My first bike was a Honda bought new in 69/70? 400cc?
From there i went up and down the cc ladder, over the years 400 to 1800cc and now down to 998, and a few weeks ago i added a ER-6n Kaw. [650]
To keep me company when the Spyder isn't running right.
My first ride was an Arctic Cat mini bike at the ripe old age of 6. Didn't take me long to figure out how to reach down and pull the governor wide open. Needless to say my first stitches occured shortly after that! From that I graduated to a 1971 Yamaha 60cc Mini Enduro, 1971 Yamaha 125 Enduro, 1978 Suzuki PE 175. Once I was old enough to legally drive I moved into the street bike world starting with a 1980 Yamaha 650 Special ll. Couldn't afford to put gas in my old Pontiac so I rode that bike anywhere and everywhere. Next was a 1982 Yamaha Maxim 750. Then came my need for speed, in 1986 I bought a Yamaha V-Max. How I didn't die on that thing I'll never know. A true muscle bike, 0 to 150 mph in a heart beat. WAY FUN!!!, Unless there was a corner involved. Pretty sure a freight train corners better! Finally sold her in 2004, that was a very sad day. In 1999 I ordered a Harley Heritage Springer and on March 17, 2001 it arrived! Remember the days when you had to wait years to buy a Harley? When I signed up to buy it, there were 121 people on the list in front of me. Then in 2009... along came a Spyder!!! Not mine.... my girlfriends, but she let me ride it and I was hooked! So two weeks later when she brought it back to the dealer for the 600 mile service, I rode over with her and rode home on my own!!! ABSOLUTELY LOVE MY SPYDER!!! Since July 09, Spyder 10,000 miles, Harley 1000 miles. Who would have thought!
Me and 2 buddies walked into the local Yamaha dealer and all 3 of us bought xs400's and helmets. WE were bad! we were all 18 at the time. and i just bought two Spyders off the owners son 32 years later.
I love my two Honda CB160s. One of the finest motorcycles Honda ever made, IMO. Never owned a Triumph 500 I didn't like, either. I even rode the Jack Pine Enduro twice on 500 Triumphs, finished once. I have a 650 Bonneville now, but I might search out a Tiger, Trophy, or T5 one of these days.
Looks like the one my division officer had. We were having a division party over on the otherside of Honolulu Airport. My buddy had my car to pickup some girls we met in Wakiki. He was supposed to come back to Pearl to pick me up, but never did.
My division officer came out and after telling him what happened, he loaned me his Honda CB160, Getting his helmet and keys, I decided to take the back Rd out that runs along the channel, than onto Hickam AFB. I didn't have a problen til I began to slow at the back gate and the guard seeing the Gold officers sticker on the front fender threw me a salute. I waved back and getting closer to him, I got on the throttle.
Only than did he see I was wearing enlistedman's clothes and started yelling for me to halt, I was outside the gate and looking back he was jumping up and down. I had another 1/2 mile to go and got to the party.
I get to the party and got on the guy that had my car. He said you got Mr K's bike. I told him he loaned it to me to get here. He said let me take it I need to go back to Pearl. I told him I couldn't he loaned it to me and after 5 to 10 minutes of hearing his whinning and beggin, I tossed him the keys. Go get out of here, get away from me.
I watched him start it and take off and than remembered that I blew through the back gate at Hickam. I tried to get his attention but I never did and wondered if he would get through the main gate at Pearl Harbor.
Mr K saw his Honda at the main gate and going into the gatehouse, the Marines had my friend in shackles, handcuffs with a chain attached. He bailed out my friend and thats all I heard about for about a week, that he was minutes away from spending time in the brig.
I heard later from Mr. K that they nailed him at the main gate. Mr K, laughed saying here's another one, I got to make a note of in my log of the funniest stories, from 1st division.
My first bike I found in a barn in Canton CT. The farmer said, he got it from a friend to give to his son. He said it was a 1948 BSA. His son rode it til he went in the service in 1957 and it had been sitting where he left it ever since. I asked how much? He said $50 bucks. I told him I only had $35. and said sold. I was 15 at the time and couldn't take it home knowing I'd get murdered, so took it to my buddy's house. His dad was my metal shop teacher and when he saw it, his eyes popped out.
By the time I got my license in 1966 a year and a half later, we had restored it. I rode it for couple of years, than a motorcycle shop wanted it to make a drag bike out of it. After some wheeling and dealing, I traded even for a 65 BSA Lightening Rocket.
My buddy found a 1946 Indian, that had been chopped but, the owner had kept all the original parts. He restored it back to what it looked like new and later sold it, for more than he payed for it.
Happy Spyder Owner
2008 SM5, Trunk Liner, 2" Block Riser, ESI 3" Risers, Evoluzione Cycle o2 Sensor Mod, Corbin Seat and Large Oval Backrest, Madstad RoboBrackets and 24" Clear Windshield, Chrome Clear Catseye LED Tail/Brake/License Plate Light, Brake Strobe, Kuryakyn Grips, Kewlmetals Performance Air kit, Custom Dynamic Orange LED's, Spyder 1 Attitude Performance Exhaust RSS-18-B, Day Runners, Day Pucks, Rivco Highway Pegs, ESI Mirror Extensions, Rivco Floorboards.
First Bike I ever owned-----Suzuki X6 250
Fastest Bike I ever owned---Hayabusa
Scariest Bike I ever owned---Hayabusa
I packed it in last year and have hung on to a couple of GSX for old times sake.It was getting too heavy....
First Bike I ever owned-----Suzuki X6 250
Fastest Bike I ever owned---Hayabusa
Scariest Bike I ever owned---Hayabusa
I packed it in last year and have hung on to a couple of GSX for old times sake.It was getting too heavy....
Now we're starting some new categories, eh? My fastest was undoubtedly my top fuel Harley, ca. 1970-72. I think a stock Busa would beat those now. The record was only 157 back then....but Top Fuel cars only ran a bit over 200, and Jr. Fuel dragsters were only good for 170-180 or so. Not too bad for the times...until Sonny Routt switched his twin Triumph to nitro and ran 170+ right out of the box. Not sure I ever had a scariest one, although I laid down the fuel bike at the long end of the drag strip...twice in 1972.
This could open up a whole new can of worms...
Worst Bike I Ever Owned Slowest Bike I ever Owned Shortest Bike I Ever Owned Tallest Bike I Ever Owned Most Expensive I Ever Owned Cheapest I ever Owned Ones I wish I Still Owned
...and the list goes on.
-Scotty 2011 Spyder RTS-SM5 (mine) 2000 BMW R1100RTP, motorized tricycle & 23 vintage bikes 2011 RT-622 trailer, Aspen Sentry popup camper, custom motorcycle trailer to pull behind the Spyder
Yep, lots of new catagories:
Scariest bike I ever owned..... My turbo Busa at 24lbs of boost
Fastest....Same bike at 217 mph on gps
I used to do really stupid things, now I just do an occasional dumb one..LOL
For those of you who have ridden before, and those of you whose Spyder is your first motorcycle, what was the first motorcycle you owned (or rode) and when? My first ride was a step-trough Cushman around 1958. I was just custodian of it for the neighbor, however, so the first I owned was a $10 Whizzer I bought in 1962 when I was 14. Nancy's first ride was on a Honda CB160 about six or seven years ago. She has owned a 1968 Honda Trail 90 for about five years, but the Spyder was her first street ride...at the age of 54.
Mine was a Whizzer Pacemaker that I bought for $25 and my bicycle (that I paid ten dollars for) in 1956. My parents were not amused...
I had a Trail 70, Trail 90, Matchless 750, BMW R60US, Whizzer Sportsman, Triumph Cub, Whizzer/Triumph chopper, Harley FLHS, two Sporties, Heritage Softtail, two Yammy V-Star 650's, a V-Star 1100, BMW R1100RT, Royal Star Palomino (beautiful pig), 11 second Excelsior Henderson Super X, URAL Patrol, two Ri180's, a Yamaha Vino 125, and I still have my 105th Road King, 2oo1 Kaw W650, 1998 URAL Ironbutt awardee, aand the Spyder.... oh, and my old Yamaha Jog. I sure have wasted a LOT of money on motorcycles, but that's chump change compared to what I blown on boats! We all have our weaknesses...
Last edited by mtdoragary; 09-11-2010 at 06:47 PM.
First ride was a mini-bike (Montgomery Wards, I think). Then a 69 Yamaha 60 Enduro, a 75 Yamaha 175 Enduro (first brand new bike). Then I quit riding for 25 years and got back into it in 03 buying a new Kawi Vulcan 800. Now, I have an 07 Vulcan 2000 LT to ride while my wife rides the Spyder.
Russ
1974 Susuki 250 two stroker!!! Man that was ride to have. I was in high school and you were cool if you had a bike. Rode that dam thing everywhere for about 10 years and then sold it once the kids came along.
08 SM5 Can-Am Spyder -- have ridden several that belonged to others and I worked at Sears in the early 70's used to assemble the mini-bikes anb then Test ride them around the parking lots.
Ain't nothing more fun than being on my spyder.
Bill Very Happy Spyder Owner
Gulf Coast Spyder Ryders -- look for us in the Ryder Group/Club shortcut on the homepage.
750 Kawasaki. Nearly got me killed, not to mention the speeding tickets. 130mph through the desertat night, almost every night. Until the NM state trooper caught me. That was a l o n g time ago.
USAF '69-'89 E7
Thailand/Vietnam 1972
Member: Royal Order of Rat Bastards
First bike was a 66 Honda 90. Put over 20,000 miles on it before it died. Fastest was Kawasaki 500 scary fast, no brakes, always slapped the handle bars but it was "the" bike to have. Favourite bike was my Honda 305 scrambler. Also had 125 Sears Puch and 250 Sears Puch, both strange but loveable. Hated my english bikes. Currently have the Spyder and a Moto Guzzi.
Stuart Port Coquitlam BC 2008 Red Spyder SE5, BRP six spoke wheels, LED daytime lights, LED tips lights, LED brake lights and centre light, BRP seat cowel, CF rear fender, 2 BROS CF twin exhaust, billet pegs and brake pedals, spyder trunk wrap, BRP-RT shocks and springs, HD sway bar, cold air intake, green air cleaner, iridium spark plugs, juice box, BRP touring seat, BRP rear rack and back rest,Glow lights, BRP trunk liner, BRP bar weights, IPS, LED marker lights.
First bike was a burnt orange Honda XL 100 then I graduated to a silver and blue XL 350 single cylinder THUMPER. Saw this thread and it prompted me to search for some images of bikes just like my old ones. The internet is an amazing thing and these pics really brought back some vivid memories. That 350 would flat out run. Just about ripped my right leg off!
Our 2011 RT-s is my wife & I first and only cycle, We bought it off the delevery trailer at our Can-Am dealer without ever riding one first!, We both love it and I wish i could afford to get me one also.
First was 66 Honda Scrambler, Later I got into dirt bikes MT and MR Honda 250 Elsinors, Katana 600, CBR600, Yamaha 750, a couple of Honda Shadows 750/1000...
bought first bike at 20 , 74 sportster, bought second bike at 30 ish 1980 f l t,bought third bike brand new dyna low rider 2000,at 42 ,bought forth bike last year2000 h d police model,at 53, sold it 6 weeks ago to buy a SPYDER, hopefully very soon i'll find one for a good price.
Last edited by coz; 05-28-2011 at 04:24 PM.
Reason: to make sense
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GO2LKG in Richmond, VA
WE were bad! we were all 18 at the time. and i just bought two Spyders off the owners son 32 years later.
Originally Posted by NancysToy
My fastest was undoubtedly my top fuel Harley, ca. 1970-72. I think a stock Busa would beat those now. 
