how old were you

[detdrbuzzard]

when you learned to ride you first motorcycle, minicycle, minibike and what was it

 

[AApple]

Seems I remember the first motorized two-wheeler I ever tried to ride was an old Cushman scooter...back in the '60s. I was prolly 6-7 years old! Went about 10 feet and promptly fel right smack-dab over.... :smilie_happy:

 

[dan filipi]

I think I was 12 when I first rode a Briggs and Stratton mini bike.
Funny, I'll never forget that clank, clank of the chain and clutch.

 

[BigAndrew]

I never rode a mini bike or anything like that before my first motorcycle, Except for a 4 wheeler so i would say i rode my first motorcycle at 20 or 21

 

[mcgovern61]

I was about 9 when I rode a briggs and stratton mini bike. Big parking lot at a school. The bike really took off, except no one gave me any real good instructions about braking and I ended up letting the wall stop me! :crying:

My next real ride was on my buddies Suzuki GN 125 enduro bike. That hooked me and when I was 20, I bought a brand new Suzuki GN 400, single cylinder street bike with a plexi-faring II windshield. (Total cost with everything including insurance - $1,286!) Living in Philadelphia at the time, it was much cheaper to buy the new bike, windshield, two helmets, title tags and insurance than to buy and drive a car in the city. Insurance alone was going to be $750. a year for liability alone. (1981)

I rode that bike year round every where. (Of course, I didn't have much choice, I didn't own a car!) :music:

I have got to add that the bike averaged 72 mpg! :salute:

 

[tumunga]

HA! I was 21 years old, in the Army, and decided I wanted a motorcycle. I went to a dealership in Ogden, Utah, walked in, and told the salesman I wanted a bike. I didn't know what I was looking for, so he pointed me to this:

Is this a killer first bike, or what...

After signing the papers, I made him throw in a helmet for me. I walked outside and waited for the bike. 0 miles on the odometer, and $1400 spent. I hopped on the bike, asked the salesman how to start it. Once it was started, I asked him how to shift the thing. At this point, he finally asked if I knew what I was doing. I said, "Nope, but since I just gave you $1400, you need to make sure I can ride this thing."

Well, after a couple of tips, I pulled away for the first time. I didn't kill it, but I was scared poopless, if you know what I mean. I rode about 4 miles through town about 25 mph, wondering if I ever was going to get used to the world whizzing by under my feet. I kept staring down at the road just in front of the front wheel. At one point, something made me pick my head up, and when I did, everything jumped into slow motion. I though, "oh, better keep my eyes on the horizon." After that, I became the motorcyclying guru you know today. I made 6 round trips from Ogden, Utah to Las Vegas on that bike.

Gawd I love that bike. Traded it in the next year for a GS850L.

 

[Joep]

was about 12, my uncle had a trail 90 honda.. ( scooter style with Hi/Lo tranny) rode it in the dirt..not too well.. bought my first bike a 1974 360T honda in blue at 19.. and rode it around OK and then to Houston.. shipped it to Italy and rode over there.. sold it and got another bikewhen I got back..

 

[sledge]

My folks was poor as dirt, so I didn't own a motor cycle till I was grown , I rode a Neighbors Allstate around 1965 , I would have been 14 then. I thought it was Sooooooooo Fast. :smilie_happy: But I guess I could blame that kid for causing me to spent all the money over these years on Motor Cycles. ... so , when you look at it like that , It's not Really My Fault. :smilie_happy:

 

[Omega Man]

I was eleven, and it was a friends Honda, approx 100cc. It looked like a dirt bike for the road, but it wasn't an enduro, the tires were tall and slim. My friends parents insisted that my mom sign a waiver in case I killed myself. :smilie_happy:

~O~

 

[blkhot08]

Hey all I figure I was about 12 - 14 and I built a mini bike with a 5 hp mototr and a raked out frt fork riding it normally got boring so i figured you could hold the butterfly open and it would go faster it did for aboout 1/4 mi and the rod came right out the front of the motor oil rod parts and a loud bang!!!! wow then i went to a 65 cc honda nice runner.... and taht was the beginning fo a viciuos cycle ++++++ :lol:

 

[Hondasteve]

71' 11 years old.... on a farm, Triumph Tiger Cub, that we'd run on almost any rubbish that would go in the tank, used to race around with someone sat on the back with a 4/10 shotgun shooting Mixy rabbits, "of course is not dangerous mum!" hehe

 

[rkthev]

Is this a killer first bike, or what...

Tumunga, The Tempter is a great bike. I have one in really nice shape, and two others that need restored.

My first ride would have been on Tote Gotes in my very early teens, along with my Taco 44 mini bike. First motorcycle was a Honda SL350 when I was 18 or 19.

 

[Wichita Scorpion]

Whizer motorized bicycle at age 11, my brother's Cushman Scooter at age 14, and then my pride and joy pictured below at age 24.

 

[plskthompson1]

I was 19, so only about 10 years ago, but I learned to ride on, believe it or not, a 1981 Gold Wing, fully dressed with a Vetter fairing and bags. It was painted candy apple red from House of Kolor, and I thought my dad was going to kill me if I dropped it.

 

[rryman]

Well, let's see. Bought my first bike in May of 04. Told the wife that I was tired of "paying $1.65 a gallon for gas, and I was going to do something about it. Bought a Honda Metropolitan 50cc from a student at school where I teach. He had just gotten his drivers license and didn't want the scooter anymore. Gave him a thousand for it, had 500 miles on it, practically new. Rode it for the next 13 months, got tired of going 30mph, so upgraded to a Honda Reflex 250 in June of 05, and then had to get my motorcycle endorsement.
Really enjoyed the Reflex, in fact still have it. After a couple weeks of riding that, I asked the wife (who had always said she would NEVER get on a motorcycle) if she would like to try going for a ride. She agreed, and next day we went to the dealer and bought her a helmet. I figured it was a waste of time and money, figuring she wouldn't like it. Anyway, we left the house one evening and I figured I'd get about half a mile down the road to the stop sign and she would be ready to go back. Well, we made it about 6 miles that evening. She said it was OK. Next evening, when we were eating dinner, she said, "You think we have time to go for another ride?" That did it. We put about 2500 miles on that bike from June to August of 05, and only went out of the county twice. Mostly back roads, and the Skyline Drive and Blue Ridge Parkway.
I also fly RC planes, and one Sunday while I was at the field doing that, another member there had just bought a new O5 GL1800. I asked him to come by the house with it one evening he and the wife were out riding. That evening, he showed up. The wife went out and Dave had her get on and try it out. After they left, I asked her what she thought of it, and she replied, "If we didn't have that damn car payment going on, we'd be getting us one of those!" I suggested we could look for a used one that may be more affordable. About a month later, we came across a 1990 1500 for sale with 36k on it. Second owner, garage kept all the time, and a real cream puff.
That was October of 05. We joined the local GWRRA chapter, and in the spring of 06 started riding with them. June of 06 we went on an 8 day excursion with the chapter to Niagara Falls and the Ontario Seaway Trail, Lake Placid, etc.(12 bikes, 23 members) About 1800 miles all in all. We began this trip with me having less than 1000 miles under my belt on the 1500. Had I known then what I know now, I would have never gone. But thanks to a good bunch of other members, they looked out for us.
So now it's Jan. 1, 2010 here, we have 58k on the 1500 now, and 16k on the Reflex. So far, all mileage uneventful.
Oh, the subject was, "How old were you". In 2004, when I bought the Metro, I was 58. So this year will be 64. Our kids thought we were nuts when we got a motorcycle. Now instead of us sitting home worrying about them out on the road, the tables are turned!! When we had the Reflex, I told the daughter that we were looking at getting bigger bike. Her reply was, "Sure, why not-you're 59, going on 18!!"
When my other friends asked me what I was doing getting a motorcycle at my age, I reply, "Well, I figured I better get one and get this out of my system before I get old!"
So now we have the Reflex, the 1500, and the newest addition, the 83 1100.
The original intent was to save gas, which we have done to some extent. But, we wouldn't trade the last 4 years of fun we've had on those bikes for anything, not to mention all the new friends we've made.

 

[Hoosier Daddy]

Great story rryman
I must have been 11 or 12 when I got my Sears & Roebuck mini bike, then when I was 19 my first Motorcycle, actually 2 and a half BSA A-65's a '69 Thunderbolt and a '70 Lightning, plus a bunch of spares.... and thats how I learned to work on bikes!

 

[mcgovern61]

Great story Randy! :salute:

Just when you think you are getting too old to ride, let me tell you a story:

My boss is 66 years old and has no plans on retiring. He can't! His dad is 106 years old and still works three days a week. His dad drives from New Jersey to Pennsylvania to work and has to cross a bridge to get there (about 16 miles one way). At Thanksgiving, he came to dinner with his girl friend on her motorcycle!

I have a picture at work that I will post here when I get there Monday!

 

[wingbeemer]

I was 19, stationed a a fighter base in France. it was 1957 and there were several bikes in the squadron and they would go for rides in the evenings and weekends. I got the bug, so after a few weeks I bought a 1949 BMW R24, a single cylinder 250. Drove it for 3 months then the Airforce closed the base. I was re-assigned to Erding Air base ouside of Munich. I left on a Saturday with all my belongings on the 250 and went to Germany.I think it was about 350 miles, not sure, my speedometer was broke and I knew nothing about maintenance and only had a pair of pliers for a tool kit and had $20 American and a 20 mark bill ( $5.00 ). spent the night in Karlsruhe at a hotel where they did not speak english and proceeded on my way on the autobahn and got to Munich in mid afternoon ad after getting lost 3 time in Munich , finally got to my base. I know I looked great driving as I wore my winter blue uniform, raincoat, field jacket and the heavy overcoat. I looked like a blue Michelin man. Not much riding there as beer was cheap andgood. Went to Libya the next August and did not buy a bike until 1975 a Honda 400 super sport. But that was another story. I'll be 72 in 2 weeks and do not plan to quit yet. Doug

 

[slabghost]

I think I was 9 when my father and his friend taught me how to ride a little Pugeot motorcycle. It was a big field and I remember the tank was a heavy plastic and you could see how much gas was in it.

 

[backyardtrouble]

..I started when i was 9...my cousin would bring his ct70 down on the farm, we would take turns driving it.....go all day on a tank of gas...so much fun too. Then after two years of wondering thur pig crap, cleaning out the pens and feeding and watering them, I earned My own Bike... :clapping: A Honda Scrambler....it would run 70 mph....i got into lots of trouble with this bike... :hihihi: , i tried everything you could try on one.