Where did you start?

[hut1]

Wow, after reading some of the lists you guys have posted, I almost feel like a newbie, maybe not in experience, but definitely in the variety of rides! Here's my (short) list:

1980 Suzuki GS550L (my intro to 2-wheelin'); bought new and sold 3 yrs later while in grad school
1997 Honda GL1500SE Goldwing; bought new after not riding for 14 years. Added sidecar in 2004
2002 Honda VTX1800C; rebuilt a salvage bike
2012 Can-am Spyder RS; gave to daughter as college graduation gift
2021 Can-am Spyder F3-S

[pegasus1300]

Paul, this thread is a godsend. Way back in the ‘50’s I would ride to high school every day on my Enfield with its kick start, which could balk at times. I remember several instances where I would be out trying to start it. The school jocks would come by with their girlfriends and want to show me how a real man starts these things. I would get off the bike, but unbeknownst to them, I would flick the spark advance lever over. They’d get on the bike, give it a kick, and almost be launched over the bike....get off it and limp away grumbling quite loudly. Did wonders to my ego. I’d then climb back on, adjust the spark advance, use the decompression leaver half way through my kick, and start her up. Fond memories of my first ride.

,
The AJay was somewhat like that. You had to push it just over TDC compression, tickle the carb until fuel ran out the stomp on it. It usually took to kicks and off you went. Set the timing with a cigarette paper and a bent coat hanger wire (1/2" btdcc). It did kick a couple of my friends over the handle bars and gave me raspberry on my leg when it kicked back.

[spyderider1]

This is posted in my Bio so here goes nothing.

My first cycle was a Bridgestone 90 Street Model. I rode this one before I was licensed to drive and yes, Dad paid the fine when I got caught.
Second bike was the 73 Yamaha 350 with Reed Valves. A fast bike for it's day. Crashed that one.
Then....40 years passed as I didn't ride until I bought the current Spyder RT Special. Vroom Vroom!

[pegasus1300]

I loved the Bridgestones. Forgot to mention I had both a 175 HS and a 350GTR which I ended up giving to my brother.

[FrogmanDave]

What a great thread you have started here Pegasus! I have really enjoyed reading each addition to it as it goes along. Thank you sir!

[Ex-Rocket]

1. 197? Yamaha 500 single cylinder, don't remember the model or year, bought used
2. 1981 Honda 750 custom, bought new
3. 1984 Honda V65 Magna 1100, bought used
4. 1994 Honda Magna 750, bought used
5. 2006 Triumph Rocket SE, bought new
6. 2012 Can-Am RTS, bought new
7. 2015 Can-Am RTS, bought new
8. 2017 Can-Am F3 Limited, bought new
9. 2002 Honda VTX 1800C, bought used
10. 2008 Triumph Rocket, bought used

[PistonBlown]

First bike a very second hand Honda CG125 which I passed my test on. Toured a fair bit of Europe on this:
BikeLuggage.jpg

Most of my bikes were bought secondhand, often cheaply, and all of them ridden until they were completely munted. Only the Intruder 800 and Spyder RS survived my ownership and found new homes:-).

By make:

• Honda CG125,CD175,CB175,CB250,CBX250,CX500,GL650,VFR750
• Royal Enfield Bullet 350
• Java 350
• Triumph 350 side valve, Trident 750 (Hinckley Triumph)
• Suzuki Intruder 800, Intruder 1400
• Canam Spyder RS 998, Can-am Spyder F3-L

[Navydad]

My first bike. Sears 106cc identical to the picture. Made by Gilera I believe. My current rides are a 2015 Spyder RT and a Moto Guzzi 2016 V7. There are a bit over 100 bikes over the last 50+ years. Oh yeah, the Sears didn't have a battery.

s-l1600-61-1280x960.jpg

[pegasus1300]

Thanks everybody for telling us your journey. Hope we can keep this going.

[Northofthesix]

2005 Tomas 50cc moped that was modded so it would do 70kph...
For my 50th birthday I bought myself a 2008 Honda Shadow Aero 750 and got my licence on it (actually rode from Toronto to Glacier, Yellowstone, Beartooth and Sturgis while still on myn beginner's licence.. how's that for starting?)
2007 Yamaha 1300 that I totalled a week after buying it (went down in a light rain on a oily patch about 3 blocks from my house)
2008 Harley FXDC Dyna... loved that bike and went all over North America on it
2009 Yamaha Royal Star Venture... great bike that just became too heavy in parking lot maneuvers for me
2018 RTL demo I picked up with 1000km on it for 10k less than original price

[ButterSmooth]

I feel afloat in a sea of brothers..

[GeorgeXP700]

My brother and I got a K Mart mini bike for Christmas 1969. From there.
1974 Honda XL100 in 1975. Next was a used Suzuki TS100 late 1979. My first street bike bought new 1983 Suzuki Katana that I still have. Then there was my 2010 Triumph Scrambler followed by a 2013 Yamaha R1 from a friend that laid it down, built a street fighter from the remains. Next came the tricycles. First Spyder was a 2013 RSS. Now a 2022 RT Limited. I see a Ryker Rally in the near future.

[UtahPete]

I'm a relative novice. I had a Honda 450 for a few years in the early 70s. Then, nothing for 30 years until I got a used Honda 750, then an upgrade to 2005 Yamaha V-Star 1100, then the Spyder in 2015. I'm satisfied this will be my last, so I'm having fun modifying and upgrading it performance-wise so I can pass my CVMA buddies on their Harleys and Indians whenever the urge takes me.

[mcalva]

1.972 - Ducati Mototrans 50 cc
2.006 - Honda Shadow 125 cc
2.008 - Honda Shadow 750 cc
2.012 - Honda VTX 1300 cc
2.016 - Spyder RT 2.011
2.019 - Spyder F3 Ltd 2.018
ducati.jpg
125.jpg
750.jpg
1300.jpg
rt2011.jpg
f3.jpg

[IdahoMtnSpyder]

My list is short, but it covers 60 years!

Started out with a 1955 Cushman Eagle scooter about 1959. Gave it to a brother to pay off a legal bill in 1962.
1962 to 1985 nothing except a Raleigh bicycle for a couple of years!
Then in 1985 I bought a used Honda 350, 1970's CB I think.
1987 or '88 I had a 1979(?) Kawasaki 440 LTD belt drive. Took it to England when I went there for a year on a job related engineer exchange program.
1990 sold the Kawa and bought a 1981 Honda Goldwing. Took it to Louisiana when I moved there 1991. Sold it after 3 years. I told folks back in Idaho I had no problem with the idea of sweating while working or exercising, but sweating while I was riding?????????? It didn't work for a carpool vehicle either! Then I spent the next 12 years scanning the want ads to see what might pop up for a Goldwing for sale.
In 2006 I bought a new 2005 Goldwing GL1800 as a retirement present for myself. Kept for 8 years and 52000 miles when I sold it after I bought my 2013 RT.
Rode the 2013 for 2 summers and sold it to buy the 2014 RTS in late 2015 I now have. Both RTs had only just over 600 miles when I bought them!

The 2014 RT will be my last bike unless something dramatically better comes along!

[PMK]

A few pull rope mini-bikes
Some pretty fast karts
1973 Hodaka Super Rat
1975 Suzuki TM125M
1977 Suzuki RM125B
1981 Suzuki RM125
2001 Yamaha YZ426f
2003 KTM 250exc (street tagged race bike)
1973 OSSA MAR (Mick Andrews Replica) current vintage trials competition machine
2005 Scorpa SY250r my modern trials competition machine
1981 KTM 495mc project that is almost finished, will be my vintage motocrosser, last year of the twin shock chassis.
1971 Rickman Yamaha with originally installed RT2 360cc engine, full period correct rebuild enduro race bike, street tagged, one of only 39 produced.

Currently own the OSSA, the Scorpa, the KTM 495, and the Rickman.

[Raven]

First bike was a 1951 Matchless 500, I weighed in at about 100lbs back then.
Like bigbadbrucie it was fun watch the big guys try a start it, made a few bucks watching them try.
Can't remember all my bikes, but here are a few.
A couple of Yamaha IT's 175 and a 250
Honda 750 Intercepter
KTM 625 Supermoto
Buell XB12S
Harley XR1200 - still have, but for sale

[bigbadbrucie]

Raven....I was the proverbial 98 lb weakling. lol ��

[glennm]

Great thread Pegasus!
Nothing like the long list of some but enjoyed all of them.
First bike (71 model I think) Benelli 125 Trail 2 stroke with no oil injection so you had to premix the fuel
1972 Benelli Tornado 650S - scared the crap out of me the first time I rode it but what a great bike. Still have it but needs restoring.
Montesa 123 Cota that I rode some comp trials on but progressed to be a swinger on a friends Yamaha TY250 trials outfit
Suzuki 750 water bottle powered home made outfit with sidecar driven wheel that we crossed Australia east to west on (full disclosure, a friend who was a toolmaker was the brains behind it I was the assistant). We built 2 of them and named them EWX-1 (Paul's) and EWX-2 mine which stood for east west crosser.
Suzuki TS185 circa 1990 - should have kept this
Sachs MadAss
Son's Kawasaki GPX 250
Kymco MXU 150 quad
I think that is all
Now Spydey
Long gaps between at times due to raising kids.

[Raven]

Raven....I was the proverbial 98 lb weakling. lol ��

Yea, but wasn't fun watching the jocks look dumb in front of their girlfriends. LOL
Then hop on and fire it up in one or two kicks.

[Pirate]

Have had only 2 motorcycles before the Spyder. 1982 Honda Ascot FT500 in Monza Red. First time I had ever bought a motorcycle and my first time out popped a long wheelie (not on purpose) and sold it 6 months later. Second one was a Honda 90 trail bike (street legal) and had that about a year. Fast forward to 2019 and saw my first Spyder while on vacation. Talked to the owner, saved up my pennies and in 21 bought my first Spyder, base F3.

I feel way more stable on 3 wheels than 2 and the wife said she wouldn't get on a 2 wheeled motorcycle. Painful $$ wise but am enjoying it.

[Woodaddict]

1970 Rockford Chibi 60cc
1971 Rockford Tora 60cc (had to research this one to get name!!, yep, saw some vids, thats the one I rode. Felt like a big boy with those 14" wheels at 12 yrs old)

(these first 2 Dad bought, but I rode them)

1973 Suzuki TC125cc, woohoo my first purchase(new). had kicker on side - high / low range
197? Suzuki TM400, did some high school motocross in NE Ohio....talk about POWER
1978 Suzuki GS550, bought new
1983 Honda 500 Shadow
1981 Honda GL 500 Interstate
1996 Honda PC800
1997 Honda PC800
2010 Honda NT700V - silver

2010 Honda NT700V - red, current 2 wheel ride
2015 Spyder RTL, bought used with 225 miles in Mar 2017

[bigbadbrucie]

Now let's see where you came from

Well, we’re having another scorcher here today, temps (in your language) in the high 90°’s to low 100°’s. Damn, just too hot for this oldster (just not accustomed to temps this high. Anyway, sitting inside where it is also too warm, I got to thinking about the different bikes I’ve owned, and one that stands out in my mind was back in ‘86 when I purchased a brand new ‘86 Yamaha 1100cc Virago. Black unit with dark red and gold coloured pinstripes and trim. It was a real classic looking bike.

[ARtraveler]

Well, we’re having another scorcher here today, temps (in your language) in the high 90°’s to low 100°’s. Damn, just too hot for this oldster (just not accustomed to temps this high. Anyway, sitting inside where it is also too warm, I got to thinking about the different bikes I’ve owned, and one that stands out in my mind was back in ‘86 when I purchased a brand new ‘86 Yamaha 1100cc Virago. Black unit with dark red and gold coloured pinstripes and trim. It was a real classic looking bike.

That was a popular bike.

[Gwolf]

My old 750 Virago.......probably 1981. Don't remember exactly, but the 1100s had not come out yet.