My first bike, other than a mini-bike I had when I was 12 years old, was a Kawasaki H1 500 two stroke triple. I was shopping with my girlfriend for a used car. I wanted a convertible and I didn't have much money. Along the highway with a row of used car lots was a Kawasaki dealer. I went in thinking I would look at the 400cc 4-stroke that was their entry level machine that year. Next to it was the 500, and the 500 looked like a lot more machine for a little more money.
I put a small deposit down and went home to borrow the rest from Mom and Dad. Mom had always said that if I or my brothers ever came home with a motorcycle we would have to move out, so I expected it to be a hard sell. It turned out to be much easier than I expected and I had the cash the next day.
When I pulled out of he dealership, with just a permit, the salesman told me to take it down the side street a couple of times before heading out on the highway. I said OK, but I didn't do that. I rode that motorcycle through the summer and winter that year. The next year both of my brothers bought a leftover of the same bike. We had a lot of fun for a couple of years.
