This is the bike that started my obsession....

[typeone]

good thread

my uncles ~78 Bultaco Pursang. he kept it in a workshop shed, i can still see it in there, so f'in hot...



i thought 'road race' style bikes were stupid until i was maybe 13 - 14 (dirt, dirt, dirt) but one of our buddies we raced MX with quit and started road racing, we thought he was a lunatic. right around that time i started getting boners over the '87 RC30. still wasn't interested in riding pavement until 14 years later.

[gumby]

Great thread John!

Bought my first streetbike when I was 17- an '85 Nighthawk S. Many good times including several drags in Epping on street night- Where were you Dragginazz???

Mom was adamant that I not have a bike "until I was grown up". Unbeknownst to Mom and with dad's help, I managed to secretly own and store the bike at work (where Mom also worked!) FWIW, my folks are still enjoying 53 years of marriage!

[SwiftTone]

What started it all was my grandfather's '70s Vespa back in '80s/'90s. I asked and he agreed to let me ride it. I was 5-7 years old and immediately dropped it while trying to hold it up. He must have known I wouldn't get far because what responsible adult would let a little kid take a Vespa out for a ride?

He passed a couple months ago and during sharing every one of his grand kids had something to share about that Vespa.

Still remember the sound of the 2 stroke!

[SwiftTone]

Look on the bright side, if you had bought one prior to now she'd have half!

I think a lot of us have "that bike", the one that started the madness. For me it was a late 80s FZR1000 (I think, although it may have been a 750). A kid pulled into the parking lot at my college on one of them, and I lost my mind.

LOL. I could totally picture that Mike

[breakdirt916]

still wasn't interested in riding pavement until 14 years later.

uh wut?

you have a street bike??

[DucatiGuy]

My first Ducati was a 916, and the 916/996/998 are pretty much all I ride. Not because they are the best riding bike out there, but because the sound is intoxicating. I haven't found anything else that sounds so good.

Factory 916's are great looking. I'm thinking about making one with silver wheels too.

[typeone]

uh wut?

you have a street bike??

not anymore. had a 10yr run on a 01 CBRF4i, 05 XB12S and 07 SXV5.5 then went back to dirt only.

i'd like a small track bike or café again some day. or another sumo/DS'er.. .

[SRTie4k]

No bike really started "it" for me. First bike I ever rode was my cousins GSXR 750 (stupid, I know), so I naturally started down the sport bike path. But after owning a GSXR 600 for a year, I quickly realized sport bikes are not for me.

I think it was the 08 Z1000 that started my obsession with nakeds. I really liked that bike despite its polar appeal and shortcomings. I still love nakeds, but I'm slowly moving over into adv bike territory. My naked TL is now outfitted with high ATV bars, bags and Vstrom hand guards, and will probably soon have heated grips. I may have an actual Vstrom before the end of 2016 as well...

[motoarch]

That's basically considered the pinnacle of motorcycle sexiness right? Widely regarded as the best looking bike ever built?
Or am I thinking of a different duc?

Some would argue the f4. I think it's a wash

My first love was the speed triple from mission impossible 2.

[jwm2k3]

Some would argue the f4. I think it's a wash
.

Ive had two F4's. They are remarkably similar in shape to the 916/996/998 body...even moreso to the 848/1098/1198 design, which ive had 3 of those...still have an 848 and an 1198.

[Arcee-51]

For me it was my brothers 1986 GSXR 750 as pictured below only in in the red color way. Those old slab side Gixxers will always have a soft spot in my heart. I tell myself that one day I will own one of these beauties.

[Garrett]

88 GSXR750 in the red white black color scheme. Something about it caught my fancy.

http://www.airtech-streamlining.com/...GSXR750_89.JPG

Had one a couple years ago. My first real "sport" bike was an 88 750 I paid $250 for:



Since then I've had a hand full of oil burner GSX-Rs.

[LuvDog]

I remember dreaming about owning a Smokin Joes CBR... but never actually got around to it.

I have been lucky enough to own two of my dream bikes, the 916 and the ZX7R.

I will agree with the owner in the original post... my '95 916 is far from my favorite street bike... it's pretty twitchy for just riding around the streets.

[DucatiGuy]

I will agree with the owner in the original post... my '95 916 is far from my favorite street bike... it's pretty twitchy for just riding around the streets.

Are you saying you want to sell.....

[LuvDog]

Are you saying you want to sell.....

I'm torn on that decision.

[DucatiGuy]

I'm torn on that decision.

I'd be interested if you ever decide to let it go.

[Dmitry]

I always lusted after Tambourini's masterpiece, pretty sure it saved the company from extinction, sure 888's were fast and Foggy was winning races but they looked like any other bike, except red and often on fire.

Legend is that Massimo was well in to development of 916 when he saw the NR, at which point he tore up the drawings and started with clean sheet. Also heard a rumor that Foggy after seeing the prototypes flat out refused to race Singleside Swingarm bike... that's all ancient history and midwives tales, but to me 916, without a doubt is a best looking motorcycle ever, because I was young and it was first of a kind. F4 was a follow up bike, every bit as beautiful as 916 but it wasn't the first.

I ended up buying 900SS because I could not afford 916, turned out that I couldn't afford even a 900 (cost me $4K in 2 years) sold it in late 90's and swore off Ducatis forever

10 years later I was rebuilding a 748, just couldn't stay away...

[Wislon]

You guys just aren't old enough. John Player Norton...

[Dmitry]

this wankel must be worth a few bucks





JPS Black/Gold is one of my favorite paint schemes , I also liked their smokes but since I quit will limit this obsession to vehicles

[Rambunctous]

You guys just aren't old enough. John Player Norton...

With a Dunstall exhaust.

[jwm2k3]

Troy and Carl....oh man these were spectacular days of racing!!

- - - Updated - - -



Fogy doin his thing....

[Dmitry]

Fogy doin his thing....

yep, just doing it...