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What Was Your First Motorcycle?
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.
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1968 Honda 350 Scrambler. Couple of riding buddies went out and bought Honda 750's. Couldn't keep up with them, sooo, my next bike was a '72 CB 750 K2.
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A 1975 root beer brown Kawasaki KZ 400. She had a disc brake and pushed about 35 HP. Great first bike. Rode it like I stole it right from the start. Would give the Yamaha 650 twins that were common then a run.
I paid right at $1200 for her. For another $600 I could have got the KZ900. Thought about it but glad I didn't, not a good first bike. Likey would not be here
RAL
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Active Member
Three years ago, I got a '76 Kawasaki KZ900, but it blowed up after something like 36 miles (it's still in parts), so I picked up an '07 Suzuki V-Strom 650, which I traded in June '09 towards my Spyder.
Ryde safe,
Rod.
'08 GS SM5 Full Moon -- after 15,000km sold May'11
'10 RT A+C SE5 Full Moon -- after 30,700km traded in 2014
'17 RTL Pearl White -- new-to-me in 2023
"I guess its better to bend a valve in Missoula than to lose your mind in Bozeman", my wife said, patting my hand as if to console me. I winced and wondered if Phaedrus ever took the bus." -Peter Egan, Leanings
CanAm Highway goes from Texas along U.S. Route 85 and Interstate 25 into Saskatchewan, Canada.<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CanAm_Highway>
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After my friends Bull Taco, my first ride was my fathers 1965 Honda 55. Shortly thereafter he traded it in for a Honda Trail 90. That thing would climb a wall if it could get traction. It had a small lever under the crankcase that you could flip to a real low gear ratio. I rode the heck out of that little bike, on the highway and in the dirt. Yes the highway..... I'd take it on the freeway and twist the throttle til it could twist no more in an attempt to keep up with traffic. It had no tach so I never knew how fast she was spinning but she never blew! Some years later he stepped up to a Honda 350. I laid it down one day racing a friend of mine. Boy, did I hear about that one! In my twenties my very own first purchase was a Maroon 1979 Honda CB650. Wish I still had that one. Good memories were had and I'm still alive.
Last edited by Ken C; 12-15-2009 at 12:11 AM.
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first motorcycle
1966 honda scrambler, wish i still had it!
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Very Active Member
I started off with a James 125, vintage unknown, that I found in a field and brought back to life. I then talked my father into sharing a BSA 250 then a Lambretta TV175. I quickly realized that I wanted to be a "mod" not a "rocker".
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Very Active Member
1948 Cushman Pacemaker in 1954, then a Whizzer Sportsman in 1956 (kick start model on a 20 inch bike with pegs, no pedals), then a Triumph 200 Tiger Cub in 1957.
john
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Originally Posted by retread
1948 Cushman Pacemaker in 1954, then a Whizzer Sportsman in 1956 (kick start model on a 20 inch bike with pegs, no pedals), then a Triumph 200 Tiger Cub in 1957.
john
I knew there was something I liked about you. Sounds like a mirror of my first rides. My Whizzer was a Sportsman, too, but I really wanted a Simplex. Traded up to a Mustang a year later. My first Triumph was a 1953 rigid frame 650 in 1964, but my dad made me sell it......and probably saved my life in the bargain.
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I bought my first bike in the spring of 1989. It was a black 1980 GL1100 Goldwing. I replaced it a year later with a new wineberry 1989 GL1500 Goldwing. I replaced that one with a new black 2001 GL1800A Goldwing, which I still have. I expect to keep it even after my RT comes in, but I also figure that after the first riding season with the RT, I may be able to decide if I can live with just one or if I need to hang onto both.
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Very Active Member
in europe its (still) not allowed to drive a bike with more than 50ccm max speed 30mls/h - if you are not 18 years old ( now 17)..
so I startet 1972 with a watercooled zündapp ( 7hp) - too fast for the police .. after that a Norton 650 and a lot of BMW´s
chris
Outlander fairing - Fox-shock - BajaRon Swaybar - Hankook tire/ back - 165/50 Imperial tires front & longer front shocks - GIVI Topase - Shad sidecases -heated grips - new seats
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Very Active Member
1963 Susuki 80 cc with knobby tires and "trail gears". At 14 it put me on the road by myself. In a car you had to have an "adult" with you in order to drive for the first two years. My parents bought it used in 1965, and I worked 3 after school and weekend jobs to pay them back, cover the insurance, gas, oil etc.
Happy owner of Silver PE #1232
All The Gear All The Time - ATGATT
Gulf Coast SpyderRyders
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As a kid I had a 3&1/2 hp Sears mini bike, then the much faster Rupp Hustler 7hp then a Honda 250cc.
First Road bike was a Kawi 1000 LTD, used that to go cross country right after getting out of college. Wish I had kept the LTD - very fast and comfy....
Since then I've had 9 other bikes. Still have my Sabre 1100 and a Motoguzzi ElDorado 900.
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The first I rode on was a 1967 Triumph Bonneville or Daytona (can't remember.....it's an age thing). Was hooked from that day on. Bought an 1100 V-Star in 2005 but that was a bit too powerful for me.....then along came a in 2008.
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Last edited by ataDude; 11-02-2010 at 05:44 PM.
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First bike
Originally Posted by NancysToy
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.
I don't mean to make you feel old but i was born in 1958. Now that i have made you feel old my first bike was a Honda trail 70. I was riding through a field of tall grass one day and hit a bob-wire fence head on and came to a quick stop and took a nice flight over the handle bars. I bought a Honda 360 after that and ran over a beagle that had ran across the road in front of me with just shorts on. I was the one wearing the shorts I got a real nice road rash off of that. That was in 1970. I thought i would never ride again. The bug bit me again after that and i went out and bought a 2002 Indian then 2008 Harley Road king Classic and a 2009 Spyder. I still have all 3 of those. I was just kidding you about being old. Here in Louisville they had a antique motorcycle show this past summer. They had a cushman and a whizzer in the show along with alot of other vintage bikes
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Originally Posted by MarkLawson
I bought my first bike in the spring of 1989. It was a black 1980 GL1100 Goldwing. I replaced it a year later with a new wineberry 1989 GL1500 Goldwing. I replaced that one with a new black 2001 GL1800A Goldwing, which I still have. I expect to keep it even after my RT comes in, but I also figure that after the first riding season with the RT, I may be able to decide if I can live with just one or if I need to hang onto both.
You might want to hang on to your Goldwing. It always nice to be able to ride a different bike every now and then. If one of them is in the shop and its a nice day outside then you will have a backup to ride on.
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My first bike was a 1984 Honda Nighthawk CB750S - red & black. I sold that relatively quickly cuz I couldn't ride it really (too tall) and got a 2006 Honda Rebel 250 and then a 2002 Kawasaki Vulcan 800B. I traded the Vulcan in when I got the Spyder and then later bought (then wrecked and totalled) a 2009 Kawasaki Ninja 250. Now I just have the Spyder and a Kawi KLX140L dirt bike. The hubby has a 1998 Honda Nighthawk CB750 and soon a dirt bike... maybe a mid-90's KX250.
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Almost 20 years ago I bought a 1987 Yamaha TW200. Great bike to learn on. The tires were so big it almost stood up by itself.
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MOgang Member
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Harley Sportster - hated it. Had a dirtbike also which was fun, then a couple of Hondas which I liked, then my Deluxe and then the Spyder.
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Very Active Member
1962 Honda 150 Dream, bought new in December of 1961. Even though I only had it for 3 months before I wrecked it, it ignited the love of motorcycling that has been with me since that first day I rode it home. I joined the Air Force in June of 1962 and it wasn't until after my four years that I was able to ride again and have ever since (July 1966 to now).
2008 GS SE5 in 2008
Traded at 43,000 miles for a left over
2010 RT SM5 in 2011
Traded at 57,000 for a left over
2014 RTS SE6 in 2015, which has 35,000 miles
Oct 19th, 2017, totaled 2014 RT while killing a Javaline
Dec 12th, 2017 drove a 2017 F3L home. What an awesome machine!
Never had any breakdown stranded issues.
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