Where did you start?

[bigbadbrucie]

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.

 

[canamjhb]

Several Go-Carts when I was 10-14 years old

197? Honda CB125
1982 Yamaha 250 Enduro
198? Kawasaki 650 Vulcan
1984 Honda GL1200
1997 Honda GL1500
2000 Go-Ped 49cc
2002 Honda GL1800
2002 Another Honda GL1800
2014 Spyder 1330 RTL
2008 Honda GL1800/CSC Trike

All bikes were used except Go-Carts (Home made), Go-Ped, & 1997 GL1500 which I rode for 10 years before moving to a GL1800. That damn Go-Ped about killed me. Not recommended for people old enough to know better..... Jim

 

[Gwolf]

First street legal bike I owned was a 62 Honda Super 90. It had a battery, but it was kick start only. The battery was only to supply power for the ignition on starting up and to run the lights.

All the older batteries were weak compared to the new batteries available these days. Owned several early bikes that did have electric starter, but I only used the kick start, because just a few spins of the electric starter and the battery would be too weak to turn it over.

 

[Pooch]

1973 Honda CB 350… that was in 1979.. had electric start and manual kick start
1981 Honda Silverwing GL 500 Interstate .. touring bike
1985 Honda Rebel 250… just to run around in the neighborhood
1987 Kawasaki Voyager 12 .. touring bike..LOVED this thing
1992 Honda Nighthawk 250.. trailered behind the motorhome
2008 Suzuki Boulevard C50 .. 850 cc .. did not like the stretched forward cruiser riding position
2009 Kawasaki Vulcan Nomad 1700
2009 Kawasaki Vulcan 900 Classic LT
2008 Honda Gold Wing GL1800 Trike .. MotorTrike Adventure IRS kit
2021 Spyder RTLtd
All of these “Jap” bikes ran very well… never failed me.. not once. The Spyder is following in their footsteps.

 

[BCNewell]

His:
1974 Honda XL70 (‘75-‘82)
1975 Suzuki TS185 (‘79-‘79) {rode it into a canal...}
1977 Honda CT125 Trail (‘79-‘84) {one-year-only production}
1986 Yamaha VMX12 V-Max (‘89-‘91) {1st real street bike! Took DMV riding test on it !!!}
1994 Suzuki Intruder 800 * (‘94-‘96)
1995 Yamaha VMX12 V-Max * (‘96-‘99)
1997 Honda Shadow Spirit 1100 (‘08-‘17)
1989 Yamaha VMX12 V-Max (‘16-‘17)
1998 Honda VF750 Magna Deluxe (‘17-‘17) {totaled - hit a deer}
2014 Honda CTX1300 Deluxe (‘18-present) {one-year-only production}
2017 Can-Am Spyder F3-S Daytona 500 * (bought new in ‘22-present)


Hers:
1995 Yamaha Virago 250 * (‘96-‘97)
1996 Yamaha Virago 535 * (‘97-‘99)
2007 Kawasaki Vulcan 500 (‘14-‘17)
2015 Can-Am Spyder F3-S (‘22-present)

* - denotes bought new. Current rides are the two F3-S’s and the CTX.

 

[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:


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.

 

[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

 

[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!