Bikes we owned....way back when....

My old 1979 KZ900. I bought it from a Navy fighter pilot who had purchased it new back in 1979 from Texas police department as a result of an over purchase. It had sat for probably 5 years and I paid $250 for it. Try as I might I could not get those carbs clean, even taking them apart and dipping them. A sonic cleaner would have gotten them right but they weren't available back when I bought this in 1990. A guy named Butch Harlow, who owned a vintage Brit shop over in Newport News, Virginia sold me a great set of accelerator pump carbs. I mounted and balanced them and she ran like a scalded ape. I had it for two years and did some great rides in Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland and even up into Pennsylvania, selling it for $850. Another one of those that I should have kept.

This was taken in my driveway in Virginia Beach


Out in front of a friend's shop situated on 500 acre farm in Chesapeake, VA. It was a wild ride that day down into North Carolina. The two friends on the right both passed away, Bill, on the end in about 2001 and the bald headed gent, Jeff, last year from cancer. He was a Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer who later worked for singer Willie Nelson in Texas before moving back to California a couple of years before he died. The guy on the far left, Trese (pronounced Trey) now has independent VTwin repair shop in Virginia Beach. That's his shovelhead in the background. The guy with his hand on the bars is a skinnier and younger version of the now me.


This is just one of the many great bikes I have owned. I still have the jackets I'm wearing in both pics but they are just a leeeeetle bit snug. The one in the top pic is a made in Germany Hein Gericke Paris-Dakar jacket.

Suzuki T90 Wolf, bought it for $50 the day I turned 15, back in 1984. Similar to this one, but way more rust

BillyIndiana said:

Her comfort was also the driving force in getting the Rocket.

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Oddly (or maybe not) this was a driving force behind my buying an R3. My wife has probably been on about 4 or 5 times in the last 7 years. Hmmmmmmm.

RacerX74 said:

My first road bike in 1992 ( you guys are all so old ) was a Honda CB 125 it was the only bike my dad would let me buy because it looked sensible

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You whippersnappers! - My first bike was a CJ125 like this - and was what my dad too conceded was OK.

That lasted 6 weeks before slamming under a truck - So moved on to
a CJ250T - I can't actually remember if mine was Red or Yellow. My mate Steve had whichever one I did not.
Passed my test and bought my First Guzzi (850-T3).

Surprised no-one has had a Tiger Cub so far

Mine was not even a Cubbie, but its wee brother - Triumph Terrier, the 150 cc engine model (Cub was a mighty 200!)
It was about 15 years old - same as me - when I bought it - bought from the owner of the chicken farm I worked on at weekends and paid it out of my earnings - I remember he'd write my hrs in a little book each week and eventually said its yours!
Mine looked just like this!



This was my actual first street legal bike - Triumph Twenty One (like a 3TA - 350cc Twin)





These are before and after pics of restoration done by someone who picked it up about 30 years later from when I had it
When I had it it was teal blue colour and somehow it ended up that nasty green (and who knows what else between) - but the restorer picked a great scheme.
He tracked me down from the original log book and sent me the pics!
Got a Bonnie after the TwentyOne

munster said:

Suzuki T90 Wolf, bought it for $50 the day I turned 15, back in 1984. Similar to this one, but way more rust

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I always drooled over one of these at the dealership. Suzuki 125 "Stinger". Never did get one



Yet !

Rocket Scientist said:

I always drooled over one of these at the dealership. Suzuki 125 "Stinger". Never did get one



Yet !

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I remember those! In South Africa they only came in the most horrible green that was supposed to be like the Kawa racing green but look almost luminous.

I don't recall seeing many Cubs in the 60s, or the 350s but have seen restorations later and they are sweet machines. I do remember going to the Triumph dealership in Sacramento and seeing rows of gleaming, beautiful Bonnies, TR6Rs, and C models. I just knew back then that my life would be complete if I could only have one.

My dad hated motorcycles so with my savings I bought a powder blue/white roofed 1957 Chevy Bel Air with a 327 engine, dual points ignition, and black tuck&roll. I popped the shackles as we used to say, installed dropped 4ft chrome slash pipes, American mags and it was a real chick magnet. I still drove it down to look at those Triumphs. Good memories.

DEcosse said:

Surprised no-one has had a Tiger Cub so far

Mine was not even a Cubbie, but its wee brother - Triumph Terrier, the 150 cc engine model (Cub was a mighty 200!)
It was about 15 years old - same as me - when I bought it - bought from the owner of the chicken farm I worked on at weekends and paid it out of my earnings - I remember he'd write my hrs in a little book each week and eventually said its yours!
Mine looked just like this!



This was my actual first street legal bike - Triumph Twenty One (like a 3TA - 350cc Twin)





These are before and after pics of restoration done by someone who picked it up about 30 years later from when I had it
When I had it it was teal blue colour and somehow it ended up that nasty green (and who knows what else between) - but the restorer picked a great scheme.
He tracked me down from the original log book and sent me the pics!
Got a Bonnie after the TwentyOne

Click to expand...

Like photo of the Terrier complete with period drip tray under the engine

I rode dirt since the early 80's. but have only had 2 wheels on the road since 2006. Started on a '76 Yamaha XS500 that I had as a paint project and somehow got running, then a 2007 Kawi Vulcan 900 Custom, then my beloved rocket Classic.