What started you off....???

[taylor]

I went to a local fair.           and Kenny Roberts had a mini motorcycle show on     , my gran bought me a maluguti 50, I was only seven, that was 40 years ago,   she paid 500. pound for it, that was a lot of money then, I also once took 5 of my mates. on my bike to Cardiff, on the main roads. all at the same. lol.

[Hedgetrimmer]

I went to a local fair.           and Kenny Roberts had a mini motorcycle show on     , my gran bought me a maluguti 50, I was only seven, that was 40 years ago,   she paid 500. pound for it, that was a lot of money then, I also once took 5 of my mates. on my bike to Cardiff, on the main roads. all at the same. lol.

That's a lot of money now 

[mr self destruct]

Had a Honda SH50 then a Kawasaki KH100 at 16/17 but only for commuting as I couldn't afford a car, no real interest.

Fast forward 23 years, when they built a production block on our car park at work and we all had a mile long walk every morning.
The motorbike park was still on site and the company run a scheme where you get £200 a year for non-work based training courses (guitar, sewing, and most importantly CBTs!), so it was a no-brainer.
Bought a 125 Virago, got the biking bug and did a direct access.

The plan was to work through a series of 5/600cc bikes to see which I liked the most, Bandits, Hornets, SV's, GS's etc. but it kind of fucked up when I bought the best one first. 

[darrsi]

Some sort of 50cc scooter when i was 17


Then some other 100cc thingy


RD125LC


Aprilia Taureg 125

Kawasaki KMX125

Kawasaki GPZ305

Honda NTV600

   600




Thought it was more than that, but i do tend to keep my bikes for a long time, i think i had the Honda for 10 years, and the Fazer for about 7 years now!

[hotmetal]

My Gpzzzzz was the bike I had for the shortest time, followed by the zx6. The gpz was downright dodgy, zx6 was fine but I never fell in love with it. Fzr I had for many years, and I kept both my Thous for ages. I've had this one 7 years.

[darrsi]

Some sort of 50cc scooter when i was 17


Then some other 100cc thingy


RD125LC


Aprilia Taureg 125

Kawasaki KMX125

Kawasaki GPZ305

Honda NTV600

   600




Thought it was more than that, but i do tend to keep my bikes for a long time, i think i had the Honda for 10 years, and the Fazer for about 7 years now!

Haha, wrong thread, i was wondering where my post went. 

[bandit]

.

[bolanjames]

Used to go to work as pillion on a 1976 kh250 triple. Loved it. Couldnt wait to get my own bike. First one i could afford? Suzuki gp100. I can here the laughter from here. lol.

[Ian-man]

I used to watch chips on the telly as a kid. Also used to cycle constantly so adding an engine was the next step.

[snakeyprince83]

My dad used to race motorbikes when i was a kid, so i always like them but i didnt really get in to them properly until a year ago! i bought myself a little 125 scooter to get to work, quickly figured out i loved riding but i hated scooters so i bought a fazer, the rest is history, well and truly hooked.

[Paul]

I saw a new Suzuki GT750 parked outside school in the summer of 1973.
So I got a Saturday job, sold my air rifle, bicycle and Bolton Wanderers memorabilia and bought a tired old Honda 50.


Oddly enough it was very reliable, which couldn't be said for its successor.... a CZ125..... or its successor a Ducati 160..... or its successor a BSA A7 (which was the singularly most unreliable vehicle I've ever had the displeasure of owning)...... but its successor, a Kawasaki S3 400 was a good bike.

[sinto]

Just came across this thread and funny enough talking to my dad earlier about the bank situation and other stuff got talking about what got me into motorbikes.

I was about 12 or 13 and we as a family were in sunny magaluf,  when I disappeared away from the parents as you do, duly went to one of those moped hire places and managed to wangle a deal with the guy for an afternoons hire

There's me jumping around on this moped with no helmet, no protection, no insurance probably?  And no foccin idea no doubt but it was an absolute blast and still remember it well, especially as I approached a zebra crossing and had to stop to let people across and you've probably already guessed, my parents were in the crowd crossing and they were in total disbelief it was me, but I just smiled, waited in them crossing and carried on with a big massive cheesy grin, priceless

[Steve]

 The majority of my dad's side of the family all own bikes. As soon as I could touch the rear footrests I would go touring with him, mainly on his mint Suzuki GSXR1100, but sometimes on one of his RD350's. As soon as I could take the test my parents bought me a single cylinder 2006 YBR125. I was very lucky to have such parents; aside from the initial expenses, my dad was very patient in pointing out the finer points of biking, mainly about observations and lane discipline. I'm can happily say I can't remember the last day that I wasn't riding at least one of my bikes   

[fazersharp]

I was riding pushbikes / trike's almost before I could walk my granddad had some sort of 1000cc velocet/vincent  I have a photo of my mum at age 20 on the back of it. My now 93 year old uncle used to go to IOM tt in his teens -- so I just think its in my genes. My Bro rides too

[freeware]

Always wanted one but never committed to until 3 years ago at age of 36 I said to myself: it's time! Done direct access.  Bought FZS600 as first bike from a friend.

[Millietant]

My Dad was always going to get me into bikes, but he needn't have worried - first year of senior school I got hooked on being involved in building our metalwork teacher's Kawasaki H1 engined sprint racer as a project, moved on through a series of school projects to my own project, a school-built frame for a C90 engine I picked up for £5, followed by making all the bits to fit forks, wheels, tank/seat etc etc until we had a working field bike.


Dad bought me (or was it him) a FS1E before my 16th birthday, so that he could ride 20 miles to a site for me to practice on it. But, I was totally hooked.


Hardly surprising really as I was apparently conceived either in the Black Forest, Luxembourg or Liechtenstein, during my mum and dad's last bike touring holiday before they started a family.


As I got older and bought my own bikes, my dad used to steal the keys occasionally so he and my mum could go for days out (I didn't mind except when he took my new FJ 1200 put and rang me from the Lake District to go and pick them up because they'd gotten a puncture).


Anyway, when he was 72, he was diagnosed with cancer, so he bought himself a Suzuki 600 and for a couple of years, well into his mid 70's, he'd come out with me, my younger brother and our mates, on the bikes, hooning all around the north of England and the Scottish Borders, it was brilliant seeing the looks on people's faces when we pulled up and he took his helmet off - an old gadgets on a sports bike with a loud pipe

[celticdog]

Never had bikes in the family but as a kid neighbour had kawa z1, beautiful air cooled muscle bike. Occasionally he would let us kids sit on it (supervised) and give us a 'backie' up garden path, happy days. Back then I was a Evel Knievel fan and had the stunt cycle and t shirt. Fast forward several years, took my bike licence at 21 yrs old. Fuck them all, fuck that bitch who broke my heart, I'll show them, as Ogri says "Stuff everything -I've always got my bike".

[TomS_]

Myself and a bunch of friends planned a 3 day trip around Wales. So I (and 3 others) had about 3 months to get our full license from start to finish (a couple of us had never ridden before) in preparation for that.


Now that weve got it and the trip is done, why stop?