How Did It Start

Hi Johnjo, Wow!! That's a little beauty.

 

Thanks mate. Like all of us wish I still had it ( my 1st bike ).

Btw, next to it in the used bike shop was a fully dressed Indian complete with hand gear change. It wasn't much more money than the Ducati I bought. Dunno what model it was as I hadn't got a clue about bike makes. Worth an absolute fortune now.

 

BJ, I’ll bet someone had fooked the stud that the left footrest bolted to as they were left hand thread

 

My first road legal bike on the road way back on the 4th August 1966 (my 16th birthday) was a Triumph Tiger Cub and what a pile of shite it was
Mind you it got thrash every time I rode it trying to keep up with friends on Jap bikes.
Had it for 3 months and the final straw was when it blew a head gasket in the middle of Chester one Friday night
So I joined the Jap brigade for 8 months and then just before my 17th birthday bought a 650 Triton for £70, dad hit the roof and said it was to big/powerful for me.

 

I have such a story but it involved a '68 Camaro. Needed $200 more to buy it but my dad saw the wide tires on the back and the 396 engine and wouldn't give me the money...I got back at him though. I put him in a really shitty retirement home! Haha - just kidding!

 

Hi all
First bike was a DOT 197 off reader. First road bike was an NSU Quickly moped followed by a Honda CB72 250
All the best

 

Loads of Honda c50/70/90 as kids. First road bike at 16 was a garelli tiger cross then a Honda 125twin at 17 and soon after a KH250 that gave me the bug for 2 stroke Kawasaki’s for years. Then one day my brain cell multiplied and I went all 4 stroke !!

 

Same as Biker Jock - BSA 250 C15 - 1959 model bought in '67 for £50. It was in good nick and surprisingly only let me down once. I thrashed the balls off it for a year and eventually sold it - for £50. Saw one the other day exactly like it - for sale at £2500 !
Followed by brief relationship with a '64 James 250 Superswift, then a '62 Norton 500 Dominator - loved that bike...

 

NewT120
Those James superswift's were nimble machines. Don't suppose you have a picture of it. Haven't seen one in about a million years. And the Dommie was something else thanks for sharing those memories.
Regards
Joe

 

Ran a thread very similar to this some time back, my first was very embarrassing!

https://www.thetriumphforum.com/threads/first-bike.12564/#post-161420

 

Bad Billy
That's were your need for speed started to brew. I once had a still have a great friend. He was bearded and all covered in patches and badges. I set him up told him I was really not well enough to ride a bike I had just purchased. Took him to London and presented him with a melody to ride back to Burnham. I have some pictures somewhere if I can find them. God I am sitting here laughing my head of. But give him his due's he rode it home. Just a fantastic memory of him standing in a forecourt filling up a melody all in his patches and badges and every one laughing. He is my best mate but has never forgiven me for it.
Regards
Joe.

 

and he's STILL your best mate!

Before mobile phones with cameras etc, I took a Polaroid picture of my mate at work as the bike shop he'd dropped his bike off for MOT & service had promised him a courtesy bike ..... they gave him some gay little scooter he's 6ft 4" oh how we laughed, put the picture on the notice board , funny enough he is still my best mate all these years later too!

 

Bad Billy
Did you sit there and laugh like me. Oh by the way thanks for bringing it back to me. I like being happy. Yes John still stands by me. I can say John I need something picking up or meet me or sort something for me and know it will be done. Sadly he doesn't bike any more and drinks to much since he lost his wife. But he's my mate and I love him like a Brother. We both have to find those pictures mate.
Regards
Joe

 

Ex-wife had the 250 version that looked just like this one and I used to borrow it for commuting to work, save mileage and wear and tear on my Z550F.
I had more races and cut and thrust riding a Wetdream (Honda Superdream) than on any other bike.
A mate working for Andrew Pages as an internal Despatch Rider used to take the company bike home (another wetdream with a HUGE topbox). One weekend out up the Dales he thrashed it literally to smithereens and it promptly blew up on the way home.

Gutless, shite brakes, ok handling but so much fun looking back

 

SNAP!
I had an RD 50 in black as my first road bike as well. With a bit of jiggery pokery in the ports and a drilled out set of jets (poor see but loads of drill bits at work ) I once had, laid flat on the tank 62.5 mph going over the M62 at Scammonden dam on the overhead A road.

Obviously very accurate speedo's in those days...............

 

My first bike was a knackered Kawasaki KC 100, like the one below but mine was truely awful. Fortunately I only had it for a couple of weeks to get me through my test, then the day after passing I picked up my brand new red/white Kawasaki GPZ 500s from Midland Motorcycle Centre in Northampton (sadly long gone) and I was crapping myself thinking I might drop it leaving the shop. I loved that GPZ and it was my only form of transport for over a year and I used to commute to work in Leicester on it every day in all weather.