What was your first ride?

[Wahoo650]

My first ride was on the back of my dad's black 1966 Honda CA77 dream- this is where I got hooked. Then at 12 years old I had a 5hp chopper mini-bike. 1st real motorcycle I road was my best friends Hodaka Superrat 100cc dirt bike. My 1st bike was an OSSA 250cc street bike my brother traded 2 bucket seats from a volkswagen bug for. He swapped forks, etc. to make a trail bike out of it and I gave him $50 for it when he went to college. My first street bike was a 1974 Yamaha TX500. Bought it from my brother-in-law, the original owner, for $450 so he and my sister could buy washer/dryer. First(only) brand new bike I ever owned was a 1982 Suzuki GS550MZ Katana. It was a big 550, but I think it had great looks. They didn't sell well, I bought mine still in the crate in 1984 for $1699 out the door! Out of all of them, I really wish I still had the OSSA.

Matt

 

[Bozz]

Learned to ride on a late 60's Lambretta 125 with the left hand clutch/shift. (now I wish my dad hadn't sold it!)


First bike I actually owned was a Virago 535 (the early, uglier ones) that I got for the cost of a new title.
It was enough that I fixed it up and sold it to fund the next project.


That was about 20 some years and about 10 some projects ago...

 

[MB]

I have been trying to figure out what the bike was for a while cause' I gave it up when I was about 12. My Mother just send me a picture that confirmed it as a (probably) 1981 Yamaha MX 80. I grew up in the country and we used to do 2 day long cattle musters ("herding") with folks on horses and dirt bikes. Some of my fondest memories are of riding through the bush and scrub miles away from anyone on this thing alone. Except for a brief forray into 70's Vespas in my early 20's I guess I forgot about this feeling till 2 years back when I got the bug. I'm currently looking for one of these in this color scheme if anyone has any leads.

 

[Redbird]

'80 CM400T

That pic was taken right after I bought it. I actually got it before I had my license. I was 15y/o and worked all summer for the money. Picked it up late in the year (Nov. iirc), but had to wait until the following July to hit the streets (a few times... literally) on her. My Dad, who rode a '78 CB400A, made me ride it around in the yard for the 7 months I had to wait. I learned alot riding a streetbike on grass and mud for 7 months
It wasn't long before she got dragbars and a 1/4 fairing.

I rode it for 2-3 years and eventually gave it to my older brother when he got back from bootcamp (I had already "upgraded" to an '82 CB900F) so he would have transportation. He eventually cooked the motor dragging his very rotund girlfriend to the MS Gulf Coast. He then sold it to my best friend, who replaced the 400 with a Nighthawk 450 engine, fixed it up, and rode it until he "upgraded" to a CB1100F. Friend sold the bike back to older brother... who eventually cooked the motor... again.
It sat in older brothers shed for years, until it was sold to a guy I work with. Who is sloooowly rebuilding it and turning it into a bobber for his wife.

 

[boingk]

You guys had some hectic first rides... over ehre in Australia we;re limited to 250cc bikes, or 251 to 650 if they meet the performance criteria (less than 200hp/ton with 180lb rider).

My first bike was a wreck:

That I turned into this:

'01 Aprilia RS125... loved that little stroker to death. Still in touch with the guy I sold it to, he's done a few modifications and rides it every now and then.

Cheers, keep em coming! - boingk

 

[Blake]

My first bike was a '96 Suzuki GS500e. I pegged it out at 101 once or twice. I could eek another 2 mph if I tucked behind a BMW on a long straight. Paid $1,800 for it in '01. Dropped it twice. Let it sit from '03-'08. Sold it for $300 in '08. Bought a banjo with the cash. Replaced it with my '75 CB500 in '09 and $200 '78 CB125 in '10. Sold the '78 CB125 for $500. Keeping my '75 CB500 FOREVER.

 

[jimmer]

1973 RD 350.It even came with a box of TR roadrace barrels!I bought it when I was 15 1/2.Pops was only slighly mad.