Your First Bike Affair - what bike seduced you.

[fasteddie]

Aerial Arrow.

[firefox999uk]

In the late Sixties first bike was a Royal Enfield Crusader 250cc.....had an oil leak from the crank case that i
could never ever stop so i called it the Royal Oilfield. From there bought a Norton 350cc just for the featherbed frame

and planted a 650cc t120 Triumph Bonniville pre unit engine in it to become a Triton....funnily enough im still running a

Triton today but the Mitsubishi kind with 4 wheels....aarrhhh memories.

[Spoonman]

My first was an RM80.

[liddelljohn]

First bike i owned was a BSA starfire ,, but I lusted after a Norton commando and got on at 19 eventually owned 5 all lovely ,2 were750 other 2 were 850 and one with 920 kit ,

these days i own 3 Ducatis , have ridden more tha 70 differnt bikes and owned 35 over last 40 years , prefer twins over 4s and like some triples

prefer 360 degree twins or V twins rather than 180 or 270 , dont love bland bikes

[wayned]

A Triumph in the erly 1960s. It actually kept me out of trouble as I spent more time repairing the F#*kin thing than doing anytihig elsebut that was the beggining!.

[transam]

First bike i owned was a BSA starfire ,, but I lusted after a Norton commando and got on at 19 eventually owned 5 all lovely ,2 were750 other 2 were 850 and one with 920 kit ,

these days i own 3 Ducatis , have ridden more tha 70 differnt bikes and owned 35 over last 40 years , prefer twins over 4s and like some triples

prefer 360 degree twins or V twins rather than 180 or 270 , dont love bland bikes

As a kid I worked at AMC making Norton, AJS and Matchless............

[ll2]

a single speed 50cc Puch moped at age 11.

something similar like in the photo.

it was a perfect do it all machine for those ages without injuring yourself to death and my family was feeling safe enough when i was leaving home with it alone.

first tastes of real freedom, road rash and first encounters with traffic police!

[KRS1]

1990 Yamaha YZ 80.

1984 for me, but i could only afford the RM80 (with drum brakes)

Id have the brochure next to my bed to get a quick fix.

[liddelljohn]

First bike i owned was a BSA starfire ,, but I lusted after a Norton commando and got on at 19 eventually owned 5 all lovely ,2 were750 other 2 were 850 and one with 920 kit ,

these days i own 3 Ducatis , have ridden more tha 70 differnt bikes and owned 35 over last 40 years , prefer twins over 4s and like some triples

prefer 360 degree twins or V twins rather than 180 or 270 , dont love bland bikes

As a kid I worked at AMC making Norton, AJS and Matchless............

You must be blind and handy with a sledgehammer after bashing all those bikes together down in Plumstead .

AJS = All Junk Spares

Matchless = er with what ???? a dead dog .

BSA =Best Scrap Available or Bits Stuck Anywhere

Triumph = defeat ,,

Lucas electrics = Lord of Darkness

Oh the joys of old british iron

Edited February 9, 2014 by liddelljohn

[Loptr]

I started young.

[bobo42]

1995 CBR600F3

First bike I ever rode. Best purchase of my life. Actively rode it for 10 years, and still occastionally for another 5 after that. Wonderful daily driver - small enough to be easy and forgiving, comfortable enough for long trips, and fast enough to be fun as hell. The best money I ever wasted.

[Kwasaki]

First bike i owned was a BSA starfire ,, but I lusted after a Norton commando and got on at 19 eventually owned 5 all lovely ,2 were750 other 2 were 850 and one with 920 kit ,

these days i own 3 Ducatis , have ridden more tha 70 differnt bikes and owned 35 over last 40 years , prefer twins over 4s and like some triples

prefer 360 degree twins or V twins rather than 180 or 270 , dont love bland bikes

As a kid I worked at AMC making Norton, AJS and Matchless............

So was you the one working as a spy for the Japanese to produce something better.

Edited February 10, 2014 by Kwasaki

[VocalNeal]

Here's my first temptress.

[Familyonthemove]

I had such terrible old nails I persevered with biking despite my early bikes: BSA Bantam , BSA B25 Starfire, Norton Commando 750, Harley Sportster ...... big gap ....... Triumph 955 Sprint RS, Enfield Bullet.

After 40 years on bikes I'm considering buying my first Japanese bike (CB 500X) but it's made in Thailand so I think it's exempt from the pact we took in 1978 to never ride 'Jap Crap".

[AllanB]

I am 13 years old and I buy a 50cc Villiers, something or other, a kind of dirt bike, for two quid, possibly hot........and it goes without having to pedal. Banned from ever having a bike by my mum, I keep it hidden round my mates house.

Specification:- 50cc 2 stroke, bhp quite a lot when you are 13, 2 gears, no clutch cable, jump start, loose front forks and only a front brake working (nice), circa mid 50's. Nearly killed us both, on separate occasions, nearly nabbed by the police twice.

Seduced at 13?... not really, but what a laugh for a whole year. I think we put too much oil in the petrol, used to smoke a lot, even remember the smell. Made my mum a little suspicious that smell of 2 stroke.

[AllanB]

I am 13 years old and I buy a 50cc Villiers, something or other, a kind of dirt bike, for two quid, possibly hot........and it goes without having to pedal. Banned from ever having a bike by my mum, I keep it hidden round my mates house.

Specification:- 50cc 2 stroke, bhp quite a lot when you are 13, 2 gears, no clutch cable, jump start, loose front forks and only a front brake working (nice), circa mid 50's. Nearly killed us both, on separate occasions, nearly nabbed by the police twice.

Seduced at 13?... not really, but what a laugh for a whole year. I think we put too much oil in the petrol, used to smoke a lot, even remember the smell. Made my mum a little suspicious that smell of 2 stroke.

[sotsira]

Kawasaki ZX7R

[AllanB]

I've had lots of motor bikes over the years but the bike that rings most bells was the "BSA Bantam", followed by the "Honda SL70".

I learnt to ride the Bantam in the paddocks near home as a kid.

Having whet my appetite with the Villiers 50, I lusted after a Bantam (royal blue I think I chose) leading up to my 16th, had the brochure on my bedroom wall for a while....and with my paper round money it was just affordable. Dear old mum put a stop to that, supported by dad so I waited another few months and bought a Fiat 600, with a loan from pop and my biking days were over.,,,until now.

I was the first apprentice with a car, most of the others had bikes or scooters, so still got to work on the odd bike and race them. We had races around the firm's gravel car park after hours, almost decapitated Joe on his 350 MZ under a sign#s steel frame.

Halcyon days and so my close calls, how did stay alive...probably because I had a car, not a bike..

[moe666]

1971 BMW R50/5

[AllanB]

Is it just me or are these old bikes 1,000 times more desirable than the new stuff?

Can't image kids lusting after a Wave, or a scoopy doo, or even a CBR.

Edited February 12, 2014 by AllanB

[fasteddie]

Is it just me or are these old bikes 1,000 times more desirable than the new stuff?

Can't image kids lusting after a Wave, or a scoopy doo, or even a CBR.

Says more about your lack of imagination really!

Kids not lusting after a blade? Yeah right!

Sent from my LG-P880 using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[transam]

First bike i owned was a BSA starfire ,, but I lusted after a Norton commando and got on at 19 eventually owned 5 all lovely ,2 were750 other 2 were 850 and one with 920 kit ,

these days i own 3 Ducatis , have ridden more tha 70 differnt bikes and owned 35 over last 40 years , prefer twins over 4s and like some triples

prefer 360 degree twins or V twins rather than 180 or 270 , dont love bland bikes

As a kid I worked at AMC making Norton, AJS and Matchless............

You must be blind and handy with a sledgehammer after bashing all those bikes together down in Plumstead .

AJS = All Junk Spares

Matchless = er with what ???? a dead dog .

BSA =Best Scrap Available or Bits Stuck Anywhere

Triumph = defeat ,,

Lucas electrics = Lord of Darkness

Oh the joys of old british iron

Just read your post, you are obviously a s___ h________ who knows nothing. At the time I was working at AMC all the effort was put into the Norton P1 for export to the USA.

BSA or Triumph had nothing to do with AMC..

[fasteddie]

First bike i owned was a BSA starfire ,, but I lusted after a Norton commando and got on at 19 eventually owned 5 all lovely ,2 were750 other 2 were 850 and one with 920 kit ,

these days i own 3 Ducatis , have ridden more tha 70 differnt bikes and owned 35 over last 40 years , prefer twins over 4s and like some triples

prefer 360 degree twins or V twins rather than 180 or 270 , dont love bland bikes

As a kid I worked at AMC making Norton, AJS and Matchless............

You must be blind and handy with a sledgehammer after bashing all those bikes together down in Plumstead .

AJS = All Junk Spares

Matchless = er with what ???? a dead dog .

BSA =Best Scrap Available or Bits Stuck Anywhere

Triumph = defeat ,,

Lucas electrics = Lord of Darkness

Oh the joys of old british iron

Just read your post, you are obviously a s___ h________ who knows nothing. At the time I was working at AMC all the effort was put into the Norton P1 for export to the USA.

BSA or Triumph had nothing to do with AMC..

What was the P1?

[AllanB]

First bike i owned was a BSA starfire ,, but I lusted after a Norton commando and got on at 19 eventually owned 5 all lovely ,2 were750 other 2 were 850 and one with 920 kit ,

these days i own 3 Ducatis , have ridden more tha 70 differnt bikes and owned 35 over last 40 years , prefer twins over 4s and like some triples

prefer 360 degree twins or V twins rather than 180 or 270 , dont love bland bikes

As a kid I worked at AMC making Norton, AJS and Matchless............

You must be blind and handy with a sledgehammer after bashing all those bikes together down in Plumstead .

AJS = All Junk Spares

Matchless = er with what ???? a dead dog .

BSA =Best Scrap Available or Bits Stuck Anywhere

Triumph = defeat ,,

Lucas electrics = Lord of Darkness

Oh the joys of old british iron

Since when has lust have anything to do with practicality, most of the sexiest women can't cook, clean, or even fix a bike. Plus all that old British iron was pretty successful in it's day, won just about everything, they set the pace for the Japs to copy, but all things must pass.

I would swap my Honda for almost any British bike, but we are not allowed to have them here, unless the Thai government rob us first.

By the way AJS stands for All Jolts and Shakes, a title now taken by HD, a make still in production.

[liddelljohn]

Transam your a bit touchy mate Cant u take a joke calling me a shit head ??? i know Plumstead was only AMC and Norton after they left Bracebridge Street ,triumph was meriden and BSA was up in Brum , and i have owned all of them ,, actually i love old british bikes , currently restoring a BSA lightning in UK and have recently got hold of an old M20 here in LOS

Friend of mine Dave from Portsmouth has a P11 with a 750 Atlas engine was that a special model for USA only ???

[seedy]

My first bike - 1968 Kawasaki 90. Now I had the freedom to go where I want when I want.

My first Lust - 1969 Kawasaki 500 triple. Fastest thing on the road, built-in hinge in the frame somewhere under the seat, absolute crap brakes. Loved it until 750 came out, and traded up. Port, polish, bored, flat-slided monster. My first time machine - twist the throttle and you don't ride there, you ARE there. Scary.

After these, the love affair continues ...

[soihok]

My first bike - 1968 Kawasaki 90. Now I had the freedom to go where I want when I want.

My first Lust - 1969 Kawasaki 500 triple. Fastest thing on the road, built-in hinge in the frame somewhere under the seat, absolute crap brakes. Loved it until 750 came out, and traded up. Port, polish, bored, flat-slided monster. My first time machine - twist the throttle and you don't ride there, you ARE there. Scary.

After these, the love affair continues ...

Nice one!

In the same vein as the GT750.

I remember seeing these bikes up for auction in Worksop in the early 80's.

My dream bike was an LC350, but never had enough cash to buy one.

The old Japanese 2 stoke 750's were (ARE!) something else.

What would health and safety make of them now???

http://old-skool-suzuki.proboards.com/board/24/photo-month

[Cylon]

1962 6T .Thunderbird 650 ,pre unit.

[papa al]

1967 Yamaha Twin 100.

Yep, 97cc 2-stroke twin...would top 120km/hr.

$426 new from dealer.

Gasoline was about $0.22/gal.

I have a photo but can't figure out how to upload it.

[soihok]

Suzuki GT750 - this one is breathtaking

http://old-skool-suzuki.proboards.com/thread/1587/1976-gt-750-smoker