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Why did you start riding? How long have you been riding?

4K views 75 replies 61 participants last post by  C-50 Rider 
#1 ·
Myself I was afraid, but a touch of the C four years ago and figured what the hell.

Started riding three years ago, took my course while my wife (now ex) was visiting family and bought an old Honda.

I was instantly addicted. It feels lame driving a car now.

The bike, the dog and the radio make me a happy rider.
 
#2 ·
I started riding in 1991. I had always wanted to ride. I remember my friend's parents getting their licenses when I was 16. I thought that was weird and why didn't they act their age. Still, it also made me want to ride.

As I was entering my 30's I realized it was "now or never." My husband (now-ex) bought two clunkers for a total of $200. I took the safety course in July of '91. The rest is history (or herstory)... :lol:
 
#3 ·
We owned a full sized conversion van that got, at best, 10 mpg. Usually, it was just me in the van as I ran errands while the kids were in school. When gas prices skyrocketed a few years back, my bicycle and feet became important modes of transport, but weren't so good for when I needed to travel farther than 3 miles. So I asked Skrapiron about buying a scooter for use around town. He had his wallet and the checkbook and was in the van before I finished my question.
We bought a Yamaha Vino 50 that day. I took the MSF BRC two weeks later. Getting 90 mpg while running errands let us save enough money that Skrap bought the Vino 125 for himself later that summer.
We've upgraded through the years, but we'll be buying another 50cc when Grenade Girl turns 16 and gets her driver's license.
 
#4 ·
When? Started this February, at age 45.

Why? For 40 of my 45 years (ever since I saw my Grandfather on an orange Honda CB???), I've been told I shouldn't, can't or won't ever have a bike.

After deciding now was my time for getting one, I gave myself a $4000 budget, shopped for a few weeks and bought a 2005 C50 w/ 2800 miles for $3800. So far, so good...
 
#7 ·
WHEN? I was 20 years old in 1993.

WHY? A guy I graduated with from high school used to hang out with one of my very good friends. Once in awhile, he would show up at his place on a motorcycle. Boy, I sure thought that was cool, so I took a motorcycle safety course, and bought my first bike for $600... a 1980 Kawasaki KZ650.

When I was 20, I used to live where I'm living now (Livonia, MI). After I got my bike, I refered to myself as the Livonia Fonz. In 2008, I moved back to the same place in Livonia, so I guess I'm the Livonia Fonz again.
 
#8 ·
When I was about 10-11 some guy showed up for a family party on a Goldwing. It was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen in my life. I remember my father taking it for a ride. He was the smoothest rider I have ever seen! Of course, my mother was PO'd at him. I come from a VERY Italian/large family. There are 11 of us kids and my mother didn't appreciate it. I, however, was mesmerized.

One of my favorite sat/sun programs around that time was Captain America. I loved that bike! So was CHIPS. Loved those bikes too!

around that time I found a picture of my father in a Zoot suit sitting on a motorcycle. It was a sears and robuck Puch. kind of looks like a Honda dream from the sixties. He also used tell us stories of his Servi-car. I am one of the younger kids so I don't remember it but when he owned a gas station he used to do house calls.

He'd drive to your house and fix your car. if he needed anything that the Servi-car wouldn't carry then he'd hook his servi-car to your back bumper and tow it back to the shop. He also used to tell us about the Gypsy runs that he went on with the servi-car. He claims that back then he could ride absolutely ANY bike he wanted in the group because everyone wanted a crack at riding his servi-car.

I used to spend every cent I had on motorcycle magazines and peddling to the other side of town to stare at the bikes at the local dealership. I even gathered up my baseball cards and tried to have a yard sale to try to buy one on my own. no go.

Finaly, my mother compromised with letting Dad get us a 4-wheeler. Don't tell her but my brothers and I pulled the same thing dad did. As soon as we where out of site, we'd change off with our 2 wheeling friends. :lol:

I only rode a few times from that time up until 11 years ago.

I almost kicked the bucket when I found out that I had a tumor in my right ear. It was extremely close to the brain and it was a close call. While feeling sorry for myself and re-cooperating I started to buy motorcycle magazines again and it just took off from there.

I took a class. scored a perfect score. found a CHERRY and almost mint 1973 cb750 and rode the crap out of it. One thing I learned pretty quick is that you can get a perfect score on the riding test but that don't mean nothin'.

I've had a couple bikes since then and can't really imagine NOT having one. I hope that I can be man enough like my dad to set aside such a passion for my family (if I end up having one) but I'm not sure I could.

anyway, I posted this before and I think it's cool. I read it in local biker circular this year.

Paraphrasing:

"Why do I ride a motorcycle? Because cars lie to us. They give us a false sense of security and tell us we are safe. Motorcycles are honest. They let us know how small we really are and at times will remind us that we're go'n a little too fast for our own good."
 
#9 ·
I started on a dirt bike at age 6. My neighbor's older brother had a 50cc Honda that he sold me and Troy for $25. My mother hated it and banned me from riding it on her property.

In my early 20's I bought an 1974 Yamaha RD350 (in pieces). While I was working on getting it back on the road, I got a 1991 HD Sporty. Rode the Sporty for a few months, then got rid of it and rode the RD350 once I got it running. Eventually sold the RD350 and immediately regretted it.....

Got married and begged the wife to let me get another bike. Had a boat, she said 'either a boat or a bike, not both'. Sighed and kept the boat.

Sold the boat in 2003, then watched gas prices spike. it was Weregrouch's idea to get a scooter. (finally). She rode it for a few months, then I went out and got one for myself. We've been riding ever since!
 
#12 ·
I'm the same as Boxerus. Dirt bikes as a youth satered out at around 6 with a RUPP. Moved up to real dirt bikes around 8. Only diff is I didn't get a real bike liceanse until I was 19. Did a few illegal years riding. First bike was a RD350. Then moved up to a Honda Shadow. Now the Bully with a 440 LTD for kicks. Oh and I just turned 50.

ps. Got a dirt bike in the shed also. Belongs to my Daughters fiance but possesion is 9 points of the law.
 
#13 ·
Coast_of_Maine said:
Tony - have you been able to ride with your Dad? Thanks for posting that.
I haven't. He is in his 70's now. about 8 years ago as me, my sister, my oldest brother, a cousin and a couple of brother inlaws started to ride quite often he was showing some serious interest.

we pitched in and payed for him to take a riding class. he painfully wanted to take the class but he decided against it. He asked me last year if I would take him for a ride on my bike! I nearly crapped my pants! we didn't have the time that day and I've asked him since and he's declined. I am gonna make it a point to take him for a ride this year.

I told him to take my bike for a ride. he's ridden one or two of my other ones but he says "that's too big. I'm too old".
 
#14 ·
one more thing and I'll get over myself and get off my soapbox but another thing I remember and contributed to my love of riding and actually the love I have for my father is his sense of humor.

1) I was in high school and bought a used honda dual sport. the battery was dead and the carb needed cleaning. it wouldn't run and my father convinced me to take it back to where I bought it because there was something seriously wrong with "the thing". Mom was at work again. My father could literally fix ANYTHING. his knowledge is VERY awe inspiring. He laughs about it now and apologized to me years later. "Ma was right-you where too young for the street".

2) my oldest brother came home with a cb something or other when I was really young. My mother FLIPPED!!!!! Dad ACTED upset. he played the part well but he DID demand that if my brother was to keep the bike he'd have to prove to my father that he could ride it. Dad took Paul to the parking lot down the street and made him practice and practice and practice. He put a dime on the ground and said. "you stop on this dime and stand the bike up for 2 whole seconds with out putting your feet down then you can keep the bike." Paul never could do it but my father could. No kidding. he was very graceful on a bike no matter how rough around the edges he was back then!
 
#16 ·
I started riding again a month ago (I'm 41 now). I rode dirtbike as a kid/teen, and have always thought about getting a street bike, but it never happened. My wife has been pushing me to get one for years.

This year I saw the Harley commercial saying 'Make this the year' so I did, by getting a C50!

loving it so far!
 
#17 ·
I began riding in 1958 (yep, I'm OLD) at age 14, just because it was fun, and a lot of my friends were riding. Have ridden all over the country, and had a number of bikes. Still love it, but am having to scale back some now due to the ravages of arthritis, various surgeries and such.
 
#18 ·
I started riding in 1968? It think? I was 13 or 14 anyway.
Why? I had ridden horses and wanted to go farther and faster! So, I finally conned, I mean talked dad into an old Suzi dirt bike and I was good.
But life got in my way and didn't ride much until I went and bought a brand new Vol in May 2004. Won't be without a bike again until I can no longer physically ride.
 
#19 ·
Got my first bike in 1972 - a 2 stroke 350cc Kawasaki Avenger I bought from a friend of my Dad's. Until then I had only ridden Briggs & Stratton powered mini-bikes.
Fellow I bought it from lived way out in the country, so my first ride was down 15 miles or so of dirt road.
Had to sell it a couple of years later to re-finance an new engine in my car. Sometime after that my Mom told me that I seemed a bit depressed and maybe I should get another bike because I always seemed so happy when I was riding.
Flash forward 32 years: Although I'd owned a few more during those years (some co-owned with my Dad) I'd been out of the saddle for a long time.
My Mom passed away from renal cell cancer and I was feeling blue. Her words about being happy with a bike in the garage came back to me so on impulse I went out and bought my Volusia.
 
#20 ·
Sorry about your Mom, but her words make me think of that saying "You never see a motorcycle in front of a therapist's office."
 
#22 ·
In 1976 when I graduated high school dad took us to visit family in Texas they lived in a subdivision and had a 175 dual sport bike. They asked if I wanted to ride it Sure I get on and one of them tells me at the last minute you don't have any brakes so be careful. First trip down the road some old lady backed out in front of me, I cleaned out the ditch jumped across her drive way and let it coast to a stop. When I got back to them they tell me if we knew that you knew how to ride we would have told you that the bike had front brakes.
later that summer my dad went to work for the Honda dealer and bought a lightly used CB 125
 
#23 ·
barrynfla said:
First rode on the street in '56 or '57. Like Smokey, I'm old!! :D
Okay, I'm not that old (I started riding in the early-mid 60's). My dad was always talking about the 39' Indian Chief that he bought after the war and his uncle used to show up every couple of years on whatever was the newest model of HD. Us kids (5 boys) used to mod bikes with horizontal shaft Maytag washer engines and ride them. Not a very good/safe ride but when you're young you're bullet-proof. Pop got tired of all the broken bikes etc. and bought us a Montgomery Wards Silver Pidgeon scooter, I was hooked. I've gone for periods without a bike but always seem to get another sooner or later.
 
#24 ·
I began riding a friends bike in 1959 when I was 19. In '63 bought a bike from him and rode it on the street and some dirt. I liked dirt riding; it was lots of fun, but '58 Ariel 500 was unwieldy where we rode so I traded a guy for a 250 Ducati and learned the correct way to fall down on that bike. In '67 I sold it to pay off a building lot so I could build a new house and was with out a bike until '74.

I became a full time street rider in 1974 with a string of Kawasakis:'74 400 triple, '78 750 twin, '86 Concours. I traded the connie for a Volusia in '04 when my health problem told me it was getting too big. I typically put 35k to 50k miles on my bikes

I have sellers regret on all my former bikes, even the 2 stroke, and with the Vol nearing 37k miles I'd get another mid-size cruiser.
Mr. rogers said:
Can you say 200 thousand miles? Sure, I knew you could.
 
#25 ·
Started dirt at age . . . . . . 9, I think (1978 ). Had my first real street bike in 86. (1972 Honda 750 FOUR).

Bought my 86 Virago in 88 and that's all I had for a number of years. In fact, I owned that bike for 20 years. It blew a valve and so I bought my bully in 07.

Fuuny, I don't "feel" this old. . . 8)
 
#26 ·
Hmm...where to start?? Well the first thing I learned how ride was my buddy's mini-bike around 1976. We terrorized the neighborhood with that thing and I really don't know how we didn't kill ourselves. It went fine, stopping was a bit of a problem. Rode various friends bikes throughout my teenage years. The person who really got me seriously interested in bikes was my first serious girlfriend. She was a Harley nut. I developed a pretty serious interest in Sportys. In 1980 I got in a semi-serious accident riding a friends bike. No broken bones but road rash all over the place. A week after the accident or so I climbed onto the back of a friends KZ400 which he immediately rides a hundred yard wheelie. I said to myself I'm going to get killed if I keep riding these things. I didn't get back on a bike for another twenty years. The bug bit me back in 2001 but the wife said no, when our youngest turned 16 he wanted a bike and the wife caved. I have been riding again for about four and a half years. It really was like I never stopped riding.
 
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