Had a friend (good rider) that tried the Suzuki rotary. Went a ways, turned it off and pushed it back to the dealer - way too fast for him. I tried the V4 Honda but it was too tall for my short legs. Probably too fast for me too.
Had a friend (good rider) that tried the Suzuki rotary. Went a ways, turned it off and pushed it back to the dealer - way too fast for him. I tried the V4 Honda but it was too tall for my short legs. Probably too fast for me too.
Whatever!
My first purchase was a Honda CL175 (if I don't count the various mini-bikes and Mopeds I borrowed from friends). My last was a Harley Sportster, 1974 year model. When SWMBO announced that we were starting a family, I sold the Harley and used the proceeds to install central H&A in our home. Good investment, and haven't looked back into bikes since then. That was 39 years ago.
'57 Zundapp 250 cc two-stroke
I remember when I first saw one of those. Probably the strangest sounding motor cycle ever. Suzuki sure wasn't afraid to try weird things. How about the water buffalo. First liguid cooled 2 stroke motorcycle. I often wonder today with the high tech direct injection 2 stroke snowmobiles and outboards why someone has tried the 2 stroke thing again on big street bikes. the snowmobiles and outboards are clean burning get good fuel economy and last a long time and do it shedding about 50-100 lbs. I could see a crotch rocket with a direct injected v4.
1975 Kawasaki KZ400 twin.
The previous owner rebuilt the engine and removed the counter balance weights on the crankshaft. It ran great but my oh my did that thing vibrate as the RPMs increased.
When I was about 10-11 there was a guy in the neighborhood people called Doc, he was probably already in his late 50's and he had the only dune buggy that I ever seen back then. One day I was at his garage and seen a old motorcycle without a engine and asked him about it. He told me it was a 1937 Simplex ??? He sold it to me cheap, I can't remember what I paid but it had just about everything except the engine. I wanted to put a real motorcycle engine on it but my dad knew I was to young and would hurt myself if I had any real power. I ended up putting on a B&S horizonal shaft lawn mower engine probably 3 HP, and drove it with a leather belt to the rear wheel.
That bike was pretty heavy, it had large foot pads , leg bars , a pedal rear brake and a big gas tank with dual filling caps. Top speed was probably about 15 mph but it as the coolest bike any kid in my neighborhood had. I don't even remember now where it went but I bought my first car at 15 and probably didn't care much about it then. It would probably be worth some good money now if I still had it.
Jedman
YAMMER HAMMER 125 2 stroke Enduro. Top speed of 52 MPH and wrapped out.
Sadly enough mine was one of them ugly little trail 70s that Honda made.Fortunately I have a brother that is almost 2 years younger than I am,so when he got old enough for one he got it,and I got a YZ 80.
Swapped an old International Scout for a 75 Superglide in bags and boxes. Put it together and rode it for several years.
Mine was a 500CC Triumph Daytona. I fought Lucas, prince of darkness the whole time I owned the dang thing.
"'Necesity' is the plea for every infringement of human freedom. It is the argument of Tyrants: it is the creed of slaves."
William Pitt, 1783
"America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we faulter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves." Abraham Lincoln.
Honda 1972 SL70 , toughest little bike ever made. I have one to restore, but it ain't MY OLD ONE
No photos of my first, but here is one of my latest:
Wasilla, AK
BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
GC | Gas Check |