Sorry to hear of NPNs probs with a car depriving him of motorbiking in that other thread,
thort I'd start similar on 'bikes' :
My first, a BSA Bantam Bushman ( but at the time I didna know it was a Bushman ! )
then a Tiger Cub,
and without further messing about I upgraded to a Vincent Comet and a Rapide in Shadow trim (carbs, compression etc. but never aquired a 'big clock' to complete its transmogrification ! )
Thanks for asking - it will be interesting to see what the membership have owned over the years.
For myself, the only 'bike that I ever owned was a 1974 Suzuki GT250K. A fabulous little bike which did some very long journeys, but which was unfortunately involved in a major prang which injured my then fiancee (later wife). The accident confirmed the fact that cars are inherently far safer than motor bikes. After its repair, the 'Suzi' was sold (very, very reluctantly I might add). Twenty years later an 'excursion' into scooters followed, but as they couldn't get out of their own way (especially on hills) these 'toys' weren't even in the same parking lot let alone being in possession of the same 'pedigree'.
honestly not sure, I owned a lot of bikes over the years. I think that the first was either a D3 bantam or a 250 Villiers engined trial bike with sprung front hub, not sure of the make but it may have been a Cotton. Then onto a G3 Matchless, a Benelli 250, a Suzi super 6, a 450 Duke, a 400cb 4 Honda, a Domi or 650ss Norton - really not sure, a little Goldie, CD175 Honda, Yammie 250 and a few others. Current - another Honda - NC750S.
Definitely NO H-D's, Kwackers, Urals, Jawa's or similar!!
Cheers, Bill.
Started with a Honda C70 step through (Dad had a C50 and I wanted the extra power :smiley-laughing:
Moved up to a Honda CB125.
Nearly bought a Norton 850 Commando (Brand new). Dealer refused to put right some issues I'd pointed out on the bike (Split footrest, mark on the tank etc) so I walked away and bought a Suzuki GT250K.
Moved up to a Suzuki GS400.
Then up to a Yamaha XS750.
Got married.
Yamaha needed a new exhaust so I bought a GL1100 Goldwing. Now it gets boring because my next bikes were;
GL1200 Goldwing, GL1500 Goldwing,
Triumph Tiger 750,
GL1000 Goldwing, GL1100 Goldwing, GL1500 Goldwing and I still own it.
Not a motorcycle but it was the only transport I could afford when I was out working at 16.
A Raleigh moped with (3) gears 49 cc and a top speed of 30 mph, mind you it did cover about 120 miles to the gallon!
Happy days!
Peter.
I HATE motor bikes BUT Val did buy a brand new motorbike and side car she used to take my son and daughter to school in it but it developed a fault and she always had trouble starting it ( later after selling it we found out it was a faulty kill switch) she then had a Honda 250 and cheated because it had an electric start . Her Dad was a bike fan and always wanted a Vincent but couldn't afford one so when Vals brother came along they called him Vincent he also is a bike fan and has had several high powered bikes over the years I can't remember the makes but he has a Triumph Twin Sport I think that's what it's called.
Bob
No particular order, except the first was a 1934 BSA 250 with tank gear change, cost me 3 quid. Lambretta 150. Ariel square 4 with chair, BSA 250, 350, 500.Triumph 500 twin and a few I can't remember.
Oh, the last one was a Honda 250 in the '70s which I rode once and decided the roads were too damned dangerous for two wheelers!
I started witha reconditioned Honda C50 (£50)
then a Suzuki 200 invader 2 stroke
then a Ducati 350 Single ( Desmo ) at college - lovely bike, lousy electrics
Suzuki 500 2 stroke (great for working as Soho motorcycle courier in vacs)
Honda 450 Black Bomber - stripped a spark plug thread so had it in bits in my college bathroom!
BMW 69s - leading link front forks - a bath to ride
and finally BMW R75 - given away 25 yrs ago
now on pedal-cycle!!
'Motorbike' may well be stretching it, but this was my first motorised transport; cost a fiver
(http://i1366.photobucket.com/albums/r774/Mitch_Kalnajs/mobylette2dw_zpsvixlwo9h.jpg) (http://s1366.photobucket.com/user/Mitch_Kalnajs/media/mobylette2dw_zpsvixlwo9h.jpg.html)
And then I <cough> 'upgraded' to (50 mph!! Beat all my mates) one of these....
(http://i1366.photobucket.com/albums/r774/Mitch_Kalnajs/garelli01_zpsharpkooq.jpg) (http://s1366.photobucket.com/user/Mitch_Kalnajs/media/garelli01_zpsharpkooq.jpg.html)
17th birthday I had my first driving lesson, passed my test 3 months later and never rode (or pushed) a bike again.
.........Still quite fancy a 'Bretta though :goggleeyes:
My first motorised transport was a NSU Quickly, a misnomer if ever there was one. 50cc of raw, pulsating power. It had pedals, which you needed if there was a hill steeper than 1%. I left home and the NSU behind and later bought a LI150 Lambretta scooter, no tax, insurance or MOT to run about on the aerial field when I worked at Caversham. Left it behind when I moved to Brum in 1971. Bought a Honda c100 then a 175. Passed my driving test in a mini, never road a bike again in anger.
My first bike that I owned was a Yamaha DT50. Then a couple of Kawasaki KMX125's (one I still have).
I am due to inherit (awful to say!) an Ariel NG that was made for WW2. All original, just needs a repaint.
My dad is a biker and is in a large bike club (I used to be in it as well), and he has had probably over a hundred bikes. All clapped out old things and only owned one from new, which ended up under a lorry on the M20 after two weeks. :-\ ;D
its amazing what you learn on here - a Raleigh moped with 3 speed and a 250 Lammy scooter :D
first (only) bike was a 250 twin BSA Sunbeam scooter , got a good soaking during a thunderstorm - passed the bike test then went on to 3 wheels , but that was to fall apart as the car had reverse and another test was needed !
Started off with a Raleigh 'Roma' 80cc scooter bought for £15 which promptly seized up and chucked me down the road, so binned that and bought a new Honda 50cc (not the step-thru) then progressed to a CZ 250cc (ring-ding-ding) and formed the Northampton Motor Cycle Club with some friends. Having passed my test I went for a Triumph Tiger 500cc and helped form the Northampton branch of the Triumph Owners Club (Nulli Secundus). Moved on to a Triumph Tiger 750cc and thence to a 750cc Bonneville.
Organised and ran to many bike rallies all over the country and did a tour of Europe on the Tiger 750 (Belgium, Luxembourg, Holland, Germany, Switzerland and France in 2 weeks)
Had to sell the Bonnie when a car crash knackered my right arm in 2 places :'(
Still think of getting another bike but I just know as a 'born again' biker I'd probably kill myself on it :worried:
First bike (only a few years ago) was a Sachs Madass (125cc)
(http://www.sachsbikes.com.au/images/madass1.jpg)
Current ride is a Harley Iron
(http://www.motorcyclespecs.co.za/Gallery%20B/Harley%20Iron%20883.jpg)
The best thing about riding a Harley is that cars dont seem to mind you lane splitting :D
Quote from: mr bachmann on April 22, 2015, 01:48:11 PM
its amazing what you learn on here - a Raleigh moped with 3 speed and a 250 Lammy scooter :D
first (only) bike was a 250 twin BSA Sunbeam scooter , got a good soaking during a thunderstorm - passed the bike test then went on to 3 wheels , but that was to fall apart as the car had reverse and another test was needed !
Well spotted, it was a LI 150.
A BSA Bantam 175. Bought off my brother in law. Found it very hard to kick start. So. Bought a Honda CB 175 with electric start off my brother in law. Next was a Honda CB250. Used to travel from Colchester where I was stationed to Barnsley every weekend rain, blizzard or shine. God did it get cold. When I arrived back in Colchester I used to park the bike just inside camp and go to the pub next door for a couple of brandies to warm me up. Didn't half get strange looks in all the bike gear, except helmet. Also used to ride from Barnsley to Shrewsbury over the Snake Pass regularly. Met a blizzard on the way once but managed to stay on the bike only skidding once just turning into the camp gates. Had a Honda CB 500 twin for a while but had to sell that as I was being posted to Hong Kong.
A few years ago I turned to two wheels again as I had to start paying for parking. Bought a Piaggio Hexagon 250 to see if I
could get back into it. I did but the Hexagon was unreliable so I got rid and bought a Vespa 200 GT. Nice little machine but no soul. Swopped that for a Vespa PX 125 with a Malossi 166 cc kit on it. God the neighbours hated that at 7 each morning. Got rid of the kit and put a 150 head on it which made it so much more civilised. Still got it with all the Mod chrome attachments and trying to find time to respray it.
Wow didn't I ramble!
Here is my current ride
(http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u188/Graham1500/IMG_0080.jpg) (http://s168.photobucket.com/user/Graham1500/media/IMG_0080.jpg.html)
25 years old this coming September.
Imported in 2006 as a non runner.
100k miles covered.
I do all my own maintenance.
My first bike was a puch grandprix in John player colours. Next a suzuki gt 185
GT 380,last a GT750 water bottle. :thumbsup:
My first Bike in 1964 was a Suzuki 50 followed later by a Honda CB250.
Apropos the Honda 50, and FWIW:
Many years ago a friend and his girlfriend (both in their teens) travelled from Auckland (New Zealand's biggest city, located in the country's North island) to Mt. Ruapehu (Mt. Roo-uh-pay-who) and return on his Honda 50 Step-through. The round-trip distance: 658 km (approx 394 miles). They travelled in the middle of winter as they wanted to go skiing!! The journey took 8 hours ONE WAY and was largely along New Zealand's State Highway 1; a very heavily graded highway and the busiest roadway in the country.
Apparently, although the the journey was an absolute nightmare in respect of the weather and the trucks (some very close encounters, and a lot of 'wake turbulence' - especially from the logging trucks and long haul rigs), the '50 didn't miss a beat - even on the steep sections.
For some reason though, the journey was never repeated....
Has anyone read 'Jupiters Travels' by Ted Simon (round the world on a 500cc Triumph), later repeated in 'Dreams of Jupiter' (not on a Triumph)
Interesting reading :thumbsup:
My first motorcycle was a C50L stepthrough,then CB100N ,CB250N ,CB900F,GPZ600R,KH250 ( x2 ) GSXR1100,CBR1100-Blacbird,GSXR750,Also had a classic Triumph. Sadly I no longer ride :'(
Quote from: newportnobby on April 26, 2015, 09:33:50 AM
Has anyone read 'Jupiters Travels' by Ted Simon (round the world on a 500cc Triumph), later repeated in 'Dreams of Jupiter' (not on a Triumph)
Interesting reading :thumbsup:
I found "Zen and the art of Motorcycle Maintenance" good reading, I skipped some of the mystic bits ::)
Yes, I'll admit to having read the 'Simon books. Interesting works.
Started in 1991 ns125r,cbr600,
Break of 4/5 years got bug again
Tzr250, fire blade,gs750,srx400
Break of 10 years bug bit again
2013 Yamaha ybr125
Just been out today bought 2007 Kawasaki er6n , one previous owner,872!!!!! Certified miles
Bargain
My first motorised bike was also a Mobylette, also "B" reg, also bought for £2, but it didn't have leg shields. Impoverished student friend had run it on paraffin..................
I kept it four years, Station transport as too early start for buses. One day a neighbour was on the same train, he usually travelled later. He said "Your damn Moped.............." then went on to laughingly explain that he was just waking up as I left, and after a few weeks he started to get amused then eventually wound up by the fact that he'd hear my front gate go, it get bumped off the kerb and it ALWAYS started first "kick", summer or winter, wet or snow..........he said he was waiting for the day that it didn't start first time, and it never came............. :D
I sold it for £26................ :bounce: And bought a Puch "Maxi".
The only bike I ever bought new and first true motor bike I still have, is a Honda CJ250T, the stripped down 2 into one silencer, no electric start, yellow peril. Its currently in my house loft (Yes, Really!). 1976, genuine less than 18k.
Started on a Puch Maxi, moved up to a Honda50 followed by my first real bike a Suzuki T250. (GTs were not around). Honda CB350 then a Norton Commando.
1977 the racing bug bit. One season as a Junior at Speedway on a Jawa - gave up couldn't stay on, so went road racing. Rode Suzuki T20 then Yamaha TD3 before moving onto newer machines with a TZ250 then my TZ350 which got overbored to make it eligible for the 500 class. Half a season on a Suzuki RG500
After a couple of years off, went back to the sport "Vintage & Classic Racing" with a BSA Lighting and a restored little "Itom" 50cc (ex Bill Ivy from the Chisholms workshop).
Dabbled in the big four strokes with a overbored Suzuki 750 doing the 1000cc championship rounds before deciding that tarmac hurt and not making work on Monday mornings was beginning to upset the boss. My biking days were over. Never bought anything since although still long to own another.
Puch Maxi was a brilliant machine! :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
At the same time I was given the opposite extreme, a Honda P(I think)50, which had the engine in front of the rear wheel low down but as one casting with the rear hub, supposedly direct drive, but nasty nasty engineering and very unsuccessful. :censored:
Hi NPN, sure did read Ted Simon, a long while back now. Fun book, and I seem to remember a short, but quite out of character, rant regarding the design for adjusting the tappets or similar.
Great thread this one, love hearing about other peoples bikes. I had a puch as well at some stage. prior to that had a proper bicycle which had a small motor mounted over the rear wheel. You could cycle it by lifting the motor up, or drop the motor onto the wheel and that would drive you along. The whole thing was a self-contained unit, including the fuel tank.
cheers, Bill.
My best friend and I built a James/Villiers 100cc out of 2 broken ones, just to mess around in the local fields. It had a 2 speed gearbox, of which only high worked. We had lots of fun.
I then bought a Honda 50, 3 speed, which was in a Honda 90 sports frame. It was a none runner.
My friend and I spent time working out what was wrong with it and managed to sort out several minor problems, only to find we could get no spark at the plug. We finally worked out that the coil was not working. My elder brother offered to get me a 6 volt coil from a scrap yard and came back with an old car one.
We played around with connecting it in and finally got a spark. Being bigger than the original bike coil, we had to find somewhere to put it. We came up with the bright idea of jamming it under the seat. It still wouldn't kick start, so we tried bump starting it. It managed to fire up several times, but would not keep going. My friend finally decided to keep running and trying until it finally fired and kept going.
WoHooooo. He jumped on the bike, to ride it back to me, only to leap high in the air as his inner thigh came in contact with the end of the coil, sticking out of the side of the seat.
We tried moving the coil into various positions, but soon got fed up with the thigh zaps.
Tried putting the coil inside the frame, but it kept shorting against the frame. Decided to look in my dads garage and found some foam rubber. Great I thought.
Went to put the foam rubber in while the engine was running and was nearly thrown across the patio. When I told my Dad what had happened. After being told off about helping myself to his stuff in the garage, he told me it was a sample of experimental conductive foam rubber...............
Excellent, love the conductive foam story, cheers, Bill.
"Its currently in my house loft (Yes, Really!)"
Nothing unusual about that apart from the loft bit, I had most of a Honda 400F in my back bedroom, the engine was under the kitchen table.Then the kids came along and I had to buy a shed.
Quote from: lil chris on April 28, 2015, 10:34:20 PM
"Its currently in my house loft (Yes, Really!)"
Nothing unusual about that apart from the loft bit, I had most of a Honda 400F in my back bedroom, the engine was under the kitchen table.Then the kids came along and I had to buy a shed.
Built and serviced my TZ250 at the back of the lounge area in our apartment for an entire racing season. Used to dismantle the fairing and front end to get it out down a flight of stairs and then squeeze it into the back of my escort van.
My first bike was a Honda 90 sports, 1965 reg, bought from a work colleague in late 1968 just before my 16th birthday, not long after I started work as an (apprentice) chemical plant operator for Boots. I then traded it in for a new BSA Starfire in 1970. This suddenly developed a loud knocking noise from the engine just after the guarantee expired. It turned out that the con rod had split from big end to little end due to the crankshaft being turned slightly oval instead of perfectly round. BSA supplied replacement parts free of charge but I had to pay the labour charge. I eventually had to sell it as I couldn't afford to keep paying the HP and put petrol in it. I'd changed jobs by then and was getting paid slightly more but I still couldn't afford to run it.
Next was a Norton Dominator. Bit of a bag of nails. Everything went wrong with it. Went for scrap eventually and I moved on to to cars for a long while.
In 1977 I bought a Honda CB 400 Dream for commuting as the buses were unreliable and there was no free car parking available. It's still in my garage awaiting restoration, if I ever get around to it.