I went and bought my first bike (GSXR 600) and rode it home. That's how I first learned. Rode that for about 2-3 years. Never been down, knock on wood.

 

I was 7 years old and when my parents were gone I went found the keys for one of the CT 70 Hondas that we had and rode it around the back yard and put everything back before they got home and thought there would be no way they would find out, wrong! I had ridden on the back before that day so I had watched my Dad start it and I wanted to ride real bad so I figured it out. It's not brain surgery.

 

My first ride was a 1974 Indian trail bike. My step dad explained the clutch and off I went. Got into motocross on a Honda XR-75 and developed balance and reaction skills.


My first street bike was a 1976 Honda XL-100. My mom made me take a rider course before I got my license. (Thanks, mom!) Been street riding 33 years now and have taken a few specialized courses over the years.

 

KT 30 (Kawasaki Trail) at age of 5. It had a pull start and what I remember to be a lawn mower looking engine. I was the youngest of three brothers and we all learned to ride on that bike. I found a picture of this bike on line at: http://jleibovitch.tripod.com/id258.htm . After this bike my next bike was an Honda XR-75 and then I went through the whole gammet of dirt bikes clear up to a YZ 490 bored out .25 over. What a scary fast machine that was, had to sell it because I do not heal like I used to.

As far as street. I bought my first street bike when I turned 16, which was a brand new two stroke Yamaha 50cc motorcycle for a mere $500. That thing would do close to 60 MPH and I had no problems taking it out on the highway, but boy was she a screamin when I rode her down the highway. What a great first motorcycle. Had it for probably less than a year and put close to 10,000 miles on it before I gave it to my older brother who was in college and needed cheap transportation.

Thanks for bringing back some fond memories!

 

First learned to ride on a honda CT90 (that's still in my Mom's back yard) around 1970, and got my first dirt bike, a Yamaha IT400 in '85. I then bought a Yamaha Virago 1000 in '87 and rode that around Bozeman, MT for a while. My wife was never happy about me riding so I left it alone. She passed away this last year so I decided to look into getting a ride for commuting and occasional putt. Several friends recommended I look at the Road King and so began my search. I found a good deal on an '08 RK Police and jumped on my first Harley (insert huge grin). Looking forward to some good weather.

 

Bought a cbr600, bought a newer one. Road with sportbike club. Bought gsxr 750, then zx12r, then hyabusa, then deuce. Now sportster for wife and sg for me.

 

Got a Yamaha Twin-Jet 100cc for Christmas 1967
The same day I learned how to ride on the sidewalks of Montreal covered with ice and snow. That year there was so much snow piled between the road and sidewalk that no-one could see me struggle; I stopped riding on sidewalks but snow never stopped me since.

 

Waaaaay back, had a friend with one of those lawnmower motor powered "mini-bikes": twist-n-go basically. I promptly wrecked it first ride, I think I was like 9 or 10. My dad bought me a Honda '71 SL100 when I was 12 and I self taught at that point. Been riding 35 years now and had an MSF course when I was about 16 or 17, then another about 5 years ago. The MSF course was fantastic and I wish I had taken one earlier. Amazing how many bad habits you have picked up over the years...

 

Mid 60s was all about minibikes then on to honda 125 elsanor then 250 had a bultaco 250 and a honda 350 scrambler. been on harleys since 74 after stint in military loved the dirt so the other bikes lingered for years till it hurt to much. Mostly learned by watchin,listenin, and experimentin. What a great life wish I had learned to ride a trials bike at some point

 

My parents forbid me to ride a motorcycle when I was growing up. Lots of the neighborhood kids rode dirtbikes and the main "jump" area was directly across from the home I grew up in. As I got a little older, 11 or 12, I began to earn money priming tobacco. I wanted to buy myself a used bike, but my parents refused. Fast forward ten years and I am fresh out of college, living 250 miles away from my folks and earning a decent living. I decide I am going to scratch the motorcycle itch and began shopping around. I didn't take the good advice of one of my co-workers that told me to buy a used Sportster, then trade up in a few years to a bigger bike. I bought a brand new Yamaha Virago 750 and the first time I ever cranked up a motorcycle was the day I rode it home from the dealership. I made a couple of wobbly laps around the parking lot and the salesman, I still remember his name, Eddie tried to talk me out of riding the bike home. He even offered to trailer it to my place free of charge. He was visibly nervous about sending me to an early grave I think, and made me promise to call him when (or if) I made it home.

After a 20 mile trek which included traveling Interstate 75 and Interstate 40 through Knoxville, I arrived home unscathed. I called Eddie to let him know I had made it home OK and he told me at least 10 more times to "Please be careful." I rode that bike everywhere I went for about a month, then went to take my motrocycle endorsement test. Of course I rode the bike to the DMV office and the lady who administered my examination was kind enough to let me slide.

I haven't thought about those days in a long time...