Your first experience of biking

[Craig380]

Seeker's post (http://forums.sv650.org/showthread.php?t=232781) reminded me of one of my first experiences of biking.

My dad had a Honda CB77 305 when I was very young. As well as regularly going on the pillion, a couple of times he went up & down our road with me sat in front of him holding the bars just inboard of the switches, with him operating the controls.

When I was 13, he let me ride his B120P up & down our close, too. How did you get started?

[Biker Biggles]

Age about 12. Triumph Speed Twin 500. I could just get my feet down.

[Talking Heads]

Friend of mine got a KH250, took me for a quick spin on it.
Result: hooked on bikes for life.

[maviczap]

Apart from my dad having bikes, my first ride was as a pillion on my mates dad's C90, as he gave me a lift home if I had been playing round my mates. Must have been 8 or 9. Feet barely touched the pillion pegs. As for a crash helmet?

[SV650rules]

BSA Bantam belonging to my older brother, luckily we lived in a crescent with no through traffic, no helmet though. Had been a pillion passenger on bigger bikes before that, but that was the first time in the hot seat...

[Chris_SVS]

Uncle used to take us around the block outside his house, no speed or helmets involved. Turned 16, used mum as a guarantor and financed first bike. 2004 Yamaha TZR 50

Since owned

2001 Yamaha Thundercat
1980s CB650 Nighthawk
1990s GSX600F
2002 DRZ400
2004 Yamaha FZ6
2006 SV650S
2015 Yamaha MT09 Tracer

[Seeker]

You bunch of criminals! I had strict parents so although I bought my Honda C95 twin at 15yrs 8 months I wasn't allowed to ride it on the road until I was 16. I could ride it at the airfield where the initial part of the RAC-ACU training scheme was held (another condition) and I always had to wear a helmet (yet another condition).

My law abiding went downhill after that with my first speeding ticket at 17 and my second at 18.

[quinnj3]

Mine was about age 5 or 6. My uncle took me a few hundred yards up and down a local road sitting in front of him. It was Suzuki race style bike of some sort with twin headlights in the late ‘80s.


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[Sir Trev]

12 or 13. Some of the local kids had scrapyard-dodging mopeds (pit bikes I suppose) that we'd rag around the footpaths well away from the roads, until the Rozzers were called a few times. We'd then walk them well outside of the village out onto tracks around the fields. No lid, no gloves, no sense thinking about it now. Thankfully they all broke down and we had no money to fix them so it petered out after that until I hit 17 and did it all properly.

[Luckypants]

A go around the car park on my mates Mobylette ped at age 14 did it for me. Various goes on various folks bikes fed the habit until I could afford a bike at 34. Direct Access and a VFR750FV did me to begin with :-)

[BoltonSte]

My Granddad's Honda C something 200, used to sit on it when it was in the yard, then pillion when we used to go bowling which got me hooked much to my parents displeasure.


Used to turn up at his on my SV when he wasn't riding anymore.


My kids (6&9) get to go in circles on the car park and down the backstreet on mine. Every chance they get they want a go.

[daktulos]

A relative of mine ended up with brain damage having been knocked off a bike on a greek island with no helmet, so it was never even a consideration when I was young. My first experience was a day learning to motocross with friends from work - definitely one of the most fun and physically exhausting days ever.

I did also hire a bike on a greek island with no licence or helmet - which just goes to show that telling someone young not to do something is futile.

[timwilky]

Because of one of the family businesses, motorcycles in my family were a no no. But in about 73 dad brought home a Girella moped with slightly bent forks with instructions to us to straighten/sell on. Of course we had to test ride. there after Bamtams, James etc. on the fields etc.
1975 I am riding my mates FS1E up the road and it has no umph. Gutless, baffles are blocked with **** and it attracts plod on a commando. Gave mates name and address and radio check. It is registered to his stepdad. explained it was my stepdad and as address checked out got a producer which my mate took his licence/insurance next day. Got away with it and hooked ever since. Only problem being dads no bike rule.

So after a row on subject, at 17, twin bro raids his bank account and goes out and buys a GT250/insurance and packs his bags. I need a roof over my head so no bikes but riding "loans" that I have to hide at friends. then about 1981, dad brings home an XS1100 that had been in a fatal, but not a mark on it. Instructions to sell on as family did not want the thing. Of course I had to try it out and got busted, why did I have a helmet?

So no bikes for the next 20 years as too busy, until work finally put me in hospital and rebel twin came to visit. Get yourself back on two wheels Tim. Only decent advice the git has ever given me. Bought a Blandit 600 and 6 days later got wiped out whilst stopped at a red light. But those 6 days did something and as soon as mended bought a SV and the rest is history.

[Craig380]

Because of one of the family businesses, motorcycles in my family were a no no.

Bought a Blandit 600 and 6 days later got wiped out whilst stopped at a red light. But those 6 days did something and as soon as mended bought a SV and the rest is history.

Tell me to s*d off if I'm being nosey, Tim, but what was the family business that meant biking was verboten? Was it a scrapper?

Also what happened at the red light?

[timwilky]

One of our family business was consulting engineers and automotive claims assessors. My father (and I for 20 years) would have to inspect smashed up cars, trucks and bikes etc. On behalf of insurance companies. So saw more than anyone's fair share of the physical aftermath of things going tits up on the road.

Bikes particularly would be stuck in the back yard/garage of the owner and when you knocked on the door you would occasionally get the story of how it got to be there from grieving widows/mums etc. Hence I grew up with a father who was extremely anti bike.

As far being wiped out at the red light. Exactly that. I was in the outside lane of a dual carriage way and the lights turned on me, so came to a stop at the light and woke up initially thinking my clutch cable (new to me bike) must have snapped and launched me. Then there was this old chap apologising saying he had not seen me. Despite being in the centre of the lane stopped at a red light, and gone straight through (Didn't see red light either). Fortunately the copper in the adjacent lane said he was looking in the other direction and didn't see it. but gave me a list of 15 people who were looking forward and saw him slam into me, and come to a halt at the other side of the junction with his nearside wing/front suspension hanging off.

[Craig380]

Bloody hell, that red light incident is horrible :(

[dirtydog]

First bike experience was on my neighbours little motocross bike, would’ve been something along the lines of a pw50 when I was probably about 5/6
Then after that was borrowing my brothers rd125 when I was about 12/13 and taking it for a spin around the block. Never told him I did that

[TamSV]

Good thread this.


First biking memory is sitting on the tank of my uncles scrambler round his garden. Was probably about 5 years old and completely terrified.


My dad taught me to ride his ER185 when I was 10 or 11 in the local park. I couldn't reach the ground so he would have to catch me. He gave me a couple of shots on that before he sold it.

When I was about 13 or 14 he got a Kwak 250 LTD. Any time him and my mum went out I nicked the key and was out on that bike. He must have thought the mileage on that wee 250 was terrible. I would take my mates out on it too. Never got caught.


Turned 16 and had saved up from milk round and Saturday jobs to get a 50. First time legally on a bike and had the Police at the door first day (mate on the back with no lid). Policeman agreed my Dad could deal with me (different times) but he totally let me off.


By the time I was 17 I'd hit the bigtime and was on a YTS so could get a Yam RD125LC. Chucked it through a hedge on the first day.


I'm the most boring and sensible person you could meet these days but looking back I was a right **** as a kid.

[garynortheast]

Moving in the late 50s at the age of four from the house in Sussex to the caravan site in Kent where I grew up on my dad's Matchless 500 and sidecar. Me and my sister in the sidecar and mum and dad on the bike.

[SVSte]

My first bike ride was on my mates Puch 50cc moped he was a bit older than me and let me have a go on the spare ground behind the park we used to hang round as teenagers I was 14 at the time.

[punyXpress]

Aged about 7 at my aunt's in Scarborough. A friend of hers was going fishing near Whitby, would I like to go with him? Transport was a girder forked, solid rear end Norton single, cue much wailing & gnashing of teeth by Mum & sisters!
Ride was steady away. Host had a game fishing licence and caught nothing. I didn't & caught a trout - never got invited again :(
12 years later got a 125 Lambretta, followed by 250 Maicoletta with moto cross engine, standard Maicoletta, 400 Maico Taifun, the rarest of rare bikes, Enfield Constellation, Vincent Rapide, BMW R69S SUZUKI SV650 Triumph Street Triple and, fired it up yesterday, another Maicoletta.

[Gordon13]

When I was about 10 my uncle got an AJS Stormer, I sat in front holding the bars :cool: