Best Bike I Ever Owned.

[Larry Fine]

Well, it all started with a Keystone minibike that my dad put a new engine in, a 5 hp briggs and stratton with a centrifugal clutch. It looked mostly like this. They apparently made these from 1968 to 1971. We built it in about 1980.

To this day, I have never ridden a mini-bike, scooter, or moped. My parents were set against me riding anything with an engine and two wheels. My first 2-wheeled ride was on a friend’s CB100.

My second was on my 18th birthday, when I rode my bicycle to our local Honda dealer, where I picked out a 1-year old ‘72 CL450 and I also bought an orange Bell RT helmet.

The salesman drove me to my bank in his car, we came back and I bought the bike, helmet, and Dairyland insurance. I rode it illegally down to the DMV and got my motorcycle license.

That was my second ever riding experience. The rest, as they say, is history.

 

[TourNut]

My first "MC" was this '71 Benelli 65cc Dynamo Trail , little smoky buzz-bomb . I took my MC skills test for my license , after I added a required mirror for Ohio . I pulled it out of my Dad's station wagon , rotated the handlebars up , just as 4 guys on choppers showed up to get their licenses . The official kept looking at the Benelli after asking questions to all if we had certain legal equipment . a couple choppers got disqualified to take the test because of no mirror or horn . So the remaining choppers then had to steer thru the 4 cones , which they couldn't & flunked ! The Benelli easily passed the test & I got my passed certificate . As I folded up the handlebars & shoved the Benelli back into the wagon , there was 4 pissed off chopper guys complaining to the official about it all - official didn't care : they should have done some research !

2nd MC '72 Honda CL125 - 12 hp - still too weak for a 6'3" 200lb er .

3rd was a used '71 Honda XL250 - had it during college , did 3 enduros , then up to '81 . Towed it up to Chicago for during a '76 , U of C , Professional Practice ( Student ) design job . then rode it back home to Cincinnati ( on motorcross tread tires ) decided I needed a road bike too after that !

 

[ChucksKLRST]

I am going to deviate a bit here in this thread a talk about a bike was not my most favorite or the best but probably the one that I had the most adventures on. It was a Love / Hate relationship with this bike. It took me to Inuvik North West Territories, the took me to Copper Canyon Mexico. It let me ride the Big Dog Ride here in Colorado, even did the Elephant Ride over Guanella Pass in February before the Pass was paved. In Texas I rode it to view the Blue Bonnets in bloom. And rode over many dirt passes here in Colorado. A big heavy dual sport machine that was more tractor than motorcycle, best described as a tractor with only two wheels. This bike required more maint. than some of the others dual sports that I have owned, but never let me down on an adventure. Yes, my 1994 R100GSPD BMW. As I said a love / hate relation.

 

[Donk]

Maybe not my favorite, but the one I still have a soft spot for was my 1980 Honda CX500.

It just ticked all of the boxes for me at the time. Not the most powerful (even for a 500), but it had enough and I loved the look of the cylinders sticking out.

Cylinders sticking out? Just 2 of them? Yeah I get it.