What sparked your interest in motorcycles?

[Ol'89r]

Do you remember what first sparked your interest in motorcycles? I remember it like it was yesterday. That's pretty funny because I can't even remember what I had for lunch yesterday but, I sure remember this.

I was about six years old and living in McKeesport Pa at the time. I was in my bedroom playing with my toys or picking my nose, whatever six year olds do to entertain themselves. It was then I heard this noise coming from across the street. Ka-thumpa, ka-thumpa, Ka-thumpa. :whoa: What could it be?

I looked out my bedroom window and saw this beautiful two wheeled thing parked across the street. Had never seen a motorcycle before and I was completely consumed by the sight of this strange vehicle. I watched until the owner came out and rode off into the distance and something inside of me said, "I want one of those." I couldn't wait until he came back so I could get another look at the strange machine that made the funny noise. He would come and visit the girl that lived across the street and it was the highlight of my day when I heard that Ka-thumpa, ka-thumpa, ka-thumpa noise coming down the street. :yeehaw:

That was more years ago than I care to think about but, that one spark made me search for more and more information about motorcycles. By the time I was old enough to actually ride one, I had already read as much info as I could find. A stack of motorcycle magazines sat in the corner of my room and every other page was dog-eared from reading them over and over and picking out the ones I wanted to own.

That spark still lives in me today. I thought I would have outgrown this by now but it's not happening... :coocoo: Can't wait for this damn rain to stop so I can go riding.

What's your story?

 

[Mully]

Mine was a ride to town with the next door neighbor. I was maybe five, no more then six at the time. Neighbor was in high school. He came over to ask my mom if I would like to tag along with him to go race slot cars at the local hobby shop. I had no idea we would be riding to town on a bike. I can not remember what type of bike it was, but the ride to town was the coolest thing. I had never felt the wind in my face, nor the feeling of "not" being surrounded by steel doors, roof, etc. For all I cared, I could have skipped the slot cars and rode around all day. From that day forward, my peddle bike made motorcycle noises anywhere I went, or at least had a playing card in the spokes.

Mully

 

[dirt bike dave]

I got a 'late' start.

In 1974, when I was 12, we visited my aunt and uncle in South Carolina, and my cousin had a Honda just like the one picture below. Even though he would not let me ride if after I crashed it hard into a ditch, that was all she wrote for me.

Shortly after, got my first bike, a '73 Suzuki TC100.

 

[mx547]

it was about '73 or so. i was thirteen and went to a midnight movie. the movie was "on any sunday." i knew at that moment, i would someday race motocross. it would be about fourteen years later before it happened, but i did it for twenty-two years.

a few months later, a friend let me ride his yamaha 100 enduro around the block. i felt like the king of the world. i still feet that way today when i ride.

 

[dirt bike dave]

Ah, totally forgot about the OAS factor!

I saw it in a theater the first week it came out. LOVED IT, even though I'd never ridden. One of my friends got a bike about that time (a Yamaha 90), and we were all jealous. He and I used to go to the Yamaha dealer and drool over the very first YZ80's.

 

[Rich Rohrich]

I remember mine pretty clearly. I had mostly seen choppers growing up and thought they were kinda cool but never gave them a whole of thought. What really lit the fire was when my neighbor down the street brought home a new 1968 Kawasaki Mach III 500. I was 10 at the time and the look, sounds and smell of that bike changed me forever. He was an Eastern European machinist guy who grew up with motorcycles so this bike was his dailiy driver for most of the year. That is no mean feat in Chicago. He was constantly fiddling with it, and making cool little bits and pieces to replace the stock Japanese stuff.

He was really good about letting me hang around by his garage and talking to me about how everything worked. He also gave me my first motorcycle mag. That cemented things and ruined me for life.

Even 42 years later this is still a great looking bike.

 

[rickyd]

I was about 5 years old, my Dad had just finished building our house, was 1972. We were the only Mexican family in the neighborhood at teh time. After we moved in, we had a party.A bunch of bikers from my dads work showed up, we had choppers lined up across our front yard, thereby making me Theee Coolest 5 year old on the block. One guy took mr for a ride, bike had a diamond tank with a naked lady on it, hella cool!!!

Also, my neighbor was a pioneer in womens mx and she always had bikes around.

i had too wait until i was 17 to buy my own bike against my dads wishes LOL

My 7 month old has a bike :nod:

 

[Okiewan]

In 1974, when I was 12

U old.

Pokie's dad making Maicos
Pokie riding in his youth, stories there of
Trail 70 owned by a friend back in '72 ...
OAS (Getting to watch it WITH Malcolm was the highlight of my motorcycle existence)
My first was a 72 KE-100 that I traded a stereo for. Tore-up POS, but I got to ride... sometimes.

 

[IndyMX]

I can't remember how old I was when I was first exposed to motorcycles, but I'm sure it was not too long after I could hold my head up on my own.

My dad & uncle both raced flat track in the late 60's and early 70's, dad also did some hill climbs. Was the #3 in the nation in his class at one time.

I recall at running around at the tracks all over Indiana when I was still too young to get it. But I do remember standing at the fence watching them roar past, in total awe.

As I got older I always wanted to race, but for one reason or another was never able to, until I was 38 years old and just done with my last Chemo treatments. I had a little money in my pocket and no responsibilities for the foreseeable future, so I pulled the trigger.

I'm a little late to the game, but having the time of my life. Hopefully I'll return to the workforce in the next month and will be able to save up a little cash to make a more serious run this season in the Vintage Lights and Vintage Heavy classes on our local flat track circuit.

 

[Okiewan]

I'm a little late to the game, but having the time of my life. Hopefully I'll return to the workforce in the next month and will be able to save up a little cash to make a more serious run this season in the Vintage Lights and Vintage Heavy classes on our local flat track circuit.

The best of luck to you brother.

 

[IndyMX]

The best of luck to you brother.

Thank you sir!

 

[dirt bike dave]

Even 42 years later this is still a great looking bike.

Heck yeah!

Back in the 1990's, I lived next door to a guy that had one back in his youth. By the time I knew him, he did not ride anymore, but he loved to talk about his old Mach III. Blasting through the Caldecott tunnel at full song with the front end getting light obviously made a lifelong impression.

 

[Patman]

Being a little tyke when Evel Knievel was just hitting his stride left me no other choice. Then my dad got a 1971 Suzuki GT750 and I was bound and determined to have a bike. When I was 10 at green CT70H (4 spped manual clutch!) was aquired and it was all over. My brother crashed it twice and was done with it so it was all mine :) Several years later (1980's) the same brother ended up with a Suzuki GS650GT that he rode about twice and then told me to come and get it. I'm hoping he calls me here pretty soon again.

 

[High Lord Gomer]

Evel Knievel was my original inspiration. When I was 13 we finally talked my parents into buying a CT70. We owned 6 1/2 acres in the middle of a corn field and we wore a path the length of it beside the road that can probably still be seen today. Once we outgrew and permanently broke that I didn't get another until I was in college and had a roommate that was A class. He got me hooked. Even after a few injuries, I'm still hooked!

 

[Patman]

Even after a few injuries, I'm still hooked!

At least you didn't say scratches and bumps :laugh:

 

[whenfoxforks-ruled]

The first time I seen a motorcycle driven off road, I was intrigued to say the least! Appendicitis in 72 left me near dead, and in the hospital bed for 6 weeks. I seen it on tv! I acquired a twin pipe street bike, modded for the dirt, was all it took to seal the deal, I needed something better/safer! Honda released the XR-75. And it is still the most fun, with clothes on, a person can have. Vintage Bob

 

[RM_guy]

It was the summer of '68 or '69. My friend's bigger brother had out grown his Honda mini-trail and my friend and I inherited it and rode it everyday that summer in the woods across the street from his house. I was so hooked! He eventually got a Honda 70 and we kept ridding that.

Once I raised enough money selling seeds, mowing lawns, delivering papers or anything the paid money, I bought a new new '74 Suzuki TS125. All the lights and crap came off and I rode it until it literally fell apart. The next bike I bought was a '73 TM 125 that a good friend of my dad's named Rick Ramsey raced in California. It was tricked out with all kinds of aftermarket stuff. He shipped it out to me and I was so pumped because I had something I could actually race with. I have so send Rick an email and thank him again for the great bike.

 

[_JOE_]

I was about 8 when it hit me. The kid up the street had a kx80. I remember the first time I heard that little 2 stroke get on the pipe. He used to ride it in the woods behind the houses. He'd warm it up and clear it out in the yard before he hit the trail. I'd drop my PBJ sandwich and run out the door to pedal my ass off up the road so I could watch him spin a few laps around the yard. That Christmas I talked my mom into a MXA subscription. I had wish lists and pictures tacked up all over my room. About a year later my cousin was over and told me he had just gotten a bike, a 70s yamaha 175. He was about 5 years older than me. They have a camp in the mountains, oil country. There's endless "roads" through the mountains for well access, most of which are pretty grown in now that the oil boom is over but they gave us somewhere to ride. That was my first time on a bike, he took me all over that mountain.........I musta drove my parents nuts after that. It was all I thought about! The next year, early spring, my Dads friend called him up to see if he'd be interested in buy this little trailbike he had. It was a 78 kawi KM100. Needed a bore job and piston and points, lol. The guy knew his stuff and said he'd fix it up and get it running and sell it for what he had in it......80 bucks! It was the best 80 bucks my Dad ever spent. I don't think he heard me whine for 3 years, haha. I rode the wheels off that thing. Every day after school, from 10am (Mom's official start time) to dark.....that thing was rolling. It becomes an addiction of sorts. I've been without a bike a few times over the years since but never quit wanting to ride.

 

[BSWIFT]

it was about '73 or so. i was thirteen and went to a midnight movie. the movie was "on any sunday." i knew at that moment, i would someday race motocross. it would be about fourteen years later before it happened, but i did it for twenty-two years.

a few months later, a friend let me ride his yamaha 100 enduro around the block. i felt like the king of the world. i still feet that way today when i ride.

That's the way I remember it as well. I can still see Jeff Ward riding that wheelie!

 

[whenfoxforks-ruled]

I did not see THEE movie till much later, if I did this addiction could have been worse? I was curious about the release date, pretty sure it was not it, maybe it was! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_Any_Sunday . This site gets better daily, once inaccuracies are fixed.

 

[Ol'89r]

it was about '73 or so. i was thirteen and went to a midnight movie. the movie was "on any sunday." i knew at that moment, i would someday race motocross. .

I was fortunate enough, or, should I say, old enough :yikes: to be in the movie OAS. Raced many times with Malcolm and in the 1971 GP, lined up behind this guy named Harvey Mushman. (Steve McQueen). Steve and Malcolm were regulars at our local District 37 events. Ahhh, the good old days. :cool:

 

[motometal]

What sparked my interest...not having to pedal anymore?

My sister's boyfriend had a well-used CT70 in the barn, for $50 it was mine. I was ten years old, maybe eleven. Needed points and carb cleaning I think.

I remember on the first ride, 25 mph seemed like 250, almost crashed!

Second bike was an early 70s JT-1 (Yamaha 60 cc mini enduro), that thing would run circles around the CT70

a few others (and I'll forget some of them):

TM125 1973?
TS185
KDX80 Uni Trak
PE175 1982
RM125 1982
Yamaha 400 2-stroke enduro
CB750
H2-750
KTM 495
CR125 1988
CR250 1988

 

[Tony Eeds]

Don't remember my exact age, but I was in 5th or 6th grade ...

It wasn't exactly a motorcycle, but it was two wheels and had a motor.

A Cushman Eagle owned by a friend up the street. Boy, was it fun. We went everywhere on it.

My mother forbid me to own one so it wasn't until after my parents died that I get a bike. In '72, I got a one year old Penton 125 ISDE and that really started it all.

I've been riding since that date on anything I can get my hands on.

I've still got the Penton and a DKW that I bought a year later. I really need some room so I can restore them.

 

[2strokerfun]

Bought my first Briggs-powered mini bike for $20 bucks in 1970 from a kid up the street. His dad clearly told me the springs for the centrifugal clutch were broken and they were $5 up the street at the lawnmower shop. Well, mom and dad let me buy the bike, but I didn't have $5 extra dollars, so I stole some springs from my Pitch-Back and fixed the clutch. For about two days as those springs were waaay too weak for the application. Mom bought me little helmet and loaned me $5 for springs. Rode that for about a year, managing to break the frame, forks and everything else. I'd break it, dad would weld it back.
By then, the older kids had Real Dirt Bikes. When were buying my oldest sister's first car (a 65 Comet two-door I wish I had today), the guy selling it had a Yamaha mini enduro in his garage. I stood there for 30 minutes salivating on what I thought was the most beautiful bike ever made while my dad swung the deal on the car.
When it was time to leave with the new car, my dad came over to me, picked up the bike and put it in the trunk of the Comet and told me I could ride home with my sister !!!!! I couldn't flippin believe it !! 38 year later, I can't believe he did that. I never asked one word about the bike, but he obviously read my mind as I stood there staring at it. I bounced in the seat all the way home, cursing ever red light that popped up. I rode that bike for three hard years and could never destroy it (did fray about three clutch cables though). We lived at the eastern edge of the Tulsa city limits and there were giant fields surrounding our small addition with miles and miles of cool trails. In the summer, us kids would sometimes pack a lunch, leave our homes and not come home until we were low on gas or darkness coming. Still wish I had that bike. Ended up my dad paid $100 for it and I had to pay him back through no more allowance or $3 for mowing our one-acre yard until this was paid off. I basically never got an allowance or paid for mowing the lawn again, but that was OK as our allowance was about 50 cents a week and I always thought of getting paid for mowing the lawn as a gift since it needed to be done and my dad worked a ton of hours at the airport and on our house and in the huge garden when he was home. When I needed money for gas, oil or clutch cable, I would mow someone else's lawn in the summer or collect pop bottles or babysit a kid down the street about once a week during the winter.
The day I got that bike was probably the happiest day of my life and one I'll never forget. My dad did that out of the goodness of his heart and our family really couldn't afford it at all.

 

[VintageDirt]

Awesome story there 2strokerfun. Awesome.