Honda Goldwing Forum banner
Status
Not open for further replies.

What was your first bike

27K views 104 replies 69 participants last post by  Ron Hill 
#1 ·
Mark kinda got me thinking about our first bikes as he's been sharing pics of classics from the Barber Museum.

My very first bike I bought back in 1968 in Huntington Beach, California was a 66 Yamaha 250 Catalina, parallel twin 2 stroke naked street bike. Mine was the first year that Yamaha came out with the automatic oil injection system. Had a buddy with a stock 65 Yammy that had to mix his oil in the tank and his bike was faster than mine. I cursed this darn bike so much as it was notorious for fouled plugs. I darn near wore myself out pushing it down the street trying to jump start it as the kick starter just couldn't get it going most of the time. I was happy to see that bike go and get replaced with the classic Honda 305 Scrambler. Now there was a bike to lust after.
 

Attachments

See less See more
2
#5 ·
Man, you guys started out with the big boys. I think I paid 300.00 for my Yamaha 250 and if memory serves me sold new for about 650.00. Always loved the Bonneville retro look and the sound of the exhaust....very nice.
 
#7 ·
In 1980 I bought a 1968 BSA Thunderbolt. It was a 650 classic English bike. I used it around college for a couple years. I still had it when I moved to Mississippi in 1982. It had electrical issues from 1984 on until I finally sold it around 1989. Got married, child on the way.... Crap better get rid of it
 
  • Like
Reactions: DesertRat
#11 ·
New 1977 yamaha 750 shaft drive, first year they made them with shaft drive..
 
#12 ·
1974 Yamaha TX500
 

Attachments

  • Like
Reactions: Cantankerous
#18 · (Edited)
Benelli, 65cc, back about 100 years ago when I was 9 or 10. I had more than a ton of dirt bikes.

First street bike I think was a Honda CL360, then bought a 1975 Z-1, my world went from night to day in 2 seconds... man that thing FLEW... Fastest production bike up to that point. 4 cylinders of high compression GO. Would run circles around Chopin's little "A.S.A.P." 500...
 
#20 ·
First street bike I think was a Honda CL360, then bought a 1975 Z-1, my world went from night to day in 2 seconds... man that thing FLEW... Fastest production bike up to that point. 4 cylinders of high compression GO. Would run circles around Chopin's little "A.S.A.P." 500...
That's funny Tom. Wonder what his comeback will be. I think a friend of mine has one he's restoring and was stationed out in west Texas many years ago and rode those long straights at 140mph for hours on end. Must have been a rush.
 
#22 ·
I've posted this before in the lounge. I had the world by the tail with my '71 TR90 Suzi. At the ripe old age of 14 we had a special license in AB that allowed 100cc and smaller with the Code 7 endorsement. Then I turned 16, knew everything about everything and bought the Purple People Eater (Norton 750 Commando) that next spring. How it never ate me I'll never know but I never dropped it or had any close calls either. Once I got used to that manky right foot shifter that is; kinda exciting when you go to downshift and hit the brake; yeeouch, rear wheel skid time!:surprise:
 

Attachments

  • Like
Reactions: Cantankerous
#27 ·
Ha! My problem was the opposite with learning to ride on an English bike. I started with the shift on the right and had to learn to use the left.
 
#24 ·
Kawasaki 175cc Got some good practice in defensive riding with it as the old coots in Venice, FL at the time apparently hated motorcyclists!:surprise:
 
#26 ·
1971/72 ?? Suzuki Trail 90 with a switch on the tranny for street. Used for deer hunting in Eastern Washington and exploring old logging roads in the N.W. corner with Betty uncle Oscar, when he died in 76 I lost interest till 91.
 
#28 ·
Mine was a brand new Honda CT90 (Trail 90) that my dad bought to use on the deer lease.
I don't think he ever got to ride it as I pretty much had it gone most days.
Come to think of it, he (we) still have it tucked away and the last time I tried a couple of years ago, it started right up.
 
#32 ·
the first one that I was allowed to ride was and old Fox minibike had a 3hp tucumseh engine with a pull rope to start it...... I wore that thing out

The first street bike that I purchased was a 1980 Suzuki GS550L
Used to race it back in my young and stupid 20s
speedo only read 85 and it would peg it in 2nd out 6 gears
drag racing it in the quarter mile.... 2/3 of the run was front wheel in the air
 
#38 ·
First bike was a mini-bike with a 5 HP Briggs and Stratton engine. At the ripe old age of 14 (we lived in the country so this was pretty old) I got a Honda 90 cc given to me. First gear was gone and we had a pair of vice grips for a clutch lever. It got dropped often and could carry me and 2 friends to our favorite fishing hole. That thing would burn anything in the gas tank that vaguely resembled gasoline. Like has been said above, I would love to find one to rebuild. I think it was a 68.

Steve
 
#40 · (Edited)
First legal registered bike was brand new 1968 CB350-candy apple red. Till last year she still made my longest distance ride even though I owned BMW & 2 wings since 72. Jersey to Skyline and Blue Ridge then to Smyrna Ga and back up the seaboard. Saw only one other bike on those mountains back in 68.

She cost $700, not a small amount in those days.

Pic is not mine.
 

Attachments

#42 ·
Those Twinstars had to be the most popular starter bikes ever. They tooke the market away from the Honda 100 by virtue of that super sweet two cylinder engine and the unique sound. Around here just about every guy and his dog had one except for me; I always had to be different.
 
#43 ·
; I always had to be different.
Some things are a constant in life, but we wouldn't want it any other way. :wink2:
 
#48 ·
My first bike was a 1965 650cc BSA Thunderbolt.

If I can find a picture of it I'll post it.
That was my first bike also, but a 1968 model. Great bike but Lucas, Prince of Darkness, stranded me a time or two. Wish I had some pictures but Hurricane Katrina took all the pre-marriage evidence.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
You have insufficient privileges to reply here.
Top