[nutball72]

I am interested in how everyone got started in motorcycles, such as:what was your first bike, how did you become involved and so on. i am 15 and i have a moped, i am hoping to get a r1:rock

 

[Petrol_Spice]

rode a 50cc quad bike when I was 3
got a 125 2 stroke when I was 12
rode a 125 cagiva at 17
got a '92 gixxer 750 in '94
got a 250 in 97
the 1000 came 2000

 

[Napalm]

Started in 1996 on a friend's KMX-125, which I dropped on the first ride.
:iamwithst
Within a week I was driving my own KMX home. When I moved to the USA I bought a GS500e, which I was less than satisfied with. Then a Honda Magna 750 (red!)which was pretty sweet. Now I am planning on a new R1, which I have been in love with since it's introduction, just could not afford it. (Not that the insurance is that cheap now)

 

[CoolMike]

1. Honda Magna v45 1985
2. Kawasaki Ninja 1000 1987
3. Suzuki GSX1100 1989 :hellobye
4. Kawasaki ZX10 1990:no
5. Honda CBR900RR 1998:machinegu
6. Yamaha Vstars 650 2000:cryin
7.Yamaha R1 2002 silver:thumbup :bash

 

[R1RIDER]

Started riding September 2001:

2001 R1

 

[eddy2000k]

in 1994 had-1983 CR 250 (honda dirt bike)
in 1995 had-1992 FZR 600
in 1997 had-1989 FZR1000
in 2001 got-1999 R1.

 

[jb.]

I am interested in how everyone got started in motorcycles, such as:what was your first bike, how did you become involved and so on.

Had a mid-life crisis. After spending a lot of my working life working for car companies installing equipment to build cars, I decided to do something for my self. Just once. Got my bike license at age 37. Older than most people here. :jump

Got a Suzuki Across (GSF-250) as my learner/probationary bike. We're limited to 260cc as a learner and for the first 12 months after passing the license test.

The day I came off my restricted license, I bought an R6. Less than 12 months after that I bought the R1. Still have both.

Never had so much fun. People who thought they knew me would say: "Are you alright?" and I'd say: "Yep!" They'd just shake their heads.

Since then, if I take the car to work and pass a bike on the way, I feel like life is passing me by. But when I'm on the bike, no matter how bad the weather gets, I feel like I'm participating in life. :thumbup

 

[dulci]

Started out riding various rat trail bikes... Honda's & Yamaha's on the dirt. Learning to slip and slide... and fall. Tonnes of fun, really. Highly endorse dirt bike as a starting place.

First street bike was the first VF500F Interceptor - still have a soft spot for those.:makeout

VF700C Magna, candy apple red! Lovely motor, shit handling.

Original white-red-blue '93 CBR900RR. Stunner! Loved the white wheels, even though they were a bitch to keep clean. Wrecked it. Bought another just like it.:yesnod

FZR1000, white-red-blue also. Oooh baby, baby.

VFR750F: it may be your father's bike, but what a bike. Gear whine from the cams, booming V-4, single-sided swinger. Comfort on 500 mile a day rides.

Another RR - a yellow one. Oh yeah... great bike.

Blue '00 R1. Spent a tonne on carbon fibre, Akrapovic, Penske, Attack rearsets, Dymag only to have it wacked by a hippie north of Santa Cruz, CA on Hwy 9.:machinegu

2002 R1. Blue again... what can I say? I love that blue on this bike. Penske 8987, Moriwaki, Power Commander. Who knows what else? This one is by far and away my favourite. Heads & shoulders above the '00 R1.... This just might be a keeper!:

Cheers

 

[guna]

Rode my first bike when I was 10.Couldn't ride a bicycle yet but rode a motorbike First!.See,I couldn't get the peddling and balancing act together(pretty brain dead).My Dad works in a plantation and thats probably why I took to dirt bikes.
First bike:YZ250-what a monster to me at that time.
2)YZ125-since I've been messing with 250s this was a breeze.
3)KX125-my first brand new machine...sweet.
4)Tenere 600-talk about compression!!
5)GSX1100R- it was the kick ass bike at that time.
6)Ninja 1000r- class.
7)RM250 works- this shit was probably worked out to about 350cc and could take you to the moon.
8)Aprilia pegaso650- now I knew why I hate singles.
9)CR 125- I found out why everyone wanted a Honda for motocross.
10)YZF1000 Thunderace- a much underated bike by far,I found out that it handles a lot better than Fireblades and SRADs.just ride it and don't be prejudiced.
11)2002 R1 Silver-I've seen the pictures,read about it,haunting this forum like crazy and my balls are about to bust out from the wait and my goddamn,dealer tells me that its delayed by about a week:cryin .

to all you guys who are thinking of starting on superbikes,dirt riding IS your training ground(I should know,highest achievement,3rd national in 1987) its where you learn to slip and slide and believe me its softer there than the tarmac.And don't let people tell you this is too powerful and that is too much power and so on.As I had mentioned in this forum before,RESPECT is the key word for survival.I just had two friends who crashed in this last 2 days and they both forgot about that keyword when it happened.Respect others,respect your machine and yourself and finally,ride with your brains and not balls.

 

[Tate]

Started in 1994 with a CBR 600F2
1996 Honda Cbr 900-Hit gravel going around a corner and the bike hit a bull rail. Bike was totaled.
1997 Honda CBR 900-Sold it to my buddy dirt cheap so he could afford it then I got the 200 R1 which got totaled last year when some other friend puuled out on me with his TLR 1000. Got the 2001 R1 now.

 

[Napalm]

dulci: You are right, the Magna handles like a boat. My brother sailed it into a curb trying to keep up with me on my little GS500. That was the last time I ever let him even touch one of my bikes. He jacked up the front wheel, right peg and scratched the tank up.

It still looks really cool from the left hand side!

 

[kneedragonr1]

When I was in college I was really into cars, RX-7s specifically. My car was pretty tricked out and could corner with anything. I raced it for a few years and had a great time. Just before I graduated my friend asked if I wanted a ride on his bike. It was a ZX-7 with a 900 race motor, full exhaust, stage III jetting, all top end power. It was the old school variety with the two round lights up front. Can you argue with a bike that has flames coming out of the pipe? So we start our ride hard from a light and he turns the bars right then left, but we do not move. My first wheelie. After that cars had very little appeal. The next month I was in the MSF class. A month later I had a 600 Ninja. The rest is history.

Erik S.

 

[turborl7]

I started out with a Bimota Tesi when I was 10 and then when I turned 12 I just outgrew that bike and got a Ducatti 996 then when I turned the big 14 I got myself the ducatti 916.


:beer :beer :beer :beer

 

[Wicked]

I started with a 1993 CBR F2. I rode it for 3 years, put it away wet and now have my R1

 

[selftc]

i started on a '78 gold wing..... i had my heart set on an R1, but decided an R6 would do me fine. i bought an old '78 gold wing for $400 and fully restored it. after putting about 500 miles on it, i knew for sure i wanted a bike. wanted a yamaha sportbike, but would have settled for a cruiser, so i let the wife choose and she still wanted the sportbike.... planned on buying a new R6 this past march or so, then heard of a 2000 R1 with 200 miles on it for sale for extremely cheap. Tommy Hayden is my 3rd cousin, and he was selling his R1 because he signed with Kawasaki. bought it in november of 2001 and never regretted. the R1 is by far the sexiest bike ever........ :rock

 

[Maxxym]

Started on 95 F3 last season.

then got my R1 this year hehehe :boobies

 

[fasteddie]

I Can Barely Remember

Started in 1976 on a ' '71 Honda 175 with clubman bars and a 2 into 1 megaphone pipe. Bought it for $500. I was going to school in England at the time, which was a great place to learn/ride. Crashed it head-on into a Mini nine months later. Broke my right wrist- which got me out of taking finals. Have not been without a bike since then :thumbup

 

[cartierR1]

Had, Honda CBR 600 F3 1998 saved my life twice.
Once was on a sharp left turn, while the turn was an 30 degrees incline. My buddy behind me on a Kawi Zx 600 lost it, went down the cliff but was holding on to the tree branches (I pulled him out, still riding)

Other was on Streets of Willow Race Track big wide right turn #8 track slanted to right, Kawi 750 low sided right infront of me. (still lives to ride)

4-11-02 R1 only has 480 mile. Hopping for the best.

 

[EvilSVT01]

Hey CartierR1, were you riding around in Chatsworth last week? I saw a 02' Blue R1, but couldn't catch up to him. Anyways, I don't have an R1 YET, but I started on a early 90's dirtbike, and then stopped due to expenses. I have been on a few friends bikes since, but nothing for longs periods of time. When I get money though, liquid silver R1, here I come!. :fact

 

[BRBJackson]

Here's the loooong history. All purchased new unless a date is shown.

1968: 3hp Minibike
1971: Yamaha 90 MX
1974: Yamaha 360 MX
1976: 1969 Honda CB350
1977: Yamaha RD400
1983: Suzuki GS1100E
1984: Suzuki GS550E
1993: 1989 Kawasaki 750 Ninja
2001: Honda CBR929RR
2002: Yamaha YZF-R1

God I am old :crash