McJeep
Active Member
annd into the way back machine we goooooooo
74 DT100 - hid it at a buddies house
74 DT100 - hid it at a buddies house
What's your first bike? With a picture please.
- Thread starter eemsreno
- Start date
Looks like you were on your way to participate in The Distinguished Gentleman's Ride....A Vespa GTS300.. not a bike per se, but I guess from the same species?
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Brand new first bike 1981 Yamaha Seca. It was the wrong bike for my first bike. I had no rider training or mentors to show me how to ride. It didn't last long or end well. The bike died, and I lived.
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This was my second bike. I loved her. But, yeah, as a first bike. . . . it's pretty quick. I went from the SECA to the FJ1200. Though I had bit off more than I could chew with that one.1981 Yamaha Seca. It was the wrong bike for my first bike. I had no rider training or mentors to show me how to ride. It didn't last long or end well. The bike died, and I lived.
1964 Honda CB450
RCinNC
Well-Known Member
Here she is....
My KZ440, sitting in the parking lot of my barracks in Germany in 1984. I bought it new from a dealer at the PX for, if I remember correctly, something like $1400. Seemed like an outrageous sum on my early 80's E3 salary. The area I lived was predominantly mopeds and tiny motorcycles, so this thing was like a Gold Wing.
Other than a two year period from about '86 to '88, I've never been without a motorcycle since I bought the Kawasaki.
My KZ440, sitting in the parking lot of my barracks in Germany in 1984. I bought it new from a dealer at the PX for, if I remember correctly, something like $1400. Seemed like an outrageous sum on my early 80's E3 salary. The area I lived was predominantly mopeds and tiny motorcycles, so this thing was like a Gold Wing.
Other than a two year period from about '86 to '88, I've never been without a motorcycle since I bought the Kawasaki.
pablogilberto
Member
RCinNC
Well-Known Member
I remember wanting one of those because it looked more like a Harley, but I'm sure it was out of my price range back in those days. I never had any issues with the 440, and it was a lot of fun cruising on it over in Germany.
I did the NYC/DGR in '16, '17, '18 & '19. I did not participate last year.
Looking forward to this year's DGR which if all is good will be held in May.
*That is me (yellow arrow) coming over the Brooklyn Bridge during the '18 NYC/DGR:
First bike was an '86 Yamaha Radian, in 2006... When taking it home, I should have taken it right back and asked for my money back when I noticed it said the colour was red on the ownership. Unfortunately, that was the least of that bike's issues
Madlap
New Member
I came late to motorcycling. In 2000, I bought this 1984 VF1000F Interceptor for CA$750.
Some said I was crazy. Well I guess I was. But being almost afraid of it at first meant that I was very respectful of it.
Would you believe that I rode it on two days before reaching fourth gear?
During the following three years, it was a blast.
Then I sold it and bought a CBR1100XX Superblackbird which I rode for the next 12 years.
Oh! That one I will never forget... Simply high class.
Some said I was crazy. Well I guess I was. But being almost afraid of it at first meant that I was very respectful of it.
Would you believe that I rode it on two days before reaching fourth gear?
During the following three years, it was a blast.
Then I sold it and bought a CBR1100XX Superblackbird which I rode for the next 12 years.
Oh! That one I will never forget... Simply high class.
Attachments
RCinNC
Well-Known Member
LOL, one thing I forgot to mention: before I bought the KZ440, I'd ridden a motorcycle exactly twice. One was an dirtbike in junior high school (couldn't even tell you what kind it was, but it couldn't have been any bigger than an 80CC) and the other was an early 80's Honda CBX 1000 that I borrowed from a Staff Sergeant in my company in order to take my motorcycle rider's test in Germany. My motorcycle learning curve was shaped more like a circle.
What else was an issue? My 89 first bike was rock solid, especially being a newly minted street rider...First bike was an '86 Yamaha Radian, in 2006... When taking it home, I should have taken it right back and asked for my money back when I noticed it said the colour was red on the ownership. Unfortunately, that was the least of that bike's issues
Part 2,Circa '78.
Me and my first "real" motorcycle (not a lawn mower engine type mini-bike) a '77 Honda XR-75:
View attachment 76210
**Those pegs and Timberland boots with worn out soles were not a good combo....
My first street bike, a quite modified '83 Suzuki GS-750E:
**That open Bassani's exhaust note was so completely visceral!
SeaBass
Member
Only 3yrs riding, so this is not an old bike, 2018 CB650FA. The only year it came to the USA, It was great to learn to respect the throttle. lol
These were taken the day after I rode it 4 miles from the Dealership, on the odometer it said 6 miles because It had 1 mile when they gave it to me and I spend 30 minutes getting to know it on the Dealership parking lot.
These were taken the day after I rode it 4 miles from the Dealership, on the odometer it said 6 miles because It had 1 mile when they gave it to me and I spend 30 minutes getting to know it on the Dealership parking lot.
Dirt_Dad
Well-Known Member
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No kidding. I'm pretty sure all of my underwear is older than that bike.Ha! When that is a "first bike". . . . no. . . . I don't feel old at all.
I'm sure a decent version of that bike would be fine, mine was a train wreck though.
It's been a while, but the main issue was the gas tank was completely rotted. Didn't know much back then (then?) so I paid someone to clean the carbs when they got full of rust. Then it happened again after a few hundred km's, so the guy cleaned them again and installed an inline fuel filter, and gave me a few spares. About every 100km's the fuel filter would get clogged up with rust and the bike would sputter. Once it started sputtering/stalling, pull over, lift the tank, swap the filter. Rinse and repeat.
Over the winter, I tried cleaning out the tank with acid, metal was so thin that I ended up with a pinhole leak. Noticed the drip on the first ride after, not a comfortable ride to get it home. Top tip, JB Weld works to seal a gas tank...
Besides that, the seat was poorly recovered causing it to absorb water when it rained. Plastic trim was all half broken. Gauges weren't original (found out after purchase) so who knows what the actual mileage was.
Sold it quickly after the gas tank incident and bought a near new FZ6 that was bulletproof.