First bike memories

Just been reading Ashley's account of picking up his new Commando, I guess we were all so excited when we got our first. In my case it was 12 month old Kawasaki KH250 in 1977, from Victor Horsman in Liverpool. They had Kawasaki Z1s and T160 Tridents in there at the time , it was such a great shop. I was 18 and it was the first major purchase I'd made since having a proper job . I put 12,000 miles on that bike and then bought a T150V Trident. There had been a new T160 parked up at work and I used to go and stare at it at dinnertime. After the Trident I bought a Norton 750 Combat Commando ( I got it for a song - £250 GB) Anyway at the risk of boring you all, since then I've had so many bikes in the last 49 years but still have a Commando (850 mk 111) couple of T160s , Kawasaki S3 and a few others . I do wonder how my life would have worked out if I'd bought a 750 Honda instead of the Trident --- probably still have some money in my pocket Ha. What's your story ?

MikeG said:

my first street legal bike was a 1966 Honda CB160 at age 17. A fast little ride for a kid that weighed 130 pounds but no match for my friends 67 Atlas. Rode the hell out of it till I moved on to bigger and better(?) bikes. I've looked at a few for sale the last few years and thought one might be fun again but that was 54 years and a lot less pounds ago. Why spoil those old memories with todays realality?

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I generally don't admit that the first street bike I owned wasn't British.

I don't remember the letters but it was a 160cc Honda with high-pipes. I owned if for less than 48 hours. The first time I got to speed, the tank slapper started, and I had no knowledge of what to do. Fortunately, in grabbing the brake I let off the throttle. So, I slowly rode to the motorcycle shop in town. They had a used 1966 Triumph 500 they took in trade, and they didn't deal in British motorcycles - that was early summer 1968. Gave them the Honda and whatever money I had on me and we made the trade. I spent every extra penny on that bike for about two years and then it was stolen.

My next bike was a 1967 Triumph T100C basket case that I built into a T100R in 1971 and I still have it.

MikeG said:

my first street legal bike was a 1966 Honda CB160 at age 17. A fast little ride for a kid that weighed 130 pounds but no match for my friends 67 Atlas. Rode the hell out of it till I moved on to bigger and better(?) bikes. I've looked at a few for sale the last few years and thought one might be fun again but that was 54 years and a lot less pounds ago. Why spoil those old memories with todays realality?

Click to expand...

marshg246 said:

I generally don't admit that the first street bike I owned wasn't British.

I don't remember the letters but it was a 160cc Honda with high-pipes. I owned if for less than 48 hours. The first time I got to speed, the tank slapper started, and I had no knowledge of what to do. Fortunately, in grabbing the brake I let off the throttle. So, I slowly rode to the motorcycle shop in town. They had a used 1966 Triumph 500 they took in trade, and they didn't deal in British motorcycles - that was early summer 1968. Gave them the Honda and whatever money I had on me and we made the trade. I spent every extra penny on that bike for about two years and then it was stolen.

My next bike was a 1967 Triumph T100C basket case that I built into a T100R in 1971 and I still have it.

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Strange, first bike was CL 160, that's the High Pipe or 'Scrambler' version. Low pipe was CB160. My only transportation.
Why a CL160, barely freeway legal, but yet a scrambler. Yup, I drank that cool aid and would ride to the dirt spots and try to 'Scrambler' it. Usually didn't end well....

First bike in 1976 was a fizzy,this represented freedom as where I lived at that time there was no bus service and miles from any towns
Next was a Suzuki ts100 which was a surprisingly good bike and great off road beating many larger bikes around our makeshift track
Then came my first Brit bike a BSA b25ss gold star
This taught me many many things about rebuilding engines etc all my mates had RDs and GTs etc and racing with them would usually end with my BSA needing more work
Then came a Yamaha yr5 that snapped it's layshaft at 90+ mph locking the back wheel solid
Then an oil in frame BSA a65 lightning that was actually pretty good between blowing out second gear and wearing out the timing side main
Then I moved onto Norton and triumph twins , and big Japanese 4s etc and now still with Norton twins and a couple of BSA/triumph triples
In the meantime I've had just about every model BSA unit single

September 1968. 15 years and 2 weeks old school boy. Passed my licence on my 1953 Matchless G3LS.

The bike cost me $140. I'd been saving for a bike since I was 12 years old. I would earn $2 a day digging carrots on a farm at the weekend.

And for the New Zealanders - yes it was Ohakune.

Kept it until second year uni when I sold it for food.

MichaelB said:

Strange, first bike was CL 160, that's the High Pipe or 'Scrambler' version. Low pipe was CB160. My only transportation.
Why a CL160, barely freeway legal, but yet a scrambler. Yup, I drank that cool aid and would ride to the dirt spots and try to 'Scrambler' it. Usually didn't end well....

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All about the $$$ - someone had junk to sell and I didn't know better. All I knew what I didn't like walking everywhere.