Topic: Your first ride ever. When did you know?

[Caaveman82]

So I was standing around for the morning bull $h^tting session this morning with all the guys at work. We got on the topic of motorcycles and when we had all had our first ride and when we all knew we were going to own a motorcycle. Lot of cool stories. So tell me your experience. I'd like to hear it.

My old man used to take me out on his 82 Yamaha Seca, loved that bike. He would let me help him work on it. I was only about five years old at the time. I remember every ride though. It was a blast. Eventually he sold the thing and never got back into it. It was at that point I knew I wanted a motorcyle and I now have one of my own and I will never look back.

On the plus side, since the purchase of my bike the old man is thinking about getting a little beater to ride around in the summer. I hope he does, not to sound lame, but we don't get to do a lot of stuff together as we have very different interests and schedules. Though I think that may be a good way for us to get some "quality time" in.

[Steve F]

I didn't even take a ride on one and I knew I would eventually have a motorcycle.  A neighbor a few houses away had this really neat Honda (a small thing, couldn't tell you what size) that he would ride past my house several times a day.  He would park it outside his house on the front sidewalk, and I just got so curious, that I had to go check it out.  I would sit there and study everything about it, just totally shutting everything out around me.  I was maybe 8 or 9 years old at the time...  The first actual ride was on another neighbors mini bike that he scratch built. He wouldn't let me ride it alone, so he would cram the both of us on this thing and ride around the block.  I was thrilled.

[Johnie]

It was the summer of 1967 and I was in the 7th grade.  I was in the local drum and bugle corp and was practicing with the group.  When we were done I saw our drum major had a gray and black Bridgestone.  He gave me a ride and I was hooked.  42 years later and still ridin'.

[78CB750CAFE]

I always new I wanted one (or many...)
My first ride was on the back of my cousins Z50 in 1976/7, which eventually became mine ($75 of paper route money if memory serves).

[hoodellyhoo]

Growing up, my dad always had motorcycles which was enough to get me hooked right there. First ride was on his 81 yamaha seca 750 when I was maybe 8 yrs old. I remember hanging on for dear life but loving every minute of it. The motorcycle bug finally bit me really bad when I was 21 so I got my dad's 350 running and been riding ever since.

[Blasbo]

1967 - My dad's brother lost his student deferment and was getting shipped off to Nam so we had a big party for him.
He had a Norton Commando (I can still see the custom paint with the helmet to match) and took me for a ride on the back of it. It was the coolest thing I had ever experienced in my eight years.

[benly- ben]

im going through the expierience
it all started 2 years ago at a race meeting...
blablablablabber...
and I wanted to ride shortly I will be... ACE

[Caaveman82]

1967 - My dad's brother lost his student deferment and was getting shipped off to Nam so we had a big party for him.
He had a Norton Commando (I can still see the custom paint with the helmet to match) and took me for a ride on the back of it. It was the coolest thing I had ever experienced in my eight years.

Man, that must have been rad...

[Duke McDukiedook]

My friend let me drive his Yamaha 125 dirt bike when I was 12- knew I would get my own motorcycle eventually. Parents wouldn't let me get a bike until I was out of the house (Pop almost died on his Triumph Thunderbird when some guy took an illegal left at a light). Mom was pretty disappointed when I told her I got a bike two years ago.

[bill440cars]

     Well, having a motorcycle shop in the family, along with the fact that my Dad AND my Granddad had one and rode, I'm not even sure what the earliest was that I knew I wanted one! I just know that, for as long as I can remember (and, as I get older, I can'y remember quite as far back as I used to! ), I've always wanted one and got my 1st one at the age of 12. I am told that, before I was old enough to go to school, they would take an engine that was to be torn down and put away for parts, loosed all the bolts and screws, sit it in front of me and let me take it apart.    

[kirkn]

Got my first minibike (a Benelli Buzzer 50cc bought off my older brother) when I was 6, in 1971.  Except for a month or two here and there, I haven't been without at least one ever since.

Three older brothers all had minibikes, too, by then - all various Hondas.  Dad and one Granddad had motorcycles, too.  So, I guess I was just born into and steeped in it.  No idea when the first thought of "owning my own" came to me... 

[Uncle Ernie]

Implanted in my DNA.  As a toddler, a neighbors daughter had a boyfriend who had an Indian (figured out the brand several decades later) that was as big as I was.  Black everywhere.  Oily.  Whenever he visited, I would go over and just stand there, dumb-struck. 
 
In Jr High, a friend of my Dad's took me for my first ride -on a BMW.  That's when I realized what brand I would have, but there was never a time I didn't know I would have bikes.  That's like saying,
"When did you know you had hair?" 

Huh?

[72 yellow]

About 1958.  My sisters godfather showed up at a party on his H-D Sportster.  Gave all us kids a ride.  I sat in front of him.  Even though we just went around the block a couple of times, I loved it. 
The sounds, the smell of hot oil.  The wind in my face, bugs in my teeth.  My mother yelling at him.  Even at 9 years old, I figured out anything she did not like was cool.
That's when I knew.

[Pinhead]

When I was little I always rode my bicycle as fast as I possibly could. I'd get up to speed going down a big hill and lock up the rear tire to see how long of skid marks I could make. I think I always knew I'd have a motorcycle, at least for as far back as I can remember. Finally the time came, my sophomore year in high school. I bought a '71 Honda SL175 from my football coach. Have rode every single day since then.

[Retro Rocket]

When i was just a kid i lived on a little peninsula south east of Brisbane, one road in and obviously one road out. A guy up the road from me had a Norton Commando and his mate had a Suzuki GT 750, both new and both awesome bikes. On the weekends they would ride past my place on the way down the "point and i would wait there for them to come back, i loved everything about those bikes and knew from then that i had to ride, got my first 750/4 Honda when i was 16........still riding.....

Mick

[azuredesign]

I had ridden minibikes but in 1970 a friend lent me his cb100. I was not quite 16, but I rode that bike for what seemed like a couple of hours and was completely hooked. I started caging rides from anyone that would lend me a bike. I eventually saved enough money from mowing lawns and shoveling driveways to buy a CB450 while my parents were conveniently out of town. The rest is a beautiful 39 year old blur that leads up to now. 

[Magpie]

One of the hardrocks in the shop program at Vancouver Tech on Broadway had a 650 Matchless, what a beautiful, mean bike! Got my interest going. Then a ride on the back of a Triumph Thunderbird scared the hell out of me, then a ride on the back of a hot BSA Hornet scared the #$%* out of me! The hook was in way too deep to deny it then. All this in 1965/1966. Bought a 1965 Honda CB77 in the summer of 1966. With the exception of about a year (lost my mind) I've had a bike or 2 in garage ever since.
Cliff.

[billybobobrain]

I cant remember ever not wanting/thinking I was going to own a motorcycle. The first ride at 9 years old ,on a 1970s ish Honda 70 just solidified it. Out of all my brothers I think I was the one that rode the most, I am the only one who has one now.

[detdrbuzzard]

my dad got me a candy blue and white minitrail z50a in the spring of '69

[d3buttz]

my girlfriend got a cb350t cafe 3 years ago, rode it and 2 weeks later ipicked up my 550. havent touched my datsun 240z project since.............

[PJ]

Growing up in the Great state of Texas, if you wanted your freedom at the age of 15 it had to be on two wheels and under 150ccs. You could drive a car at 16 but I knew I had to have wheels ASAP! When my 15th B-day came my Uncle took me down to take the riding/written test on his xl125. I had ridden dirt bikes and such, even on the pavement in the neighborhood to the dismay of my neighbors so I knew talent was not going to be an issue. My uncle warned me, NO wheelies and no showing off! I passed! Possesing a license was only half the problem, I needed a bike My brother just got a Camaro and had a Yamaha DT175 for sale, a full 25ccs too big. He sold it to me and we went to the Yammie dealer and bought some DT125 stickers for it! I was free at last. I rode the pee out of that bike and remember everything that happened on it. Got my first kiss from Kim down the street. Ran through a picnic blanket in the dark down at the lake and started a riot. But for one year I was an OUTLAW riding a too powerful machine! Then I turned 16 and became an honorable member of society. I continued to ride that bike until I graduated from High school and got my first job, making pizza dough at night. I bought my first real bike, an 82 cb750f2...

[Elmo123]

When I was just 12 years old my mother bought me my first bike it was a 72 Honda SL 70.
It was a fine machine. I rode it every where.I was the coolest kid on the block. I then sold that Bike for 350 bucks and got myself a 76 Kawasaki F11 250. I was moving up in world. THat bike was awesome. I sold that bike and bought a Yamaha 125 at age 17. It was a lighter bike. I had a great time on that bike too. Until I got into a accident with a  car and totalled that bike. And at age 24 I purchased a used 78 Honda 550 It was a Great little cruiser. The Jap bikes are great because they are trust worthy. They run forever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Caaveman82]

I am loving these stories.

[Demon67]

It was in a place far away and a time long ago, the Summer of 1959 I had a friend who had an old Matchless 500cc single for sale he wanted 200$ or so for it and I couldn't afford a car another friend had an old BSA and said he would teach me to ride any how after many misadventures I finally got it running right, and then I took it out and cranked open the twist grip I was hooked, GOD ,you're personally flying and that was it, the only thing that destroyed it for me was being a bike mechanic it was to the point where all I wanted to do was throw empty beer bottles at any bike drivers that got close enough after many years of not going near them, I got my daughter a Honda 100 and said OK you want to drive fine, but learn on a small bike first, she did and after she got married her husband picked up a couple of small dirt bikes and when I was down visiting, asked me if I wanted to try one, I think figuring time to show up the old father in law, He He He after that I got the bug again and found a 79 cb 650 and yes it helps, so unless something happens I'll make sure on the 26 of July this year when I turn 70 I'll go for a ride.
Bill the demon.

[ba55kas3]

MY first ride... was on a 3 speed chinese moped... and from then on i knew i wanted a bike... then my father won a raffle for a brand new japanese scooter. it still wan't a bike, but it kept me going. until i got an '83 v65 magna... with no rear brakes, no directionals, and no 2nd gear... that was a hell of a way to learn... never layed her down though.
now i'm on the lookout for something to get me back on the road.