I had my first bike was when I was eleven years old.
Somehow I managed to talk my father into getting a welder where he worked to take an old girls bicycle that I owned and weld on a steel platform on the downtubes. This was 1955.

I had a 5HP Briggs engine in the garage. Bought a centrifugal clutch. Took the bus downtown to Stelters Harley Davidson to try and purchase a pulley for the rear wheel. I still remember going into that real motorcycle shop and talking to Jack King Heller behind the counter, who directed me down the street to a lock and safe company who had the needed pulley.
I was very intimidated by the large people who were in that shop. Most of them wore the 50 Missions Caps that were popular in the 1950's. Little did I know at the time that I would become good friends with many of them in a few more years.

I installed the pully and fired up the engine. Because I had no brakes on this homemade motorbike, a couple of my buddies rode their bicycles ahead to make sure there was no traffic at the intersections and would wave me through.
This contraption would run about 30 mph wide open. I had gone almost a mile from home and was waved through another intersection. I ran that stop sign where there was a 1954 blue Ford with bubble lights on top sitting at the intersection.

That was the day I discovered that I needed license plates, drivers license, and had to stop for all stop signs to be able to ride this bike. The 3 tickets I was written did not go over well with the old man! He hated motorcycles to begin with, and more so now.

Next machine was a brand new 1957 Cushman Eagle, obtained with my Mom's help working on Dad. My real motorcycle riding began when I turned 14. Again with dear Mom's, help the old man gave in and I bought a used 1949 BSA 500cc Shooting Star Twin for $235.
Well it has been over 50 years now, and I am still running wild..........pg

 

Started riding in 1966 on a Harley 250 Sprint. Didn't own
another Harley until 2002.

hdrider02

 

1945

 

Been riding since my dad bought a Kawaski 100 back in '76....my dad handed me a helmet and told me "if I wanted to ride,you have to learn how to drive"

Rode till about 12 years ago when I took a back spill in Northern Va....rode b!tch for a while....then I got that "I can't see the world with the back of a helmet in my way anymore" feeling....So, I went to the HD dealer and rode away with my 1200C back in May(one of the greatest mothers day presents to date)

 

A year on a 350 Honda...7 years on a Sporty...than a long 21 years without a bike. Not quite a year on the Bob and it feels like i never stopped riding.

 

My first remembered ride was on my dad's Bridgestone(?). Got my first bike while in college in 1986 ( it was a Yamaha Special II, don't remember what year). Been riding off and on ever since. This is my first Harley (07 bob).

 

29 years - rode Kawasakis thru the end of the AMF era. By the time the Evos came out, I was too poor to afforda Harley so I stayed on the rice(new family!). Ist bike was a 19?? Honda CB 100. Also had one of the only Kawasaki GPZ 1100s in the Omaha Metro Area when they first came out. The only thing faster than my GPZ was a motorolla radio

Currently have my '06 Dyna 'Sport Bob' and a 1979 Honda XR 200. Looking for a vintage BMW to add to the corral!

 

35 Years.

 

Started riding in 1966 on a Honda C110 Sport. I think it's still in my dad's garage.

 

Hey Mud...
Your pics are good. Now tell us what you were foolin' around with in that second photo? I doubt it was the Highlander, so what other choice do you leave us with? Ha-Ha......good shots............pg