The first street bike i had was and is a 1982 Suzuki GS550M. The M stands for Katana. that thing is such a Pig. It had some Japanes chacter that bears a striking resemblance to that of Eric Cars drums in the 80's (KISS) with a noble sword sticking through it.
I loved it!! those crash bars saved me once, a car infront of me kicked up a tire in the road and it hit the right bar and my right leg...lots of swearing, swerving, and bruising, but I stayed on two. I will have another old honda again some day...
My dad bought our neighbor's 1988 Yamaha XV250 (Virago 250) for $1 when I was 9 years old, so I could learn to ride it on our little dirt road. I've dumped it 3 times (We still have that bike in the garage) yet it didn't get damaged any of the times and is still in near-mint condition with under 3000 miles. It's a comfortable little around-town cruiser, but I took it on I25 once, and yeah... that was a bad idea...
we use to have a couple family enduros that were......amc/harleys. don't know what size they were though. first street bike was a '73 kaw z1. fun fun fun
First bike was a 197? Honda QA 50. I was 7 when my dad turned me loose. 2 speeds, no rear suspension, and my brother could beat me on his Huffy.
1973 Yamaha CT175 Enduro. My buddy would beat me off the start on his XR200, but I would slowly reel him in... that thing would do 80 if you gave it enough road to work with. It was a veritable crash fest in the dirt on the OEM dual sport tires, though.
1971 Honda CL-350 It was kinda wierd riding a bike that was older than me. When I got it it was in mint condition. 5k on the odometer. I have a picture somewhere, just don't remember exactly where...
Here's an ad I made for my second bike, which was a POS Honda CB750 (It was actually worse than the first, but I kept fiddling with the first and kinda messed it up). Needless to say I couldn't sell the POS, it's now collecting dust and vegetation back in Morgantown...Maybe I'll go get it someday...maybe not... http://www.csee.wvu.edu/~guo/bike/
Hey, BBS Crew! I'm new to the list - been lurking here for a bit... This thread lured me out of lurk mode. I have almost the EXACT same memory as UGADAWG (I think). I was about 3 or 4 and was clutching the cross bar of a Bultaco 250 piloted by my dad as my mom looked on in horror. I was wearing a white, Kmart purchased lid that was six sizes too big, and not much else. I swear I still remember my eyes watering and the smell of 2 stroke fuel. The next summer dad over ruled mom and got me a lime green Rupp mini bike that he traded a 10 speed Schwin bicycle for. Pull starter, ONE brake, NO suspension. My first solo attempt went like this: Get on bike, pin throttle WFO, crash 20 feet later into some object that I can't recall just now. Bike and rider mostly unhurt. Wow, what a memory. I've been hooked ever since and I'm 33 now... Oh, I'm "Slick" and I raced in the Mid Atlantic region last season on a woefully underpowered Hawk (bright yellow, #101).
My dad bought me a Honda Z50. I promptly crashed it into the side of his car..... I loved that little thing.
A 5HP Toyoko. Least I think that is how it was pronounced. Cool little thing. Looked like a real motorcycle with lights and all. Course you could STILL go over the handlebars when grabbing a handfull of brake trying to avoid a briar patch. Must have hung upside down in them damn pickers for 10 minutes till my laughing-bastard friends got me down!
I was unfortunate as a kid..no motorcycles..to dangerous. I ended up riding everyone elses. KX80, RM80, CR125, YZ80, DT100, KDX200, PE175, etc. I got a YZ80 for my first bike in High School. I traded a set of Crager SST's for it. Boy, mom was pissed. Then a CR125. I got my first personal street bike in 92. I pristine 88 FZR400 with 7k.
1978 XL250. Being very stupid, I rode it to high school all through the Toronto winter. I may have a record for falling down (about 3 times each day). In the spring, my older brother went to university so I immediately started riding his prized "Yoshimura stage 3" Kawasaki Z1. How I'm alive to tell is just luck ...plus I kept it a secret from him for almost 20 years
gpracer15, My parents were opposite.. after the QA 50 I got a Honda 110 ATC, 200SX and a CR80...then once I turned 16 "Not while you're under my roof" came out of my dad's mouth. So I got my license and road all my friends bikes, 600 F2/3's, GSXR750 and a ZX7. Then once I graduated college I bought my dream bike from high-school, 1993 R/W/Bl 900RR.
93 gsxr 600 when I was 20. It was Steve Pattersons 600 that he won the suzuki cup on and it was converted back to the street. Very Very cool bike. I nevewr dropped it for the 2 years I rode it. Then I moved up to a 95 zx7.
Another fond memory from childhood antics on the bikes. We went to an enduro race when I was just a little shaver. Me and my Dad were watching this race in a particularly bad section that had one of those pitiful 3 log bridges across a small stream. The stream was about 10 feet below the bridge. The bridge was about 40 long and quite hairy. Some dude comes into the section real hot, has his rear brake locked up when he hits this 3 log bridge. He subsequently knocks the bridge, himself and his bike into the water. The bound together 3 log bridge became an untied 3 log train wreck. Well...everyone that came thru the section had to go down into the ravine and back up the other,extremely muddy, side. There ended up being about 20 bikes stuck in the hole. Me and my Dad were friends with a guy named Jeff Hill who was a fairly well-known enduro rider back then. Me and my Dad hear the patented Husquavarna 390 automatic sound railing thru the woods and rushed to warn him of the impending doom. He went on by and didn't even blink. There was a stump that they had cut one of the logs for the bridge from right on the edge of the trail entering the ravine. Jeff simply pointed his front end at the stump and jumped the 40 foot distance and kept on rolling thru the woods, not missing a beat. That was when I decided to be a motorcycle racer.
My first bike was a Honda 185S ATC. I wanted this fly 175 something or other that the owner of the ATC had when we showed up to buy a bike. My dad and the owner gave me a quick once over on the controls of the 175 and let me take it for a ride. If I could ride it - it was mine. I took off, got scared, put a death grip on the bars (so as not to fall off) and rode it through a garden and into some woods. Things got rough for me in the woods and I eventually had my left hand knocked loose and fell on the right side of the bike. However, my right hand was securely holding the gas wide open so the bike drug me until I hit a big enough tree to stop the bike. I had burns from laying on the exhaust during the dragging part and a very sore ego. I looked up to see my father and the bike owner doubled over in laughter and commenced to beating my helmet to death. Thus began my career on 3-wheelers.
