What’s your story?

[Ansimp]

desertrefugee » Tue Jan 16, 2018 1:39 pm[/url]":yr6tybhn]
Right here in Arizona a few years ago.

Riding my VMax, I rolled up to a stoplight in Scottsdale next to a bright red Ferrari convertible. Middle-aged fellow with a trophy blonde and she was giving him living hell. I felt bad for the guy. He was checking out the bike and I his car while we waited for green. Finally, he says, "Wanna trade?" I say, "Does she come with it?" He says, "Yes!" The light went green, I say, "No thanks" and blasted off on the Max.

:smilie_happy: :smilie_happy: :smilie_happy: :salute:

 

[Omega Man]

The night I discovered the stator was dead on my 75 I was on my way home from work. A guy on a Harley towed me home those last 4 miles. :rocks:

~O~

 

[D-50Dave]

Mid to late '80s: I'm approaching a green light from a small 2-lane road where all the other approaches are 4-lane with turn lanes. As I get right to the light, it turns yellow and I continue thru, unable to stop. The oncoming car, driven by a 17 year old, decides to make the left and we meet head on in my lane at the far crosswalk. I plant my front tire between her headlights at about 35-40 mph. ( I learned the most common "last words" are Oh Sh*t! ) I had squatted up on the footpegs and, upon contact, the handle bars took out my legs and turned all my forward momentum into rotational momentum. The first rotation, I left a boot mark on her trunk. The second rotation, I landed in the road in a sitting position. The engine on that little Chrysler K car was taken right off the motor mounts. I had a dislocated thumb, 2 stitches in my forehead from my glasses, and hyper-extended both knees; my legs had pushed the handlebars forward 45*. I wasn't wearing a helmet. Connecticut has no helmet law, and I believe in choice, but I've changed mine. I always wore a helmet ever after. I tell people I'm the luckiest SOB they'll ever meet. :yes:

 

[desertrefugee]

Uh oh. Now we're on to "get-offs". I got a few of those, but hadn't planned on passing that stuff on... (I'll keep with the others for now !!)

You were lucky on that one.

 

[Rednaxs60]

Rode passenger on a few bikes and got the itch back in '72. Dad and I went into the local Suzuki dealer and I was intent on the 250 Hustler (110 MPH with a tail wind).

Looked at a Suzuki because my friends had them, also liked the 500. While I was talking to the dealer my Dad looked around comparing the bikes. He took me aside and mentioned that I should really consider the 750 "water buffalo" instead of the 250. I told him that it was too big and the 250 would be great. Left with the 250 and 2 months later wished I had listened to my Dad. Those old guys (I are one now) knew stuff - tell my daughter this all the time.

 

[joedrum]

The 250husler wasn’t bad though ...six speeds probably first bike ever to have 6 gears ....my brothers husler trounced all other bikes ...it was way before the buffalo ...the early huslers were way faster than the later ones ....kick a Harley or triumph ass

 

[desertrefugee]

...and I'm still waiting to hear a JoeDrum story or three...

 

[joedrum]

joedrum » Sun Jan 14, 2018 11:10 am[/url]":3r4xdtw0]
Mine first was a cushman motor stuff into a 50era Harley frame I’m sure was made in Europe ..the trashed motor I think was a 125cc two strike ...the frame also had a springer front end on it that was stock on the bike ...I put the cushman motor in it and actually rope it in ...an also wedged it in pieces of wood...it had a centificle clutch and one gear ...it’s really amazing how long it stayed together before I’d have to redo everything ...I’m thinking it would do about 30mph ..not really sure no way to tell ...it had a front brake ..I wreck it many times ...sometimes the motor would come completely out of it lol....glad to see your post craftsman been awhile

You didn’t like my first bike story ..... :smilie_happy:
I finally got a real bike ....after several Cobb together Frankenstein bikes ..it was a Honda 160 ...till hooch this was the best bike I ever own ....and to this day it was the cleanest bike I ever had ...it spent 99% of its time in the sugar sand orange grooves of fla ...bikealways looked like it was made out of all chrome parts ..even the motors shined like chrome ..wheels chain and all ...had nobby tires on it ...nothing polishes like sugar sand plus mph ...man did that motor take everything I dished out ...has to be the best motor Honda ever made ...not sure what it would tack as they had none back in the day ..but it was huge ...bike was lite ..I did have it modded a bit ....I pretty much survive my time in sugar sand ..but many were not as lucky ...had to replace the forks on it one after dead centering a ole tree ...it took a few weeks to be able to ride again ...my buddy drag the bike home with a dune buggy only about a 00 yards of pavement time ...the other mile was all sugar sand ....I was pretty much a Honda guy after that bike though I had many others ...when a bike can handle a stupid teen such as me and not die ...it’s bullet proof ...bike started as a street bike but after sprocket changes and such ..it was a killer bike ..I’m glad I survive it ....the dam thing would climb a tree and never a speck of dirt on it :BigGrin:

 

[desertrefugee]

Sheesh. I did read your first one but already forgot. I have an excuse. Turning 60 in a coupla weeks. :fiddle:

But, talking about Florida sugar sand. I lived in Central Florida for about 12 years. (See DEA agent story above). But, when I met my future wife there, she was living in her recently-passed Grandmother's trailer in the Ocala National Forest in an area called "Paradise Island". Yeah, right. It was off the main road a couple of miles - most of which was deep, fluffy sugar sand. I had two motorcycles at the time. My old '71 Bonneville and a brandy new ZL900 Kawasaki.

It must have been love, but I probably wrestled those two heavy'ish street motorcycles (mostly the Kawi) through that deep sand hundreds of times. Not fun. After a while, I learned that you let the bike go where it wants to go and just hang on. Looking back, that was probably good experience from a motocycle balance and behavior standpoint.

 

[Omega Man]

This is my favorite story mom would tell me and my brother about her biker dayz...

My father was a Hell's Angel in the early sixties Oakland chapter and they rode a BSA 650 Lightning, I'll never forget that bike because he put me on the handle bars and took me for a ride in the Berkeley hills. I remember crying the first half of the ride and yelling "faster" all the way home. I will never forget that shiny chrome gas tank with the star on the sides.

Anyway, mom and dad were on a club run from the Bay Area to San Bernadino, I was at Grandma's and my little brother was just a bun in mom's oven. They were on the PCH and it was very warm that day. She told us how the guys revved their air cooled engines to keep them from over heating, so it was loud slow bumper to bumper traffic. Well every time mom leaned forward to speak in dad's ear "Mister Normal"(what she called him) would blare his horn until she gave up trying to talk to dad. I guess this went on for what she said seemed like an hour. A little while after this the cause of the traffic was revealed, a nasty car crash.

Now with the traffic starting to move unhindered. "Mister Normal" roared around mom and dad, let them get to speed, and slammed on his brakes causing my dad to crash into the back of his car. Dad bounce off this guys hood and the guy almost ran him over. Mom went flying into the deep ditch on their right, mom was 7 months pregnant with my little brother and that f*cker knew it. The F*cker(what I always call him) got out screaming at my dad as the brothers helped him to the area behind F*cker's car, at this moment a group of brothers brought my mom out of the ditch she was badly bruised and bloodied. My dad said something to the F*cker about my mom(she didn't hear it) and F*cker spit on her. At this the brothers surrounded the three of them shoulder to shoulder so no one could see what was about to happen to the F*cker. Mom said dad smashed his nose with one punch and was kicking F*cker while he was on the ground in the ribs/head/back as hard as he could over and over. As mom was screaming for dad to stop before he killed him a highway patrol officer broke through the wall of brothers who were cheering dad on.

Mom just knew they all were going to jail, dad bloodied and near total exhaustion, bent over with his hands on his knees looked up at the officer but said nothing. The Officer spoke first to my parents and said "Mam, Sir, are you okay?" at this F*cker was back on his feet and started to shout at the officer about the lesson dad had just taught him. The officer shouted back "SHUT UP YOU IDIOT I'LL DEAL WITH YOU NEXT!" He then turned back to my parents and asked them if he could call an ambulance for either of them. They both declined and to this the officer said you are all free to go, I'll take over for you here. My dad thanked the officer they rode off on one of the other brothers bikes.

Later at the first gas station they came to mom and dad stopped and waited for the brothers that hung around to figure out what to do with dad's wrecked bike, and learned the following... The officer had seen everything, a few minutes of the horn blaring when mom was trying to talk to dad, and how F*cker had gotten in front of dad causing the accident and everything that happened behind the F*cker's car. It just took him a couple of minutes get from his cruiser several cars back. The brothers told my parents how the cop arrested Mr. F*cker and when HE asked for an ambulance the officer said "you look fine to me" as he put him in the back of his cruiser. Everyone went to the hospital with mom and dad where they found out she and my brother were going to be okay.

~O~

 

[dan filipi]

Wow, quite a story!! Good for Mom and Dad, damn!

I've got a few coming...these other stories are going to be hard to compete with.

 

[Ansimp]

“Plus one” for Randy’s parents story. :good:

 

[brianinpa]

Ansimp » Thu Jan 18, 2018 12:05 am[/url]":5ggustex]
“Plus one” for Randy’s parents story. :good:

Now Randy has another unread post added to his count... :smilie_happy:

 

[slabghost]

When I first started riding I knew almost nothing of bike repairs. I had gotten this old heavy street bike. No idea now what it was. I rode it back and forth from Ft Campbell Ky. I was a private in the Army. One morning I was on my way in negotiating a long left turn at about 50mph when the motor locked up. Locking up the rear wheel too. I fought for control and slid ever closer to the ditch before I pulled in the clutch. I regained control and rode off into the grass to a stop. Put the kick stand down. Walked a few steps. Turned around. Went back and kicked the bike over on it's side and walked away. Never went back to it.

 

[Omega Man]

slabghost » Thu Jan 18, 2018 7:15 am[/url]":1f9de85t]
When I first started riding I knew almost nothing of bike repairs. I had gotten this old heavy street bike. No idea now what it was. I rode it back and forth from Ft Campbell Ky. I was a private in the Army. One morning I was on my way in negotiating a long left turn at about 50mph when the motor locked up. Locking up the rear wheel too. I fought for control and slid ever closer to the ditch before I pulled in the clutch. I regained control and rode off into the grass to a stop. Put the kick stand down. Walked a few steps. Turned around. Went back and kicked the bike over on it's side and walked away. Never went back to it.

Damn it's a wonder you ever got back on one! :shock:

~O~

 

[wedoo2]

This is fun thread and I've enjoyed the stories. I always wanted to be a Hells Angel but lacked the nads, I must admit. Besides I really didn't care for the Rolling Stone. (Obscure reference)

I started out with a GT500 two stroke that I only had for a couple of months back in the 70s. Knew nothing about it except it scared the hell out of me and I sold it for $100 more than I paid for it and that was big money then. A few months later I bought a new 79 Suzuki GS400. Seen below.

Added a Rooster fairing, changed the color to black and rode the thing all over every place east of Kansas. Never let me down, or went down. I rode with several guys that had much larger bikes, and with more experience, and were crazy people. That is how I learned to ride. Either that or get left behind.

I have since had many bikes from 90 cc to a Kawasaki six. Restored at least a dozen and sold them all. Have kept my current project, the Gold Witch, for almost three years now and would only sell it if I found a good 1500, or 1800. Thankfully I have learned to work on bikes, and thank God for good forums.

Some of my restorations:

78 GS750, Honda CB350 (For Sale)

CB550

83 1100

VF500 (Like the orange?)

There's more but that's enough!

 

[kerryb]

I love the hells angels story! Today I went to the harley dealer where my bike is stored (safer there) had to put money down on new tires to be installed. Was shocked to end up chatting with the service mgr about old goldwings and other hondas! Seems he was previously at a dealership in alaska representing HD, BMW, and another brand. Nice to know I can show up there on something other than my Harley.

 

[Ansimp]

kerryb » Fri Jan 26, 2018 2:09 pm[/url]":27hnm2kw]
I love the hells angels story! Today I went to the harley dealer where my bike is stored (safer there) had to put money down on new tires to be installed. Was shocked to end up chatting with the service mgr about old goldwings and other hondas! Seems he was previously at a dealership in alaska representing HD, BMW, and another brand. Nice to know I can show up there on something other than my Harley.

:good:
Just make sure that your Hondas aren’t too clean so that they don’t get too jealous. :smilie_happy:

 

[Daeouse]

Veteran of the USAF, my love of motorcycles blossomed after I finished my service, and I began saving money to purchase a bike of my very own. Years later, after a lot of crazy ups-and-downs, I purchased a Suzuki GS500E basket case.

After getting rid of the offending pile of scrap, I got a job at a local Harley-Davidson dealer to better feed my obsession. A number of months passed and my hard work was rewarded with a chance to buy a very nice Yamaha V-Star 950.

I foolishly sold that magnificent bike as I was unsure of the path I wanted to take in two-wheeled riding. I used the funds from the sale of the Yamaha to buy from my dealer an insane Buell X-1 Lightning.

Having put my license at risk by excessive speed and other foolhardiness, I decided to sell the Lightning to use the funds elsewhere. Since then, I have been slowly purchasing a battered Royal Enfield Bullet 500 from a friend.

I'm still working to finish the purchase and the rebuild of the Enfield, and I'm starting a second job. At that job, I will have the opportunity to acquire a GL1200 for nearly nothing out of pocket. (more on that later)

 

[desertrefugee]

1979'ish. Adjusting the valves on my SOHC CB750K. During the process, I still had an annoying tapping on one of the exhaust valves. As I was trying to isolate where it was coming from, I got just a little too close to one of the EXTREMELY HOT header pipes...

...with the tip of my nose! Burnt the livin' heck of it. I had the pleasure of explaining what happened to my nose for quite a while after that. I haven't told that story very often, we're all friends here and it happened.