Your First One....

After a long winter here in Wisconsin, Spring is finally here. Just came in from the garage after reinstalling the battery in the RT. I'm getting better at that, far fewer Cuss Words than in the past. She fired right up and as soon as we reactivate the insurance, we'll be riding again.

But it got me thinking about "firsts". Your first girlfriend, boyfriend, beer, and your first motorcycle. My first was a used 1966 Bridgestone with all of 90cc from the one lunger.

In 1973, Yamaha featured a Reed Valve in their 350cc engine. From the picture you can tell it was a light bike, fast for it's time, but not a big miler. When riding it, you felt every bump in the road and every gust of wind.

Fond memories from each and some lessons learned from both. Everyone had a first, how about yours?

I still have mine - a 1970 Yummy AS3-125, the fore runner to the RD series which had the reed valves.

This is a pic from a decade ago when I fitted new rims & spokes. It's since been tidied up a lot more.
https://i.imgur.com/VWRdokM.jpg

Here I am with little brother on the back of my mid 1960's Yamaha 80

First bike I actually owned was a Honda Super-90. Black one, bought used for $200. Had very low miles on it. Got it in about 1962. Didn't need a license for any motorbike less than 5 HP in Florida back then. The Super 90 was factory rated at 9 HP, but there was no such thing as the Internet back then and the HP rating was not anywhere on the bike. Cousin had a Yamaha 90 two stroke that I rode some before buying my own.

This is not the picture of mine, but looked exactly like it.


Got restricted license when I was 14 and sold the Super-90 to buy a 305 Superhawk. Got an actual picture of that one, but it is faded pretty bad.



Left the Superhawk home when I went in the military and got sent to South-east Asia. Bought a used 350 Honda on the Island of Taiwan.

Too many others to list....... street bikes and dirt bikes.

After reading the title I was about to say we were both, OH never mind.

My first ride was on a 124cc Gilera with a right hand shift 1 down 2 up, It was practically indestructible, Sadly it was easy to steal and that's what happened.

1951 Matchless 500. I was 15.
Of course I only rode it offroad LOL;)

My first, she was 16 and I was....... OOPS. Motorcycles. Think motorcycles, Jim! I rode a friends Honda 125 occasionally, but my first owned bike was a Yamaha 250 Enduro. I rode it everywhere from freeway to muddy off roads. I survived.

I had a 75 Suzuki GT380. Cool bike at the time, I was very proud of the digital gear readout! Unfortunately the first ride home included a very long push; although I was young and knew everything - I never knew motorcycles had a reserve tank!

An old Cushman scooter caused me to spend a bloody fortune on 2 wheel machines over the past 60 years.....

My avatar is picture of my first bike. A 1975 XL250 Honda. Still have that bike. Paid $700.00 for it.

1956 AJS 500 Single, model 18S.Nice ride but not good for any distance past 20 miles, my arm would go to sleep. Not quite the same but very close.

For me it was a 1949 Royal Enfield 500cc one lunger. Kick start only, no battery. Had a decompression lever, as well as a spark advance lever. It wasn’t the speediest of bikes. I was passing a hot rod who decided to play games. He matched my speed so I could not get past or get back in behind, which resulted in my running a cop coming towards me, off the road. I pulled off the highway and waited for the cop. He saw what had happened and only gave me a verbal warning. This was back in the ‘50’s when I was a 16 y/o.

I started on an old Honda 70 or 75 cc dirt bike. Nothing fancy, beat to heck, bought it with paper route money and rode the heck out of it. No kick start lever - it was stripped out so push start every time, I spent a lot of time riding next to the fields around my house on that thing.
Next was a 2-stroke dirt bike, 125cc IIRC. Had to have been a Kawi, because it was green. When it ran, it ripped. But it took a lot of wrenching to keep it going.
First "street" bike was at 16, brand new Suzuki dual purpose 125 cc. I rode that thing to high school for the next 2 years.

1964 Honda 90 street. Purchased used in 1968 to get to and from work on local farms.