What did you ride before...

#1 Tricycle
#2 Bicycle.... Stingray, Haro, Huffy, GT, Ironhorse, others (at 3 years old to 15yrs)
#3 Lots of other BMX bikes
#4 Suzuki FA50
#5 Suzuki DR125
#5 Lifan GA200
#6 Suzike GS500F
#7 VFR800

 

#1 Rup mini bike
#2 Mini Trail 50
forgot Taco 44
#3 Trail 70
#4 SL100
#5 125 Elsinor
#6 RM 400
#7 750 Interceptor
#8 FZR 1000 (scary fast)
#9 900SS
#10 2002 VFR800

 

1) 1981 Suzuki GS550T. Starting learning how to wrench on bikes with this one. Has the typical 2nd gear problem that many bikes get. Its currently moth-balled until that gets fixed...or until I chose to sell it. Not sure which will come first
2) 1984 Honda CB700SC. This is actually my dad's bike. But I put about 1000 miles on it whilst learning. Mostly I had to list it because I love this bike
3) 2011 Yamaha FZ6R. My first (and only) new bike. Bought in March of 2012. Put 10K miles on it and sold it in April 2013
4) 1990 Suzuki GS500E. Bought in summer 2012 to teach my girlfriend on. She put maybe 100 miles on it and decided riding wasn't for her. Learned even more wrenching skills on this one, including root causing a high speed surge. Started to turn it into a track bike (suspension upgrades) but found a deal too good to pass on...sold in March 2013
5) 2001 SV650S Track Bike. Had all the upgrades I would have put into the GS, and was better in every way. Used it for 2 track weekends and caught the track bug BAD! Sold in July 2013, to my dad who is now doing track days with me
6) 2007 VFR800 RWB. Bought in April 2013 with 8K miles on it. I'm up to 17K miles this year, but unfortunately went for no good rides all summer, mostly just commuting. This bike is fitted just as I would like: sargent seat, peg lowering links, heated grips, staintune exhaust, PC3, white rims. This is the bike that made me stop wanting to get new bikes. I am in love and I don't care who knows it!
7) 2007 ZX6R. Bought in July 2013. Found a steal of a deal and upgraded from the SV. This became the new track bike and I did 3 more track weekends on it. Put around 1000 miles on between the track and some street riding.
8) 2005 CRF150F. Bought in August 2013. This was a spontaneous purchase. Trail riding could be fun, but I have no one to do it with. So this bike will likely get sold in the spring. But I was able to use it to teach my brother and many friends how to ride. Dual sports, in my opinion, make the best beginners bikes.

A lot of bikes in a short amount of time. But the VFR is one i'll keep. When I had the previous bikes my thought was always, "Maybe I could upgrade to _____". But with the VFR, my only thought is "When this bike dies, i'll get _____". And we all know that that could be many many years from now!

Then again, I reallllly like the looks/idea of the new Superduke 1290....

 

Man some of you guys have some history!

I'm younger, 33 this fall. Rode dirt as a kid on two ancient, indestructible Honda XRs (a 70 from the 70s, and an 80 from the 80s). First street bike was a 2007 Honda Shadow Aero. Great bike, pretty sure it would have started up after a cruise missile strike, and pretty comfy once I had highway bars and whatnot on it. Just didn't have the performance I wanted though, and so in 2009 I rode off on what I hope will be the last bike I buy for a looooong time.

 

RC30 = drool. Very jealous of you. The rapid progession of sportbikes makes the idea of lusting after a "classic sportbike" silly, because you miss out on so much performance. But I have such a fascination with bikes like the RC30/OW01/and anything 2-stroke. When you look at the fact that a $60K Desmo is matched in performance by a $20K 1199S just 7 years later, it shows how fast bikes grow, even recently, when theres been so little development money available.

I'd love to at one point own a NC30 (closer to my budget). But I doubt it will ever happen.

 

I had a VF500...I feel sooo little after seeig what rides you all have..

 

Cautiously and carefully i rode my first bike for 1 1/2 seasons ('88/'89), Yamaha's YL-1, 100cc, 2 cyl, 2-stroke from 1966. Figured it would be best for me to start small before beginning my evolution upward through over 24 bikes over 26 years. arty2:

 

Sorry, wrong photo above.:witless:


This is a YL-1.......






Given to me free cuz it didn't run, 4000 miles. Still have it, and ride about 10 miles/year.

Next step up was a 600......



after i thought i'd learned the ropes enough to brave the city street.

 

That Radian is a good looking bike!

 

First ride (Cousins) 1959 50s vintage Moped El Toro to Newport Beach (I know, I'm old)
Bikes: Honda 305 Scrambler circa 1965
Norton 650 Atlas circa 1963
Norton 850 Commando 72-73 (new) traded back in shortly for
Kawasaki Z1 1000 (new)
Honda VF750F 1983 (new) crashed on the Angeles Crest Highway
Honda VF750F 1983 (used from friend) still own (sitting in NY State)
Honda VFR800 - 2003 - Love it

 

Jeez... set the wayback machine.

HO-daka Ace 100 (first bike, raced scrambles and light motocross)
Honda CL350
Yamaha 360 Enduro
Kawasaki 175 Enduro
Honda CB400F
Yamaha XS1100
Ninja 900 (Top Gun colors)
Honda CB200
CBR600 Hurricane, red & black (race bike)
CBR600 Hurricane #2, black & gray (street bike)
Yamaha 100 enduro
Kawasaki Ninja 500 (race bike)
Suzuki GS500 (with 1.5 more bikes in spare parts)
Ninja 500 #2
Ninja ZX600
GSXR750
ZRX1100
Ninja 250
Ninja 500 #3
Yamaha TTR125
Kawi KDX200
Ninja 500 #4

Current bikes:
VFR800
VTR1000
Suzuki Bandit 600
FZR600
Suzuki DR350

I'm sure I've missed one or two along the way. Then an occasional ATV or two. Or three.

 

I've had my VFR for 14 years. Bought some other bikes since, but the question is what I had before, so ....
TW200
CBR1000F
GS500F
GL1500SE

 

Why so many Ninja 500s? I can't help but feel I'm missing out!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

My first bike at 7 yrs of age ('69 Z50), there were 9 of these in our neighborhood biker gang.

 

Why so many Ninja 500s? I can't help but feel I'm missing out!

Quote thing is on the fritz.

Easy answer! The little parallel twin rocks! It's perfectly balanced, light, flickable, has enough top end to go 120 mph, and when you roll off the throttle it falls on its face, so you can use the throttle and not overwhelm yourself. Very nice little scooter, I am on my second one, first was my race bike. Person I sold it to is still running it too, wants to bring it back to street trim.

Don't get me wrong, I love the viffer, but I enjoy the heck out of my Kawasaki, plus its an easy as pie bike to do anything with. The new FI bikes I dont know aboot though, I know they do decent in the Isle of Mann races and such.

Anyway, Cheers...Bikes are like guitars and cowboy boots, he who dies with the most WINS...:vtr2:

 

Thundercat. Best 1st bike ever lol

 

I had a few, some I shared with my dad. I got them during the week for school, he got them on the weekends! (Long story)

1981 Honda CB650 Custom (Shared)
1976 Honda XL125 (Mine)
1982 Honda V45 Magna (Shared)
1986 Honda Shadow 700 (Shared)
1995 Ducati 900SS/SP (Mine, still own it too)
2009 Honda VFR800 (First VFR)
2001 Honda VFR800 (Second VFR)

 

Thundercat...lol....weird names around the world. Thought it was that pricey V twin

 

I had one of those, great bike.

 

Prior to my VFR:

1967 BSA 650 Thunderbolt
1975 850 Norton Commando Interstate
1976 750 Benelli Sei (wish I'd kept this one for the motor, cool 6 cyl, looked just like a Honda 550-4 engine inside with 2 xtra cylinders)
1976 850 Moto Guzzi T-3
1984 Honda VF700F (still have her)

ACE