Author Topic: What Was Your First Bike  (Read 14730 times)

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Offline BobbyR

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What Was Your First Bike
« on: March 13, 2006, 06:03:00 PM »
We all started riding some thing and maybe it was not special to anyone but us. There must have been something about it that hooked us on bikes. My first bike was a 1967 Ducati 250CC Street Scrambler. I paid $120.00 for it from a fellow entering the Service. He had always wanted a Harley XLCH so he put some Ape Hanger bars on it, Sawed off the muffler, put some aftermarket headlight on it. It had no speedometer, no horn, and just a kill switch. When I parked it I had a big chain that went through the back wheel and over the seat. To pass inspection I would put a kids bike horn on it. The charging system would only handle the ignition after a while, so I squeezed a big battery in it and I would charge it every night. Through it all I rode it proudly. I have had other bigger, faster and prettier bikes, but I never forgot that ugly little Ducati.
Dedicated to Sgt. Howard Bruckner 1950 - 1969. KIA LONG KHANH.

But we were boys, and boys will be boys, and so they will. To us, everything was dangerous, but what of that? Had we not been made to live forever?

Offline csendker

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Re: What Was Your First Bike
« Reply #1 on: March 13, 2006, 06:08:34 PM »
The 550 is my first bike, with the 175 my next project.  Although I rode a CR125 Elsinore dirt bike that my buddy owned way back in the 70's.  It has occurred to me that I have never ridden a bike that was not manufactured by Honda.
Actually runs --> 1975 CB550-K1
Projects ---> Crusty old boat
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cyclezirk

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Re: What Was Your First Bike
« Reply #2 on: March 13, 2006, 07:49:41 PM »
I rode a 1981 Honda CM400T all through college.  It was perfect...zero work.  Not enough get-up for the freeway however.

Offline Jonesy

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Re: What Was Your First Bike
« Reply #3 on: March 13, 2006, 07:58:49 PM »
My '73 CB750. It's my one and only.
"Every time I start thinking the world is all bad, then I start seeing people out there having a good time on motorcycles; it makes me take another look." -Steve McQueen

Offline GroovieGhoulie

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Re: What Was Your First Bike
« Reply #4 on: March 13, 2006, 08:10:58 PM »
My 400F.  It's perfect.

Offline heffay

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Re: What Was Your First Bike
« Reply #5 on: March 13, 2006, 08:29:52 PM »
the last time we had a "first bike" thread i responded with my first street bike... this time... i'll reply with my FIRST BIKE.

i was about 7 or 8 and dad resurrected an old bicycle frame... white in front with a work of art fade to yellow in the rear.  a big flat knobby in the rear and a smooth  tracker on the front.  the handlebars went straight out for about 4 inches each then rose a good 12 inches and out another 4 or 5 each.  the banana seat was the clincher as it was white metallic flake.  the gearing was very harsh... anyone with legs over a foot and a half long was seriously struggling to get the rpms up!

reminds me of my very first motorcycle...
Today: '73 cb350f, '96 Ducati 900 Supersport
Past Rides: '72 tc125, '94 cbr600f2, '76 rd400, '89 ex500, '93 KTM-125exc, '92 zx7r, '93 Banshee, '83 ATC250R, 77/75 cb400f

Offline MrZxp

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Re: What Was Your First Bike
« Reply #6 on: March 13, 2006, 09:56:08 PM »
My first bike was a Honda MT125 Elsinore 2 stroke trail bike - I really wanted a Honda 4 stroke (my mates were all riding Yamaha 2 stroke trailies) and of necessity, because I had just got my first job and needed transport to travel the 30 odd km to town, I bought the only available Honda at the local (Yamaha) dealership. I can recall getting that little thing up to 120km/h on the way home from work before inevitably the spark plug would foul (carbon build up) and I'd have to wait a while on the side of the road for things to cool down enough so I could pull the plug and give it a quick clean.... always worked and I could continue on my way.... other than that it was very reliable, and to this day, the only trail bike I have ever owned... :D

Cheers, Phil
09 Boulevard M90
SOHC4 Member #3336

Offline Magpie

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Re: What Was Your First Bike
« Reply #7 on: March 13, 2006, 11:02:21 PM »
1965 Honda CB77 Super Hawk. As soon as the CL77 Street Scrambler came out I had one in Candy orange.
Cliff.

Offline mrbreeze

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Re: What Was Your First Bike
« Reply #8 on: March 13, 2006, 11:52:09 PM »
Honda super 90.....Kawasaki 120.... Honda 305 scrambler...all within the early 70's before I was 15 years old.....the good ole days!!!!!
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Offline GeoffT

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Re: What Was Your First Bike
« Reply #9 on: March 14, 2006, 01:06:40 AM »
the last time we had a "first bike" thread i responded with my first street bike... this time... i'll reply with my FIRST BIKE.

i was about 7 or 8 and dad resurrected an old bicycle frame... white in front with a work of art fade to yellow in the rear.  a big flat knobby in the rear and a smooth  tracker on the front.  the handlebars went straight out for about 4 inches each then rose a good 12 inches and out another 4 or 5 each.  the banana seat was the clincher as it was white metallic flake.  the gearing was very harsh... anyone with legs over a foot and a half long was seriously struggling to get the rpms up!

reminds me of my very first motorcycle...

Heff

Your post reminded me of my First Bike (see previous thread for first motor bike). It was a Puch I think and it was green. I was ten and it was given to me by the parents of my best friend who died of cystic fibrosis. Obviously I was very fond of the bike. Out grew it and gave to another kid years later.

Thanks for the memory Heff

Geoff

Offline turtle

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Re: What Was Your First Bike
« Reply #10 on: March 14, 2006, 04:33:10 AM »
 :-[ I learned to ride on a Vespa. (Hangs head in shame.)
1972 CB350 Four
1977 CB750 K7
1979 Suzuki GT250 X7
1980 CX500 Custom
1980 CX500 Shadow
1981 CB900 Bol D'or
1982 CB750 F2



"If it ain't broke, don't fix it."

Offline dusterdude

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Re: What Was Your First Bike
« Reply #11 on: March 14, 2006, 05:38:28 AM »
cl350
mark
1972 k1 750
1949 fl panhead
1 1/2 gl1100 goldwings
1998 cbr600 f3

Offline 6pkrunner

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Re: What Was Your First Bike
« Reply #12 on: March 14, 2006, 05:52:08 AM »
1966 Honda 150. The prior owner managed to put it into a bus and got terrified of bikes. Got it for $25 and put a front wheel and fender on it and away I went.

Offline ProTeal55

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Re: What Was Your First Bike
« Reply #13 on: March 14, 2006, 06:14:09 AM »
1980 Yamaha XS 650 with 12,000 miles for $500
Should of kept it.....
Joe a.k.a ProTeal55 a.k.a JoeyCocks a.k.a Maker of Friends

Offline andy750

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Re: What Was Your First Bike
« Reply #14 on: March 14, 2006, 06:29:58 AM »
First bike was an Eastern European classic - the MZ 125. Also did my first "long distance trip" on this bike. Glasgow to Ardnamurchan (most Westerly point in the British Isles (or is it Scotland?) -rained the whole way and back.

Cheers
Andy in Boston
Current bikes
1. CB750K4: Long distance bike, 17 countries and counting...2001 - Trans-USA-Mexico, 2003 - European Tour, 2004 - SOHC Easy Rider Trip , 2008 - Adirondack Tour 2-up , 2013 - Tail of the Dragon Tour , 2017: 836 kit install and bottom end rebuild. And rebirth: http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php/topic,173213.msg2029836.html#msg2029836
2. CB750/810cc K2  - road racer with JMR worked head 71 hp
3. Yamaha Tenere T700 2022

Where did you go on your bike today? - http://forums.sohc4.net/index.php?topic=45183.2350

Offline lassenc

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Re: What Was Your First Bike
« Reply #15 on: March 14, 2006, 06:40:20 AM »
My current bike, Honda CB500K3 :)

Had it for about 3 months now.
How exactly do you teach abstinence though?
It's like beating a dead cow, it's fun, but it doens't really get you anywhere.

Offline gregk

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Re: What Was Your First Bike
« Reply #16 on: March 14, 2006, 06:58:48 AM »


1948  21 BSA.  600cc Single with sidecar.  Still got the bike. 
I don't want it to go like a motorcycle, I want it to go like a rocket!

seabird

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Re: What Was Your First Bike
« Reply #17 on: March 14, 2006, 07:06:21 AM »
Passed my M/C Rider's test (UK) on '55 BSA Bantam D14 - then bought a James "Cavalier" - as soon as the shop had my money, James discontinued the model - sold that and bought a BSA A10 650 twin with a Child/Adult sidecar - the s/car's frame broke on a trip from Plymouth, Devon to Blandford, Dorset, so I went solo on what was left<G> - swapped the A10 in for a Ducati 860 GTS (1975 mod).
Fell victim to "A family" after two years and had to go four-wheeled until my 3rd marriage, when my new (and current) wife suggested I buy a 'bike and enjoy myself (I think she meant a Mountain Bike, but she was too late - I was away at the Dealers!  Ended up witha CBX550 - sold that and last August she suggested I buy a "Project" bike - , so along came the CB400F.

Seabird

Offline bwaller

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Re: What Was Your First Bike
« Reply #18 on: March 14, 2006, 07:21:35 AM »
1966 S65 bought new and still have, then bought my K3 new and just a few more jewels along the way.

ditchen

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Re: What Was Your First Bike
« Reply #19 on: March 14, 2006, 07:47:15 AM »
mine was a 65 s65 as well



S90, cb150, dream305, cb450. Oh boy, those bike were the sheetz in the 60's  :)

Offline byidesign

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Re: What Was Your First Bike
« Reply #20 on: March 14, 2006, 11:34:16 AM »
Old bridgestone mk250 it had a rotary system to shift it.
 stepping on the shifter, it was N,1,2,3,4,N
  you could go back thru neutral ,and into 1st.{or the other way}
    going up......
   scared the S@#T. out of me the first time I did that!!
    fun little bike;
82CB650SC,80CM400

Offline seaweb11

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Re: What Was Your First Bike
« Reply #21 on: March 14, 2006, 11:58:11 AM »
1969 Yamaha 100. Street bike of some sort, can't remember model.

I did put down bars on it. Man I must have looked funny ;D

It was 1997, I was 16.  It must have had a bur on the cam, I went  through brushes until there weren't  any left in Vancouver

Offline JHansen

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Re: What Was Your First Bike
« Reply #22 on: March 14, 2006, 12:08:28 PM »
My first bike was a '77 CB500K with a gawd awful Winjammer and highway bars. The bike had 37,000 on the clock, burned a bit of oil on start-up, but it never let me down, and I did almost no maintenance on it. (I was 17 at the time, what did I know!) I got the bike in a straight up trade for a '77 Chevy Malibu with rod knock. Drove that bike about 6,000 miles and then sold it to a minister in from Pennsylvania.

Five great bikes later, i still have great memories of the 550, but I'll always perfer my 400f over it!
'76 CB400f -cafe'd out
'75 CB400f -future project waiting in wings
'03 Yamaha V-Star Classic
'90 Honda VFR 750

Offline dusterdude

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Re: What Was Your First Bike
« Reply #23 on: March 14, 2006, 12:15:01 PM »
My first bike was a '77 CB500K with a gawd awful Winjammer and highway bars. The bike had 37,000 on the clock, burned a bit of oil on start-up, but it never let me down, and I did almost no maintenance on it. (I was 17 at the time, what did I know!) I got the bike in a straight up trade for a '77 Chevy Malibu with rod knock. Drove that bike about 6,000 miles and then sold it to a minister in from Pennsylvania.

Five great bikes later, i still have great memories of the 550, but I'll always perfer my 400f over it!
damn dude,you skinned that guy.the malibu guy that is.good work
mark
1972 k1 750
1949 fl panhead
1 1/2 gl1100 goldwings
1998 cbr600 f3

Offline JHansen

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Re: What Was Your First Bike
« Reply #24 on: March 14, 2006, 12:18:05 PM »
If anyone in Pennsylvania sees a minister riding around on an oil burning 550 with a windjammer, call me collect! It'd be nice to have it back in my collection!
'76 CB400f -cafe'd out
'75 CB400f -future project waiting in wings
'03 Yamaha V-Star Classic
'90 Honda VFR 750