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What was your first bike


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1982 CB125T, bought new at the tender age of 18. I think I my ageing parents are still waiting for me to grow out of riding after 35 years...

cb125t2.jpg

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6 hours ago, jhenley17 said:

My dad begrudgingly co-signed for me when I was 19. More my mom, but ten years later, they both still think I should give it up.

My dad also paid for 50% of the bike, so he could have some control over what I chose and limit me to a 125. He wasn't really amused when I traded up six months later, whilst he was overseas.

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1987 Kawasaki EX-500. It's the only bike I put an aftermarket exhaust on too. Traded it in on a 1989 CBR600 after three years. When my wife got her license she got the CBR and I bought my 1995 VFR.

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First street legal bike at 17 with license in hand was a second hand, 1981 Kawasaki GT750, shaft driven, I was told it was a sports tourer. Never had any breakdown or failure of any sort. It really was reliable, had very long range and was fun to ride.

 

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On 30/06/2017 at 9:35 PM, Bikermike1 said:

When you reached the legal age to ride what was the first bike you got. I had a CB200, not pretty but it was reliable.

CB200.jpg

 

This was my first legal bike I got at 17 years old, but I started earlier than this. At 12 years old I rode my fathers 50cc step through moped on a farmers dirt track at the bottom of the street I lived. My dad got sick of having to hunt me down every time he needed the bike so he bought me a 50cc moped that I can't remember the model of. I also convinced him to bye an old lamdretta motor scooter that we found for sale. They weren't fast but for a 12 year old they felt like rockets, I had loads of fun on them and also some interesting spills on a motor scooter on a dirt track.

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13 hours ago, Bikermike1 said:

 

This was my first legal bike I got at 17 years old, but I started earlier than this. At 12 years old I rode my fathers 50cc step through moped on a farmers dirt track at the bottom of the street I lived. My dad got sick of having to hunt me down every time he needed the bike so he bought me a 50cc moped that I can't remember the model of. I also convinced him to bye an old lamdretta motor scooter that we found for sale. They weren't fast but for a 12 year old they felt like rockets, I had loads of fun on them and also some interesting spills on a motor scooter on a dirt track.

I inherited one of these from my Grandpa. One of his many little bikes.

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Speaking of Grandpa's bike, this is what I was hoping to restore with my dad when I was little, but he ended up giving it to a friend. It was the first bike I ever got to ride on, through the woods on his property in Middle of Nowhere, Alabama. I thought about making an offer if he still has it. Maybe one day. fa4f01c39be38f98369007b5dc87865f.jpg

 

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YAMAHA Twin Jet 100cc 2 stroke 

Still not sure why how I got a way with riding on the roads before I could get a license, I guest they thought it was safer than riding my ten speed on our country roads that did not have any sidewalks. 

Yamaha--jet-twin.jpg

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First bike I purchased just after obtaining my license was the awesome CBF 600 S ( a 2004 model in a dark blue dress)

 

easy to ride, fun to ride, cheap to by cheap and easy to maintain, nearly indestructible => the perfect newb bike :cheerleader:

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On 6/30/2017 at 8:49 PM, jhenley17 said:

I'm quite a bit younger than you gents. Also, 'Merican, so I couldn't ride some sissy girl-size bike (joke.)

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What are you talking about?  That totally is a sissy girl-size bike :wink:  In all seriousness, that bike would make an excellent beginners bike for a mildly responsible rider.  The clutch and controls are easy, throttle response is very tame and easily managed below 7k.  Disk brakes all around and "normal" sized wheels, mean grippy modern tires on a light-ish weight frame for easy maneuverability and quick stopping.  The insurance I pay yearly on this bike is rediculous low, considering it is basically a cbr600f3 without fairings.

 

 

On 6/30/2017 at 10:45 PM, CDNBCN said:

First bike for me was a used 1999 CBR 600F4, very reliable and a joy to ride. 

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I started on one of these too, an F4i in white.  Same bonuses I listed above for the 599 + expensive tupperware panels.

 

I totally have nothing against intelligent/mature riders starting out on 550-650cc bikes, but I've had plenty of fun on bikes smaller than that too.  Problem with the American market is that to some degree, the level of equipment that comes on a sub 500cc bike is IMO not worth the price.

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A Suzuki AP50, I wanted a Fizzie' but was just too tall to be comfy on it.

AP50.jpg

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First bike was a 1999 Chinese Chunlan Starway 125cc. Not the bike I wanted, but the only bike that I could afford as a 15 year old. A huge plus was that I could drive it for days without stops other than the occasional fueling, eating and to get some sleep. If it didn't break down, witch it only did once surprisingly.

Can't find any pictures of mine but this is how it looked like

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It got totaled the second season I had it, after a car pulled out in front of me just after a bend. Then I got a Aprilia RS125 for a couple of years. After selling it I only had cars for the next 8 years. Until last summer when I got a Suzuki Tempter, and last week I bought a 1999 VFR800. Must say it's good to be back on the right amount of wheels again.

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I totally have nothing against intelligent/mature riders starting out on 550-650cc bikes, but I've had plenty of fun on bikes smaller than that too.  Problem with the American market is that to some degree, the level of equipment that comes on a sub 500cc bike is IMO not worth the price.


Although I don't think anything less than a 250 is really safe on most American roads, or at least the roads around here, I don't recommend a 600 to anyone I care about that's never been on a bike. I got very lucky several times, though I'm still not what you'd really call "mature" (but far from completely idiotic/squidly). It still has enough power to overwhelm in the first two gears if you haven't learned about positioning and using your legs. If my wife ever does start riding, hoping she'll want another 599 for her second bike.
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1 hour ago, jhenley17 said:

 


Although I don't think anything less than a 250 is really safe on most American roads, or at least the roads around here, I don't recommend a 600 to anyone I care about that's never been on a bike. I got very lucky several times, though I'm still not what you'd really call "mature" (but far from completely idiotic/squidly). It still has enough power to overwhelm in the first two gears if you haven't learned about positioning and using your legs. If my wife ever does start riding, hoping she'll want another 599 for her second bike.

I dunno how it work in the US but in france, you have to pass a 20-30 hours long formation (depend on your level) to get your licence.

After that, you will have to spend 2 years on a bike having at most 47bhp (It can be a bike under 90bhp restricted to 47).

Finally, you will have to spend a 1 day long formation to "evolve" your licence into an unrestricted one.

 

I myself started on a CBF 600 developing a whooping 34bhp. I can assure you the power is much more manageable than a RC390 for example.

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10 minutes ago, Coatzin said:

I dunno how it work in the US but in france, you have to pass a 20-30 hours long formation (depend on your level) to get your licence.

After that, you will have to spend 2 years on a bike having at most 47bhp (It can be a bike under 90bhp restricted to 47).

Finally, you will have to spend a 1 day long formation to "evolve" your licence into an unrestricted one.

 

I myself started on a CBF 600 developing a whooping 34bhp. I can assure you the power is much more manageable than a RC390 for example.

 

LOL :) in "Merica" we ride whatever.... we see kids starting on Hyabusa's, R1's, Full size Harleys...etc..  One license fits all, so get licensed on a 125-250 and you get a license good for anything.... it's Crazy, and most places no helmet required either... 

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Haha. In the US, you take a written test, do a figure 8 in the parking lot inside of a certain area, and bam, you're licensed to legally ride a turbocharged Hayabusa if you want to. Alternately, you can take a Motorcycle Safety Foundation course that last for one weekend, as I did, where they teach you very basic skills. The libertarian part of me says fine, but common sense isn't all that common and a lot of people don't know what the crap they're doing.

 

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14 minutes ago, jhenley17 said:

Haha. In the US, you take a written test, do a figure 8 in the parking lot inside of a certain area, and bam, you're licensed to legally ride a turbocharged Hayabusa if you want to. Alternately, you can take a Motorcycle Safety Foundation course that last for one weekend, as I did, where they teach you very basic skills. The libertarian part of me says fine, but common sense isn't all that common and a lot of people don't know what the crap they're doing.

 

This is all very true, and a pretty sad indictment of the licensing mentality. Along the same vein, you can take a 2-seat Smart car to the DMV, use it to get your license, and then go out tomorrow and buy a 40 foot motorhome and drive off into the sunset.

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1974 Yamaha 100 MX. Screaming yellow zonker. This thing could rev real high and out run a 125 Elsinore. To bad it was crap on the track!
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My buddy in high school had one, I can still smell the oil injection--we'd tear up the neighborhood him and I
Me on my SL100 with the straight pipe--- neighbors hated me big time


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Screaming yellow zonker.

 

Do they  still make this "food"? :happy:

 

Mine was a CL360, like this but with a pull back handlebar, and iirc a luggage rack out back.

Rode that thing from Chicago to the north woods of Wisconsin and home again, back in the day.

 

 

Honda cl360.JPG

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