Your first motorized two wheel ride

[earlwb]

What was your first two wheeled motorized ride that you more or less owned?

Mine was a Black 1960 Honda 50cc like this one here without the turn signals. It had pushrod operated overhead valves and a iron head and cylinder. Before they came out with the OHC versions.
I had taken the skirt thing off as well. Alas it was stolen but I still have the title to it though.

[tvfritz]

My first 2 wheeler (powered)that I owned .. was a real early Honda Hawk, 2nd Triumph Trophy 500. As kid, before having a license, I rode around on a friends Cushman.. seems like he got it at Sears & Roebuck... I had a LOT of bikes since then...

[RetroAJ]

1986 Yamaha Jog 50cc. It was yellow, I couldn't stand it, so I painted it neon green. She would do a solid 40 mph stock, since there were no mods around back then. Small gas tank with the gauge on the back of it. But it got me around town on the cheap.

*A J*

[90GTVert]

My first motorized 2 wheeler was a "Cateye" midbike with a 49cc 2-stroke (2-3HP). Chinese made, probably by one of the same places that manufactures scooters. Picked it up for around $300 at AutoZone.

Just to give you an idea of the size of this bike, here's a pic of me standing beside it. Pretty funny for all mny friends watching me ride this thing.


This is the closest picture I have of it to stock, all that had been done at this point was painting, restrictor removal, and removal of all electrical accessories. Topped out just over 20mph.


Before too long it looked like this (although everything isn't hooked up, I quit running fairings). It ended up with an aftermarket 15:1 compression race ported cylinder, reed cage with carbon fiber reeds (this style of engine never used reeds originally), larger race ported Walbro carburetor, homemade boost bottle, larger rear sprocket, smaller front sprocket, running on race fuel. It still topped out just over 20mph, but now it was gearing limited, not power limited. Shame it was only a 1 speed setup, I should have got the CVT that was available for them.


It now looks like this, with a 114cc modified 4-stroke engine and 4 speed transmission. (50+mph, wheelies in every gear... often when you don't want it to). The wheelie bars are no longer installed, they lasted about 15 minutes. I only slapped them on because a friend was scared of it. Notice, by now I quit caring about appearance all together... as long as it runs, and fast.


Sorry, I get carried away when I talk about midbikes sometimes.

[voodoosix]

retroaj said:

1986 Yamaha Jog 50cc. It was yellow, I couldn't stand it, so I painted it neon green. She would do a solid 40 mph stock, since there were no mods around back then. Small gas tank with the gauge on the back of it. But it got me around town on the cheap.

*A J*

LOL

mine was also a yellow '86 Jog..... purchased at Sportland Honda/Yamaha inBloomington Il.

[randy]

Mine was a Sears Allstate moped. Two speed manual with a clutch. Rev it up dump the clutch and wheelie. It was cool when I was 14 and I think I would like to have one today as well .

[loudest143]

Old orange solex, dunno the year, I think it was built right after WWI. Ancient POS, had a structural bolt from the front frame that bolted right below and behind the main sprocket where the pedals are. It would break loose while turning hard sometimes. Really neat. It would go 20mph, I think, and I would disengage the motor going downhill to keep up with the other cool kids who had real mopeds, like my buddy Doug who had an Indian 4 stroke.



I fell in love with 2 wheeled machines before the solex, and it was because of a summer that I spent with family friends.... I rode this Indian alot, and well, what can I say. I begged and begged my folks every year I was a kid to get a bike, and the solex was a 'we give in, but not really' kind of thing.



I'm enjoying my little peashooter scooter, and it's perfect for getting back into 2 wheeled stuff again. I miss fixing Doug's YZ80s, he had two, in his garage all summer long during jr and sr high school. I miss Doug, too. RIP, Doug, gone but not forgotton.

loudest143
*big indian fan

[WarrenS]

My first one was a 1950 Harley 125. It had a girder fork that used rubber bands for springs. No rear suspension. When I got it it didn't run. We took it apart and cleaned out the carbon build up. I don't remember if they had 2 stroke oil back then. I think we used whatever we could find. The gas cap had an oil measuring cup in it. Two cupfuls per gallon.

[scooterollie]

An old, used and time weary Cushman scoot about 50 yrs. ago. And you think the Chinese scoots are low quality! Guess they were OK for the day.

[Andi]

In 1981 at the age of 15 I got my older brothers 1978 puke green metallic Peugeot 103 Mofa (German for Moped), just like the pic below.



Andi

[vatoolman]

Mine was a 1994 honda shadow 600 I bought off a freind. Been in love with two wheels ever since.

John

[vinorider]

Mine was an older used Harley I bought in 75 when I got out of the service. Never did get a Driver's license for it and sold it a year later (I got married and had to keep peace in the family). Next two wheeler was an old used Honda Moped that I bought at an Estate auction for $75. Put another $250 to fix it up and get it running. I putted around town for several years with it.

[natefromogden]

That would have been my 64 Honda 305cc Dream. Paid $175 for it. Wish I still had it.

[wf1761]

Mine was a Doodlebug with a 3hp engine, briggs and Straton, with kick start, automatic clutch. I was 13 years old in 1948 and I paid $75 for it. I earned the money to pay for it from a paper route I had at the time. I believe it had wheels that were maybe 8 inches and max speed was 15 mph.

[termite]

I rode quite a few dirt bikes as a kid, but the parents wouldn't buy me one. So when I was 20 and in college, I saved up enough money to buy a 1979 Yamaha XS650 Special.

[lewtwo]

earlwb said:

Mine was a Black 1960 Honda 50cc like this one here without the turn signals. It had pushrod operated overhead valves and a iron head and cylinder. Before they came out with the OHC versions.

Honda 50 CUB ... I think it was a 1962 model and yes it still had pushrods. Delivered a lot of newspapers on that bike.

[wildbill84]

Cool thread Earl,
My first motorized 2wheel ride was a "Go-Ped"
I was 14 and it was the coolest thing in the world, I thought.
I rode that thing all around Baton Rouge.
It went a suprising 25mph, which feels pretty fast on that thing.
It was the "liquimatic" version that features a centrifugal clutch for stops.
Included was a duffle bag to carry it in after you fold down the handlebars.
Still got the motor, it just needs new piston rings and primer nipple.

Here a crude pic-

[rverr]

8-)My first 2 wheel ride was HONDA 50cc. trail bike that I bought in boxes everything was apart including the engine and trans it was a learning experience and the first of many basket cases over the years don't know what year it was never saw a title this was in 1960 or 61. Friends it is much easier to keep a Chinese scooter operational ;D KEEP ON SCOOTIN!!!!

[sting]

1970 Triumph Tiger. Purchased new for $1,050 from Triumph of Detroit.

[YellowScooter]

This was my 1st scoot ever. Bought it at the flea market for $200.
That was enough to give me scooter fever. Next was my 150cc tank.

[indy50]

Mine was little Honda Z50 mini trail, got it for my 10th birthday? By the time I was twelve I was racing MX on a modded Honda XR75. My dad , my brother & me used to take dirt bikes out to the desert and ride almost every sunday.( providing one of us wasnt grounded for some antics or grades) Ive had many dirt bikes from 50cc to 500cc Good times ;D In 1976 I had one of those Indian 100's Loudest pictured. Also owned a few street bikes Triumph, Honda 750, A Sporty and an old Superglide. Now that I'm older and much less insane, scootin is all I desire in two wheel transpo! ;D ;D ;D

[scooterlizard]

My first motorized two wheels was an AMF Roadmaster Moped, bright orange. it was 2 stroke, after that it was 4 stroke all the way.

[monty57]

Mine was what they used call a "doodle bug". These were usually homemade two wheeler with whatever gas motor you had or could find. Mine had a slant cylinder 4hp Continental engine. When I blow that one up a replace it with a Briggs and Stratton wash machine motor. Ahhh the good old days.

[RetroAJ]

voodoosix said:

retroaj said:

1986 Yamaha Jog 50cc. It was yellow, I couldn't stand it, so I painted it neon green. She would do a solid 40 mph stock, since there were no mods around back then. Small gas tank with the gauge on the back of it. But it got me around town on the cheap.

*A J*

LOL



mine was also a yellow '86 Jog..... purchased at Sportland Honda/Yamaha inBloomington Il.

Hey Voodoo, are you sure you didn't see me in there that day? Sportland was the bomb back then.

*A J*

[jusdoit]

I was 15 in 1947 & my folks got me a bright Red Cushman.. Went to town 40 mil4es away (eastern North Carolina) to dealer to buy it. Ah such Freedom...Only high school kid that had a motor scooter...BMOC... Was 17 when got my car and sold scoot many months later. 9 months ago, got my 2nd...a 150 Magster. Unloaded off a pick-up into front yard...mounted and started and drove off the lawn onto the street...in a half block, it was if I just got off the Cushman yesterday. Rode two blocks up and back to yard...neighbors & family were glad to see me..."ride into the yard...unharmed".

Weather permitting, I ride a few miles to many miles everyday...Absolutely Love It.
.........just "Bob" in North Carolina

[voodoosix]

retroaj said:

voodoosix said:

LOL



mine was also a yellow '86 Jog..... purchased at Sportland Honda/Yamaha inBloomington Il.

Hey Voodoo, are you sure you didn't see me in there that day? Sportland was the bomb back then.

*A J*

ya, Sportland was cool. after the owner died it wasnt the same. too bad Capodice closed down, now the only competition (if you can call it that) is Chuck's (bought a sportster there).

how's that Triumph/Suzuki place in ElPaso doing? they were just getting Burg'rs in when i moved away.

[czechmate]

My first and only ride I had so far looked almost like this - I even got the short exhaust.

It was fun moped.

[gy6rocket]

I was 8 years old and my dad and I built a minibike from scratch. The only thing we started with was a old stripped frame. I don't have an actual pic but it looked something like this:

Was so much fun for an 8 year old!!

www.vintagemotorsports.net/images/sears3.jpg

[scootjunkie]

mmmm let me think,,,, my first ride,, that ran that is ,, a 2000 or so hyosung scooter. god i miss that thing. ran like crap but it was nice.
here are the rest that i have gone through in the years....
2 yamaha qt50's
80 something honda spree with no body
yamaha razz that the crank bearings went out on
3 honda expresses
80 puch maxi 2
suzuki fz50
suzuki fa50
suzuki 400cc or so " i don't remember " street bike
about 5 or 6 more scooters i could not identify
a vento that currently needs a new topend
and finally my current pride and joy my 80cc honda areo,, and man it gets to 50 so friggin quick it scared me a little.

[ronnath]

one of these. '79. had it for about 16 years. just sold it last spring.