Continuing the theme of the other threads - who my biker peeps?
The first motor vehicle I ever had was a 1981 Vespa P200E for my 16th birthday in 1983 (it was actually new, just had been in stock since '81 - that was the last year they could be legally imported, so the dealer stocked up). I loved that little scooter right up until it was stolen.
Later, age 23ish?, I bought an '82 Yamaha Seca 750 that I loved to death - almost literally. Turns out a 750cc crotch-rocket isn't the best learning bike for someone whose only previous experience was a little scooter - on the positive side, sacrificing all 3 bones in my left arm did prevent my head hitting the pavement (sans helmet of course - it was pre-helmet-laws and I was just way too cool and invincible). After recovering from the near-death experience, I made an attempt to rebuild the bike, but ended up giving it to a friend as the proverbial "basket case".
Some time in my 40s I started fantasizing about restoring an old British bike, but I really need to take a motorcycle safety course or two and start on a smaller bike, based on my early experience. Maybe I'll get another little scooter...
First bike was a 100cc Hodaka Super Rat, I was a freshman in high school. Learned how to crash and survive on it and dreamed of racing the ISDT (now called the ISDE).
Second bike was a Honda XL500 single that I built into a scrambler and raced in New England when I was at RISD. Super-thumper fun, feet up powersliding with a huge rooster tail.
Third bike was a Honda XR350, single-cylinder 4-valve with dual carb and dual exhaust. Good pull down low like a thumper and screamed on top like a 2 stroke. Ran that as a street-legal recreational woods bike.
When I went back to school for computer science I had a BMW K100 RS, a flat four that leaked oil into the cylinder when on the side stand and blew blue smoke on startup.
When my daughter was born I said goodbye to motorcycles. I used to think about getting another bike, specifically the BMW R75 with the long wheelbase, but that passed (thankfully). Not worth the risk - I have the motorcycle-specific condition know as WOT and have somehow managed to survive some pretty horrific crashes with little damage.
When my mother was pregnant with me, my grandfather gave my mom & dad a car so his pregnant daughter could stop riding around on the back of dad's Bultaco.
So many. I'm on my way out the door but bikes have been a passion of mine since my parents bought me a YZ50 for my eighth birthday.
Then it was a DS80 at 10, and a Suzuki something-dirtbike (125cc) at 12. Had a Kawasaki scrambler soon after. Can't remember the years - I was a little kid and they are all used but my dad was a mechanic.
At 16 I had a Yamaha 650 Maxim. Shaft drive. Forgettable but it got me around. I moved to a Honda Nighthawk at 18 when I moved to another city for uni.
Next to was a super fun bike - a CBR600 that I modified heavily to remove weight and increase stupidity. Went 180km/h on my initial ride, without even realizing it. Learned how to wheelie on the street...poorly.
There was a drought after that for a little while. A Yamaha RD400 project bike that never made it out of the garage.
For the past few years I've been riding a heavily modified flat tracker (Yamaha XS650) that's truly one of a kind, but it would give away way too much of my anonymity. Fun enough bike but thinking of selling. I get offers on it every time I go out.
Motorcycling Central
Continuing the theme of the other threads - who my biker peeps?
The first motor vehicle I ever had was a 1981 Vespa P200E for my 16th birthday in 1983 (it was actually new, just had been in stock since '81 - that was the last year they could be legally imported, so the dealer stocked up). I loved that little scooter right up until it was stolen.
Later, age 23ish?, I bought an '82 Yamaha Seca 750 that I loved to death - almost literally. Turns out a 750cc crotch-rocket isn't the best learning bike for someone whose only previous experience was a little scooter - on the positive side, sacrificing all 3 bones in my left arm did prevent my head hitting the pavement (sans helmet of course - it was pre-helmet-laws and I was just way too cool and invincible). After recovering from the near-death experience, I made an attempt to rebuild the bike, but ended up giving it to a friend as the proverbial "basket case".
Some time in my 40s I started fantasizing about restoring an old British bike, but I really need to take a motorcycle safety course or two and start on a smaller bike, based on my early experience. Maybe I'll get another little scooter...
First bike was a 100cc Hodaka Super Rat, I was a freshman in high school. Learned how to crash and survive on it and dreamed of racing the ISDT (now called the ISDE).
Second bike was a Honda XL500 single that I built into a scrambler and raced in New England when I was at RISD. Super-thumper fun, feet up powersliding with a huge rooster tail.
Third bike was a Honda XR350, single-cylinder 4-valve with dual carb and dual exhaust. Good pull down low like a thumper and screamed on top like a 2 stroke. Ran that as a street-legal recreational woods bike.
When I went back to school for computer science I had a BMW K100 RS, a flat four that leaked oil into the cylinder when on the side stand and blew blue smoke on startup.
When my daughter was born I said goodbye to motorcycles. I used to think about getting another bike, specifically the BMW R75 with the long wheelbase, but that passed (thankfully). Not worth the risk - I have the motorcycle-specific condition know as WOT and have somehow managed to survive some pretty horrific crashes with little damage.
When my mother was pregnant with me, my grandfather gave my mom & dad a car so his pregnant daughter could stop riding around on the back of dad's Bultaco.
So many. I'm on my way out the door but bikes have been a passion of mine since my parents bought me a YZ50 for my eighth birthday.
Then it was a DS80 at 10, and a Suzuki something-dirtbike (125cc) at 12. Had a Kawasaki scrambler soon after. Can't remember the years - I was a little kid and they are all used but my dad was a mechanic.
At 16 I had a Yamaha 650 Maxim. Shaft drive. Forgettable but it got me around. I moved to a Honda Nighthawk at 18 when I moved to another city for uni.
Next to was a super fun bike - a CBR600 that I modified heavily to remove weight and increase stupidity. Went 180km/h on my initial ride, without even realizing it. Learned how to wheelie on the street...poorly.
There was a drought after that for a little while. A Yamaha RD400 project bike that never made it out of the garage.
For the past few years I've been riding a heavily modified flat tracker (Yamaha XS650) that's truly one of a kind, but it would give away way too much of my anonymity. Fun enough bike but thinking of selling. I get offers on it every time I go out.
Can't wait to come back and talk about bikes!
Also there were several more I can't remember right now.... expensive hobby...
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