Your first bike

[OreoGaborio]

Mine wound up with Hobbs, then I think found it's way to Doc and not sure what happened to it after that.

He probably flipped it for a profit like he did with every other NESR Friend's Pricing discount deal he ever got.

[typeone]

I bet that 80 was a handful!

total rocketship... a LOUD rocketship great bike, it taught me a lot about maintenance, tires, etc. rode it until i was too tall then went '87 CR125R (with some '88 XR250R sprinkled in, PIG)

this was taken right before i went to the 125 (and started racing), which i also loved to death. pic is from a local riding spot i could leave the garage, coast downhill on a sidewalk, then access a bunch of trails and a sand pit. learned a lot out there as well. sweet wedge of land alongside I-95 that is now all apartment buildings. sad. this was super, super rare to be able to do in lower CT.

my family was in excavation and knew the family that owned the pit. we would buy dirt and have it dumped to build mini doubles in the open areas. when i moved back to FL, i would bring my gear north and ride buddies bikes out there. sometimes there were huge mounds of mulch/woodchips that were insanely fun to jump through. felt like springy sponges.

so many good times. i ate it hard out there one winter on ice and no studs. fuckin' A i can still feel that wreck. hahaa.

[ducatirdr]

I bought this bike from a co-worker for $500 bucks back in 1981. A 1977 Yamaha XS500 with the square tank and fenders it was an oddball looking bike back then with mag wheels. Today it would be an excellent candidate for a cafe replica. Back in the 80's tanks and bodywork was more swoopy. Tear drop tanks were the thing until bikes like the GSXR and Interceptor started to show up. I bought this bike knowing my parent told me I would have to move out if I bought a bike. At 18 I was ready to face the music. I bought it and snuck it home without my parents seeing it. It was this time of year and I got one ride on it before storing it in the back yard shed. Early spring my dad found it. Asked me who's it was. I told him it was mine and that I would move out if they were serious about that. He said I was fine as I think the free lawn mowing I provided was looking really good around that time.


PS When I was a kid (aka Boomer) We had a ton of mini bikes in the neighborhood in the late 60's and early 70's. Begging for a ride I tried them all. Rupp, Briggs and Stratton, Honda CT70... There were a lot of bikes and plenty of places to ride. School yard races and screwing around was OK back then on the weekends. Today you'd be arrested for what we got away with.

[Kenn157]

First bike was a Kawasaki 350 F9 Kurt's ( AKA whynot) Arlington Motor Sports on Mass Av. 1973

[whynot]

First bike was a Kawasaki 350 F9 Kurt's ( AKA whynot) Arlington Motor Sports on Mass Av. 1973

Kenn! Thanks for the memory

To sum up, "I was better at bikes than I was at business" lol

[csmutty]

Kenn! Thanks for the memory

To sum up, "I was better at bikes than I was at business" lol

I had no idea you owned a bike shop! That's friggin cool!

[whynot]

I had no idea you owned a bike shop! That's friggin cool!

Thanks. Yes, the original Arlington Motor Sports, 1969-1976, RIP

Pic of me, 1974-ish, looking for money to fall from Heaven.

[csmutty]

What are those hanging in the corner? Life vests?

[whynot]

What are those hanging in the corner? Life vests?

Yes. Kawasaki came out with the Jet-Ski and forced them on dealers. Just one of many requirements crammed down dealer throats haha

(I guess you didn't notice the Bose 901 ... .)

[jim v]

Hah I thought I was the only person who started out on a KZ305, but that was in 2004-ish. I moved up to a GSXR 600 SRAD after a year on the KZ305. I don't miss either of those bikes, honestly. The first bike I owned that I ever loved was my 08 Z1000.

There weren't that many 305LTDs, may have been the same bike!

[Gixxer]

Yes. Kawasaki came out with the Jet-Ski and forced them on dealers. Just one of many requirements crammed down dealer throats haha

Got any kawi swag you wanna sell?

[golden chicken]

Got any kawi swag you wanna sell?

Like...an -expired- vintage life vest?

[Gixxer]

Like...an -expired- vintage life vest?

That’d be uncommon.

Good talking piece.

Like my Marilyn Manson dildo.

Which can be yours for $135.

[backinthesaddle]

1974 Honda MR50. Two stroke mx with 3 speed and a real clutch. Premix forever! Was 10 years old and felt like Marty Smith. Great times.

[typeone]

First bike was a Kawasaki 350 F9 Kurt's ( AKA whynot) Arlington Motor Sports on Mass Av. 1973

someday i'll have a vintage DS like this to jam around town on. i was born in '73 but have pics of me as a baby on Honda DS of the same year. such classic styling.

Thanks. Yes, the original Arlington Motor Sports, 1969-1976, RIP

Pic of me, 1974-ish, looking for money to fall from Heaven.

what an awesome pic.

[csmutty]

Yes. Kawasaki came out with the Jet-Ski and forced them on dealers. Just one of many requirements crammed down dealer throats haha

(I guess you didn't notice the Bose 901 ... .)

Is the Bose 901 hanging above the life vests? I have 2 pair of 501-IIs that my dad bought new!

[whynot]

Is the Bose 901 hanging above the life vests? I have 2 pair of 501-IIs that my dad bought new!

Yes. Out of money, but the sound system was stellar.

[Kenn157]

Thanks. Yes, the original Arlington Motor Sports, 1969-1976, RIP

Pic of me, 1974-ish, looking for money to fall from Heaven.

I love all those trophies you bought, very decorative!! JUST KIDDING!!

[TIMMYDUCK]

I had two Rupp mini-bikes before my first real geared motorcycle .

Picked up this used 1969 Z50 in the summer of 1971 .

I was 7 years old .

[me109g4]

First bike was a mid 70's Honda 550 Four, didnt ride for a few yrs but once back into it i found a sorry looking 1980 KZ1000LTDB4 in a friend garage with only 3K on it, took it all apart and restored it to "as new". Still got it. Then i bought a 2004 ZZR1200 to keep the miles off the KZ. KZ is a blast to ride and the ZZR's goal in life is to kill me, so i split time between the two. No pics, i never bothered to learn how to post them.

[LuvDog]

First bike I bought brand new from a dealership was a Suzuki Intruder 800. Traded within a year for a SeaDoo.

Bought an early 90's ZX6E (ZZR600) from a co-worker. Sold that bike to buy an engagement ring.

Went bikeless for a long time, and finally bought by ZX7R - which was always a dream bike of mine - still have that one along with my 916.

Dirt bike have come and gone through the years.

[JohnnyV]

First bike I bought brand new from a dealership was a Suzuki Intruder 800. Traded within a year for a SeaDoo.

Bought an early 90's ZX6E (ZZR600) from a co-worker. Sold that bike to buy an engagement ring.

Went bikeless for a long time, and finally bought by ZX7R - which was always a dream bike of mine - still have that one along with my 916.

Dirt bike have come and gone through the years.

ZX7R is still the one bike I always wanted and never owned, and is still on the "maybe someday" list