Your First One

[Motorcycledave]

Mine was a used 1950 WIZZER motor bike, next was a SEARS branded (Cushman)

 

[missouriboy]

It is said that we revert to our childhood as we get old. I did not own this but it was my first ride on a motorcycle. My Uncle would take me with him to pickup 50 lb ice block for the icebox at the family cycle shop. After that were several different motorcycles and now the Spyder.
Photo from a web search:

HEY! Friend-o-mine had one of those, but it had a steering wheel instead of a handlebar. I drove it a number of times (AND rode in the box while he drove)... the steering wheel had a steering knob on it, because it was bought new in 1950 for a 12-yo boy who lost one arm to cancer. When he died at age 13, the Cushman stayed around town with various owners, one of them being my friend.

 

[missouriboy]

My first was a 1948 Cushman Pacemaker scooter, bought it in 1954, about a year later, a Whizzer Sportsman. Wouldn't mind having either one of them again.

john

Your story is close to mine!

I had a 1947 James (English) with a Villiers (French) 5hp 2-cycle engine, that I also got around 1954 (or '55, I can't remember). My friend with the 3-wheel Cushman (above) also got one very similar, and we rode together a lot. I was around 14 or 15, no license!

 

[Bfromla]

View attachment 180878

:clap::clap:hyea: I can relate to this hyea: sorry no pics of my first powered set of two wheels. My dad was in to RC planes at the time bout ‘86 or so & rigged one of his plane motors to mine & lil sister's scooter (yes with prop) & he had to start it, but we could zoom up & down the block :doorag: her being quite faster as she was younger/smaller & was always at FULL throttle opcorn: thankfully the block was a levee access street with not much traffic. It did always seem run out of gas on me . Fond memories :clap::clap: after that the first street legal was a used Honda twin star 200 got from a coworker that couldn’t deal with its small oil leak. It wasn’t much ,still good first bike riding experience & 2nd degree burn on calf from tail pipes:gaah:

 

[Elwood58]

My first was a 1968 Honda Z50


My 2nd was a 1976 Honda CB360

 

[DoubleA]

2002 HD Sportster 883

 

[grumpyoldretiredcop]

My first "real" motorcycle was a 1964 Yamaha 125, probably a YA-5 as it didn't have oil injection. It came in a box, I dragged it home and listened to my Dad tell me I'd never get it put together... then he handed me a copy of "Zen and the Art of Motorcycling" and made helpful suggestions when I got bogged down. I got it put together, rode it in the dirt and later on the street, learned about improper oil mixture and spark plug heat range when I burned a hole through the top of the piston as I was going down the road. My Dad (an aerospace machinist) helped me make a new piston as by then, parts were hard to come by.

I searched long and hard for a photo of the correct model - this one is a 1961 but they hadn't changed much by 1964.

 

[davev1pa]

1965 Honda 150 Dream . Got the entire bike in 2 boxes and a frame with engine attached. I was 15. Rolled it downstairs in my bedroom in the fall. Pushed it upstairs in the spring complete and road worthy. Had the engine rebuilt that winter for $116 at local shop. Painted it purple /glitter.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QipPMOVg2nw

 

[Gwolf]

Keep them coming. Nice to look back at the old bikes we had 50 or 60 years ago.

 

[carbonation]

First MC, 16 in high school, Honda CB125.
That opened the door to a lot of bikes.
Yamaha DT175, Suzuki 550L, Yamaha 750 Seca, Suzuki Katana 600, Katana 1100, BMW R1100RT, Suzuki SV650, Honda ST1300, 2012 Spyder RT-L,
2019 Spyder RT-L.
There was a KX125 full on MX bike in there somewhere around 1997.
Aprilia Scarabeo 100 and Yamaha Yamahopper for the campground duties currently.
Reaching back into when troglodytes roamed, there was a 2.5HP Briggs and Stratton rigid frame mini bike, then a 3HP Tecumseh powered, then a QA50, then a H-D X90 before the Honda 125.
I've got an almost complete Honda ST90 I'm going to start playing with soon. It will probably turn into a full on resto and windup doing campground grunt work.
Some folks want to be buried in their cars. I'm going to be cremated, and have the ashes put in a box.
Cut a corner open, strap me on the luggage rack and let me ride one more time.

 

[iridenow]

I honestly don't remember. I think it was a 1989 Suzuki Katana that I paid $1500 for. I remember the make and model. The year is what is giving me trouble.

I got into an accident a month after I got it while sitting at a red light. This old lady in a ford mustang ran into me from behind. It totaled the bike.

 

[WDAVEY]

First for me was a 1972 Harley Sportster (kick start when it wanted to run). Bought when I was in the Navy in Newport News VA. Dealer charged me $100 to be number 8 in line waiting for one! Later I learned the union contract with HD expired every even numbered year and production slowdowns were the negotiating tactic used. Waited 4 months and 1 week to get my beautiful blue Sportster now that I was #1 in line. But the only Sportster on the truck that week was the ugliest @#!$!@##$# green you ever saw. I took it anyway. Kept that hard starting sob for 4 years and then worked through 4 more Harleys before getting my 2019 RTL last summer.

 

[Jaxfann]

First bike in UK was 1959 BSA 175cc Bantam - great little bike that took me many thousands of safe miles before I sold it to my brother.

Had a hiatus for 35 years and then saw a truck carrying 20 or so new Indian Chiefs to a dealer in Clearwater Fl. - made a u turn and followed the truck to the dealer and made the mistake of sitting on one - $25k later I had one delivered and had a blast for about 5 years and my son still owns it.

Another hiatus for 15 years and now I have the best time poodling around on my Ryker - can't beat the air in your face and the freedom of ryding - which I will do until I drop!
Pictures below which will probably be upside-down!