What Was The Bike You Wanted In High School?

[Thanh-BKK]

Yup yup.

Also where i grew up (German guy here). And that put them in competition with a much smaller bike of which i had the pleasure to own one - the Zundapp KS 175, nicknamed "Bueffel" (buffalo) due to it's, well, buffalo-like engine characteristics (torque like a steam locomotive out of 163cc two-stroke).

Best regards.....

Thanh

[highchol]

If you come from the UK and are old enough you may remember the 16'er law where 16 year olds were restricted to 50cc mopeds so most of us had Yamaha FS1E's. I liked the exotic so lusted after a Fantic GT which was quicker but more temperamental.

Getting past the moped stage my sensible head went for a Honda Superdream but like H2oDunc I lusted after the Benelli Sei.

Something about those Italians.

yeah the Yamaha FS1E was the most popular round may way followed by the suzuki ( forgot the model ) then the honda ( not a plastic )

When you got to 17 year old it was the suzuki X7, if i remember was the fastest of the 250cc machines that UK 17 year olds were allowed to ride.

Sadly a few lads didnt make it to become 18 year olds.

[dynabob]

A blue honda 550 super sport,4 into 1 exhaust.

[apetley]

If you come from the UK and are old enough you may remember the 16'er law where 16 year olds were restricted to 50cc mopeds so most of us had Yamaha FS1E's. I liked the exotic so lusted after a Fantic GT which was quicker but more temperamental.

Getting past the moped stage my sensible head went for a Honda Superdream but like H2oDunc I lusted after the Benelli Sei.

Something about those Italians.

yeah the Yamaha FS1E was the most popular round may way followed by the suzuki ( forgot the model ) then the honda ( not a plastic )

When you got to 17 year old it was the suzuki X7, if i remember was the fastest of the 250cc machines that UK 17 year olds were allowed to ride.

Sadly a few lads didnt make it to become 18 year olds.

Did the Yamaha RD250LC come out at the tail end of the 17 year old learner law?

So long ago but they were seriously fast.

Mind you, your right about the X7, a mate of mine had one that was tuned up, barrels/pistons ported, head skim and micron exhausts, and would beat another mates Yam XJ550.

[barrybike]

A blue honda 550 super sport,4 into 1 exhaust.

my father had this exact bike.blue and all

[highchol]

If you come from the UK and are old enough you may remember the 16'er law where 16 year olds were restricted to 50cc mopeds so most of us had Yamaha FS1E's. I liked the exotic so lusted after a Fantic GT which was quicker but more temperamental.

Getting past the moped stage my sensible head went for a Honda Superdream but like H2oDunc I lusted after the Benelli Sei.

Something about those Italians.

yeah the Yamaha FS1E was the most popular round may way followed by the suzuki ( forgot the model ) then the honda ( not a plastic )

When you got to 17 year old it was the suzuki X7, if i remember was the fastest of the 250cc machines that UK 17 year olds were allowed to ride.

Sadly a few lads didnt make it to become 18 year olds.

Did the Yamaha RD250LC come out at the tail end of the 17 year old learner law?

So long ago but they were seriously fast.

Mind you, your right about the X7, a mate of mine had one that was tuned up, barrels/pistons ported, head skim and micron exhausts, and would beat another mates Yam XJ550.

yes i think it was at the tail end, after the law change the market collapsed for 250cc machines. the RD250LC was a serious machine as you say, i think they also had a 350cc version.

After the law change it was the 125cc market that prospered, but the 12hp limit on the machines limited development otherwise they would have quickly become ton up machines as well.

[Gary A]

I guess I'm older than most of you. We didn't have all those exotic rice burners back then. When I was a kid, you could have a Harley or an Indian. They were too big and out of my reach anyways. I REALLY wanted a Cushman Eagle but ended up with a Cushman Road King. It had second hand Piper Cub tires on it and I got replacement tires from the generous guys at the local air strip.

[gpdjohn]

I wanted a '48 Vespa ( still looking for one )

and anything Steve McQueen rode..

[Netfan]

I wanted a '48 Vespa ( still looking for one )

and anything Steve McQueen rode..

That's the Triumph TT Steve is on. Painted green to look more like a BMW. Apparently the BMW's couldn't do the stunts he put the bike thru.

[wrathfultalon]

As i didnt know anyone with a bike, I had to go with what i thought looked cool.

Yamaha GTS1000 looked bad ass with its strange front suspension and sleek looks and $14000 msrp, hey it was 1993 who would have thought it would have bombed soo badly?

[barrybike]

suzuki katana gsx 1100 was a bad ass bike in its day and still is ,,check out some real nice customised ones here and other old skool suzukis http://oldskoolsuzuki.info/

[yabaaaa]

suzuki katana gsx 1100 was a bad ass bike in its day and still is ,,check out some real nice customised ones here and other old skool suzukis http://oldskoolsuzuki.info/

Still made right up until 2000 "Final Edition" I bought one of the last ones imported from Japan sold it about 3 years ago, here was my baby.

Edited May 1, 2010 by yabaaaa

[bprinceuk]

Left school in 1966, and my dream bike was a Norton Dominator

[enginerevision]

Had this one in high school when 16. But I think it differs every country, some are allowed big bikes, some only mopeds at this age.

[Jangot]

My schoolboy dream was also a BSA Gold Star, I had a 350 Royal Enfield Bullet 1951 model when i was 13, great for riding round our large orchard and harvested fields, my first road bike at 16 was a BSA C10L, 250 sidevalve, i think i pushed it more miles than i rode it,

My younger brother started off on a Yam fizzy, 50cc, Yamaha FS1E, and because of the smell it made, he called it his Fried Sausage 1 Egg bike!!

So very close in experience there...

My dream also was a 500cc BSA Gold Star, in Manx race trim. Neighbour had one...deep envy.

At 14, I had a Royal Enfield Clipper 250 which I rode around the farm fields behind our house (and sometimes on the road when no-one was looking)

My first bike for the road, on my 16th birthday (1965) (250cc limit for learners then) was a BSA C12 250, which I tried to modify to look like a "Goldie".

J.

[seedy]

Kawasaki 500 Triple - Mach 3. Got one the next year, altho' was not in school anymore. Traded up to a 750 Mach 4 when available. Sub 10 second Monster with a slick and wheelie bars.

[nikster]

pix, people, pix. without pix, this thread is nothing.

I was dreaming of an (then already old) Yamaha XT 500 silver tank. Such a classic!

And later a Tenere (not knowing how hard these things are to steer).

Never had the money though so sadly never had one.

[ttakata]

suzuki katana gsx 1100 was a bad ass bike in its day and still is ,,check out some real nice customised ones here and other old skool suzukis http://oldskoolsuzuki.info/

Still made right up until 2000 "Final Edition" I bought one of the last ones imported from Japan sold it about 3 years ago, here was my baby.

I was gonna post almost the same bike, but I liked the 750SE version.

When I was a kid I used to make all the Tamiya model kits and the Katana 750 SE with its flip up headlight was the coolest.

Other than a GP bike, this was the dream for me in High school but I wanted a car more.

I didn't start riding till I was 27.

Edited May 1, 2010 by ttakata

[tubber]

1100 Katana, iconic bike of the 80s. Yaa Baaaa why did you sell it!? After years of looking I found a 100% legal unmolested, original 1982 GSX750 SS Katana here, still had the Jap spec hideous raised, pull-back clip-ons. Never seen a 1000 or 1100 though?

[submaniac]

Funny you guys mention the original Katana (considered by most to be the first modern Japanese sportbike), because there was an 1983 in the Los Angeles craigslist for less than $1000. In regards to the displacement, IIRC the first ones had a smaller displacement because Harley Davidson lobbied Congress (and got) for a bill that placed an additional tax on imported motorcycles above (I believe) 850 cc's. So the first batch suzuki shipped had a smaller bore to avoid the additional import duties. I have seen 2 other early Katanas on the roads in Socal in the past 2 months, and the design holds up suprisingly well; it still looks fresh even today.

[soihok]

At highschool age I was delivering newspapers for 1.2pounds a week, so owning a bike was a fantasy.

I remember being so jealous of my friends TS100 Suzuki. I left school in North England same time as the miners strike.........cash was short for everyone.

It was'nt until 17 that I was actually given a GT50 , it was restricted to something like 3bhp and did 30mph.

NEVER EVER EVER AGAIN will I entertain the idea of riding a small bike.

I was bitten by the bike bug in the early 80's when I saw a Moto Martin framed 6 cylinder CBX1000 in a shop.

I spent years on an X7 while my mates had LC's.........eventually I got some cash together and bought a brand new GSXR750 Slingshot in 88'.

Several GSXR's and a Vmax, later the perfect bike( for me in Singapore ) is now is what I own. Triumph Street Triple R

[spud1]

Yamaha RD250/350LC.It's looking dated now but became a cult bike and was the dogs <deleted> in it's day.I was lucky enough to aquire one when I was 16,but unlucky

to be caught by the dibble for riding underage.Cost me 6 points on my licence before I had one and I managed to make a headline in my local newspaper.I later went

on to aquire alot more speeding points.

[Pikey]

Wow, it's great to look back at these bikes. With 30 years of riding under my belt I've had a lot of these (Commando, Triumph twin, XT500, X7, LC350, Katana 1100) but the bike I lusted after when I was in school was the original 180 Laverda Jota. I left school in 1979 and in 1996 finally owned one.

Cheers,

Pikey.

[powderpuff]

Suzuki X-6 Hustler, Kawasaki Mach 1 500 cc triple, Triumph Bonneville & Norton was the dogs <deleted>. CB750 really set the benchmark.

[andrew55]

Gemini 50cc. Even had a clutch!!

[PeaceBlondie]

I was 21. Never ridden a bike. Bought the fastest bike in town, a dragster 700-cc Triumph.

[yabaaaa]

1100 Katana, iconic bike of the 80s. Yaa Baaaa why did you sell it!? After years of looking I found a 100% legal unmolested, original 1982 GSX750 SS Katana here, still had the Jap spec hideous raised, pull-back clip-ons. Never seen a 1000 or 1100 though?

I started to come to Thailand more and more and realised the futility of trying to bring it here. I still chat with the new owner who funnily enough has it tucked away in his London garage unused for about 2 years now as he got posted to Singapore!!! I could buy it back if I wanted but theres no point. Bought it for £3000 sold it for £3400 2 years later. This was "The Final Editon" which had a few good tweaks, better shocks better brakes, black wheels, but sadly detuned for the Jap market to 95hp but still enough for fun.

[yabaaaa]

suzuki katana gsx 1100 was a bad ass bike in its day and still is ,,check out some real nice customised ones here and other old skool suzukis http://oldskoolsuzuki.info/

Still made right up until 2000 "Final Edition" I bought one of the last ones imported from Japan sold it about 3 years ago, here was my baby.

I was gonna post almost the same bike, but I liked the 750SE version.

When I was a kid I used to make all the Tamiya model kits and the Katana 750 SE with its flip up headlight was the coolest.

Other than a GP bike, this was the dream for me in High school but I wanted a car more.

I didn't start riding till I was 27.

Actually this is a gsx750esd in katanaesque clothing I had the gsx750esd in 1984 see photo. Also my first bike at 18 gsx250ex i later bought a wreck in 1990 and rebuilt it (photo)

[khunandy]

Rockhopper minibike: First discovered girls like guys on bikes, lol. 1st ride was a scooter frame with a Victa lawn mower engine and a mini minor back wheel, bump start no brakes

Suzuki TS 250: Lived in the bush, had years of good fun on this bike

Ducati Dharma 900: Great bike, bad electrics but a great touring bike, finance company repossessed it

Suzuki VS 1400: Thailand ride, love it but just cant seem to relax as much when riding as I used to ( Dogs, Somchais and cattle etc)

[Neilly]

Started off on the road at 16 with one of these

Then a Suzuki GT250A

Then Yam RD350B

Then Yam RD350LC

And have had bikes ever since