Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire What was your first "Motorcycle" and your AGE at the time?

Wow! crossfire, that damn Simplex is friggin' awesome! Ohwee!!

I was so jealous at the time, the XR75 and the YZ80 of 74 just flat out dusted me in the early 70's but I still tried to keep up on my 60cc Yami'.


By the age of 12, I was riding a bike similar to his, a CB750 (836) courtesy of Russ Collins, 4-1 megaphone header...was hell to hold when I twisted the throttle.




If I were to ride again, a KZ1000 would be high on my list.

1953 Norton 500 single. I was 19. It was stolen 2 days later..........OH well......I`ve had a lot since..

These were such great bikes. I had a 1970 750-4.

Wtxj;
Thanks for the thread sir and of course to the responding members who have made for some more interesting reading and grand memories.

I'm struck with two parallel thoughts when I read these sorts of threads, the first of which is where has the time gone?

The second is that its a wonder some of us survived our youth.

In fact when I dug out this photo to scan, beside it was a photo of my best friend and I on our bikes and it struck me that Scott was killed in a car crash not 4 years later.

Anyway to the question at hand, here's the first motorcycle, a Honda XR75 which for the life of me I can't recall the year. I think it was the last year of the grey XR's perhaps. I'm going to say I was 13 when I bought it?


Naturally I bought it with my own funds and against my parents wishes because I'd not proven to be a careful lad up to that point.

Just as naturally I hit the side of the house the first day I had it!

I am cognizant you asked about the first and hopefully I can be forgiven if I throw up a quick shot of my second bike - a 125 Suzuki - maybe a '75?



I suppose given that both photos show a motorcycle being used in a less than safe manner, my folks had good reason to be more than a wee bit wary of my bikes, but somehow I did survive them and the snowmobiles, cars and 4x4 pickups that ensued.

Thanks again for the great memories sir and thanks to our fellow 'Fire members for contributing too.

All the best to you all this weekend.

Regards,
Dwayne

I waited until later in life. Started around 1982 (age 26) with a Kawasaki 440 LTD.

I tend to hang on to bikes and cars for the long haul. I rode the Kaw for more than 5 years before I finally sold it to buy something larger. Around 1987 I bought a 1980 Honda CB750c that I rode for the next 15 years. In 2003 I sold it for a 50% profit and bought a 2001 H-D Softail Deuce. I've had it for 10 years now and still love it, I'll may ride this one for the rest of my life.

The motorcycle "jones" is starting to hit me bad.

,...wish I had some heat in my garage.

I've got to install some Sputhe engine stabilizers on my Dyna and put some new tires, do an oil change, etc. on my Burgman.

But for now, we've got a blanket of snow forecast for the evening, so I'll just bring in some more firewood.

First and only crotch rocket was a Hodaka Wombat when I was old enough to know better. I was 40 something. Regards, Woody

Yup, they sure got the lines tight, and NEVER changed em' much.

They were EVERYWHERE when I was a kid in NOLa. All the Mom and Pop grocers had the 3 wheel versions for deliveries, the Shipyards had em' for runabouts, and half the kids in my neighborhood had em'. A really good used one could be had in the 20-30 dollar realm. I don't remember EVER using "2 stroke mix", just canned 30 wt,.....they smoked like crazy, even when running right,and the dual plugs seemed to be a fine idea in that regard. you KNEW immediately one had fouled.IIRC, a new belt was in the $3.50 price range, and one substuted 26" Bicycle tires for the slightly larger factory issue.

I should really get my azz in gear, and replicate (with BETTER brakes) the thing, and hang one of those enormous vintage chainsaw engines of mine on it.......would imagine that serious "Mountain Bike" components would be stouter than the original simplex gear.

GTC

Mine was a Parilla 175.

First dirt bike was an old beat up '72 Kawi KE-100. No lights, dent and bent but great to learn on (never worried about crashing it. I was 12 or 13 and saved up to buy it from Dad for $100.



First street bike (in fact, my first driving street vehicle) was the infamous Mach III. Found a '74 that needed work for $200 and Dad and I rebuilt it. Overbore kit and some elbow grease and she was ready to go. Left many a car behind in a big, blue cloud of bug repellent on that thing and dodged many a deer on Wisconsin's back roads!






Bout two years later I was able to buy a Kawi 750 trip from one of the guys who worked with my Dad. Same crappy brakes and chassis but even more power. Yeehaw!

1995 Harley Davidson 1200 Sportster. I looked like the bear in the circus riding it. Enjoyed it through a couple of summers, then sold it for more than I paid for it. I doubt I'll own another motorcycle.

Oh, I was 26 or 27ish when I owned that scooter.

This was my first around 10 - 11 yo...



and this was my favorite.....

This was my first, a Honda 90, the day I turned 16. Bought brand new. Wrecked it 3 times the first month and it was totaled at the tender age of 4 months.



Have had many, many bikes over the years. Here are my current rides. '11 Wide Glide and '13 Street Glide;

Honda CM400T, I was 32.

HD Road King. Age 43.

Honda XL350. Age? 40

First was a 71 or 72 Yamaha R5 350. I was 17

Over 30 bikes later
Current ride:

My folks bought a 40 acre piece that came with a fully furnished mobile home. This included a brand new 1968 Honda trail 90.
We rode the wheels off it till dad bought a 1970 Honda CL350 Scrambler. My first motorcycle that I bought with money I made working construction with my dad starting when I was 9.
I was 15 in 1972 and picked out a Suzuki 125 Duster. Orange w/white stripe.
8 bikes later I have settled on a '96 BMW R1100GS.