gotten enough for the GPZ, I would still have the CBX in my possession. But, we know how that went and I suspected it would be like that. Oh well, it is what it is, eh?     

[grcamna2]

I was into the big Suzuki's,GS1100E models and they all had the 85mph  speedo's except for the 1983' model which had the 140,I never did see that speed though,scared of the 'Blue light specials' hiding behind a bridge somewhere just itching to pull my license 

[dhall57]

I think I was around 12 or 13 and I saw a commercial on TV about the new Honda Mini Trail 70 and I talked (begged) my mom into buying me one. That led to four more Honda's  by the time I was 18, the last being a 1976 CB550. After this I was absent from Honda's for 33 years until I got my first CB750 in 2009 and ran across this forum.

[bill440cars]

I was into the big Suzuki's,GS1100E models and they all had the 85mph  speedo's except for the 1983' model which had the 140,I never did see that speed though,scared of the 'Blue light specials' hiding behind a bridge somewhere just itching to pull my license 

          Yeah, I hear you Bill. Funny thing though, While The CBX was limited On The Speed on the Speedometer and the rpm  Redline on the tach was set some lower, The 1983 GPZ1100 Instruments were not restricted by Kawasaki. The speedometer on the GPZ1100 is set at 160mph. Just an observation, that's all. I have only seen 110 on the GPZ myself. My Buddy however (the one I got the CBX from) saw 117 on the GPZ. I got nervous at 110, because all I would need, would be to get nailed, like Bill said. I just get caught up with the feeling, when flying down the highway on a motorcycle (well, in my Charger or GTX as well, No sense in lying about it. I just Love going fast) Though I have made myself slow down a bit, in the last few years. For years, I would be sailing and suddenly decide it would be best to slow down and just after I would slow down, there would be a cop sitting with radar or one would be just finishing up writing someone up. But, in the last few years, I have been the one who got caught and ticketed (would happen about once a year, for the last 3 yrs, so I finally saw the handwriting on the wall, that this might be a sign that thrill time is coming to an end. Or, at least, less frequent.   

[bill440cars]

I think I was around 12 or 13 and I saw a commercial on TV about the new Honda Mini Trail 70 and I talked (begged) my mom into buying me one. That led to four more Honda's  by the time I was 18, the last being a 1976 CB550. After this I was absent from Honda's for 33 years until I got my first CB750 in 2009 and ran across this forum.

           Cool story there, buddy. Thanks for sharing. 

[grcamna2]

bill440,
The one great thing about riding bikes for me is it's made me much more observant as a driver and to 'think ahead' for what might be 'up the road'  so hopefully I can back-off soon enough and still enjoy the ride.
The 'rider's experience' has really helped me stay more aware plus getting a type of built-in radar.. of sorts.I also need to keep learning how to view the road surface so I will include that 'scanning' into noticing if there's foreign 'STUFF' on the tarmac like anti-freeze,oil,diesel fuel,large stones,etc. on it that could wipe me out  I want to learn while still upright on two wheels and so far that's been good for me. I guess what I'm really saying is I don't want to ride 'over my head' which is another reason i enjoy riding my Honda by myself most of the time:I can concentrate more on the road,etc. w/ less distractions.

[RAFster122s]

When I was about 7-8 a neighbor kid my age dad bought them a Mini Trail 50 and we would be allowed to ride it. It was fun. As I got into my teens a family across the street from them Dianne and her older brothers. This was the 70s and they were into choppers and weed and constantly in trouble with the law. Kurt had a massively raked chopper and got picked up at the stop sign one day by the sheriff for who knows what. Diana and I pushed it up the hill, it was a 750 with a 6 foot set of forks and extreme rake and the handlebars would fall to the side very easily. Diana and I pushed it up the hill and then out the street and down the slight hill to their house. It was a real pain.   Never liked choppers.   Wanted to buy one for years and finally did after moving to Tucson when living alone. Was having some car trouble and so I picked up a '81 C70 out of Phoenix for $500 that was pretty beat but ran well.  Then a real project in a '65 CA95, That led to a nice 'Nov '69 build S90 Sport with chromed fenders and Ruby Red Candy metallic paint, then a '78 CX500 "Plastic Maggot" and then the '74 CB550K.

[bill440cars]

bill440,
The one great thing about riding bikes for me is it's made me much more observant as a driver and to 'think ahead' for what might be 'up the road'  so hopefully I can back-off soon enough and still enjoy the ride.
The 'rider's experience' has really helped me stay more aware plus getting a type of built-in radar.. of sorts.I also need to keep learning how to view the road surface so I will include that 'scanning' into noticing if there's foreign 'STUFF' on the tarmac like anti-freeze,oil,diesel fuel,large stones,etc. on it that could wipe me out  I want to learn while still upright on two wheels and so far that's been good for me. I guess what I'm really saying is I don't want to ride 'over my head' which is another reason i enjoy riding my Honda by myself most of the time:I can concentrate more on the road,etc. w/ less distractions.

           I hear you, on that, Bill. In order to even try to survive out on the road or even in town, you have to keep all of your senses working at the highest level possible and try to anticipate any possible move that anyone might make. 

[bill440cars]

When I was about 7-8 a neighbor kid my age dad bought them a Mini Trail 50 and we would be allowed to ride it. It was fun. As I got into my teens a family across the street from them Dianne and her older brothers. This was the 70s and they were into choppers and weed and constantly in trouble with the law. Kurt had a massively raked chopper and got picked up at the stop sign one day by the sheriff for who knows what. Diana and I pushed it up the hill, it was a 750 with a 6 foot set of forks and extreme rake and the handlebars would fall to the side very easily. Diana and I pushed it up the hill and then out the street and down the slight hill to their house. It was a real pain.   Never liked choppers.   Wanted to buy one for years and finally did after moving to Tucson when living alone. Was having some car trouble and so I picked up a '81 C70 out of Phoenix for $500 that was pretty beat but ran well.  Then a real project in a '65 CA95, That led to a nice 'Nov '69 build S90 Sport with chromed fenders and Ruby Red Candy metallic paint, then a '78 CX500 "Plastic Maggot" and then the '74 CB550K.

           And So It goes, eh? Nice one, Thanks.    I wouldn't know to act, without having at least one. 

[bill440cars]

        Like some of you, I was a motorcycle nut first, then the Super Hawk sort of "Fine Tuned" my feeling and I rambled on for several years, with a liking for most motorcycles, with the Super Hawk Being my Prime Interest, Then the CB450's influenced me more, The Honda &50 SOHC, along with the other Honda 4's, as they started coming out. I Knew that the CBX grabbed my attention in a huge way, but never figured I'd ever be able to afford one & then, the time came, that I could and I was elated! Then, a little bit back, I started thinking about whether I should keep it or not, as I was getting on up there, in age. So, I tried to "Do the Smart Thing" and put it up for sale and let it go. But, I couldn't do it, so it stayed. Then things got so, that I had to come up with some cash, so I actually did sell it. It was at that point, after it was gone, that I realized just how huge of an attraction that the CBX Was for me. The CBX may not be like an exotic bike or anything, but, to me, it was an Awesome Machine on 2 wheels. I Love The Look, The Sound, The way it  rides & everything about it. I may not ever be able to afford another one, but I do have the photos and, as long as God allows, the memories of those rides.  Sorry, I just finished reading the thread about that CB750 with the Bennelli 6 cylinder motor in it and the discussion included comments about the CBX and well, it just took me back, to my time spent with the CBX.     

[kerryb]

When I was 12 I got to ride a friends minibike, I was hooked!  Dad said "no motorcycles while you live in my house"  this coming from a guy who was on a race team at watkins glen...go figure.  When my parents signed me up for drivers ed at 17, they included motorcycle ed too!  Go figure again!!!  This was 1973,  I knew what a cb750 was but never dreamed I'd have one.  We rode brand new Honda 100's and I thought a miracle had occured.  Two years later, my girlfriend loaned me her Suzuki 380 gt for the summer,  she had cafe'd it with clipons and a seat, heaven and miracles again!!!  But the honda 100 was the first, and 35 years later I got my first cb750, heaven and miracles again!  (no bikes. From 73 to 2005)  now I have a shop full of projects and riders...never going back!!!

[J.Webster Designs]

I wasn't allowed to have motorcycles growing up. My mother lost a friend in highschool on a motorcycle and swore that her kids would never have motorcycles.  Growing up I wasn't all that interested in them as my dad kept his 3 boys busy working on cars, trucks and hotrods. Since I was a kid, I always said that one day I was going to own a custom shop and I never lost the passion for all things engine driven.  Once I went off to college, my best friend since I was a little kid got pretty heavy into motorcycles. Specifically sport bikes and stunting.  But I was raised on hotrods and trying to kill myself stunting didn't really appeal to me. So I found vintage Honda's and fell in love. I got the itch BAD! I was a sophmore in college, had no money, but I knew how to work on mechanical stuff so I wasn't afraid of a beater. I ended up finding a rough looking, but running 1976 CB750F in the same town that I was living in for college. My mom and dad were living in Illinois and I was living in Florida. I figured.... "what momma don't know wont hurt her...." So I went to go look at the bike and take it for a test ride. There was a bunch wrong with it. But it didn't scare me and it really appealed to my "hotrod" soul. I offered the guy a little less than he was asking, but he wouldn't budge. So I walked. I kept looking and about a year later, he re-listed the same bike for sale for the same price. I called him up, met him and by this time, it wasn't running anymore. So I offered him even less. He bit the bullet and I was loading a motorcycle into the back of my truck. To top the cake.... I actually didn't have enough money to buy the $600 CB750 at the time. So I had to rob my girlfriends (now wife) massive piggy bank that she had been saving since she was a kid. The rest is history.

Never would have thought that that moment would have led to where I am today with building custom motorcycles and making parts for them. Pretty crazy.

My entire history with motorcycling is documented on this forum.... I came here when I first bought the bike and you all helped me through getting it rideable back then.  Been here ever since.

[bill440cars]

When I was 12 I got to ride a friends minibike, I was hooked!  Dad said "no motorcycles while you live in my house"  this coming from a guy who was on a race team at watkins glen...go figure.  When my parents signed me up for drivers ed at 17, they included motorcycle ed too!  Go figure again!!!  This was 1973,  I knew what a cb750 was but never dreamed I'd have one.  We rode brand new Honda 100's and I thought a miracle had occured.  Two years later, my girlfriend loaned me her Suzuki 380 gt for the summer,  she had cafe'd it with clipons and a seat, heaven and miracles again!!!  But the honda 100 was the first, and 35 years later I got my first cb750, heaven and miracles again!  (no bikes. From 73 to 2005)  now I have a shop full of projects and riders...never going back!!!

 

           Pretty cool story, thank you, for sharing with us. And also pretty cool that your girlfriend loaned you her Suzuki 380 GT too. Don't hear THAT everyday. 

[bill440cars]

I wasn't allowed to have motorcycles growing up. My mother lost a friend in highschool on a motorcycle and swore that her kids would never have motorcycles.  Growing up I wasn't all that interested in them as my dad kept his 3 boys busy working on cars, trucks and hotrods. Since I was a kid, I always said that one day I was going to own a custom shop and I never lost the passion for all things engine driven.  Once I went off to college, my best friend since I was a little kid got pretty heavy into motorcycles. Specifically sport bikes and stunting.  But I was raised on hotrods and trying to kill myself stunting didn't really appeal to me. So I found vintage Honda's and fell in love. I got the itch BAD! I was a sophmore in college, had no money, but I knew how to work on mechanical stuff so I wasn't afraid of a beater. I ended up finding a rough looking, but running 1976 CB750F in the same town that I was living in for college. My mom and dad were living in Illinois and I was living in Florida. I figured.... "what momma don't know wont hurt her...." So I went to go look at the bike and take it for a test ride. There was a bunch wrong with it. But it didn't scare me and it really appealed to my "hotrod" soul. I offered the guy a little less than he was asking, but he wouldn't budge. So I walked. I kept looking and about a year later, he re-listed the same bike for sale for the same price. I called him up, met him and by this time, it wasn't running anymore. So I offered him even less. He bit the bullet and I was loading a motorcycle into the back of my truck. To top the cake.... I actually didn't have enough money to buy the $600 CB750 at the time. So I had to rob my girlfriends (now wife) massive piggy bank that she had been saving since she was a kid. The rest is history.

Never would have thought that that moment would have led to where I am today with building custom motorcycles and making parts for them. Pretty crazy.

My entire history with motorcycling is documented on this forum.... I came here when I first bought the bike and you all helped me through getting it rideable back then.  Been here ever since.

           Really something, how your story turned out. Just goes to show ya, that if it was meant to be, it will be. And you have made quite the transformation as well.    Glad to have you with us, btw, you fit in, quite well.   

[innovativems]

I started out on a go cart and finally convinced my parents to get me a quad.  It was a trx200sx.  I rode the wheels off that.  I stuck to four wheel and sleds and my brother always had dirt bikes.  When I was 22, I had a buddy selling a wrecked cbr600rr.  I spent months getting it back to perfect and rode it everywhere.  From there I got a wrecked cbr1000rr.  I put it back to perfect then did a track day.  That changed my life for two wheels.  I made that bike a kind of street legal track bike and realized I want some bikes to have fun on.  Got a crf450 and built a super Moto out of it and found a cheap 77 cb750.  From there I got a cb360 and built my first cafe.  From there it was a cl350 brat, cb360 tracker, cb360 cafe and now I'm building a cb400f track/street bike, cb350f and a kawi h2.  In addition to these I have a ysr50, Honda express, Suzuki stinger, Suzuki ts125, rc51 track bike and a ktm adventure. 


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[bill440cars]

I started out on a go cart and finally convinced my parents to get me a quad.  It was a trx200sx.  I rode the wheels off that.  I stuck to four wheel and sleds and my brother always had dirt bikes.  When I was 22, I had a buddy selling a wrecked cbr600rr.  I spent months getting it back to perfect and rode it everywhere.  From there I got a wrecked cbr1000rr.  I put it back to perfect then did a track day.  That changed my life for two wheels.  I made that bike a kind of street legal track bike and realized I want some bikes to have fun on.  Got a crf450 and built a super Moto out of it and found a cheap 77 cb750.  From there I got a cb360 and built my first cafe.  From there it was a cl350 brat, cb360 tracker, cb360 cafe and now I'm building a cb400f track/street bike, cb350f and a kawi h2.  In addition to these I have a ysr50, Honda express, Suzuki stinger, Suzuki ts125, rc51 track bike and a ktm adventure. 

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                An yet another very interesting story. Sounds like you have touched the different aspects of Motorcycling there.  Appreciate you sharing with us. 

               

[bill440cars]

       I was hoping that a thread like this, would be used and we all could get an idea of what each other went through, to get to where we are now and there have been some pretty interesting stories shared here and I am hoping that the interest will continue. This is a huge "Sort of a Family" forum and with all the experience and knowledge here, there isn't much info (if any) that can't be learned from any given person here. Hope everyone has a good day.