What bike did you learn to ride on?

Mine was a Yz 250 2T.

From performance to light weight to ease of maintaining it's the best dirt bike ever made, even today.

The first bike I rode was a friends CT 70 when I was 11. The first "real" bike after that was a Hodaka Ace 100 dad got us kids for something like 50 bucks.
It had like a 80 tooth rear sprocket, would only do 40 or so in high gear. A lot of the neighborhood kids got their first taste of motorcycling from that bike. Wish I had that bike today. :-[

Plain old mini-bike w/5 hp Tecumseh. First motorcycle I rode was my best friends Hodaka Super Rat 100cc a very long time ago....

84(?) Honda ATC250 (yeah... It was a trike) when I was 9 or so. Learned the basics of riding and wrenching on that. My teens were spent on whoever would let me borrow their bikes. Didnt have tje money for my own until I was in my 20s. It was a 73 CB500f.

Interesting story:

Buddy of my dad's gave him a Zundapp GS 125 (see picture below). I was young and loved that bike. I had no idea that it was both rare in Canada and worth keeping long term. I was in my early teens!

So, I was riding it one day and something starting making noise in the bottom end (I think). My father is a great mechanic. Builds cars, bikes, trucks, tractors... he even build classic and large aircraft (like twin-engine Pipers and the like).... I wanted to be just like him.

So... I brought the bike back to the house. Now if you know anything about the old Zundapp's.. BIG air-cooling fins. I knew at the time ZERO about fixing anything. Naturally I picked up a hammer, and decided to open up the engine to fix it. I hammered off ALL the air-cooling fins... hammered the carburetor to pieces.

That remains to this day, one of the biggest regrets of my mechanical life! My dad was not the happiest camper that day. I hope to find one again someday and buy it for dad just to see the look on his face.

Interesting bike, it was the first time I had ever seen that type of "key" that is really just a plug-type deal that you stuck into the top of the headlight.

Looked just like this........

Spent my first day on a Thruxton, learning how to control the clutch.

Years later I bought a CBR929rr and learned to ride on that.

Honda TL250, in the middle of nowhere (Guffey) Colorado.

I got a new 1969 Honda 50 for my 8th birthday.

Started on an early-70s CB125 when I was 16. Rode that thing on the freeway, pegged, going 55 if I was lucky, in Seattle, mostly in the rain, including across SR520 and it's shitty steel grates. Borrowed it from a friend, returned it with a seized engine (likely due to overheating). This was 1984-85. 1990 got myself a 1975 CB550 that I still own, and haven't looked back.

A Bultaco Pursang Model 68. Raced it when I was a teenager hung onto it for a few years after I stopped racing before selling it to one of my buddies from the track. He still has it and lets me play on it from time to time. I miss that bike so much, it was fun, reliable, and tough. I don't know how many times that thing got knocked over, slid out from under me, hit by another bike...beat to hell and back but it always fired.

I didn't have a street bike until I was 18 and that was a KZ750 1976. That bike got sold for Camaro parts and I was without a cycle for a few years, then a couple years ago I scored my 1983 CB750 for 300 bucks and last November a CB360 for 50.

I learned to ride on a '75 CL125 I got from my small engines shop teacher in highschool. I had insurance on it but not plates or endorsement. The cops in my small town always thought it was a "moped". Looking back it wasnt the brightest thing to do. I ended up with the '75 RD125 about a year later. That bike I got my endorsement on and actual plates. I still have the little stroker. I rode both all through highschool about 10 years ago.

First real motorcycle was a CB500/4 with extended forks.
Did the really intelligent thing of pinning it in 5th heading
west out of Wahoo NE with no helmet etc. when I was 18.
Years later bought a buddies KZ1000st w/ Shoei helmet.
Received some good advice, tips, instruction from
experienced riders to keep me from donating my organs.


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My life was changed on my birthday in 1971, Mom n pop had street bikes and I had a purple taco mini bike but when I turned 9 the ol man took me down to Yamaha to get that bitchen yellow mini enduro with the black stripe on the fender. Just my luck none in stock only the plated orange one, Knowing my pop I had one shot so we took the plated bike and it worked out great cuz I could ride at night when the other kids were wiring on flashlights!

Started out on my first motorcycle at 21 years old in '96 on a '93 CBR9ooRR. Great first bike. Light enough starting out its not too heavy & it had plenty of power to respect the power & ability of the bike. Had it at year & never wrecked it & never had it laid over at all despite many people telling me I was making a huge mistake.

I honestly don't remember the first bike I rode.

My friend and his brother got dirt bikes for christmas one year, matching 80cc's.
I was at their house everyday after school tearing the world apart on his brother's bike. His parents later said "Your welcome for the christmas present" I rode that thing for hours every day.

My dad would never let me have one, so my first bike was in college when I was independent and could say "fuck off, i bought it, it's mine, get over it" without fear of being kicked out of the house or cut off ;D

my first bike had some cafe racer style
i bought it with saved up money from my job at fosters freeze when i was 14
i only rode it on trails then sold it for a real dirt bike mine looked this good when i got it

My first bike. 6 years old, Yamaha DT80. I saved up all my change in a snoopy piggy bank until I had enough for half my first bike. Then dad found one and we spent the winter in the garage in upstate NY rebuilding the engine. I did alot of parts cleaning with a coffee can, old gas and a toothbrush. Explains some things... I got to ride it when I turned 7 that spring.

I received a Suzuki RM50 when I was four years old for Christmas. I rode this thing for years until I was too big for it, so moved to a KX60 then KX80.

first ride was a honda 50 mini trail at 7, I wasn't allowed to own anything 2 wheeled and motorized so I rode my buddies, we would ride 2-up to the pit and then take turns hill climbing and jumping, moved up to an 80 then 125 etc. I never owned my own but spent many summers putting hours and hours on dirtbikes without my folks ever knowing. Was easier to do when I finally got a 4-wheeler. My dirt bike freinds wanted to ride it and I wanted to ride theirs so as soon as we left the site of my house we traded. eventually got my street license and a CM400 at 34 years old.

Started out on one of those 5hp, one speed mini-bikes when I was 5yrs old. I would have to wait til my Dad got home to pull start that thing.
When I was 10, I was big enough to ride Dad's 69 Kawasaki TR120.