How many of you started your moto life on a Brit Bike?

[beemerdons]

Even though Fairlaner's drunken Uncle Cyril built my 1959 Triumph Speed Twin 500 back at the Meridien Factory and it never really ran right, I still am in love with British Iron! Incredible motos!

 

[exskibum]

Me, definitely!!! First time ever on a motorcycle was at 13 or 14 on a Triumph Tiger Cub 200 that my Dad's childhood friend (a mechanic and flat track racer) had set up for his kids on his property in San Bernardino. A couple years later, my Dad got a Triumph Tiger Cub 200 as a basket case (we already had a couple Honda 90s) that another friend of his rebuilt, and I rode the heck out of that on the dirt roads and in the hills near where I grew up in Chatsworth on an orange grove. My first street dedicated motorcycle (and first motorcycle I bought and owned on my own) was a '69 BSA 650 Thunderbolt.

So, yeah, Brit bikes played a large role in my early motorcycle addiction.

 

[fljab]

I can't say I started on one, but I've had a couple in my past, and wouldn't mind one of the new models either.

I had a '67 Mountain Cub & '78 Bonneville.

 

[azitlies]

Hell Yes, my first bike (really, other than a Honda scooter) was a 650 BSA Hornet.

Picked it up from a local yokel and while the motor was in tact, had to put it back together.

Luved that bike!

 

[Bearly Flying]

First Street Bike, 59 Bonneville. I was 14, bought it from a Farmer for $300.00, took all of my summer wages to pay for it.

 

[FJRay]

I also started on a Tiger Cub. Couldn't keep a crankshaft in it so I put a Honda 160 twin in it and it made a pretty good bike. After that I had a couple TR6 Triumph desert sleds and a Greeves that I ended up putting a 500 Triumph twin in. It was a popular conversion in the 60's. My last one was a Royal Enfield 750 Interceptor that was museum quality and now lives in Hollywood. It was one of only 700 ever made.

 

[YummYam]

Cheating somewhat as I was born there, but my first real bike at age 17 after a couple of mopeds and Vespa and Lambretta scooters was a Francis Barnet 197cc 2 stroke single.

Had more than a few issues keeping it going and have fond memories of using my boot heel to kick the badly fitting header pipe back into the exhaust port while on the move more than once.

Had some good times on that old Fanny Barnet

 

[Panman]

Two Bonnies, 64 & 65, one 72 Trophy, one 72 Trident a 51 Sq 4 and see my avatar a 73 Trident that I still have.

 

[TheZsdad]

First Street Bike

Bought new. Lucas Electrics sucked that was the only real negative.

On a lesser bike I might not be here today. Found out what it takes

to make a bike turn fast and hard at over a 100 mph.

Had something to do with a guy on a Honda 500 Four.

Just caught a glimpse on him as in my mirror as I realized that road

I thought I knew had a turn in it.

 

[Khunajawdge]

Not me. Strictly Jap iron for this butt since 1965. :glare:

 

[beemerdons]

The first motorcycle I ever rode was a Triumph Tiger Cub. This was in 1963, and man did I enjoy that bike! The shift lever was on the right side and the rear brake on the left side. A couple of years later when I bought my 1960 R50 I had to learn to change feet. It was either do that or ride backwards. In about 1971 or 72 I bought my Norton 850 Interstate. It had the highly touted "doughnut ring" suspension system. The bike was powerful and fun, but after years of only BMWs, The Norton's vibration was so rough on me, I pissed constantly for several days after any ride longer than an hour or so. So I sold it and returned to BMW.

For the past two summers I have ridden a Triumph Tiger 800. I rode with Dr. Bob on Edeweiss Bike Tours' Adriatic Roller Coaster Tour and this past August I rode with fellow AZ Beemers on Edelweiss' Alps Extreme Tour. This is the best handling, most fun bike I ever rode.

My best Biking Buddy for two decades is Uri "BeemerGuy" Schumm, like Papa Chuy my Friend Uri also started out on British Iron. Uri has fallen in love with the Triumph Tiger 800 and I imagine he will buy one soon, joining his BMW R1150RT!

 

[Gramps]

Yep, first street bike was a

250, 1970's vintage.Man, I wish I'd never sold it.

 

[beemerdons]

My 1972 Triumph TR6-C accumulated 185,000 miles in the 10 years I owned it. I rebuilt it several times, but the parts were cheap and the bike was very simple to overhaul. Most memorable was a cross-country trip in 1980-outside of Santa Rosa, other travelers kept pointing at my bike as they rode by. Of course, I thought they just liked it, but I saw the smoke cloud the second I glanced at the mirror. Turned out to be a fractured LH piston, and it got me 500 miles home with half a case of cheap 30-weight! There was a noted lack of mosquitoes that year in central New Mexico.

Bought my R80/7 that year, and even though I rode the 650 a few more years, I was ready to make the switch!

The Brit Bike Owners are coming out of the woodwork, turns out the most respected independent BMW Shop in Phoenix - Quality Cycle Service also rode English: Owner Dave "gypsytech" Alquist also started out on Limey motos, before he made the switch over to Beemers!

Quality Cycle Service

20 N. Rogers St.

Mesa, AZ 85201

Phone: (480) 064-4800

Dave Alquist, owner,

 

[old Pilot]

First bike was an Italian, a Ducati 160. The fastest, coolest bikes at the time were the 650s so naturally I joined in the fun. BSA Thunderbolt, Triumph Bonneville, and then a sweet BSA Spitfire. Would love to have one again.

 

[John d]

Love that video, thanks for posting! I had not seen it before.

Actually my first bike was a used burnt orange '72 Norton Commando 750 Roadster like the one in the video you posted. It was wicked fast up 60-70 mph, could easily pull wheelies and would trounce the newer Norton 850's. I rode the crap out of it as teenager and eventually blew the top of a piston right off. After doing a back yard rebuild, I rode it to Fort McMurray Alberta where I sold to a local, because I needed the money.

Below is my current '74 Norton 850 that I purchased used in '79 for $850. It has been a great bike and was my sole bike from '79 to '05. After rebuilds and whatnot it currently has just over 200,000 miles on it with 180,000+ being mine. This is the bike I rode from London Ontario through the USA and to Tofino BC and back in the summer of '93. There were some minor hiccups along the way but that's another story. Suffice to say at this point, that when I got home from that trip I was looking at it just after stepping off when the sidestand bolt snapped and the bike fell into my lap. I suppose it had had enough at that point. Now it just sits in the garage unlicensed, and uninsured until I get around to doing another engine rebuild.

It would be really hard on me to give that bike up. It owes me nothing.

Interesting see just how mammoth the FJR is to the old Norton. I love them both.

 

[beemerdons]

This is my first experience with a Brit bike when I still lived in England, probably 1954. It was my dad's Royal Enfield.  The foot pegs were a little far away for me at the time. I had to take a picture of a picture so I hope it attaches ok and is viewable.

 

[Bounce]

While the first bike I owned was a Honda Mini-Trail 50, the first bikes I rode were borrowed from Friends. The time frame is in the mid to late 60s and the bikes were a Bridgestone 90 and a BSA D7 Bantam Super.

Lotsa fun!

 

[Monty]

If you don't count the Cushman Eagle I rode in high school and an occasional ride on my older cousin's Harley 125, my first "real bike" was a 1959 Triumph Trophy. Rode it all over Hiway 1 and US101 in California back in the early 60's. No bags and a handlebar mounted windshield. I did have a cheap helmet and Marlon Brando jacket. :lol:

 

[rogdeb]

Does me Mums 1962 Raleigh Moped RM4 count ??