Pilot2Wheels
Well-known member
He will be 16 on Sunday. I haven't committed to a bike yet. Still letting my head and heart work this one out. Most likely a Dual sport. I'll keep y'all posted though.
How old were you?
- Thread starter Pilot2Wheels
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Pilot2Wheels
Well-known member
How did you like that Honda? I sure loved mine. I guess since it was my first, I will always have a special place in my heart for that bike. Wish I still had it.This was the bike I saved $$ for in high school. Was going to tour the country on it...
I ended up only saving $1500 during High School, so I got this when I was 18 instead...
A couple of years later, I saved up enough for this...
...stolen a year later...thought I would never get a better bike. Ever.
Enter the FJR...
Great pictures.
airboss
Well-known member
Not exactly Don.
Karl and I had the same exact start. This is the Sears Allstate Standard 175, which was actually a Puch manufactured in Austria. In 1957 I was 9 years old and my Cousin Stan was 11 when we got this bike at The Stanley Family Farm outside of Oakdale, California. We gave our Grandfather Ed Stanley back our allowances earned while working on "Sleepy Hollow Cattle Ranch", a 400 acre working spread on the banks of the Stanislaus River.
Our Grandfather Ed was a Wonderful Man, our allowances did not even come close to buying this bike; but a loving Grandfather made up the difference for "His Boys"!
We were not supposed to ride anywhere but on the ranch, but Ed Sr. knew we were sneaking it out for trips to Oakdale and Knight's Ferry. He loved us and ignored it!
In 1978 after Granddad Ed's funeral and the reception for him back at the ranch house. Stan and I went out to the old chicken shed to look at the Allstate 175 one last time, we cried like babies and we were both Army Veterans. Man oh man, that Sears Standard sure gave Stan, my Grandpappy Ed and I some great lasting memories!
Mine was more like this. The $287.00 covered the Moped, tax, title, plates, and insurance for a year.
At the time Illinois allowed 14 year olds to operate two wheels under 5hp on the street without a drivers license.
The other popular bike with 14 year old males was the Triumph Tiger Cub.
Nice thing about the Tiger was there where kits available to boost it to a lot more than 5 hp.
Had a couple of friends that had kitted out tigers who where nice enough to wait for me at the corner and even let me ride their bike once in awhile.
At 16 had a uncle that was moving and after he packed his Harley in the trailer decided he didn't have room for his Bridgestone 90, so he gave it to me. Yaa-hoo!
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madmike2
Shtirrenuppenmeister
Actually, in CA, I could legally ride a motorcycle on a "learner's permit" at 15 years of age.
I had a Parilla 250 Scrambler though most of my riding was on the street. My dad had a Triumph Cub (and a Harley) and we used to ride to the dirt roads and trails along the American River and enjoy ourselves. I remember loading the bikes into a trailer for family vacations. Great memories!
Here's a photo of a Parilla like '64 one I rode.
Pretty cool when most others had Honda 50 cubs!
I had a Parilla 250 Scrambler though most of my riding was on the street. My dad had a Triumph Cub (and a Harley) and we used to ride to the dirt roads and trails along the American River and enjoy ourselves. I remember loading the bikes into a trailer for family vacations. Great memories!
Here's a photo of a Parilla like '64 one I rode.
Pretty cool when most others had Honda 50 cubs!
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Dudewado
Well-known member
I learned to ride in my best friends back yard on his Honda CL-70.
My aunt forged a school permit for me so I could get a job at McDonalds when I was 15.
I saved up $819 and bought a new '72 Honda CB 350.
My mother always said that was the happiest face she ever saw in her life.
No instruction, no rider's courses; I'm surprised I lasted the first week.
Luckily, I read every motorcycle magazine and book I could get my hands on and learned about counter-steering, braking, and maintenance.
I owe it all to my best friend, Brandon Whitten. R.I.P.
My aunt forged a school permit for me so I could get a job at McDonalds when I was 15.
I saved up $819 and bought a new '72 Honda CB 350.
My mother always said that was the happiest face she ever saw in her life.
No instruction, no rider's courses; I'm surprised I lasted the first week.
Luckily, I read every motorcycle magazine and book I could get my hands on and learned about counter-steering, braking, and maintenance.
I owe it all to my best friend, Brandon Whitten. R.I.P.
08FJR4ME
-WYNPRO-
Legally? 
rogdeb
Scouser
You bet we win :yahoo: But some experience in the dirt would have been great, huh?
.
.
.
Yeah
k1oj
Well-known member
17, US Air Force, 1972, Kawaski Triple...
Hudson
Well-known member
I tried riding a few bikes before 18 (mostly dirt bikes on a farm), but I got my first one when I was 20. Nighthawk 650, a reliable and fun bike. It was my only form of transportation for 2 years in college, and I sold it when it began cramping my dating ability. Chicks dig guys with motorcycles, but didn't necessarily want to ride on them all the time.
(Got to love my late 80's red rain suit. Provided zero protection, except against rain.)
When I finished grad school, I bought an FJ1100. Way to much bike for my experience level, but I had a good time anyway. I just wished I had taken longer trips. Sold that after I got married and was bikeless until the FJR. Making up for lost time now.
(Got to love my late 80's red rain suit. Provided zero protection, except against rain.)
When I finished grad school, I bought an FJ1100. Way to much bike for my experience level, but I had a good time anyway. I just wished I had taken longer trips. Sold that after I got married and was bikeless until the FJR. Making up for lost time now.
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Khunajawdge
Toto El Mundo!
Krell
Active member
I started riding illegally on the street when my dad got me a little purple pull start mini bike at about 10yrs old. From there I progressed up through a few dirt bikes (Honda SL 100, KX 125, RM 400) and finally a Kawi 400 twin. All of which I rode on the street and in a manor befitting of an *****. It's not good when you and your buddies say "I'm bored let's go get chased by the cops. Cool lets go!". It's a wonder I survived my childhood unscathed ;-)
When I left for college my mother donated all of them to charity. After college I put a deposit on an sport bike. I think it was GSX 1100. I can't remember. Any way it was way to fast and I was still way to irresponsible at the time. I thought better of it and got my deposit back. Maybe that was the first sign of maturity.
I did not actually pickup riding again until my 40s when I finally got my endoresment and bought my first legally registered bike in 2008. An 08 FJR. Now with kids and lots of responsibilities I am a (mostly) law abiding ATGATT type of rider. Don't get me wrong. I still love to light the wick, but I am much more prudent about when I do.
So I responded to the poll with 40-49.
When I left for college my mother donated all of them to charity. After college I put a deposit on an sport bike. I think it was GSX 1100. I can't remember. Any way it was way to fast and I was still way to irresponsible at the time. I thought better of it and got my deposit back. Maybe that was the first sign of maturity.
I did not actually pickup riding again until my 40s when I finally got my endoresment and bought my first legally registered bike in 2008. An 08 FJR. Now with kids and lots of responsibilities I am a (mostly) law abiding ATGATT type of rider. Don't get me wrong. I still love to light the wick, but I am much more prudent about when I do.
So I responded to the poll with 40-49.
MCML
Not All Who Wander Are Lost
I was 49 years old. Bought one of the first 1999 SV650's that Suzuki released. Wouldn't ride it on the freeway, though, so I figured out a route from where the dealer was in Thousand Oaks to Tarzana (where I live) using only surface streets.
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19 for me on a '74 Kaw 750 H2 triple. What a great frist bike. Was truly a love/hate relationship though. I hated it on rainey days when the foot was inclined to slip off the kick starter. Big freaking ouch. Had it for about two yrs but did my first big rides on that bike. Dallas/Sioux Center IA and Dallas/Chicago via Tennessee and Kentucky. Had the bike for about 2 yrs.
Didn't get my next bike, '82 CBX, until I was about 27. Sad to say I only had that for about 2 yrs as well. Sold it so we could landscape the yard. Then bought a dog, and it promptly dug up the yard. See, you sell a great bike and bad karma follows.
17 yrs passed before I bought me beloved Feejer. Been making up for lost youth time ever since.
Didn't get my next bike, '82 CBX, until I was about 27. Sad to say I only had that for about 2 yrs as well. Sold it so we could landscape the yard. Then bought a dog, and it promptly dug up the yard. See, you sell a great bike and bad karma follows.
17 yrs passed before I bought me beloved Feejer. Been making up for lost youth time ever since.
Frzp
Member
During a nice snowy Butte Montana winter (sometime around January) when I was 17 I bought a 1978 500cc Yamaha street bike. Shoved it in the back of my friend's truck to take it home and when the snow was melted enough I brought it out into the street and learned how the clutch worked in conjunction with the throttle; I was proud of myself for not dropping it either. Could not go very far as the road was only partly cleared. Then it snowed again and I had to wait 2 months to take it out of the garage again.
Now I live in Oklahoma with a lot less snow and less insulation needed to ride.
Now I live in Oklahoma with a lot less snow and less insulation needed to ride.
Road_Runner
Accelerati Incredibilus
15 when I inherited a moped. Due to joining the Army, I didn't get my first street bike until 22 years. You never forget your first... in my case a Yamaha 400 Special with fairing that was bought with the bike and provided by Yamaha. Now 14 cycles later I have the FJR....
garyahouse
newbs need the forum
I remember the Waterford Kettering High parking lot was full of those things, as well as DT 250 Yammies and RD350s and even a three cyclinder Kawi 500. I saw a guy do a viscious wheelie on that thing in the parking lot there at school, followed by an angry cloud of blue smoke. Klotz, which I think was a relatively new product, certainly helped with the 2 stroke-smoking problem not long after that. The cage side of the lot was like a modern day classic car show. Muscle cars were the rage and many a day we watched kids burn up their tires on the access road leading from the school. Those were the days.
Me? I was double dating on my moped.
Just kidding. Actually, my first bike was a Vespa... Got it just before my 12th birthday. Dad's friend sold it to him for 100 bucks. Don't laugh, at least it ran. We had soooo much fun on that dumb thing. I remember the week I got it. I drove it up and down the driveway so many times, the neighbors were about to kill me. We had a cabin up north and the following spring we took it up there where I drove it up and down the dirt roads for years. It looked something like this one:
Gary
darksider #44
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Bill
Well-known member
When I was 15, I had a girlfriend who was 16. She also had five older brothers and three of them owned motorcycles. Naturally, she knew how to ride all of them.
One day, she suggested that we take her brothers 1965 Sportster XLCH for a ride and I started to climb on behind her. She stopped me and let me know that since I was the guy, I would be the one driving. After I explained that I didn't know how to ride a motorcycle, she gave me a quick two-minute explanation and sent me down the road on her brothers bike to make sure that I understood the instructions.
Without a doubt, I didn't fear for my life when riding the bike but rather feared for my life if I screwed up and dropped her older brothers bike.
Fortunately, the only hitch was when I stalled and needed to restart the bike. When I kicked it, the recoil threw me off the bike and onto the pavement.
When I got the bike started, I rode back to her house, she got on the back and I haven't stopped riding since.
When I had a drivers license and her brother went into the Army a year later, I bought the Sportster.
One day, she suggested that we take her brothers 1965 Sportster XLCH for a ride and I started to climb on behind her. She stopped me and let me know that since I was the guy, I would be the one driving. After I explained that I didn't know how to ride a motorcycle, she gave me a quick two-minute explanation and sent me down the road on her brothers bike to make sure that I understood the instructions.
Without a doubt, I didn't fear for my life when riding the bike but rather feared for my life if I screwed up and dropped her older brothers bike.
Fortunately, the only hitch was when I stalled and needed to restart the bike. When I kicked it, the recoil threw me off the bike and onto the pavement.
When I got the bike started, I rode back to her house, she got on the back and I haven't stopped riding since.
When I had a drivers license and her brother went into the Army a year later, I bought the Sportster.
beemerdons
Certifiable Old Fart
Great Report Bill, Thank You! My first H-D was also a Sportster XLCH, a 1970 model. It looked just like yours except it was red and it ruined my knee; I bought it after returning home from my Army overseas tour. I had my "Sportster XLCH Knee" surgically repaired in 1990.When I was 15, I had a girlfriend who was 16. She also had five older brothers and three of them owned motorcycles. Naturally, she knew how to ride all of them.
One day, she suggested that we take her brothers 1965 Sportster XLCH for a ride and I started to climb on behind her. She stopped me and let me know that since I was the guy, I would be the one driving. After I explained that I didn't know how to ride a motorcycle, she gave me a quick two-minute explanation and sent me down the road on her brothers bike to make sure that I understood the instructions.
Without a doubt, I didn't fear for my life when riding the bike but rather feared for my life if I screwed up and dropped her older brothers bike.
Fortunately, the only hitch was when I stalled and needed to restart the bike. When I kicked it, the recoil threw me off the bike and onto the pavement.
When I got the bike started, I rode back to her house, she got on the back and I haven't stopped riding since.
When I had a drivers license and her brother went into the Army a year later, I bought the Sportster.
Pilot2Wheels
Well-known member
I remember the Waterford Kettering High parking lot was full of those things, as well as DT 250 Yammies and RD350s and even a three cyclinder Kawi 500. I saw a guy do a viscious wheelie on that thing in the parking lot there at school, followed by an angry cloud of blue smoke. Klotz, which I think was a relatively new product, certainly helped with the 2 stroke-smoking problem not long after that. The cage side of the lot was like a modern day classic car show. Muscle cars were the rage and many a day we watched kids burn up their tires on the access road leading from the school. Those were the days.
Me? I was double dating on my moped.
Just kidding. Actually, my first bike was a Vespa... Got it just before my 12th birthday. Dad's friend sold it to him for 100 bucks. Don't laugh, at least it ran. We had soooo much fun on that dumb thing. I remember the week I got it. I drove it up and down the driveway so many times, the neighbors were about to kill me. We had a cabin up north and the following spring we took it up there where I drove it up and down the dirt roads for years. It looked something like this one:
Gary
darksider #44
Waterford Kettering High School? As in Waterford Michigan? No way Gary! I went to high school in West Bloomfield. Small world.
Wayne
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