FIRST RIDE

[Lucasind]

.....Was wondering if everyone can remember the first time they thru a leg over their first 2 wheel motorized cycle ? The one that got ya hooked on riding ! What was it ? and How old were ya ?

For me it was a "Lil Indian" mini bike, A older kid in the neighborhood got one for his 8th grade graduation gift,and charged me a dollar to ride around our makeshift ball diamond for awhile....that was it hooked for life, I guess It was 1968 which made me 8 years old that summer,Sure felt that some level of greatness happened that day ! great memory !........

[Ozymandias]

A friend had a Honda Sport 90 that he let me ride for just a little bit. That was all it took to hook me for the rest of my life (so far).

[Mr Jensee]

I will never forget, it is still clear in my mind as if it were yesterday. It was the fall of 1966 and I was 14. My first "motorcycle" purchase was a Wards Riverside 50. I can still smell the two stroke exhaust. I watched the mechanic put it together and I rode it home, never EVER having been on a motorized two wheel vehicle before....and I was terrified!

[Lucasind]

Howard33
1966 Ward's Riverside, built in Italy by Benelli
This little bike is a Benelli that was sold in 1966 as a Wards Riverside 450. It has a 4-speed foot shift and 50 cc's. In Tennessee it is legally a motorized bicycle.
It had three miles on it when I got it, and it has about 65 miles now.
Starts easily and runs well, but shifting is a guessing game.

Why so few miles on a motor bike that was new in 1966? The first owner bought it from Montgomery Ward, took it home and couldn't get it to start. Nothing seemed to be wrong with it, it just would not go. He checked the spark and fuel flow, but it still failed to start. He called Wards and had a shouting match on the phone. He got so mad, he said he would never do business with them again.

Some years later, the little bike fell into the hands of his nephew, who also failed to get it to run. Finally, he parked it in an old pop-up camper and forgot about it. Then about six years ago, I came into the picture and bought it cheap. The camper had rotted down and the rain had pitted some chrome and faded the paint. I asked him how a motor bike that wouldn't run had three miles on the odometer.

"I guess I put that much on it just pushing it up and down the road trying to get it started," he said.

You guessed. I couldn't start it either. So I called in my son who is an engineer and can fix anything. The next day, it was running fine. He said that the little slide in the carburetor was missing, so he made one, stuck it in there and it fired right up. I guess it was left out at the factory.
Pretty cool little story here about your first bike MR JENSEE...................

[sheiserman]

For me, it was a 1981 Suzuki GS750L with the TSCC at age 14. The charging system was not working so I had to push start it. I'll guess I weighed in around 120 lbs. or so, so it wasn't a fair fight, but that is how I learned to ride a motorcycle. It was an absolute bear to push back up the hill if I did it wrong, or pick it back up (many times) when I did do it wrong. Earned my first speeding ticket on it in high school. Never did get a motorcycle license while in high school.


Brought it out to California when I was out there. To be able to ride a motorcycle on base involves a safety inspection of the motorcycle then an 8 hour course to get a sticker that makes it legal on base. I also now had to have a license, so off to the DMV I went. Now it's legal to keep on base until I take their course. Failed the safety inspection and had to replace half the motorcycle before they'd let me take the driving portion. For those wondering, the DMV (Ca.) test is MUCH easier than the base test.

Anyways, riding in southern Ca. is far more interesting and more fun than Iowa. Did a lot of stupid stuff with the Suzuki over the course of three years. My luck ran out in '92, and I didn't ride again until last year when I bought my XII.

[99VoyagerXII]

First learned to ride on a 106CC Sears single. The first bike that I bought was well used 1968 Wards Riverside (Benelli) 350 single. Had a lot of fun with that little bike, though it was hard starting and even with new starter pawls, it would often still slip when kicked and take the bark off of my shins!

[doug of so fla]

"Doodlebug" is what it was called, 4" wheels with a briggs engine, no suspension, wide open throttle all the time. Seat was held on with broom clips. We lived on a dirt road and it was bumpy so you had to stand up over the bumps and once I sat down and the bumps had shook off the seat, and I sat right on the spark plug!!!!! It still hurts when I talk about it, and that was over 65 years ago..

[Mart656]

First learned how to ride on a honda 70 cc at the age of 10. It was called the Honda Club and we would have a meeting on Wednesdays and then ride on Saturdays. If we did good in school and did not get into trouble we would ride. I got my first street bike a kawasaki 100 enduro at the age of 15 for Christmas and I've been riding ever since. My son will probably get his first bike on his next birthday if he keeps his grades up.

[Mart656]

First learned how to ride on a honda 70 cc at the age of 10. It was called the Honda Club and we would have a meeting on Wednesdays and then ride on Saturdays. If we did good in school and did not get into trouble we would ride. I got my first street bike a kawasaki 100 enduro at the age of 15 for Christmas and I've been riding ever since. My son will probably get his first bike on his next birthday if he keeps his grades up.

[Mr Jensee]

Howard33
1966 Ward's Riverside, built in Italy by Benelli
This little bike is a Benelli that was sold in 1966 as a Wards Riverside 450. It has a 4-speed foot shift and 50 cc's. In Tennessee it is legally a motorized bicycle.
It had three miles on it when I got it, and it has about 65 miles now.
Starts easily and runs well, but shifting is a guessing game.

Why so few miles on a motor bike that was new in 1966? The first owner bought it from Montgomery Ward, took it home and couldn't get it to start. Nothing seemed to be wrong with it, it just would not go. He checked the spark and fuel flow, but it still failed to start. He called Wards and had a shouting match on the phone. He got so mad, he said he would never do business with them again. Another interesting tidbit was that at the time I got the 50, I weighed 128 lbs, the exact same weight as the Riverside with a full tank of oil/gas mix!

Some years later, the little bike fell into the hands of his nephew, who also failed to get it to run. Finally, he parked it in an old pop-up camper and forgot about it. Then about six years ago, I came into the picture and bought it cheap. The camper had rotted down and the rain had pitted some chrome and faded the paint. I asked him how a motor bike that wouldn't run had three miles on the odometer.

"I guess I put that much on it just pushing it up and down the road trying to get it started," he said.

You guessed. I couldn't start it either. So I called in my son who is an engineer and can fix anything. The next day, it was running fine. He said that the little slide in the carburetor was missing, so he made one, stuck it in there and it fired right up. I guess it was left out at the factory.
Pretty cool little story here about your first bike MR JENSEE...................

Oh, I could have gone on. The carburetor was a Dellorto carburetor that at the time I bought it, new, had no air filter on it, just an air horn. The bike was so anemic power wise that for well over a year I couldn't get it to take off from a standing start no matter how much I slipped the clutch. It fell over one day and the shifter, which went into a slotted door on the left side of the engine, had a pin with a spring on it broke off so I could not ride it home from school. I had to push it 3 miles. Dad had a welder working for him who later brazed it back on. I don't remember how many miles it had on before I turned it over to my destructive cousin sometime in 68 but it had to have a lot because I pretty much rode it every day. Yes it was a Benelli, the ONLY left side shifter Montgomery Ward ever sold, that I can remember. I also had a Riverside 125 we got used from somebody. I never liked it cause I could never adapt to a right sided shifter. At least it had a LOT more torque than that Fireball 450SS 50cc was.

[viper]

My first ride was on a 90cc Dream Honda. It belonged to my now brother-in-law and he wanted to return to town with my sister on the bus instead of riding his bike home. I was about 17 at the time and did not have a drivers license but I had the idea of how to ride. It was about 20 miles back to my house and I was in heaven all the way.
But I had long drought after that since I bought my first bike 20 years ago at age 45. Have not looked back since. From a 1983 Honda Shadow 750 to a Gold-wing 1984 then a 2000 gold-wing (Brand new ) to what I now have for about 8 years a 1999 Kawa Voyager.
My hope is I will be able to ride for many more years and I wish the same to everybody on this site.

[gearheadfla]

For me it was a Craftsman mini bike, 3 dirt ripping Briggs horsepower. then I soon upgraded to the Honda Trail 70, man I was the stuff then, slapping gears, catching air. It all started when I was 12 years old, never looked back.

[ekap1200]

The year, 1968 ,middle of summer, age 13. Had ridden many mini-bikes, but I don't count them as cycles. A friend let me drive his 100cc yamaha twin. Not sure of what year it was but can still remember where the trail was. Here in Southern New Jersey most of the trails are soft sand, and my trial by fire was with a few falls and a face full of sand. By age 13 most of my friends owned bikes, So without a bike I was a lonely boy come summer time. That Christmas my grandmother bought me a red 1965 65cc Honda. I was hooked , and run it until the rod came thru the case. Back then one could ride all day thru several counties on trails and back roads. We knew all the gas stations located with bike trails behind them. Then when the yamaha enduros came into being. WOW- a bike made to run in sand,, started out with the 125 then 175 then 250 then 400. It was a great childhood, and learning experience to becoming a mechanic. Hit the streets with a HD sold it in just a few weeks and went back to imports. Never looked back from then on. This is the first Kaw I have ever owned and have no regrets. 47years of riding and hoping many more to come.
Gene

[Charles L.]

One of my sons lives near a big expanse of woods with lots of trails and fire roads, so he and his brother bought dirt bikes, probably 125 s, and they asked dad, that's me to give it a try. I was able to catch on pretty quick, and away i went. Kinda scary dodging trees and rocks, but a lot of fun. Thinking back on it, i think learning in the dirt is really a good way to start riding. Lots of street bikes, all leading up to my beautiful Voyager, but i'll never forget that first ride in the dirt.

[cushman eagle]

The first time I was on a motorcycle was in the late 1950s when my dad would take me on a rides on his Harley Duo-Glide.I was about 10 at the time, and had to share rides with my 8 year old brother.The rest of my brothers were too young to ride at that time.I do remember dad often had trouble starting the bike,and would have my mother tow it to the nearest Harley shop,about 12 miles away, to get it fixed.It was kind of scary watching her drive the 1951 Ford pickup towing a rope with dad holding the rope on the bike.My mother soon encouraged him to sell it.He got back into bikes after all the kids were grown up.My first bike was a GS450 I bought in 1983 when I was 34.I went from that to a GS850 when I soon found out the 450 wasn't good for two-up on the interstate.The gas tank on the 850 only held 2.9 gallons,so although it had enough power for two-up,the range was not good,which took me to the GS1100GK.The GS days took me about 88000 miles,which almost 5 years ago brought me to the VXII.

[trikebldr]

My first ride on a "bike" was a 1965 Lambretta 175cc scooter. Dad had several Vespas and Lambrettas while I was growing up, but never let me ride them. When I was a junior in h.s. he bought me the 175. Kids at school laughed at me until I stomped the local hot shot with a Honda Super 90. That made me top dawg until my buddy finally saved enough money to buy a Triumph 650. Then another friend bought a Yamaha Twin 100 and another bought a Honda Scrambler 305. They all let me try their bikes, but the 650 was what really hooked me (of COURSE!).

The first day I had the Lambretta dad told me to ride it to school because he wasn't driving me anymore. I started to go around the corner at the end of our block and just couldn't seem to make that beast turn! My turn was so wide I ended up running up the curb (smooth and rounded type!) and out across a dirt field, then back onto the street! I almost messed my pants! I took the rest of the turns slowly that day. I was doing pretty good by the time I got home that day.

I also started learning my wrenching on that scooter. Poor little thing had more stripped bolts on it by the time we sold it to some salvage shop.

That first summer I stripped off all the body panels and everything not necessary to run, then added a garden tractor rear tire so I could climb some hills. Looked silly, but was unbeatable in it's cc class. Even outran the Hodaka 90's!

My next bike was a Yamaha 350, then a Yamaha 650, a Hodaka 90 (still have it!), then a '76 Gold Wing+sidecar, then a '83 Voyager 1300+sidecar, and now my '85 Voyager 1300.

My first experiences with a sidecar were almost as harrowing as that first ride on the Lambretta, but now I can "fly" a sidecar as far as the sidewall on the tires will last. Won a bet once that I could fly it for 20 miles. Needed new tires after that, so I guess I kinda lost on that bet!

In my life I have been in two car/bike accidents and one bike/deer accident. The 650 Yamaha was just maybe 80 miles old when I hit the deer. My first car hit was on the same bike. The last car hit destroyed my '83 Voyager's bodywork. I drove it home, but the Nissan truck that t-boned me was totalled. Haven't had a bike since then (1992) until this "new" '85 Voyager. Ahhh, feels good!

[Lucasind]

....These are some GREAT stories guys ..... From ozymandias only took one ride for
"a little bit" to
MR Jensee can still smell 2-stroke smoke...to
sheiserman with the bad charging system,and having to push the bike back up-hill....to
99 voyager "kicking the bark off his shins"....to
trikebldr -"stomping the local hotshot"...to
cushmaneagle- his story of his mother,towing the h-d to the local repair shop...to
charles L- being encouraged to ride by his sons....to
gene kap- riding the honda till the connecting rod showed it self.....to
gearhead-getting "air" on a trail 70....to
viper- who's brother in law that had more on his mind ,than riding his own bike 20 miles back to town !.....to
mart656-riding was a reward for good behavior and grades......to(and saving BEST for last)...
(so far,in my opinion) doug of so.florida,,,,with the spark plug up the ol cornhole story....made me LMAO



This is some great stuff here guys, A truly great collection of short stories !
Everyone that has'nt made a post....please do....makes for great reading,and taking a walk down
"memory lane" is very therapeutic keep em coming !

[trikebldr]

Not exactly MY first ride, but the title is "FIRST RIDE". A lot of guys going into the military find themselves footloose-and-fancy-free for the first time in their lives. No mommy telling them "NO!". Also, it's the first time in some of their lives that they have had any money to speak of. For some of them, this is a really bad set of circumstances.

My room-mate while I was stationed in Hawaii was in just such a situation. He had led a very sheltered life and was now determined to go out and rip-it-up! So, he bought a new Kawasaki 500 triple, having never ridden a bike before! A few of us tried to talk him into a 250 Yamaha dirt bike, but he wanted the speed and acceleration of that triple. Within a week he "accelerated" it right under a semi-trailer. Cut him in half. Two more young men on base did the same thing in the two years I was stationed over there. Some guys just have to learn the "final" way.

Sort-of-fortunately, my nephew was paying close attention to my letters home about these incidents, so when he wanted to buy his first bike he came to me for advice and we found him a good used 250 Suzuki dirt bike to start on. He now has a Triumph 850 and told me he did make all those stupid mistakes on the 250 that I talked about and is so glad he made the smaller bike his first ride.

At the same time that guy bought the triple I bought my 350 Yamaha twin. Way more power than my little Lambretta scooter! And, it had a terribly peaky power band. I started out to chase down my buddy who had left before me and I got on it a bit too much. I hit a small patch of sand and the engine wound up, and when I hit clean pavement, the front end shot for the sky. I don't understand how, but it made the bike do a 180 as it came back down and I was headed back the other way, but still on two wheels. God must really like me! BIG lesson learned! That, and hitting a slick spot (oil, sand, water) in a hard turn are my two biggest worries about newbbies on their first rides, as well as myself!

Thanks for starting this thread, Lucasind! Good stuff!

[sheiserman]

trikebldr,

While I didn't personally know anyone who died on a motorcycle, there were many examples of guys going out and buying a shiny new 600+cc crotch rocket as their first ride.

I don't know how it started or what it's like now, but the rider test you had to take to ride on base at least helps with the inexperience. The very first "course" they set up is 4 traffic cones in a big square. All we had to do is ride in a big circle around the cones, without touching them. 2 guys dumped their shiny new rides trying to negotiate a 50' circle. That was the end of their day, and rightfully so. More were weeded out as the challenges increased. The controlled skid portion got most of them. Not one new sportbike came out of the test without being scratched up.

Anyway, you have to pass that course to ride on base. I believe we had 30 days after bringing it on base to get the course passed and get a sticker they placed on the front fork. Off-base, we were required to wear a helmet and reflective vest. The course wasn't a guarantee of good decision making off base, but it had to help in at least knowing basic handling. The DMV test out in town was an absolute joke.

[chevyman1]

My first bike was a Yamaha 60cc I bought for $50.00 in a basket when I was 14.
My mom took me to the Yamaha dealer for the parts I needed to get it running.
The first time I road it there was no kick starter on it so I had to push start it.
pushed it down the hill next to are house and it started, Not knowing if it was going to.
Never riding anything with a motor before didn't know what to expect, and off I went.
Ben riding since.
My first bike I road on the street was a 1976 400cc Yamaha Endoro