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Who gets credit for getting you into motorcycles?

My oldest brother built a mini bike in shop, scrub brake, centrifugal clutch. It was in the garage and I had seen him hammer a clothes pin into the clutch to make it catch, sooooo, I hammered a clothes pin in and rode it all over the neighborhood. Beats the heck out of pedaling a bicycle! Then he got a Suzuki X6, took me for a ride and thats it bubba, I ain't pedaling no bicycle and I don't want no car! I dreamed of motorcycles until I made enough money washing dishes to buy my older brothers YG80, I was ruint, I could not get to school if it was nice out! Still grin about dragging the foot pegs on that thing, ended up cutting them off to get more clearance.:rider:
 
Started on Granpa's surplus HD45 with Sidecar in the late 40's, Was on my own as soon as I could reach all the controls....I wasn't heavy enough to kick start it so I parked it on a hill..Been on 2 wheels sometimes 3 wheels most of my life..........
 
Axel Zanelli! (Haven't thought of him in years!) He was getting rid of stuff in his garage; needed room to rebuild a rolled and wrecked Morgan +4 roadster. I bought his Mobylette (That's a pregnant bicycle for those of you who've never heard of one.)for $25. Dad didn't say a word about it, knew I wasn't old enough to get a license, had no insurance, but it got me to school and he didn't have to drive me. I rode it about a year without tags or valid plate. Broke the tail light on a lady's station wagon when the front brake cable departed. Went to riding a Trail 90.
 
Very interesting thread with good reading. Some of the neighbor kids around us had mini-bikes, the crappy ones with lawnmower engines but I just ached for one. Then my brother got his first bike, a Honda 90 from a shop on Jefferson Blvd. Between watching Then Came Bronson and him having a bike it was killing me not having one. My mom eventually persuaded my dad (against his better wishes I think) to suprise me with a Yamaha G6SB, a scrambler type bike with a high pipe and street tires. We had lots of open acreage behind our house that had lots of terraces that made great jumps and I ended up destroying that bike out there just from riding it like a real dirt bike. Jumps, creeks and almost an 1/8 mile flat track taught me lots on a bike. During high school, motorcycles were my best friend. The moto passion came from within but my family made it possible. That was about 40 years ago and the passion continues. Thanks mom!!
 
I don't remember the man's name, we were at a gas station/small engine repair shop in 70 or 71 and they had a chopped mini bike that looked like "Captain America" - right done to the exhaust pipe. He offered my father a test ride me and my brother on it and a trike he had. In 73 we got our first bike, a Suzuki TS90.
 
The kids in my neighborhood had Honda 70s and 90s. My brother and I were immediately hooked. My dad traded a shotgun for a home built 2 1/2 horsepower minibike. A year later as a compensation gift for moving us to Oklahoma City for a year, we got new Honda 70s. Mine was a CT70 and my older brother got a CL 70. I was 11 years old. I remember my Mom saying she would be glad when I outgrew this phase. I'm 53 and still riding. The irony is I can't get my brother to ride now and in the beginning he was the most motivated and vigorous advocate of the motorcycles. It still amazes me how many of our trails and other areas have disappeared over the years.
 
It was a group effort. Dad always had motorcycles and bought us a 50 Mini-Trail and an an XL75. By age 16, I wasn't really interested in bikes much, but my brother bought a CR250 and later a KX250. Suddenly, I had to have a dual-purpose bike and bought an XL250S.
 
I have no one to blame but myself. I bought a used 1968 Honda 90S when I was 14 after riding assorted nieborhood mini bikes. I then told my dad and he said I could ride it in the back yard only until I got my license. :trust: Ya right. :trust: Never got caught on the street and got my license the day I turned 15. And the rest is history as they say.
 
My dad had talked about a Harley with a stick shift that he borrowed from time-to-time when he was a kid. Then when we lived in West Germany in the early 70s, he helped my brother and me into European versions of Honda and Yamaha 50cc bikes. Other than a 15 year break when my children needed a ride to school or money for food and clothes, I've been riding since. My dad bought himself a police Harley from a retired cop in OKC when I was in high school. He rode is a few years, including a 2-up trip to Michigan and back, then sold it and spent his remaining years in a motor home.

I don't know how much longer I will ride. Don't like much of the modern bikes. Don't what I would get if my airhead breaks or I wreck it for good.
 
Vance on ADV. He had a different screen name back then, though. Somehow I got to reading his "U.S. on $40 per day" thread. Divorced, he pretty much sold everything and took off on his motorcycle. Wasn't too long after that I took an MSF course "just to see if I might like it".

I looked at all the manufacturer's sites, looking at bikes. Trouble was I could never find anything I really liked. I had about settled on some kind of cruiser when a work buddy sent me a link to a used BMW 650GS. BMW makes motorcycles? I took one look at the picture, and immediately dismissed it. But kept going back to look at that picture. Several times a day.

I finally called the owner and made arrangements to go look at the bike. Just look. That's why I took my checkbook with me.... and my trailer. I wasn't going to buy. Just look. Yea, right.

The next challenge was telling my mom I had bought a motorcycle.
 
My dad had a Honda Superhawk 305 when I was a pre-schooler. When I was in elementary school, he mentioned buying dirt bikes for both of us. He never followed through, but the local Yamaha shop was an easy bike ride from my house in Tyler. I spent a lot of time in the showroom over the next few year before finally buying a used DT100 when I turned 15.
 
I had a neighbor that had a Honda Sport 50 (push rod motor) and another neighbor had a Honda Sport 65 (OHC motor).
Rode around the neighborhood with them a couple of times and I was hooked. Been riding ever since then (45 years ago).
My first ride was a CT70.
 
It was inevitable, I was just meant to ride, lol! My parents hated them, no friends had one. I just wanted to ride. After a couple of years begging, I was able to buy a Honda 305 Dream. My Dad thought it looked safest, I hated it. Bought new and didn't have very long and turned it into a 305 Superhawk! Way better!!!!!

Just a side note. I had a drivers license but had NEVER ridden a bike or used a clutch. Honda South in Shreveport(1967) showed me a couple of things behind their shop and sent me on the road, wow, how ignorant on everyone's side. I bet they were having a big laugh and betting on when I would crash and burn. Anyhow, got it home with a lot of tears but the rest is history! But I was sure was blessed in the beginning, ton of close calls!
 
Although my Uncle Lewis got me into dirt bikes in the very early 70s, it was my cousin Danny (Redpill) who, in 1978, showed up at my apartment riding his Honda CB400 Supersport, with the cool 4-into-1 header system. And then had the nerve to tell me he had to sell it. What could I do? The poor thing needed a home, and I was obliged to help my family. Right? :shrug:
 
I always got my older brother's hand me downs. When I was around 5 he got a Honda QA50 for xmas and would let me ride it from time to time. By the time I turned 7 he moved up to a bigger bike so 50 was all mine.

Found pict on net, mine was exactly the same:
QA50-1971-aah-M.jpg


He and his friends would play tricks on me. We'd all be in a field riding and they'd call me over telling me my bike wasn't running right so they'd make adjustments for me (really turning the gas off). Then they'd ride away and leaving me to putt around for a minute before the bike would die. I pushed that baby home more than once before figuring that one out! Next they started turning the air/fuel mixture screw all the way in. I finally stopped going over to them when they called! Great memories thinking back, actually taught me a lot.

I remember being in 4th grade checking out motorcycle books from the library. All I wanted was a bike with spokes, just give me spokes! Around 5th grade I hot his hand me down YZ175. I nice step up!

Also from the net:
1976-Yamaha-YZ175-Yellow-6401-0-M.jpg


Wished I still had these bikes...
 
My brothers are 8 and 10 years order than me. One had a CB something or other (no one remembers displacement) the other had a street legal dirt bike looking thing. I was probably 8 or 9, all I knew was they were super cool. Wanted one, but parents said no. Shortly after my 18th birthday, by car threw a rod and I had about $800 to my name. I found a 1980 kz650 in the cycle trader for $700. My friend Ed went to look at it with me. He did the test drive and nod of approval, and drove it home for me. Then, on the center stand in my parents driveway, he showed me how to ride it. That was my transportation for the next 3 or 4 years.
 
I never really thought much about motorcycles. Then, one day at an airport FBO up in Denver about 5 years back there was a Buell and an HD on display with price tags. I really thought the Buell looked cool, and it was reasonably priced. I was in between hobbies at the time and recently divorced(money and time in hand). I'd never ridden a motorcycle, but the other pilot I was working with at the time explained how I could take a course and get a license. He then told me how his dad owned a Honda dealer in Raton and he's always ridden, how much fun it was etc. I got on line and signed up for the first Saturday I was home. Before the course I went to a dealer and picked up a used a Shadow 650. After the first day of class, the dealer dropped the Shadow off at my house, and I rode it that night some with the biggest smile in my helmet. Loved it. Passed the course on Sunday. License on Monday. Hooked ever since.

I really need to send that guy a bill for the bikes be gear I've since purchased.
 
My uncle Kurt had a Honda CB750 that he took me for a ride on once when I was maybe 6 or 7. When I was 8 or 9 my uncle Gary had a little mini bike I got to ride. That was it. Hooked. I didn't get any exposure until I turned 18 and bought a bike. Didn't have a clue what I was doing, the guy I bought it from told me what all the controls were, and I took off.
 
I always got my older brother's hand me downs. When I was around 5 he got a Honda QA50 for xmas and would let me ride it from time to time. By the time I turned 7 he moved up to a bigger bike so 50 was all mine.

Found pict on net, mine was exactly the same:
QA50-1971-aah-M.jpg


He and his friends would play tricks on me. We'd all be in a field riding and they'd call me over telling me my bike wasn't running right so they'd make adjustments for me (really turning the gas off). Then they'd ride away and leaving me to putt around for a minute before the bike would die. I pushed that baby home more than once before figuring that one out! Next they started turning the air/fuel mixture screw all the way in. I finally stopped going over to them when they called! Great memories thinking back, actually taught me a lot.

I remember being in 4th grade checking out motorcycle books from the library. All I wanted was a bike with spokes, just give me spokes! Around 5th grade I hot his hand me down YZ175. I nice step up!

Also from the net:
1976-Yamaha-YZ175-Yellow-6401-0-M.jpg


Wished I still had these bikes...

Are those actual pictures of your old bikes? Drew
 
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