I know people, here he goes again on his mini novel, but it does set the tone for the following list of bikes. I was a very prolific bike rider and buyer of not so new running junk. When I say junk, it means that I just didn’t pay a lot for these. I paid $50 for the ’56 KH HD and then let it go back after a year because the guy was STILL jerking me around on the title. I rode this in the woods mainly and just let the guy give me back my money and let him have it back. What a dummy I was then. Oh, maybe I haven’t improved on the dummy part after all this time.
I mentioned in a previous thread that my dad was instrumental in my early development on motor repair, welding and just all around gearhead stuff. I have A LOT to be thankful for about my dad and his knowledge hand me downs…
To start with my dad taught me how to braze and he helped me with my first mini bike build. From then on it was full throttle.
I was about 12 during that time period and we didn’t have a lot of money. So my dad made me a go cart and I won my first race. Ok, that was 4 wheels, but it ties in. My brother had a job and was about 19. He worked with my dad on road construction and was spending his money on go carts and McCullough racing motors. When he went in the service I robbed his MC-20 racing motor and mounted it on my mini bike. It was winter and we lived on a lake so rear tire chains seemed to be the appropriate option to ride it on the ice. Being used to a mini bike that would hit about 25, I now had a mini bike that was geared and had the power to run about 50 mph. What a thrill that was.
Just shortly after that period my cousins were looking for a small motorcycle to buy and my dad, already having a small boat motor repair going on the lake, decided to get a dealership for Bridgestone bikes. My one cousin got a 60 Sport and my other cousin got the 90 Trail. Still not being flushed with money, I had nothing to ride. Shortly after that my dad decided to have a “demo” bike and it was the 50 Sport. I rode this bike pretty much all the time. So that was my first true motorcycle, motorbike etc.
I soon ended up with a 175 Bridgestone road bike and my dad bought some hop-up book from a guy in the UK that was into two-cycle racing. It was funny because over there they have tyres, not tires. For a young’n like me, that seemed funny. Dad made me a set of expansion chambers from the formulas in that book. It ran very well and I had tons of fun with it.
Along the way I had and somewhat in order:
I wish I had had the forethought to take pictures of these critters…
Because of my age, and yes, I'm playing the "old age" card, some of the years of the bikes are not available.
• Briggs powered mini bike
• 50 cc Bridgestone Sport
• 175 cc Bridgestone Street conversion to trail
• 350cc Bridgestone Street bike, which I had my first wreck with
• Wards 50 cc moped
• Micro mini bike with Wards 50cc moped motor. This had a 20” wheelbase and I rode this in parades in our local town.
• NSU 100cc
• Ducati 125cc
• Chopper mini bike with Ducati 125cc with side car, which I made.
• AJS Matchless 500cc single, it think it was a ’53, not sure though
• ’56 KH HD
• Ducati 250cc, about broke my leg kicking this buster…
• KZ900 in a Amen Hardtail with a 14” over springer. This was a great investment for me…. NOT! This thing took a football field to turn around and it rode like it had no suspension, duh, IT HAD NO suspension. It was fast though. Every time I’d hit a tar join in the road it would chirp the rear tire.
• ’77 KZ1000 with Vetter fairing and sound package. This had to be the fastest bike I had to that time.
• 350cc Bultaco Alpina Trials painted to match my new 4x4 truck
• ’78 CBX Honda 6 cylinder that was my next FASTER bike. This thing would hit 85 mph in second gear. It was a trade-in at the car dealership I was service manager at. I made a great buy on it and then made a few bucks on it.
• ’74 Suzuki 185 trail
• ’75 Suzuki 400 Apache single trail
• (I had 2 of these) Suzuki 250 single with a “Get-Kit” dirt bike. This was one of the most fun bikes to ride in the wood, IN THEIR DAY THAT IS…
• ’65 Cushman Silver Eagle which I rode for about 15 years off and on and then restored to perfection, very nice scooter.
• ’65 Cushman Silver Eagle electric start for my wife. ’65 was the last production year for the Cushman scooters.
• ’58 Cushman Highlander
• 150cc Lambretta
• 100cc Vespa Sport
• ’77 T-140 Triumph
• ’77 GL-1000 Goldwing with the full Vetter fairing package and bags. My neighbor bought this new and I bought it in about ’96 with just less than 20k miles. I had the Vetter package painted Candy Apple Red to match the Goldwing and then stripped it to match the Honda stripes. This was, even for the age, was a great riding bike and was very fast. This is when my NEW and improved Linda (wife) got into riding with me and she loved it. My first wife’s name was Lynda, so all I have to do is spell it right.
• ’76 HD FLH restored
• ’08 SERK Annie
• ’09 Milwaukee Iron Boardtrack racer, which I’m building with a 113”, 6spd, 2” belt drive, 21” tires front/rear.
I think I’ll have to edit this as my brain comes back to me. I know at one time years ago I had counted about 30 bikes and I’ve owned more since then. So as I think of some more, I’ll add them. At least I hope my brain comes back to me. I know wherever it is, if anyone finds it they won’t keep it.
So this is my story about what I’ve owned and ridden over the 47 years I’ve been mini biking and motorcyleing around.
I’ve enjoyed reading the other listings and it gives me great pleasure seeing what some of you people have had over the years as well.
Thanks for this thread…
Author
Topic: WHAT DID YOU RIDE BEFORE (Read 14629 times)