My First Bike

At 12 years old my parents bought us a 1981 Zanella 50cc. Installed a dual seat, was able to wheelie sitting on the back part of the seat, with my feet skimming the ground, even turn while on one wheel. Luvely basket no?

Nice scoot!

I started on a Go Ped at 14, then some one stole it out of my garage and I saved up for a 1991 CR125 by the time I was 15 1/2.



Rode and did track days as much as I could til I was 19, then got into riding on the road. I borrowed my aunts Honda Rebel 250, then eventually got this shit heap of a 1977 GS750 for $500. The rear fender was a bit of school binder folded over and stapled to a wood frame, the seat was a bit of couch arm rest cushion covered in vinyl sitting on a wood plank, the side panels I made from some ridiculously thin gauge aluminium.

Scary looking back how much faster the bike was than the brakes could slow it down, also the first time I touched the non-folding pegs down while leaned over left a pinch mark in the saddle.

Pic is from after I replaced the "custom" tank that some one hammered "knee dents" into which you can see on the table.



I still have my first rode bike, it's on it's way to looking something like a Skunk:



I don't think anything quite sounds like those old big bore air cooled inline 4's.

Like a lot of UK guys "my first bike" really was a shared experience with a load of mates on a field. I rode BSA Bantams, Honda C90 Cubs and all sorts of shit when I was a teenager.

But my first proper legal road bike in 1980 was a Honda 125J. Pretty good for learning about engines, valves, trappets, points and stuff. Not as fast as my mates RD 125s etc. but OK as a first road bike.

Then is was onto RD250 Yamahas,100 mph on "L" Plates and the usual mayhem.

Passed my test as soon as possible (took three times because I was always failing on "hesitancy" at junctions. Over-compensating for being a loony on the real roads I guess. Uprated to a Kawasaki triple 400 S3. Went to see a Suzuki GT550 but the guy also had this and I fell immediately in love.

Had a variety of different bikes over the years including a few Suzuki IL4s etc but TBH they never inspired me that much.

Years later, seven mates dead from accidents, brother dead also, legs pinned, foot pinned, internal injuries survived, one leg shorter than the other I returned to biking after a ten year absence. By then it was the nineties, Ducati had finally overcome their horrible reputation for shit electrics and produced a bike that was capable of doing damage to the Japanese dominance. I had to have one...!!

For years Australia had a 250cc limit for beginners, as long as it was under that it wasn't an issue.
It has since changed to power to weight and now 250cc smokers cant be ridden on a LAMS license, yet 650cc singles can.

With plates, road legal, and all that? DT175. This followed a succession of various horrible dirt things from Briggs-powered "mini-bikes", some Italian-made 70cc 2-smoke "Indian" (I learned to use a clutch on that), a couple of mopeds when I was about 14-15 (a Puch and a Chappy), even a "Combat Wombat". Long story short - I bought that DT from a neighbor kid, who won it in some raffle, but was too young to ride it on the street. Part of the deal - and his parent were OK with it - was that I keep it at his house, as I didn't live in a moto-friendly family. I sold it back to him a year or so later, after he got his license, and I moved on to an RD. My parents never knew it was mine ... I don't think it was until my 3rd or 4th street bike (in my mid-twenties), long out of their house, that they really started to suspect that I rode regularly. They certainly exhibited denial on the subject - sort of their own "don't ask, don't tell". I was also an avid cyclist in those days, which they didn't seem to mind (but in some ways, equally, if not more dangerous IMO - ask anyone who has road-raced a bicycle).

My outlaws (er, "inlaws") still freak out somewhat over the fact that I ride nearly every day, enjoy consuming tyres and gasoline at the track, and what have you.

First bike was a Suzuki Er185.. hey it was cheap and just for commuting !. Lucky to do 100km/h..lol
That didnt last long thanks to a MkII Cortina so my second was a Yamaha IT250 (great bike).

Love the SS900 Bic
Always wanted one myself , but could never afford it

Yam RS100 for me , my first attempt at porting soon ended that particular bike
MBX 80 , which had awesome brakes , MTX 125 with a 200 motor fitted
X7 , 250 LC , 350 LC.........massive break from biking before returning about 10 years ago.

Not this exact bike but one just like it except mine had a drum brake at the front.

Bought a T100SS like this (used) in 1967 for $375 (U.S. version without license plate blade on fender)



Sold it a year later for 3 ounces of hash and $50 and headed for California.
How times have changed (or maybe not?)

Gimlet, what colour was your fizzy? Mine was the best - purple! The heady days of Summer 1978 - oh lordy, 38 years ago....

Blue, same as the pic. Had the bolt-on front frame tubes too, to make it look like a "proper" bike.
After I'd blown the Fizzy up and sold it I had an AP50 exactly like this one. Even had the rack.. Didn't look as a cool but I have to say it was a better bike.