What Was Your First Motorcycle?

[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.

 

[GA-SPYDER]

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.:thumbup:

 

[RAL]

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:yikes:


RAL

 

[RodO]

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. :clap:

 

[Ken C]

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. :2thumbs:

 

[BillGargan]

1975 Suzuki GT380

 

[turk]

first motorcycle

1966 honda scrambler, wish i still had it!

 

[NautiBrit]

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".

 

[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

 

[WizardMaster]

'87 Kan a Tuna. (Katana)

 

[NancysToy]

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.

 

[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.

 

[chris56]

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

 

[sabunim5]

1963 Susuki 80 cc with knobby tires and "trail gears". At 14 it put me on the road by myself. :yes: 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.

 

[Donzo]

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.

 

[GI Jane]

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:spyder2: in 2008.

 

[ataDude]

First of about 30:

 

[Magic Man]

The list is now long, but I still remember my first bike well. :agree:

It was a 1965 80cc Yamaha road bike I bought with the paper route money I saved for $100. It was already "beyond clapped out" when I got it, but I still loved it to death. :clap:

I rode it in the dirt for years and it gave it's life for God and country for sure. When It finally was "put down" it was because the compression was too low to be able to "pop start it" anymore. As at 4th over bore when I got it, there was no place left to go.

But at thre time, to me it was better than anything, and it shined like a bright star in my life. :2thumbs:

It had 15,000 miles on it when I got it, and like I said it was already bored 4th over and down on compression then. For at that time this was HUGE miles on these tiny 2 stroke engines. :yikes:

I think I spent more time fixing it to keep it running than riding it. :gaah:

But that is where and how I learned to "make it work" and owe that little bike more about what it taught me than I ever knew at the time. :bowdown:

Since than the list has gotten too long to say without trying sound like shameless bragging, so I won't. pps:

But that little Yamaha and what it taught me still holds a special place in my heart. :thumbup:

MM

 

[indian02]

First bike

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

 

[indian02]

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.