| Author |
Message |
    
Bluebuellxb9r
| | Posted on Friday, October 29, 2004 - 10:08 am: | 
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1988 - the bike , my trusty XL80 . I rode in the frnt yard for most of the first day, just learning how to use the clutch and cordinate it with the shifting thing. I managed to survive the first week or so sans major get offs or other incidents. I still have my XL, even after 5k miles and 2 other novice riders, it still runs . Granted, after my brother Motorcrossed it, its no in exactly the most beautiful shape. |
Vegasbueller
| | Posted on Friday, October 29, 2004 - 10:28 am: |
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First real motorized bike was an old Rickman 125 with the Zundap powerplant. We had to engineer more parts for that thing because you couldn't find any parts for them where I lived. That bike was a lot of fun. I rode it till it finally trashed a piston then gave it away. |
Bcordb3
| | Posted on Friday, October 29, 2004 - 11:05 am: |
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Vegas - Rickman made great frames for that era. I rode a Rickman Matisse (Bultaco powered) in scrambles and TT races back in the day, so to speak. |
Vegasbueller
| | Posted on Friday, October 29, 2004 - 12:29 pm: |
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Yup! That was a great bike! It was an old enduro/trials bike. I wished that I could find another one just like it. It was that familliar Rickman blue. How did the Bultaco motor measure up? |
Steveford
| | Posted on Friday, October 29, 2004 - 06:52 pm: |
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Not counting mini bikes, my first "real" motorcycle ride was on a Honda CL77 w/ Snuff-R-Nots and I discovered that really big puddles can have really deep drainage ditches in the middle of them. GLUG!
That was a long day. |
Bcordb3
| | Posted on Friday, October 29, 2004 - 07:35 pm: |
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Vegas - the taco engine was actually pretty good. It was a little peaky. Required new crank bearings a couple of times a season. Which was about par for the 2 stokes in the mid 60's. |
Swampy
| | Posted on Saturday, October 30, 2004 - 12:28 am: |
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I just met a guy last night, early 30s, I don't know his first ride but his last ride was on a 1990s Suzuki 80 motocross bike, he hasn't worked in three years. Broke his leg 3 times on it, he broke it the second time while he still had a cast on. And to think he bought the bike for his kid. Swears he won't take it out again(I don't know why its still sitting in his garage though????) |
Jerseyguy
| | Posted on Saturday, October 30, 2004 - 09:01 am: |
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Steveford - I put snuff r nots on my CL77. I wonder if you ended up with my bike. What color was it & did it come from Jersey? |
Vegasbueller
| | Posted on Saturday, October 30, 2004 - 11:42 am: |
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B: Thats pretty cool. My brother raced a Bultaco of some sort on Flat Tracks back in the 60's. He raced those Pentons, and Hodakas. Bikes you just dont see anymore. I have found a few Bulls on eBay now that you got me looking again.
Nick |
Tombo
| | Posted on Saturday, October 30, 2004 - 08:59 pm: |
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My brothers Z50 Mini trail was the first motorized bike I rode, I was 9 years old. I eventually owned a few of his hand-me-downs until I bout myself an Elsinor 125. It gets in your blood and am not sure your can ever leave it once it does. I have had some of the best times of my life on bikes, and one of my worst. But as Steve McQueen once described it, it is when you can have those little talks with god. I now have five bikes sitting in my garage (I have a deal with my wife, as long as she can park her car inside I can work with the rest of the space).
96 S1, 97 S3, 74 Rickman 125, 75 RL 250 (Suzuki trials bike), 80 XL 500. |
Jerseyguy
| | Posted on Sunday, October 31, 2004 - 11:06 am: |
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Vegas - I owned and rode most all of 'em back in the day. I even got a amateur sponsorship in Enduros by a Can Am shop (remember CAN AM?).
That was probably a Bultaco Astro. A buddy of mine short tracked one of those. I got arrested on it on the street one day doing plug burns with no helmet no registration well over 100 mph etc. etc. But thats another story as Court would say.... |
Court
| | Posted on Sunday, October 31, 2004 - 12:44 pm: |
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I remember my first ride, at 7 years old, clearly and have the bike sitting right here next to my desk.
One of the few smart moves I've made.
Court |
Lornce
| | Posted on Sunday, October 31, 2004 - 08:10 pm: |
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First ride on two wheels was pre-November '61: Whenever Dad "flew the wheel" on his BSA sidecar combination with Mom aboard. My older sister, who rode on Mom's lap, was too young to remember those early rides. Dad sold the sidecar rig and bought his first car (a Morris Minor) two weeks before I was born.
Think motorcycling may be a "security of the womb issue" for me....
Lornce |
Sflabuell
| | Posted on Sunday, October 31, 2004 - 09:35 pm: |
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First real motorcycle...
Honda SL-350. This was a dirt bike??? Only in Honda's eyes...
http://www.honda350k.com/SL350K1ORANGE.jpg
Just borrowing a picture for those of you with a similar experience. I was 10, if it hit the dirt, it was staying DOWN! |
Jerseyguy
| | Posted on Monday, November 01, 2004 - 07:05 pm: |
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Sflabuell - I had one of those - sort of a light blue color as I recall. I put a sissy bar on it no less.... I had a friend take a pic of me jumping it. He got very low so it looked like I was really flying. I had it blown up to poster size and it hung in my dorm room at Rutgers. That would have been 1967... I gotta see if I still have that poster... |
Bartimus
| | Posted on Monday, November 01, 2004 - 11:55 pm: |
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a Rupp Roadster was my first ride,
My first "real" street bike was a '67 Harley, rigid frame sportster. Kick only, magneto, that thing would tear up your knee if you didn't know how to kick it!
When Honda came out with the '69 CB750, the Harley was parked, as I felt the need for speed. I still have both bikes. |
Biknut
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 02, 2004 - 01:28 am: |
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i remember rupp. mini bike right. i had a bonanza. |
Philip
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 02, 2004 - 09:17 am: |
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my best friend had a bonanza. mine was the duck, the frame angled down to the rear and it had a pair of shocks holding the back of the seat up. we built long front ends in metal shop for them and thought we were so cool!!! rode the wheels off of those bikes. sold mine and bought a 1966 305 superhawk. rode it for a year and bought my 72 ironhead august of 72 when i was 17. still have it. ahhh the memories! |
Philip
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 02, 2004 - 09:28 am: |
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1973 |
Rick_a
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 02, 2004 - 12:19 pm: |
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I rode a seriously hopped up YZ-80 that had taken a toll in broken bones of many an adult rider. It was totally over done in the motor department, with portwork, port timing, and a pipe that made it a monster (in relative terms). It had a very narrow powerband that hit very hard. Very intimidating to learn on. Wheelied way too easily. It was evil.
After a couple weeks of trying to get the hang of it, I too was rewarded with a separated shoulder and a massive blood clot in my leg. 
I've rode newer 125's MX'ers that are completely tame compared to that little beast. |
Tucsonxb9s
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 02, 2004 - 03:48 pm: |
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First two wheeled bike was a 1972 Columbia bicycle, metallic brown with white vinyl banana seat, white grips, and ape hangers! My first mini-bike (as is with many others I'm sure) was a Honda Z-50 Minitrail. Over 25 years pass before I get my next bike...'98 Sporty, 883 Hugger. One year later I get my first "REAL" bike...my XB9S. Be grinning ever since!  |
Spike
| | Posted on Tuesday, November 02, 2004 - 09:05 pm: |
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First ride on two wheels? That would've been on my on my hand-me-down "General Lee" replica bicycle. I yanked the training wheels off myself in the garage with dad's tools. I few scrapes and bruises later I was on my way.
First ride on a motorcycle? I was on my cousin's Honda Z50. I was probably 9 years old at the time. They told me it steered like a bicycle, showed me the gas and the brakes and I was off- sort of. I didn't know how powerful it would be, nor did I fully understand the automatic clutch. On my first ride I just rolled the throttle wide open and the bike wheelied out from under me leaving me to run behind it still holding on to the bars. I eventually got my own Z50 and rode the snot out of it until some dirtbag stole it right out of our garage.
Mike Luddy, Jr.
'04 XB12R
'99 Z50R |
