What was your first motorbike?

**friscofrankie** · 07-10-2009, 11:53 PM

Summer of '67 I was 15 with a learner permit. We were allowed to ride a motorcycle without passenger. I bought a '51 Pan Head with mousetrap, gold metalflake sportster tanke (2.2 gal) ribbed rear fende, bates seat, flanders #0 bars and a sissy bar about 10 inches high. It had 4" over forks. It cost $150.00 US.

it was a day, maybe two, later; It got away from me. bent the forks under hitting an exceptionally tall curb and at a somewhat less than prudent speed. I got a '59 BSA road rocket after that. Kept that bike for a couple years.

**Loy Toy** · 07-10-2009, 11:56 PM

Originally Posted by Marmite the Dog

Did you poo your pants?

Why would he suffer that embarrassment mate?????...........unless his first bike was pink of course.

My first bike was a (90cc I think) Honda step-through with push bike pedals on it and at the age of 10.

I dove the thing into the ground trying to use it as a trail bike and it just died one day in the mud and sludge never to reemerge from the garage. Great fun though!

**Wallalai** · 08-10-2009, 12:05 AM

Yamaha 125 DTMX back in 1984

**melvbot** · 08-10-2009, 12:27 AM

Originally Posted by Marmite the Dog

Originally Posted by melvbot

I hit top speed on it at 4 am going to work one morning.

Did you poo your pants?

When I saw the blue lights I did. I got stopped doing 120-ish in a 40 and let off with a stern warning, doubt it would happen much nowadays.

**S Landreth** · 08-10-2009, 12:28 AM

^^Mine (at 15 years old) was a Yamaha 125 also. Like I have posted once before, in Florida you had to be at least 16 to ride anything more than 5 break horsepower, so we changed the stickers from 125 to 90. Never got caught, but a motorcycle cop in the neighborhood questioned me about the size of the bike.

I think he knew.

**ItsRobsLife** · 08-10-2009, 12:51 AM

Yamaha RD125LC Mk1 in white. Loved it, tuned it, rode it 'til I killed it.

**melvbot** · 08-10-2009, 12:54 AM

^ I still lust after 350LC's. Mate of mine had one but never had a go on it, saw one the other day, mint condition, great little bike.

**ItsRobsLife** · 08-10-2009, 01:16 AM

Yes the RD350LC is a classic, a real '80s icon it was revolutionary and unbeatable back then,
well unless you had a RD500LC and could stay on it long enough.

Good thread this gets you thinking, your first bike was always a passionate affair.

**plorf** · 08-10-2009, 01:28 AM

Must spread some rep before giving it to Marmite again.. anyway, I like your bike, it's just the colour... Own a Honda VT 500C which in many way is similar.. can see it in my Swiss MB travel thread.

**genghis61** · 08-10-2009, 01:48 AM

way back to 1978, bought a '74 Kawasaki KH250, NZ had (still has) 250cc limit for learners, so a crazy 2-stroke triple was the way to go. Took me four months to destroy it and put myself in hospital - head and spinal injuries. Never been the same since.
Pic not a 74, but not much difference, later models had mag wheels and the same diabolical handling . . .

**ItsRobsLife** · 08-10-2009, 01:53 AM

Yes a real beauty, an older friend had one when I was 13-14 years old.
Another guy had a Suzuki 250 Ram Air and they had some epic battles, but Steve blew the centre pot quite often on his KH,
they called them 'The Kettle' (could be wrong though) I think because of their propensity to cook and blow holes in the pistons.

**genghis61** · 08-10-2009, 03:00 AM

Originally Posted by ItsRobsLife

Yes a real beauty, an older friend had one when I was 13-14 years old.
Another guy had a Suzuki 250 Ram Air and they had some epic battles, but Steve blew the centre pot quite often on his KH,
they called them 'The Kettle' (could be wrong though) I think because of their propensity to cook and blow holes in the pistons.

The Kawasaki wasn't a match for the Yamaha RD250 of the same era as I remember, and a lot less predictable the revs went from 'nothing happening' to 'scare-you-sh1tless' in about half a second. Unsure on performance v the Suzuki you mentioned; exactly what was 'ram air' I think 2 bikes later I had a GT550 ram air (what a mistake, dreadful 3cyl 2 stroke, i never learned back then).

**helge** · 08-10-2009, 03:00 AM

BSA B40 350cc Army 1967-70
This is what my first bike looked like when I first laid my eyes on her( or similar as this is not my pic)
After a bit of a paintjob, we had a lot of fun together, and she never, ever let me down on our trips to Norway and Sweden.
I paid about 10000 Baht, and was later offered another four for just 25000, which I bought for spareparts

.

I gave my brother one to rebuild as a trialbike, but still have 3 under an inch of dust.
And I still have my first bike, and we shall never part. Amen

**helge** · 08-10-2009, 03:05 AM

Originally Posted by genghis61

what was 'ram air'

Ram-air intake - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

**genghis61** · 08-10-2009, 03:09 AM

The Kawasaki wasn't a match for the Yamaha RD250 of the same era as I remember, and a lot less predictable the revs went from 'nothing happening' to 'scare-you-sh1tless' in about half a second. Unsure on performance v the Suzuki you mentioned; exactly what was 'ram air' I think 2 bikes later I had a GT550 ram air (what a mistake, dreadful 3cyl 2 stroke, i never learned back then).

ok just had a google and answered my own question:
1973: The Ram Air cylinder head forced the cool air to pass through the cylinders and behind the block. A simple but working innovation, although some poeple call it just a gimmick. The same Ram Air system was introduced in all of the air-cooled GT models (the GT750 was liquid-cooled).
1976: The Ram Air cylinder head was no longer used on the 1976 year's GT250A (some early 1976s still had it), new cylinder finning was supposed to make up for its benefits.

**genghis61** · 08-10-2009, 03:11 AM

Originally Posted by helge

Originally Posted by genghis61

what was 'ram air'

Ram-air intake - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

thanks; was just looking at another site for info; I thought it may have been an early version of the v-boost system Yamaha used on the V-Max . . . but it isn't!
3.11am in Phuket and I can safely go to bed having learnt something!

**ItsRobsLife** · 08-10-2009, 03:15 AM

Originally Posted by genghis61

The Kawasaki wasn't a match for the Yamaha RD250 of the same era as I remember, and a lot less predictable the revs went from 'nothing happening' to 'scare-you-sh1tless' in about half a second. Unsure on performance v the Suzuki you mentioned; exactly what was 'ram air' I think 2 bikes later I had a GT550 ram air (what a mistake, dreadful 3cyl 2 stroke, i never learned back then).

ok just had a google and answered my own question:
1973: The Ram Air cylinder head forced the cool air to pass through the cylinders and behind the block. A simple but working innovation, although some poeple call it just a gimmick. The same Ram Air system was introduced in all of the air-cooled GT models (the GT750 was liquid-cooled).
1976: The Ram Air cylinder head was no longer used on the 1976 year's GT250A (some early 1976s still had it), new cylinder finning was supposed to make up for its benefits.

It did look like a gimmick, a folded ally plate tacked onto the top of the cylider head, I can't imagine it made a lot of difference.

As far as performance the GT250 was able to give the KH a good race, a bit more solid and stable in the corners, but it would never beat the KH off the line!

**nedwalk** · 08-10-2009, 04:59 AM

i think mine was back in 74 a TY trials, broke me arm, bloody thing.

**MeMock** · 08-10-2009, 06:48 AM

6 years old and I saved up to pay half ($150) for a second hand 50cc something a rather.

**celtic** · 08-10-2009, 07:24 AM

1970 Kawasaki 350cc 3 cyl , from 0-60mph would blow away Yamaha 650"s and Norton Commandos. I was 17 and had it for a year ,miracles happen and I didn't kill myself. Lucky I graduated to BMW's at 18, probably why I'm still alive today.

**Panda** · 08-10-2009, 07:28 AM

BSA Bantam. D1. Around 1953 model I believe. 125cc two-stroke.

I was only 14 at the time and she was not registered. Stripped her down for paddock work around the farms. Spent endless happy hours chugging around the cow tracks and swamps. Some happy memories coming back there.

Paid $3.00 for her in 1967 and pushed her home 6 miles with a bag of clutch parts.

**Mr Earl** · 08-10-2009, 07:37 AM

1968 Honda z50

I was 12. I kept getting into trouble for riding around on the city streets (Wash DC)

Later got one of these

250cc's of Kawasaki muscle.

**Marmite the Dog** · 08-10-2009, 07:37 AM

Originally Posted by the dogcatcher

Come on fave rave bikes and why? CX 500 for me. Armchair on wheels and non too shabby in the corners.

Start your own thread.

**Marmite the Dog** · 08-10-2009, 07:42 AM

I think Gerbil is the only one to have outdone me so far with his Kawasaki ZZR 1100, so I'm pretty happy.

**S Landreth** · 08-10-2009, 07:54 AM

^you were a bit of a late bloomer

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