FIRST RIDE

[chicagorandy]

In my case I was 54 yrs old and it was actually three wheels - a brand spankin' new 2003 Ural Tourist Russian sidecar rig. I loved the utilitarian look and old school feel of the beast and ended up owning it for 8 years and 85,000 kms of trouble laden riding - it is not a joke that there is no Russian word for 'quality' - LOL , but it taught me to be a pretty fair cycle mechanic with loads of adventures and stories and some great friendships along the way.

I decided that since 3 wheels didn't kill me it was time to learn 2 so I took the MFS class in 2006 and bought a Suzuki GN250 which I rode for about a year and 3,000 miles. That lead to upgrading in 2007 to an '82 Honda GL500I Silverwing (still in my garage) on which I have ridden over 25,000 miles.

Now my prime wheeled interest is my '86 Voyager XII, I'm luvin' it.

[trikebldr]

Sheiserman,

Sounds like your military base operated about 180 out from the Naval Radio Station (NRS) base on top of Oahu! About 50 feet inside the main guard gate they had a maintenance equipment building and they added a long overhang for us to park our bikes under. Couldn't ride on base at all. The only time we dealt with the base was to get a sticker for the fork that indicated we had registered the bike, and, if we got a ticket off base we also had to attend a driving safety course (for cars!!) on base.

The only bike riding test we took was the one at DMV to get our state motorcycle endorsement for our license. It was a tough one! Some of the maneuvers were so tight that a Harley wouldn't turn sharp enough, even if walked! Our XO (a Hardley owner!) had to borrow my Yamaha 350 to take his test! He was not happy about that!

Those riding classes might not prevent stupidity off base, but like you said, they at least give them a better chance with handling a bike. I think it's the instant throttle response that surprises most new riders.

[JTC1]

My first ride was on back of a Harley Dresser. Don't know what it was now. All I remember was it was Fast, It was Loud and I was HOOKED! My first street bike was a Honda 160 twin. Traded an old 283 engine for it and it was in baskets. Got it all put back together and running with help from a neighborhood hippie that rode a BSA 650. Didn't get too much riding on that because I didn't have a license. Traded it for my first dirt bike. Since then I've owned a couple of Kaws (440LTD and a Spectre 1100) a Harley (Superglide) and now the XII.

[sheiserman]

Sheiserman,

Sounds like your military base operated about 180 out from the Naval Radio Station (NRS) base on top of Oahu! About 50 feet inside the main guard gate they had a maintenance equipment building and they added a long overhang for us to park our bikes under. Couldn't ride on base at all. The only time we dealt with the base was to get a sticker for the fork that indicated we had registered the bike, and, if we got a ticket off base we also had to attend a driving safety course (for cars!!) on base.

The only bike riding test we took was the one at DMV to get our state motorcycle endorsement for our license. It was a tough one! Some of the maneuvers were so tight that a Harley wouldn't turn sharp enough, even if walked! Our XO (a Hardley owner!) had to borrow my Yamaha 350 to take his test! He was not happy about that!

Those riding classes might not prevent stupidity off base, but like you said, they at least give them a better chance with handling a bike. I think it's the instant throttle response that surprises most new riders.

trikebldr,

It was the Marines, so 180 off is a bit of an understatement....

You reminded me of the C.C. Rule. If you took the base test on a 350 cc motorcycle, that is all the bigger you were legal for. The guy that beat me points wise was on a full dress Harley, and he was the only one on something that big. I definitely had the oldest.

We were supposed to wear a helmet and reflective vest off base too, which did keep me from going full blown stupid. Bag phones were the rage at that time and tattle-taling was just beginning. I didn't always wear the vest, but I had Iowa plates which was a pretty good indicator of my "employer". i wasn't as aggressive as some, but I was every bit as lucky as I was good. Still am.

[Bill O]

Learned to ride on a Honda Trail 90 of a Great Uncle of mine when I was about 14 years old. Never forgot that bike, it was too cool... Later in life, as a young married man of 19 with my first car, a refurbished 1950 Chevy Deluxe, which I just loved. Well, threw a rod in the Chevy and needed trans to get to and from work as a member of a foundation crew, I found a nice Honda Trail 90. Had to have it, price was right, and I knew how to ride it. Saved my marriage in the interim! (It fell apart, later). Joined the Air Force, and at the age of 28 I bought a 1977 Yamaha XS-750 Triple from another GI in Germany. I road that beauty for 23 years, with and without a "Sidehack" (Sidecar). Always wanted a Honda Aspencade since a service buddy got one just to taunt me. Sometime about 1996-97 I saw a 1994 Kawasaki Voyager 1200 in a dealership and had to take it home. (It looked so much like that Honda Aspencade I'd always wanted). Now I have the '94 and a '03. (In '03, when Kawasaki announced the end of the Voyager 1200 line, I vowed I would have an '03, "and so be it", and " let it be written!").......... Then Kawasaki let us all down with the release of the 1700. "Not trying to start an argument here, but some sold out, some didn't!!!

Bill O

[hank43]

1959, Dad came home from work with a 1958 Cushman Eagle in the back of his truck. From there to a triumph Tiger Cub, then BSA 441 Victor, a Kaw 2 cycle dirt bike that broke my foot, several Hondas including 2 CB750's (1969 in 1969, and a 1975 new in 1975, the '69 was better) and a CB 350. Now own Kaw 1700 Voyager trike - Life is good!

hank

OOPS! Forgot the Honda VT1100 I had just before the Voyager. Fun bike to ride, but not much power......

[Lucasind]

So....I rolled down to Lima Oh . over the weekend to pick up a old friend to stay with us for the weekend, Bob,and I grew up across the street from one another..... but there is a bit of a twist to this story, as "Bob" and his older sister (now passed) were born blind of sight. Now.....that dosen't take a THING away from this man's spirit...or the FUN and great times we have had together.

Heck I believe he is the reason I became addicted to bikes to begin with,,,,, His many mini -bikes, mid 50's Lambretta ( still says best bike he ever owned !) Yamaha 2-stroke 305 twin named "blue satan"
then on to the "package deal" he got in 1971 .....A brand new Kawasaki 500 mach III 2-stroke AND
a Kawasaki 100 cc dual range with the "flip switch" changing it from LO to HI range.....for a price of
$1100.00 bucks........ that 500 kaw went out to Las Vegas and back to Toledo, and did not self destruct it's primitive self ! Do you guys remember the sound that the CDI ignition made when you turned on the key ? Kick start only !! LOVE THOSE OLD MEMORIES .......Well ,my friend "BOB" is 61 years old now, and he still enjoys rubbing his hands ALL over my bikes ....and listening to all of the sounds of all the bikes I have make, I laugh ,as he points out by his very trained and aged ear as to what he thinks I should do to make this particular bike better I say nothing and grin to myself as I have been listening to this from him,for many decades he still loves to throw a leg over
the seat and "hit the start button" and rap the throttle,.when he comes to town,It has become sort of a ritual that we go thru each time......and even though it is a 3hr. round trip for me to go get him and take him back,,,........I would'nt have it any other way !!

Alot of "new guys" have joined the forum lately....let's hear some of your stories , or... if any of you "regular" old farts remember a cool old school story.....let's hear it ! ...tony

[trigger12]

The first bike that I owned was a '74 Honda CB450, in the late 70s. Shortly before that, a friend of mine taught me how to ride his Honda CB100.
But my first exposure to motorcycles as a kid was in the late 60s. There were some bikers that lived near me. My friends and I used to stop by their garage. One of them gave us all a ride in his chopper trike. That, and seeing movies like "Hells Angels On Wheels" , "Easy Rider", and a few othercheesy biker movies got me hooked. However, I've never owned a Harley, or belonged to a MC. Just owned 13+ Hondas and Kawasakis over the past 37 years.