Topic: What was your first motorcycle?

[Brent C.]

My first bike that I owned was an 81' Montesa Cota 349 trials bike, perfect bike to learn on. bought it from my brother some 13 years ago, sold it back to him two years later.After I bought an 81' yamaha IT250 enduro, that bike wanted to kill me!!! It was MINT shape and WICKEDLY fast!!

So what was yours?? and post pics if you got em!!


The "cota"




The "IT"

[neudl]

1978 Yamaha DT175 enduro.  Still have it, although I need to rebuild the carb.

[nickjtc]

First powered two wheeler: 1972 Max Puch moped

First motorcycle: 1972 Cherry Red Honda CB175, like this...

http://www.mcreports.com/Pages/Indivbikes/Honda/CB175.html

[Steve F]

A 1974 HONDA CB360 twin.  Too slow for me, would barely do 65 mph.

[heffay]

72 suzuki tc125 w/ the dual range tranny... i think that thing would go straight up a wall if i could hang on to it.

[kslrr]

After doing a quick research on the net, it looks like I had a 1964 or 1966 Yamaha YG1 80cc street bike.  My dad knew this guy and they assembled this 'basket case' into a complete enduro type of machine. No enclosed chain, high pipe and front fender, bobbed rear fender.  They had painted the frame red, recovered the seat and mounted new nobby tires.  It was fun.  I rebuilt the engine using parts from an older model that I found in the desert.  It did not have the enclosed chain either, so I am not sure of the model.

[nickjtc]

A 1974 HONDA CB360 twin.  Too slow for me, would barely do 65 mph.

I'm surprised, Steve. My riding friend of the time had one of those and would routinely thrap up the A1 at an indicated 90mph.

[eldar]

I started on the good old  honda trail 70! It managed about 35 or so with its short, fat tires! Beat the crap out of that thing, dont know how it is still even a 1 piece frame!

Then I moved to a 100 cc yamaha enduro, 1981 I think. Jumped the hell out of that sucker. Broke off the pass pegs many times! bent the turn signals all over the place and who knows what else!  That thing managed 50 on pavement, though not too fun if the tube blew!

Then had a junker yamaha 500, no idea the model, it had a decomp lever but it did not have any brakes at all, no speedo, no lights, no tread down the middle.... jeez  how did I not die an that sucker?! Oh I know, it barely ran well enough to start!!

[CrisPDuk]

A 1985 Honda H100S Which I bought last year and still own

[BobbyR]

Started out with a 196 - something 250cc Ducati Street Scrambler. I bought it from a guy in School who promised he would teach me to ride. Well our first ride was to Woodstock NY to see some Bands. I learned to lane split and ride in mud on that weekend. I loved that little bike. 

[Uncle Ernie]

BMW R27;  250cc of the slowest motorcycle ever made.  0-50 in 12.7     minutes.
This is an actual photo of me trying to keep the bike up while being blown backwards in a 7mph head wind.

[DammitDan]

Back when photos used paint and brushes, eh Ernie?   

First bike is the 1982 CB650.  Soon to be upgraded.

[super pasty white guy]

First I've owned?  My current '76 750F.

I rode for several years on a friend's Honda CB125 that was "mine" on extended loan. 

Top speed while lying flat on the tank was ~50mph.  Good times.

dave

[Uncle Ernie]

Dan- hand colouring was derigueur back before colour film. 

[johnny-from-bel]

1978 Honda XL125 top speed 100 KM/H
I had it until 5 jears ago when a family member wreked it.

[siter81]

My first street bike was a 73 rd350.Man was that thing quick.
Sold it back to the guy i bought it from.When i went into the military.










Siter81     

[TwoTired]

A 1974 HONDA CB360 twin.  Too slow for me, would barely do 65 mph.

Why didn't you fix that broken bike, Steve?  My older 305 Super Hawk would do over 90 with two aboard, and 98 (indicated) in a "speed" tuck with one on board.  It was in stock trim.

My first motorcycle was a large frame Schwinn with fat tires.  I U bolted a plywood platform to the frame and bolted on a Briggs & Stratton Lawnmower engine from a Reel type lawn mower.  Three or four horsepower rated, I think.  Centrifugal belt clutch and a big pulley mounted to the rear spokes.  Rode with one hand on the bars and one hand on the motor overriding the speed governor.  Coaster pedal brake for stoping (slowing down actually), though you could lock the rear wheel on the gravel roads.   Can't imagine why the parents were horrified.
My punishment was having to put the motor back into the lawn mower, and keeping the acre mowed short all summer.  I learned to do a motor change in well under 15 minutes while the parents were away.  Wasn't so bad.  Parents paid for the gas, and I used Dad's tools...when I could find them.

That Schwinn may well have been faster than the Honda 50 I used later.  But, not nearly as durable.

Cheers,

[GroovieGhoulie]

'76 Honda CB400F.  First bike owned, ridden or even swung a leg over.

Motorcycles were Verboten in my family at the time, so I bought it never having even sat on a motorcycle, but I HAD to have it.

Four motorcycles later and it's still my favorite.

[bill440cars]

         My first one one (I was about 12)was a Jawa 50 (It was originally designed like a moped, without pedals) and my Dad redid the frame to look like a motorcycle frame and put an early 50's BSA Bantam gas tank and 20" chrome bicycle fenders. My next one was a 58' Jawa 125 that my Dad had me build from a pile of parts, at the age of 14. I put a lot of miles on that old bike. Didn't get my 1st Honda until 68' and it was a 66' CB72 and I miss that one.

                                                      Later on, Bill

[tsflstb]

Just found this picture the other day when cleaning through some junk.  1981 Suzuki GS750L.  Those crash bars came in handy several times.

[Stu400]

2001 suzuki sv650s for me, not too rough for a v twin, nothing like as smooth as my 400/4, but loads more torque.

[dagersh]

My first bike was a yellow 2001 Buell Blast. 



Great learning bike, but way too small size-wise.  When I bought it, I had a year to trade up at full value to a larger HD  product....

I put 1,500 on her in a month and traded up to this:



Kept for a year until I rode my first Guzzi, and then my first CB750.......  and then the sickness set in

Gersh

[Gordon]

1989 Honda Hawk 650GT, bought in 1994.  I had been on bikes many times before with my Dad, but never ridden one myself, and taught myself how to ride it in the nearby mall parking lot.  The girl's face is blacked out to protect myself, not her.   Hey, I was young and desperate, and this is the only picture I have of that bike!

[grumburg]

1969 Suzuki 350 Rebel.

[736cc]

1973 Kawasaki 175 F7 enduro as a graduation present from Bayside High School, in Queens, NY back in 1975.
Thanks, Mom.

1st REAL motorcycle 1971 CB500 bought in 1976. Check-out those Action Four headers w/ Supertrapp muffler, 16" HD rear wheel, Goodyear Eagle RWL's and KZ900 LTD grab bar! Been hooked BAD ever since.