Topic: Motorcycle Memories: Pictures & Stories Of Bikes Of Family & Close Friends

[bill440cars]

In the beginning...
Me on my dad's CB350 back in the days when I could sit up front and hold the tank as we rode without being turned in.



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LOL, now your post brings back memories of when I was in the 1 or 2nd grade and me riding with my Dad, on his Indian Brave (Me sitting on the gas tank, when we were stopped, but basically sitting on his legs, when we were moving. The Brave, for those who don't know, was one of the models, that was an attempt by Indian, to move to Vertical twins and singles. I am not positive about displacement, but I think the Brave was a 250cc, side valve (Flat Head) motorcycle that was built around 1949, but only lasted about a couple of years or so. Not sure on that either. I just know that the Brave, Arrow, Vertical Twin Scout & Warrior models weren't built very long. Wish I had a photo of some he had. Anyway, Thanks for posting.   

[754]

Scottly, I think you are right, there was 2 Bugs, my brothers buddy had one too.
I mentioned those pics to my younger brother and he confirmed there were 2 .

[scottly]

Hey Frank, here is a pic of my "61", from 1980. I traded it to Gene, on the left, for a 413 Mopar engine (father of Bill's 440) several years before. The guy on the right is my buddy Greg. I'm still in touch with both of those guys.

[bill440cars]

Hey Frank, here is a pic of my "61", from 1980. I traded it to Gene, on the left, for a 413 Mopar engine (father of Bill's 440) several years before. The guy on the right is my buddy Greg. I'm still in touch with both of those guys.

           Nice Bug there. To be able to trade it for a 413, is pretty cool too. Yeah, the 413 was a pretty tough motor, followed by the 426 Wedge, then the 440. a buddy accidentally located a 413 block once and if he could get it, I was going to be the recipient, but didn't work out.   I had a buddy, who had a '64 Plymouth Fury, with the 426 Wedge, 4spd & Sure Posi Trac (Not sure if they called it "Sure Grip" back then or later on. I really wanted that 413 block, cause if I remember right, it would be a 426, if bored .060". Not sure I would have gone that far with it, but anyway, didn't happen, so doesn't matter. So, you gonna leave me hanging? What did you do with that 413? Inquiring minds want to know. Or, at least I do. LOL     

[jonda500]

Here's some old pics of my fathers rides back in the late sixties / early seventies 
He is in his 70's now and still rides everywhere!

[jonda500]

By the time my legs had grown long enough to reach the pillion pegs my father had a shiny new GT550 triple - I think the thrill of riding on the back of this bike was what started my life long addiction to motorcycles!
John

[754]

 Datsun Fairlady in that pic.. think they had another name too.
 Very cool bike pics.

[Don R]

My first road ride, my brother was back from the service a few years and was mostly healed up from his bike wreck in Japan. He bought a 58 BMW and he loaned me his cl450 with a 2-1 hooker and street tires. I didn't have a helmet but we were braver then. We hit the blacktop roads since I didn't have a motorcycle license. It was fall, the air was cool but the blacktop was warm and the biggest grasshoppers I ever remember seeing were all over the road. As my brother passed they jumped and I caught them in the face, for miles. And miles. Every time I tried to close the gap he just sped up when I slowed down, he did too. 
 I was still the best day ever.

[RupertB]

Another member suggested I post this here for anyone who may be interested - Southport, Lancashire, U.K. about 1907 or possible a shade earlier. Either relatives or family friends of mine in a Norton (probably with bought-in Peugeot engine as they did at that time) - Imagine the looks you'd get now in a wicker sidecar with your wife and a couple of the kids jammed into it!

[MoMo]

^^^^That is one awesome photograph, thanks for posting it...Larry

[Terry in Australia]

Another member suggested I post this here for anyone who may be interested - Southport, Lancashire, U.K. about 1907 or possible a shade earlier. Either relatives or family friends of mine in a Norton (probably with bought-in Peugeot engine as they did at that time) - Imagine the looks you'd get now in a wicker sidecar with your wife and a couple of the kids jammed into it!

That is superb Rupert, I've got a pic somewhere of my grandfather on his Indian Power Plus when he came home from WW1, probably in 1920, and my ma in her fathers sidecar in 1929 or 1930, I'll dig them out next time I visit Ma!

[754]

 So a guy I know lives 3 blocks from here still riding...... turned 80 the night before I left for Bonneville.
I had planned to drop by, but was busy trying to get ready.
 So yesterday  Larry shows me a pic of him sitting on a guy's bike when he was young.. enjoy..

[bill440cars]

     My Dad actually built An Indian Warrior, similar to this TT Warrior, before they introduced it. I don't know that I ever knew exactly when he built it, but I do remember his Warrior. I only wish I had been with it enough, to have taken some pictures of his builds, that I was aware of. Never knew of a build of his, that wasn't a decent runner. His Warrior was blue though and used the gas tank off of a Mustang (for those who know what those are, or were) He made a high 2 into 1 exhaust pipe for it, swapped out the rear section (frame & swingarm, with shocks), from an AJS. Sealed the crankcase, and added his own vent system on the motor, that had a tube that came up to where the triple tree is installed into the neck of the frame. He adapted a different Magneto, as he said the stock unit, wasn't any good. I wish I had even half the talent & skills he had.   

[brewsky]

Me on my first street legal bike, and my brother (leg only) next to his Triumph chopper.
He and a friend doubled on that chopper from WV to Orlando FL to get a job during Disney World's construction!

[jas67]

Me on my first street legal bike, and my brother (leg only) next to his Triumph chopper.
He and a friend doubled on that chopper from WV to Orlando FL to get a job during Disney World's construction!

The bell-bottom pants fit with the chopper.

[Alaxy Galaxy]

My dad in his late teens or early 20s working on his CB350G "race bike." He raced it twice, and it never got off the starting line... Not as bad as a buddy of his whose 2-stroker spun backwards at a race. I believe he had to change his underwear after that race start.

[Don R]

 I wrote about my first road ride above. Later, I was working in a factory and bought a new 1973 cb500 K2. I rode it for a year, then my wife wanted to ride. I checked on a trade in at the honda shop for two cb360's, they would trade me one bike even for my 500 and sell me one at sticker price. I decided a better deal was to buy a friends K3 cb750 equipped  with a luggage rack and windjammer. We made a few trips with a group and enjoyed riding. My wife rode the 500 from time to time but she scared me. We sold it to my nephew. After we had kids and a company truck that I was required to drive to work I sold the 750 and began a few bikeless years. 
 

[Don R]

Part 3
 My brother was buying junk and lost title 750's and combining the parts to make bikes to sell. He had some left overs behind the garage that annoyed the city and they sent a nastygram about it. While helping him clean it up,  I loaded three of them into my truck and began phase two of being a Honda guy. He convinced me I could build a bike for free. My wife didn't believe it and she was correct.
 During the process I discovered a 70 with Lester mags for sale. My wife was unimpressed when I handed the guy $650 for it. Ran when parked. Yeah right, but that became the project. I ended up swapping in another later engine and got it rideable. This is the bike that eventually became the Oct 2019 bike of the month.  One night we were riding it on the highway going out to eat, my wife asked, where did we get this bike? That's when I knew I had enough to sneak in one or two more.
 I would ride that bike to my friends house and he let me check out his 70 to compare wire and cable routing. His 70 would eventually be the Sandcast I would get at the estate sale when he died from ALS.
 

[Don R]

part 4
 I recommissioned the Sandcast, resto modded the diecast, rebuilt 3 400F's a 750F1, A cl100, a couple of 74's and 75's and a 750 k1 that was the prettiest 750 I ever had hands on. A few went to Indiana, one Ohio and later sold at Mecum, a 400f to the Chicago area,  two went to England with DS. Today I have the two 70's, a 72 we remember from the 70's, a 72 750 based 1124cc drag bike formerly owned by the friend that passed away. My brothers bought new K4, a 750a, kz1000 and 1100 spectre, QT50 Yamahopper, and Suzuki T250 parts bike.
   Lately i'm working on titling another K0.
  Oh yeah, a 78 gl1000 that I brought back from 20 years parked and the 79 gl that I recommissioned and sold to fund the 78. Each one of them went to Sturgis once.
  I keep three licensed and insured and occasionally sneak one of the others out for a lap of the neighborhood.

[bill440cars]

I am not sure how this one will turn out, but it is of my Mother, with my Dad's Indian he had at the time & the only info I have on this photo, is that it was taken before 1947 (as that was when I came into the world. LOL

[dhall57]

Here is another old pic I recently found of me on my 1971 Honda SL175 in my back yard in 1973. This little Honda was one of my favorites, liked taking it of road and even rode it on the hwy when I turned 16 in 1973 for a little while before trading it in on a new 1974 CB360.

[Magpie]

Summer of 1966 near the top of Grouse Mountain.

[Kaze]

In the 70's, I was just the kid on the back...and glad to be there.
Dad's long gone but I can still remember the "Gahdammit..." when he was putting on those fairings and sidebags. When the reading glasses come out with the instructions, it was time to take a few steps back.

I also remember how massive the helmet was on my head... and those gigantic, black "oven mit" looking mittens he had me wear. Good times riding back there. Sissy bars may look silly, but they're great if you're the kid on the back.

It's hard to tell with all that stuff on the bikes, but one is a 75' Honda CB400four, and the other is a CB650 (79 by my reckoning).
Pretty much Dad, my brother, and the Fonz are what brought me to motorcycles.

[Kelly E]

In 78' as I was finishing up at Queen Anne High School in Seattle my uncle Wayne brought a barely used 77' KZ 1000 LTD. I thought it was cool as hell and it is what got me into motorcycles. My dad had left when I was in grade school so my uncle's were my father figures. Later on Wayne bought a 84' Honda VF 700S Sabre and both bikes were also owned by his brother Marvin and sold back to Wayne.
After I finished my cancer treatments in 16' Wayne called me and asked if I wanted the Sabre. It had been left outside under a tarp for at least 6 years. I hooked up the trailer and went to pick up the bike. By spring of 17' l had gone through it and got it back on the road. I rode it on a 4 day ride down into Oregon in May of 17'.
Right after that my best friend from high school contacted me after 20 years or so. He asked me if I could resurrect a beat down but low mile 75' CB 400-4 Super Sport a client had given him. I said sure, bring it up. We've been resurrecting bikes together ever since. Most of the bikes we have were dead, sitting for years and we bought for $500.
Last year Wayne called again asking if I wanted to buy the 77' KZ 1000 LTD. I said absolutely, how much? He said $1500 and it was a deal. We went through everything on the KZ including pulling the motor out to paint the frame.
Now I have used both bikes for the 23 rides in 23' challenge. And I get to pass the bikes down to my son.