How did your journey start?

Posted: Tue May 05, 2020 10:43 pm

So maybe this has been posted before, honestly I didn't bother to search......

When I was a kid, my dad was into oriental bikes, SOHC Hondas, Z-1s, Z1Rs, even a XS1100. We used to go to the drag races all the time, my dad never raced, but the bikes they left a real impression!

At 17, I joined the Army, my first duty station was Fort Campbell, one of the Sergeants was selling a Honda, a 1979 CB750K, I think it had a RC pipe. It didnt run worth a crap, the air cut valves were all bad in it. I took it home on a 4 day weekend and my dad had a nice set of carbs off a 750F. Bike ran good, I left the bike in Florida and would go home and ride it when I could.

There was a dragstrip right off of FT Campbell, Clarksville, (they used to run fuel Harley's there) I used to go out there on Friday nights, I met a guy on a 750 SOHC with a 900 DOHC motor in it, I was hooked! Next 4 day weekend I went home and turned the K into a dragbike, started with a stock motor and went from there. Eventually we built a 810cc motor that ran 10.70s like clockwork! Army life, deployments eventually took me away from dragracing (I did race a Kawasaki 600 in the old Prostar 600 super sport class, and ran a 1150 Suzuki in the old Streetbike shootout class). Eventually I owned several DOHC Hondas, CBXs etc... then moved on to Z-1s, Suzuki GS's and Hayabusa's and even some Harleys, Triumphs and a Ducati

Around 2017 I retired, had some money and time to start racing bought another Busa and after sometime got the bug for another Honda, wanted to build something that could showcase my building skills, and just be different, which is very hard to do. Now I have a garage full of Honda stuff, to be honest I didnt remember how scarce some of it was from the time I was a kid, til now....Bur im enjoying it. A friend of mine, Billy Vose (look him up, he pretty good at what he does) were talking about Hondas and he told me, going fast is only relevant on what your going fast on, I thought wow heres a guy who has forgot more than I know, respecting what I do on some obscure bikes, pretty cool!

Red CB1100F Joined: Jul 19, 2010 Posts: 6421 Location: Ct

Started with wind up bike, then in 1981 or so i bought the 72 F6 125 for $100 from Brian Ireland from school. It was way rougher than the one pictured so i learned how to turn the wrench....kinda Laughing

Posted: Wed May 06, 2020 3:33 am

Cool idea for a thread - thinking about it I think it started when i was about 8 or 9 and I saw some kid had cut forks off another Schwinn to put his into to make a “chopper”...next key memory is I was about 13 and had a go kart and this kid sees me on it and says “i have filter for that” and he became my best friend and he was into mini bikes and over time we got into dirt biking and then motocross racing - I bought a brand new 1979 RM 125 (yr I graduated high school) for $795! I raced for a few years, and kept riding dirt bikes but got into cars. I had a 1968 Triumph TR250 (car!) that I kept in my parents 1 car garage (I did not give them there garage back for many years after I moved out!) and my cousin had moved to NYC left an early 80s BMW R900 there....I kept looking at at and got it running and rode it from time to time....one day I was riding and struck by what a beautiful day it was and how good it felt to ride and realized I had forgotten to wear a helmet...that made me think twice and I thought I’d be tempted to do that again and I kind of stopped riding that bike. i fot way into sports cars, ending up wheel to wheel road racing in my 2002 Yellow Corvette (hence my handle) with my older son as my crew chief...stopped that about 10 yrs back but still loved sports cars and eventually bought an 88 and then an 01 Ferrari and also own a Boxster S 1/2 and 1/2 with my younger son (all with kind of high mile and bought at good prices and I maintain them myself to make it an affordable endeavor)....so then last summer the same friend who said “I have a filter” many years back invited me to meet him and a group at the Mid-Ohio AMA Vintage days and I got the bike bug all over again - in the year since I bought and cafe’d a 77 Yamaha XS400 and then got ahold of an unloved 83CB1100F which is now all done (see my other posts on this) and I have been riding it and loving it and also enjoying the camaraderie of this site and new people I have met through it...now Im on the hunt for a VFR750 and hope to do a number of more bikes over the next several years....dont want to buy any more cars I dont think, still love the ones I have but bikes are awesome and there is no better feeling than riding the sweet ass 83CB1100F!!

Hawk Joined: Jan 15, 2009 Posts: 406 Location: Plymouth

What a great topic
I need some motocycle info now
I started on a Rupp mini bike 3.5 horse power what a blast Paid for from my paper route money
need to find a picture
My senior year of high school I bought Yamaha DT 350 keep at a friends house In hiding till the title showed up at home couple weeks later

Posted: Thu May 07, 2020 2:08 pm

We had a Scat Kitty mini-bike when I was about 7 years old. It's made of cast iron. In the early 70s, we had a Yamaha 80 enduro. Various other enduros in the meantime. Then as I became an adult, I bought a Yamaha 650 and a Honda 750 SOHC. Sold those and bought a 1980 KZ1000. My first new vehicle. My 900 actually was given to me by a friend that bought it new in 1982. I've had it about 4 years now. He now has a ZRX. I took my GS1100 up to his house a few months back to go riding with him. I'm taking the 900 next time. His wife hasn't seen it since I got it back on the road.

Posted: Thu May 07, 2020 4:50 pm

I love these stories!

I think I wanted a motorcycle from the day I was born. Anytime I heard a bike, my head would turn and you could almost hear whimpering as from a young puppy. But growing up, my mother absolutely vetoed any such notion of a motorcycle. My father rode during WWII, but when he got married SWMBO (for all you Rumpole of the Bailey fans) made him give it up. I clothespinned baseball cards to the fender stays of my bicycle and their noise on the spokes gave it a nice Harley roar, and that would have to do!

My father unintentionally played a cruel joke on me one day nearing high school graduation when he took me out to our garage to show me something, and there parked in the middle was a shiny new Harley dresser. It turned out it belonged to one of the workers who had come to the house to make some repairs. But for just a second there, I thought one of my deepest desires had been fulfilled as a graduation present--not that we could ever have afforded it. Rats!

Almost the first thing I did when I got to college in CA was to buy a basket case Honda 150 Dream (the little brother to the 305 Dream). I called dad at home (then in CT) to say that I would not be coming home for Spring break. He asked why and I told him my plan to stay and build the bike and I asked him to just not tell mom. He was at the time VP of Cargo for TWA and he told me just to bring the pieces home and we'd put it together. He said don't worry, I'll handle your mom. So that's what I did, and by the end of the three week break, I had a motorcycle! Also by the end of that break, my dad had gone out and bought himself a brand new Yamaha 180. Mom was a good sport about it, though I'm not sure she ever rode with my dad.

Since that day, I've never been without a bike, and have become deeply sentimentally attached to every one I ever owned. Not that many either: the Honda 150 (sold), and then a 305 Scrambler (gone to a cousin), and then a 500 Four (still have) , and then a CB750F (my backup ride) and lastly the 1100F (with 110,000 miles three-quarters of which are mine).

There you go.

Posted: Thu May 07, 2020 6:09 pm

First ride: stolen cushman eagle
second ride; tote goat in Idaho
first motorcycle: 1946 Knucklehead.

Posted: Sun May 10, 2020 3:38 am

I was 10 years old in 1978. Dad and I drove to a friends farm to store some stuff in one of their barns. After opening the barn door, the lady told me to kick that pile of plastic out of they way and we could put our stuff over there. I went to move the plastic with my foot and hit something hard. We pulled the plastic back and uncovered a 1974 Honda XR75 laying on its side. It was in beautiful condition. The lady said, "THEY TOLD ME THEY SOLD THAT DAMN THING." She didn't want her kids riding it. I gave Dad an elbow. A deal was made and we loaded up the XR75 into the truck and headed for home. All they way home I worried Mom would veto the deal. She looked at the bike, swallowed hard, and said, "well, ok." I have been a motorcyclist ever since. I still have the XR75. Not just the same year or same model - I still have MY XR75. It has been loaned to many cousins and extended family over the years to help teach the next generation to ride. It's still in my shed right now. I could never part with it.

Posted: Sun May 10, 2020 8:16 am

Growing up, I had a bedroom full of Motorcycle Posters. The 1969 Triumph Bonneville was my favorite until an Uncle, I had not ever met before came to our house, rode up on a BSA 650 Lightning. He was a very big man and when he stood up and put his full weight on the kick-starter and that thing started up, I was hooked 4 sure. I was in total awe of the power of both my Uncle and the engine of that BSA.

1st ride: 5 hp Kohler Engine powered Minibike. (1st traffic ticket too at 12 years old riding it on a main street (both the bike and I were unlicensed - lol)
2nd ride: Binelli 50cc mini-bike
3 ride: Suzuki Trail 80 (took this thing over many mountain trails and across many rivers)
4th ride: Honda Trail 90
5th ride: Honda CL175 Scrambler
6th ride: Kawasaki KZ650
7th & 8th rides: KZ900 and YZ400
wife..............
kids..........
job...........
house.........
No bikes during the last 4 periods of my life. (Still have all 4 of them though)

In 2005 my boss was moving away and he gave me my current CB900F. It was a corroded mess but drive-train was mechanically sound. Spent 3 years cleaning, restoring and upgrading. Riding it for many years as my only bike then 2 years ago a 2003 Ducati ST4S followed me home. Taking the Ducati out for the first time this year tomorrow. Honda is goingup on the lift for an oil change and some light maintenance.

Here's my two beauties.....

Dave

Posted: Sun May 10, 2020 11:06 pm

I have always been addicted to motorcycles. It first started when I was 6 building Lincoln logs on the coffee table with fences and barns. I would build complete ranch with and my favorite toy was a man on a motorcycle, it was certainly a Harley and the rider had the standard leather cap that was common from that era. It never stopped, I got a 5 hp minibike when I was 12 and I was hooked.
The next was a free roaming motorcyclist played by Michael Parks. Then Came Bronson was a movie that became a TV series and the love affair was entrenched forever.

The theme was “Going down that long lonesome highway trying to live life my way”

I took the muffler off the minibike and stuck on a straight pipe and that was the next step. I didn’t have any guidance and I didn’t know how to ride, but my mother would agree to most anything.
My first real bike was a 1968 Suzuki 250 X-6 Hustler with a GP kit. I had a friend who had the same X-6 and it was what I have to had. He traded it in on a T350 and I bought the trade in for $450.00.

I went through a car period for a little while and had some fast ones, but then I bought 1971 Kawasaki 500 triple, $795.00.
I never went back to fast cars. I still didn’t know how to ride. I blew up the 500 and went to the only shop that would give me a loan so I bought a 1975 Suzuki GT750 water buffalo. Very smooth pretty fast and the only transportation I had so I rode it everywhere. Then I got hit by a drunk, spent 2 months in the hospital and started hearing about this club called ERA, Eastern Road racing Association. In the club promo was this guy named Mike Baldwin. I decided it was safer to ride on the racetrack than the street and joined another club that Mike Baldwin belonged to called AAMRR.
I had bought a 1976 Kawasaki 900 with the money I got from being hit and took it to the racetrack. I didn’t know how to ride yet, but I won my first race, it was raining and everyone else crashed. I crashed in my second race which was also raining, when I thought I could pass 3 people at one time in one corner in the wet. Still didn’t know how to ride.
I learned a lot on the Kawasaki and it actually handled pretty well until it was bent. I crashed it every other weekend and by the end of first year it didn’t handle anymore. I did not know about powering through the turns to stabilize the bike, but I did talk to myself during the races saying “Turn it on” hoping to not let anyone by and did not realize for several years that keeping the gyros spinning is the best thing for a stable ride. On the way into the turns, my mindset was turn it on. Great advice.
I had moved up to the Junior ranks at AAMRR. I won some races on the 900, but then I bought a 1977 GS750 and won every race I entered. There was not a lot 750’s but I did ok. Actually I finished 6th most the time because they ran the 1000’s, 750’s and 400’s together. It was 2 1000’s, 2 RD400’s a Kawasaki 400 triple and then me. I went back to riding the 900, now a 1000 and it was still bent and it was pretty depressing for a few years. I did buy an RD400 in the interim and ran it a few times. It taught me how to roll fast. Very good bike. I raced at Loudon most of the time 1.6 miles and the RD was a blast. The 900 was quite fast during this time frame but I had no confidence in it. The best I could do on the Kawasaki was 1:19 and the stock RD did 1:20’s. Next bike was a 1981 Kawasaki KZ750E2. Awesome bike, still a Junior I won every race except 1 where a guy I had given some tips too, stalked me until the last turn and passed me there. The KZ750 would do 1:18’s when you hustled at Loudon. I actually won an F1 race at Pocono on it, but that was luck. It was great in the infield and good in the banking and adequate in the chicane. I think it went about 127. This bike was perfect. It was a very predictable slider and with Dunlop K181R’s I could slide it at will.
Then I got a 1979 Yamaha TZ250, a very nice one with “G” cylinders Lectron carbs and Lockheed brakes. It was a class winning bike. It belonged to Gina Boviard who had the highest trap speed at Daytone 79 for 250’s at 141. I crashed it at Loudon practicing for the national in a flat out 6th gear left hander when i hit some brake fluid and the back end spun up. I still didn’t know how to ride and when the back started to come around I backed off and it was over. 2 broken ankles and a broken collar bone and my racing was over. Couldn’t walk, use crutches and could only go in circles in a wheel chair. My wife was not happy.
I was back on the street with a 1982 Yamaha Seca 650 with a fairing. I got a few speeding tickets on it so I took the fairing off and the wind blast slowed me down.
1986 GSXR750 was next, freaking fast. Life gets in the way and we sold it to put a new porch on the front of the house.

Then I got my 1983 CB1100F, it was free needed work and I have never looked back. It did not handle well in the beginning because of some needed maintenance but I had joined this forum and there was Forum member named Cooter. He had a Prolink “F”, I saw it and was hooked. Cooter send me the templates for frame mods and my “F” was transformed into what it is today.
My “F” has now turned into the most stable predictable bike that it is today. You can do anything on it and it has turned me into the fearless 66 year old delinquent that I am today. I was normal before that, honest. It’s awesome, rain, tar strips. Anything. it just rails.
Hammer down “F” the people. Razz

Toddk

Posted: Tue May 12, 2020 11:24 pm

Many miles ago :
C110 (50SS) at age16. FREEDOM ! I lived on it for an entire summer. +7000 miles. parents said "don't leave the city limits", a small town near San Antonio Texas.
So I and a friend with an S65 would ride 50 miles round trip to a swimming spot almost every day.
Beach Boys "Little Honda". Honda shop : bought a "high dome" piston for it. installed twice smashing the plug gap closed before I figured out what the notch in the dome was for. (had it backwards,180 deg'). I looked at 305s and 450s, too much bike.
now have 2 CBXs, Little Hondas !

not mine but identical. (faster red one ?)

Posted: Tue May 12, 2020 11:37 pm

Great Stories, keep them coming!

Posted: Wed May 13, 2020 1:58 am

I dirt biked in Junior high and high school. Bultaco, Penton and Yamaha. My first road bike was a 1975 Yamaha DOHC 500 Twin. I moved up to a brand new 1978 Honda 750K with Vetter Fairing and bags. After 1 year I traded it on a new 1979 CB 750F. That was a pretty fast bike but when the 900F was released in 1981 I had to have that and gave up the 750. There was just no comparison between the two bikes in power and handling. I still have that bike. For awhile I also owned a full dress Yamaha XS1100 Special.
That was a super nice bike with lots of power and shaft drive. Should have never sold it. I have 3 Honda XL 250s in various state. One is fully restored. I also had a Harley Hummer 165cc that I did a full restoration on but sold it unfortunately. I've got 2 old NSUs out in the barn but they will never see the light of day again unless I get really ambitious or live long enough.

Posted: Wed May 13, 2020 2:13 pm

When I was a kid my parents flatly refused to let me have a bike but that didn't stop me riding round the school bike sheds aged 15 on my friends' Honda SS50 and Yamaha FS1-E.
I lived at home so had to wait until I was 21 and my parents had no say in what I did and bought an XL125. Ironically my mum signed as guarantor for the finance..
My friend had a CB900FZ and used to give me a lift home from work: it scared the wits out of me! Laughing

When I passed my test he was waiting at home for me when I got back. He threw me the key to the FZ and said "You'll be buying a bigger bike anyway so you may as well get used to the feeling. Take it for a run".
I never forgot my first ride at the controls of that Honda as it scared the crap out of me even more.
I didn't buy a Honda then, as I am a Kawasaki fan and I've owned a succession of big Zeds but that experience never left me. 10 years ago I decided I wanted an example of the bike that scared me many years earlier and so I bought the F2B without the fairing for £400 and put it in the garage. It never turned a wheel as kids and working away took over.
I'd owned the F2B a month then bid on and won a pair of Comstars at auction for £10. It was a local seller so I went to collect them and he had a 900FB that he was having to sell. Initially I said no as I already had the F2B but he kept my number and 2 weeks later he called to ask again if I wanted to buy it and I picked it up for the princely sum of £200.
I now had 2. Rolling Eyes

Kids and work were still in the way and 3 years ago I finally decided to do something with the F2B so I bought a fairing and fitted it, had the carbs cleaned and refurbished and off we went.
I had it running and rode it briefly but again working away and this time separation also filled my time so it got parked. My life has settled down now so I did some work on the F2B to get it roadworthy and it's now ready to ride once I can get it tested.
The 900FB is still waiting, but it will get done soon and I'll be able to ride them both in between riding the Zeds.
I also have bought a VF750F, CBR400RR NC23 and a CJ250T since the F, but sitting on that bike I'm 21 and reliving that first ride all over again.

Gary.

Posted: Sun May 17, 2020 10:51 pm

Hondo57 wrote:

I dirt biked in Junior high and high school. Bultaco, Penton and Yamaha. My first road bike was a 1975 Yamaha DOHC 500 Twin. I moved up to a brand new 1978 Honda 750K with Vetter Fairing and bags. After 1 year I traded it on a new 1979 CB 750F. That was a pretty fast bike but when the 900F was released in 1981 I had to have that and gave up the 750. There was just no comparison between the two bikes in power and handling. I still have that bike. For awhile I also owned a full dress Yamaha XS1100 Special.
That was a super nice bike with lots of power and shaft drive. Should have never sold it. I have 3 Honda XL 250s in various state. One is fully restored. I also had a Harley Hummer 165cc that I did a full restoration on but sold it unfortunately. I've got 2 old NSUs out in the barn but they will never see the light of day again unless I get really ambitious or live long enough.

Love the square tank XS500 - did an XS400 recently prior to the 1100F, pic below...XLs are cool too, i just bought a CL and my best friend from growing up who I used to race mx with has SLs and XLs.....good luck with your projects - I would love to see those NSUs...

Posted: Wed May 20, 2020 1:38 pm

My earliest memory of 2 wheeled motorized fun was a neighbor would give me rides up and down the street and around the block on his motorcycle when I was maybe 5 he even gave me one of his old helmets to wear and I wore that thing even riding a bicycle. I think his motorcycle was a kawasaki no clue on model. I managed to talk my parents into a new bicycle for Christmas that looked like a motorcycle with a big fiberglass seat/tank on it I thought I was the coolest kid on the planet. In high school I was given a brand new Tomas moped for my 16th birthday and I rode that thing everywhere If you want to make sure your son does not come home and has to tell you about getting his girlfriend pregnant get him a moped I guarantee he will not be able to get a date.

https://images.app.goo.gl/YG7gLngSPwxnUeE48

Moved on to cars because they had a heater in the winter.

fast forward 12 years and a coworker mentioned his neighbor was selling his motorcycle. I stop by and ended p buying my 79 cb750f for $500 I still have it today and will be resurrecting it this summer.

A few years ago I ran across an electric pocket bike that I bought for my nephew and he wanted me to bring my motorcycle over to ride with him (I was riding a 750 kawasaki vulcan then) I looked around at the local pawn shops and found a 49cc pocket bike and took that over to ride with him picture a 6'2" 200lb bald guy on a small blue pocket bike and laugh . the 2 of us had a blast riding around his neighborhood he has moved on the the xbox and has no interest in riding anymore. I do however still have my pocket bike sitting in my storage building and twin 2 year old granddaughters. I may have to break it out in a couple of years so papaw can ride with his little buddies.