Interesting thread, the stories are so familiar. When I was in the 4th grade, my neighbor had a kawasaki 90 dirt bike. he let me ride it around his back yard, the rest is history.

 

I fell in love a couple of years back when I went to a grocery store to get tailgating supplies. They were running a sweepstakes and were giving away a Nightster. I saw that bike and thought, "that's the coolest bike I have seen" I knew then I was hooked.

 

I don't remember my first motorcycle wish. I've always wanted one, admired them, etc. My Dad rode Triumphs back in the 60's. The story he always told was that his Mom talked him into getting one since they were cheaper than cars at the time. He grew up pretty poor and it was really all he could afford. He rode year round on his bike and had many adventures and mis-adventures that turned into the veritable bedtime stories of my youth. I remember sitting around listening to the embellished tales of my Father's misspent young adulthood. The times before he quit drinking. The crashed cars, bikes, and the many near misses that left my Father still alive and mostly intact. My Dad sold his bikes when my brother and I were born. He put 35 years in as a postal worker to support us, but you could always see that look in his eye when a bike would pass. He always wore he jean vests and wallet chains. Meeting another biker would always bring out a story or two of the old days. Dad always said he would have ridden a Harley if he could have afforded one. I guess my motorcycles have been my own conduit to build my tales to tell my son as he grows up. I spent a lot of my time to get myself to a point that I can hopefully keep my bikes so I can one day take him on rides with me. I wish my Dad had been healthy enough after he retired to get another bike. I think it would have been awesome to ride with him.
This is just one of the many ways motorcycles touched my life as a kid. It is probably the most important. I haven't been able to get on the road with my Dad, but I've been able to ride with other relatives. You might say motorcycles are in our bloodline. I have many relatives, cousin, uncles, and in-laws that all ride. It is a great family night to get on the bikes and ride out for some great KC BBQ.

 

crashin - that was a great story.

My own love affair with motorcycles started when a friend of my fathers gave me a ride on his Harley back in 1962. I was just a little shaver, but I remember the two tone blue and white of that motorcycle, and the big white solo saddle it had.

I had to wait another 45 years to get one of my own, but it was worth it.

 

That mini bike sure brings back memories. It looks a lot like the one my younger brother and I shared as a first motorized two wheeler. Honda trail 55, trail 90, SL100 followed. When I was 13 or 14, my uncle would stop by riding his early 60's Ironhead Sportster. I would always spend most of the time he was visiting just looking at his bike. One afternoon he just tossed me the keys, said "take it for a spin" and went inside to talk with my mom. I new then that I would have a Harley one day.
Rode a CB350 for a couple years in high school and a Yamaha RD400 through college. Took a break from motorcycles after getting married and having kids. Bought my FXDL in 2000 and couldn't be happier to be riding again.

Brian

 

sitting in my backyard when I was like 5 watching my dad build his engine for his shovel head. that thing was a beast with like 1 1/4 straight pipes lol

 

8 years old. Cat 5 hp. It looked something like this. Still riding, only the bikes have gotten bigger.

 

my mother used to tell me stories of her and my father and his Indian and then she would dig up pics...it was turquoise and ivory...shortly after that my brother got a blue Honduh Spree and i borrowed it w/o his permission and was hooked.a few years later i traded my stereo for my first bike at age 14.it was an '81 Kawi LTD 750

 

Boy I remember seeing my first chopper in the mid sixties and loving it. Went right out and cut my bicycle forks with a hack saw and forced a another set over them to make a chopper bicycle for my self, four or five real good stiff playing cards clothes pined to the forks for that Harley sound, I was hooked.

 

It was my job on the farm to bring the cows home for milking. When I was 9 years old I saved enough money to buy a sears 105. That is what I used to bring the cows home after that. When I was about 12 years old I traded my sears 105 for a horse. that lasted 2 weeks & I asked if I could trade the horse back for my sears 105. I have had a bike ever since. I had a couple japs some dirt bikes & what not. When I was tweenty years old I bought a basket case panhead put it together over winter time, I still have the panhead 24 years later. I did just buy a 2009 Road King, but wont let that panhead go for nothing. Oh what sweet memorys