WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST MOTORCYCLE RIDE?

[Eric Carmichael]

My first ride was on a brand new red 1971 Honda CT70 automatic that Dad bought for my older brother and I.  It was June, and I had just turned 10 a month earlier. 

As my brother was the oldest, he got to ride first, but I didn't mind as I was able to watch and listen as he zipped around the swing set, past the dog pens and around the house.  When my turn came, I fastened the chin strap on my shiny white helmet and looked dad in the eyes as he gave me some last minute tips.  His first rule was simple, "if you can't start it, you can't ride it."  I was nervous but was able to start the bike right up on my own, and I was soon riding laps around our yard.  I remember how green the grass was, the sound and smell of the "mighty" Honda engine, and seeing mom's cats running for cover under the porch as I made my first loop around the house.  As my brother and I took turns riding that first wonderful day, several kids from our neighborhood came over to check out the bike, ask questions, and watch us ride.  I remember feeling kind of special that day, I guess I was aware that our friends were envious of us.

Later, as I got back on the bike for another turn, I glanced across the road and saw my Grandma standing by her front door watching the commotion.  She was slowly shaking her head as if saying, "Good Lord, now what are those two kids up to?"  It was a great day...

[Hap]

I was about 8 or 9 when I slept over at a friends house and the next day he pulls out a minibike from the garage. He starts it up and rides around the yard a bit and then brings it back to me. I get on and he tells me to just give it a little throttle to get it going. I gave it some throttle, wobbled along trying to maintain balance, and slowly went right into a tree and fell over. The minibike and I weren't hurt at all, just my embaressment of it all as my friend was laughing. I am sure it must have been very funny to watch. I got back on and eventually once I got the hang of it was zooming all around the yard having a blast. We took turns and filled the little tank up again with gas. What I also remember about that very same day was his cat had a litter of kittens and his Mom called him over and gave him a pair of scissors. Apparantly, it was his job to cut them apart! Anyways a few years later my older brother gets a brand new shiny yellow Kawasaki 100 enduro probably around 1970. He instructed me on how to shift since I never shifted before and of course I stalled it and tipped it over a couple of times but eventually got the hang of that bike as well. My older brother bought the kawasaki 100 with his own money he made taking care of horses down the street. When he got another job, I inherited his job and was making 17 bucks a week at the age of 11. After saving some money and borrowing a little from my folks, I bought a used yellow Indian 70 from the local bike shop called Cycle Enterprises in West Bloomfield, NY. I quickly grew out of the Indian 70 as I had a huge growth spurt in a year. That little yellow Indian was a great bike but you would have to clean the points with a dollar bill every hour or so of riding! I saved my money for a larger motorcycle and sold the Indian to a classmate the same age as me. In 1972, I bought a brand spankin new Hodaka Wombat 125 with a shiny chrome tank. I had admired that new Hodaka sitting in the bike shop for several months like it was a god or something. I took a loan from the local bank with my parents signature backing me up and paid 650.00 dollars for it at the same local bike shop who knew me from the Indian. I rode that bike for several years until high school when I inherited my older brothers Honda CB 360 after paying him off. I had the CB 360 before I was 16 and could not wait to get my drivers license. I was perplexed at the DMV when I went into get a motorcycle license and they told me I needed a drivers license first. I remember saying "I dont want a drivers license... I want a motorcycle license!!!" I loved driving that CB360 with the large Vetter fairing to high school every day and parking under the big oak tree with all the kids in class watching out their window!   

[Skinny]

In 1961, my first ride and first sort of motorcycle was a 1958 Sears (Puch) moped. Maroon and cream, 50cc and it had 2 speeds. It cost me $75.00. I delivered the early morning and afternoon Papers on it. After parking it one afternoon, it caught fire from a leaking fuel tap and was distroyed. I wish I could find one like it to restore (another example of my insanity).