Your first experience of biking?

[Hankie]

Mine was a looong time ago, figure I was about 14, my older brother had a new BSA Bantam (D10 Sports IIRC). I had absolutely no idea what I was doing, but managed to start the thing and put it in gear, dropped the clutch and shot out the garage up the drive straight across the road and buried it's front end in a hedge. Hmm. Sheepishly pushed it back in the garage before I was seen . About 6 months later (now slightly more knowledgable) I sneaked out on it, at night, in the rain, and got about 5 miles before hitting a pot-hole. The bounce disconnected the battery and lights went out, but I couldn't get the seat up without a spanner. So I pushed it home (mostly uphill I might add) in the sodding rain, no streetlights either.

Like I said, many years ago (and we don't do things like that now do we )

Chris

[VTRbob]

when i was 8 i nagged my dad untill he dragged his bantam(d1 solo seat model) out of a shed, had to take seat of & sit on frame lucky me parents live in the back of beyond & are good friends with the local farmers so i had miles of fields

[RedStormV]

Seems to be a common thread developing here

When I was about 7 or 8 my brother found a nicked Bantam, dunno what model it was.
Me old man being an upright and law abiding citizen reported the find to the Police - not sure our kid was too happy though

The owner came along to identify it and said he'd been thinking about getting shut anyway as he didn't use it anymore.

So our kid ended up with his first bike, he'd be about 13/14 at the time.

My old man used to ride it up to a very well known (round here anyway) spot for off road bikes, called the Flappits - big sprawling quarry in the middle of open moorlands. Me, my bro followed in the car with my mum.

I occaisionally got to ride home on the back of me dad if I was good!

My first ride (I could only just get me feet on the foot pegs) was with my dad holding the bike upright by the back of the seat, while I just 'gently' blipped the throttle.

Well, I can't remember exactly what I did or why, but I ended up opening the throttle a lot wider than I should, left my dad in a cloud of dust on the quarry road, but was heading towards my mum who'd been proudly looking on!!!

She did a runner, but not to one side!! I ended up chasing her half way up one of the spoil hills before losing power / balance and ending up on one side, pinned down by the bike!

I've not stayed on bikes too well ever since

Didn't get another go for ages!

*

[stevevtr1]

'bout 9,mates Puch & mobylette mopeds,stripped bare (the peds that is )burning up & down some farmers field 'til he got wind & chased us off,shotgun & all ,Oh happy memories.
11 & me Dads mate gave me a Honda C50 he'd rescued from the tip.He got that running & used to transport it & me in his van to a local disused airfield ,with his Triumph/mettisse classic race bike,he'd be sorting that out while i was flat out on the runway.
Swapped that a year later for a Honda 150 twin,can't remember the model but it had trailing edge forks.That blew up so the last attempt before road tax insurance & finance was me Old Mans best attempt at a project to date a BSA Bantam frame fitted with a Villiers 175 motor ported & fitted with a mikuni carb off a KH250, Matchless forks,trials wheels & nobblies, Home made expansion pipe with no muffler..OUCH
Cheers
Steve

[sparrowlegs]

Mine was when i was about 16 on the stable yards kids 50cc dirt bike....i promptly rode in in to the barn wall at 30 mph

[lee67]

i started young, about 5 on a puch maxi, stripped for the field..loved that bike, until bro wrote it off

[tony.wilde1]

wow...good thread started here

now lets see...aaah....right...heres me 8 years old...being push started on a 1953 kerry capitano moped that was stuck in second gear....went about 100feet and then crashed into an any hill...which was about a foot high!!


them were the days!!

quick edit

found a colour pic of my first ever bike!!

[chuxsta]

some great stories so far...

my first one i must have been about 5 or 6.
dad bought me a mini bike thing and did it up with laverda race colours..
i couldnt even ride a push bike yet..
the first go my father was holding the back of the bike and told me to open the throttle gently.. said nothing about how far to open it though..
next thing i was at full chat in tears with my dad been dragged on the floor behind me..

awwwww bless...

[stevevtr1]

Age of 10, mate's older brother had a Honda SS50 and he let me have a go down a country lane, i was hooked.

Got a job on local farm a couple of years later and saved every bean i earnt to buy myself a Yamaha Enduro 125. Used to use it to ride all over farm at work. Had this till i was 16 then got Honda SS50 (it made an impression) and then got an Enduro 175 after that (again, impression made) and then blah blah, still on my journey, lots of bikes later and continuing.

When you mensioned Enduro 175,i got a bit weepy ,my first road bike was a Yam DT175 Enduro pre box section swing arm ,i say road bike ,spent more time in the woods
same model ?
cheers
Steve

[stevevtr1]

Yup, same model. tube Swing Arm, small tear drop tank, white with red panels on tank mine was, bloody lovely bike but not quick.

The 125 was same shape but earlier model and blue with chrome mudguards, white one had painted guards if i remember correct.

Thats the one,mine was the blue ,fitted it with Fresco pipe & Boysen reed valves,nippy,but not quick a heady 70 ish down hill
Love one for the garage tho

[fritz]

about 12, C90, field!!!

i think its still in the bottom of the pit where we left it!!!!! 28 yrs ago!!!

stll crash em as an adult!!!!


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[storminateacup]

First experience was on the back of my older cousins ex wd BSA I was 8 yrs old, I'd walk down the lane and wait for him to come home from work. First time I rode I was 15 yrs old a 175 Bantam belonged to a friend. Moved on to Mobylette for the test at 16 and then upgraded to a 350 Ariel Red Hunter solid rear end.

[Beamish]

about 9 years old, Lightwater Vallry had just opened and they used to have italjets. I remember bouncing round the dirt oval and burning my leg on one.

Exactly the same experience at Lightwater Valley then on to a Honda SS50 off road. First on road bike was a Yammy RD 50

[Donners]

First experience of a bike was on the back of my Uncle's Triumph Bonneville, I must have been 8 or 9. I remember trying to hang on to the bike and to the adult crash helmet I had on as he did what felt like 100's of miles an hour up his local dual carriageway. My mum said that I came back white as a sheet, but I was hooked.

The first bike I owned (and wrote off!) was a Yamaha RD 125LC.

[Andy1671]

mine was a c90 shared between 3 at about 12years old some good times off road 3 up. First five road machines were VESPA scooters every one can stop laughing now also passed my test on a 225 vespa registered as a 125 they were good days when nothing mattered but messing round properly