What Inspired You to Ride?

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Started my riding when I was in my mid-30s. For many times I saw a house in mid-town Toronto close to where I worked always has three BMW R1200GSs lines up in their front yard, they looks so cool and manly. I decided to have one, even I just got my M2 license. That bike is too tall for me to ride. So I took the saddle seat away and put a foam cushion instead. And then on road and got additive to riding it, especially to long distance. I crashed it couple times, didn't get killed, but loved riding more afterwards.
 
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It was always for the girls. In the early 80's I couldn't afford the cars I wanted in high school so I snagged $500 used motorcycles like CB360's and 500's. Girls dig bikes. Always have, always will.
 
When I was a kid my dad and I came across an abandoned Honda Z50 while hunting worms to go fishing. We piled it into the car and he let me use his tools to try to get it running. I was hooked when that little 2hp 50cc thing puffed to life and moved the bike. From riding that around the neighborhood (with more than a few visits from the local constabulary) and local clay pits I moved on to an old Kawasaki G5 100; a friend had an XL75 and we rode those things everywhere. Around that time "CHiPs" came on the air and I got into motocross in a big way on an RM125. The mags -- Motocross Action, Dirt Bike etc -- and names -- Hannah, Ward, Johnson, Mark Barnett, Johnny O, Baily, Glover etc etc, the places I wanted to go but never could -- Hangtown, Unadilla etc, all shown in those mags along with exotica like "Moto Des Nations" stuff overseas...

Then life took a few tough turns and I grudgingly gave up on bikes, followed by going away to school, starting a career, getting married, buying a house etc. As I neared 50 I decided I'd gone long enough without my beloved bikes in my life and got back into them about 4 years ago, this time street rather than the dirt bikes I grew up with.

But yeah, that little Z50 was the itty-bitty spark that started me all those years ago...
 
1977, 4 years old and my mom's friends Jane and Jerry came to visit on their Goldwings.

Playing in front yard, hear the bikes and look up to see these two riding down our dirt road. I idolized Jane, so this has been all her fault.

40 years later and we still keep in touch. Very cool lady
 
slowbird said:
I don't recall a Motorcycle in that video. Shows how much I was paying attention
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The whole video is a "guy" blazing the streets of London on a bike. Then at the end of a badass ride, over Bush amazing guitar riffs, the guy takes his helmet off and its a girl. Not so much of a big deal now, but at the time I'd never heard of a female riding a sport bike. It just made me think, "holy crap, maybe I can do that too?!?"
 
nakkers said:
Reading a different thread and thought I'd ask.

For me, I always wanted to ride. Evil Knievel jumping Caesar 's Palace, my aunt taking me out on her RD350 back in the 70s. Neighbourhood friends with beat up RZ125 or KX80 dirt bikes.

Watching Rainy or Lawson squirming around the track. Dancing on one wheel braking into corners and power sliding wheelie coming out.

Catching Easy Rider on TV or Carmichael roosting through a track like a hot knife through butter.

Hearing a Kerker piped GPz or VMax burnout.

Or the chrome and gold Viragos.

Or cursing The Bonnie with possessed electrics or kicking a Shovelhead to life.

Loving Honda for the Shadow/Magna/Sabre V45/V65 machines.

Two stroke Yamaha RZ350 that ringed their front wheel to the sky with the wake of blue exhaust from the pipes.

Or the cool black and gold midnight special.

There are many others of course. I've never been a brand loyalist. Just loved everything that was two wheels.

How about when those HP wars? Busa and ZX10? When you could hear a bike and be able to know the make and model. When you could see the head light and just know what it is......


Bikes have always been a part of life in some way. It just speaks to me.

So how about the rest of you?

Did a vacation riding a scooter with a girlfriend or boyfriend plant a seed to get your licence?

A family member that rode or rides?

Are you a gear head?

Is it the freedom?

The track?









Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Childhood idols...Paris-Dakar...Hard Enduro / Supermoto Racing...and so many more


Sent from my iPhone using GTAMotorcycle.com mobile app
 
Story not very glamourous but here goes...

I took an interest to moto racing first believe it or not. Coming from Formula 1 fandom, I had an open mind when watching all forms of motorsport. I watched a bit of moto racing. I thought the idea of hanging off the bike and dragging knee was bizarre, but I would watch it on occasion, but mainly as a spectacle.

First trip to Europe in 2002. Everyone everywhere in Spain, France, Italy had 2 wheels. Scooters, mopeds, sport bikes. There was a passion for it, even if what i saw was mostly commuting use. Hell, even seeing those 3-wheeled Ape's in action was awesome.

Between those 2 things, I caught the bug and got my license in 2004. Financial constraints prevented me from buying anything for a few years, but between then having money, making another trip to Italy/Spain, and a crappy breakup, I bought my first 2-wheeler (a scooter believe it or not) and the rest is history.

Admittedly, not nearly as numerous as others here, but I'm almost at the 100,000 KM mark, mostly on my Ducati.

If I ever come into wiping-my-bum-with-money money, I would buy a vintage Ape.
 
The ducati Hypermotard.

That's what inspired me.

Also we were at the stage of getting another vehicle and i didn't want to have to pay for another car. And i wanted to be fast and nimble.
 
A friend at my grandmother's funeral was going to put a '78 Goldwing together for me, so I figured I'd better get my license. Two or three bikes later, he still wasn't done. When he finally did finish, he wanted to keep it. I think it has a sidecar on it now.
 
Baggsy said:
A friend at my grandmother's funeral was going to put a '78 Goldwing together for me, so I figured I'd better get my license. Two or three bikes later, he still wasn't done. When he finally did finish, he wanted to keep it. I think it has a sidecar on it now.
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I think you should get a ride in the sidecar...just for closure
 
meme said:
1977, 4 years old and my mom's friends Jane and Jerry came to visit on their Goldwings.

Playing in front yard, hear the bikes and look up to see these two riding down our dirt road. I idolized Jane, so this has been all her fault.

40 years later and we still keep in touch. Very cool lady
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Math doesn't work.
I've met you.
You can't be older than 29.

sent from my Purple LGG4 on the GTAM app
 
LePhillou said:
I think you should get a ride in the sidecar...just for closure
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FullMotoJacket said:
ftfy
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Waiting to see if he can drive it with the sidecar first. He's picked me and my bike up a few times at the side of the road. Also helped teach me, and introduced me to CVMG, so I'll definitely continue talking and riding with him and his better half.
 
My dad always had a bike, I used to go trail riding with him on his 1977 yamaha dt400. Got a z50 at 6 years old, a cr80 at 9, yz125 at 12, kx250 at 13, xl250r at 16, zx7r at 18 and too many to easily count since then.
I haven't been bitten by a bug, I have a disease.

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Great stories guys thanks for sharing.

Myself, I don't have much of a story, didn't grow up with dirt bikes and no one in my family rode, I just decided to try riding to see whether I would like it, enrolled in the RTI riding course, turns out I liked it more than I thought I would so I kept at it.
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