What Got You Into Bikes?

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As the title says what got you into bikes?
We have members from all across Aust. Some from East Bondi (NZ) and some from the land of the free and home of cheap petrol, so I thought I’d ask the question. I don’t care about your expertise or if you have owned a string of bikes or if you’re still trying to start your Yamaha DT1.

What/who fired your passion? What made you decide to brave the elements?

For me growing up on a farm I started on farm and dirt bikes for fun and riding has evolved from there. I used to love watching the supers when they did the Le Mans starts. You wouldn’t get me doing that. And the battles in the Castrol 6hr. I used to work with Andrew Johnson in the mid 80’s too. As a dozer operator he made a good rider.

QUADROPHENIA.

One look at Stings scooter and I just had to get one. I finally got a Lambretta 150 much to the disgust of my parents. I had very little money so it spent more time off the road than on the road. I did however learn to love motors and breaking them down and building them back up. A few upgrades later and is was into the world of super sports. A long pause then ensued until i reached the Shores of Perth however due to some very odd reason I had to retake my bike licence. Finding 250cc a touch on the small side for a 6 footer I went back to my roots with a modern upgrade Piaggio XEvo city scooter. Sydney called a few years later and on arriving in the big smoke and a rapidly approaching birthday it was time to look at a new toy. Age and time have however tamed the beast slightly, so now for a bike that would suit a more leisurely approach and to tour the wonders that NSW and beyond has to offer on two wheels but still be fun. MY 1250FA has not disappointed and over the past year has taken me to Melbourne and back and planning a trip to Tassie.

The plates are early 1960's NZ reg.

The Matchless

This was taken whilst I was staying at an uncles house, I was a wee tacker. But every spare moment I would be into his garage trying to get on one of his bikes. He had this & several scramblers? I was addicted from then on in.

I know it's a Matchless but I haven't worked out what year the old girl is?



15yrs old age, $50 & I had me my first set of wheels 1964 Honda 50 stepthru................ tough little bugger........... 42mph flat, lying prone of course.

But it didn't stop there.

East Bondi? Ha! We are invading............Centrelink by Centrelink.

I got into bikes as my girlfriend's sister had a bike riding boyfriend (Honda MT250 Elsinore) and he talked me into it. It has started a 30 year love affair with the things. Most of the following pics have been extracted from the Internet, as I never had the presence of mind to photograph my bikes. Apologies to anyone who recognises their bike here, but it's fair to say that the following look like what I used to own, so it's these or nothing!

Suzuki TS185ER


My first. Purchased new. Gutless but I loved it. Nearly crashed it locking the rear wheel in a panic stop. I used to clean it with a toothbrush and couldn't bring myself to off road it (probably just as well)

Suzuki GT380L


Blew smoke like no tomorrow. No brakes. Handled like crap. Loved it.


Yamaha RD400E


Fast. My first inadvertent power wheelie and crashed it twice doing foolish things. Wish I still had it, although I may not be alive today....

Yamaha RD350A


Fast and noisy. Two friends crashed it at different times. Mine had black expansion chambers and sounded like a wasp in a jar.

Suzuki SP370


Took me interesting places. Bastard to start, especially if you fell off it. I had a big yellow plastic Don Vesco fuel tank as well, and it would go forever on a tank of gas. I carried my cat on it in a box and it pissed all over my leg

Suzuki GT550


Ex MOT bike and I fell off it braking in some loose gravel once. Had a 3 into 1 and was LOUD

Yamaha SR185


A basic commuter. Had to push start it as the starter was dead. Taught me to swear a lot and had the heart and soul of a paper bag. What was I thinking? I had cars around this time (HQ Wagon) so the bike was a cheap alternative.

Honda XL250


Commuted on it. A bastard to start. What is it with singles?

Suzuki T500


Fully rebuilt it from a pile of junk. Lots of character and fast and smoky. Even got the fasteners re-zinc'd and it looked great

Honda CB750


Looked good but weak performance two-up. Would be quite collectable now

Suzuki GS1000G


Loved it, but had a nasty cam knock and used oil, so off she went. Started an enduring love for Suzuki 4 cylinder motors

Honda XL600R


Another bastard to start. You’d think I’d learn.

Kawasaki GPZ1100B2


An American import and far too fast for the spaghetti frame and wooden brakes. Almost killed me because I was foolish. Learned to fix fuel injection with this, as it had rust in the tank

Honda CB360


A dalliance. Nostalgia outweighed by impracticality, weak starter and fuel leaks

Suzuki Bandit 1200


Bought new. Sold it because I rode it too fast, and instantly regretted it. Next owner crashed it. Swine

Suzuki Intruder VS1400


Lovely torque – crap handling and no fuel range. Fell on me the first week while cleaning it. Bastard. Not a bike for daily use or trips, and liked to fall over into roundabouts. Would backfire spectacularly if you flicked the kill switch on and off when riding

Yamaha XV750


Had a starter motor like someone throwing a handful of bolts at a fan. Looked good, but never really excited me.

Suzuki Bandit 1200


Nice but had issues with carbs and leaking fork seals as the previous owner had left it outside under a cover. I could see problems looming so sold it

Honda CB900F Hornet


Grunty and nimble. High pipes made my jacket stink of fumes and it needed a fairing to be decent on a trip, but a great bike and I'd have one again


Suzuki DL650 V Strom


Didn’t excite me but was an eminently practical bike. Logically I should have kept it, but the 1250 was a'callin

Suzuki GSF1250SAK8 Bandit


And here we are today!

Take a bow Kewwig , that is one answer ,loved it. I think i had 4 of those .Gt 550 ,Gs1000,1200 bandit ,1250 bandit.

gus wrote:Take a bow Kewwig , that is one answer ,loved it. I think i had 4 of those .Gt 550 ,Gs1000,1200 bandit ,1250 bandit.

I wish I still had some of them. The GS1000, RD400 and the GPz1100 in particular.

Great selection there kewwig, if you keep on going you're going to need a dealers licence

Oh the memories, being young & fearless....................!

My first brand new bike 1978 XT500D


Followed by the one I wish I'd never sold 1979 GS1000E


Then came the GSX1100's x 2


Why settle for 1 when you're allowed 2 Second 1100 & my little X7



Some playing in the dirt PE400T Ported & polished with a modified chamber



My little DR250



I got paid to ride bikes for many years. I figured that if I kept riding like an idiot I'd eventually get locked up. These guys paid me to ride fast Just a couple that work let me use & abuse







Then too many years break without a bike & back to one of these

Jaba, I'm sure it was you that chased me one day....

They say that as we get older we seek pursuits that reminded us of happy times in our youth. I guess that explains bikes, sex and beer. That XJ750 looks like the one Arthur bought and I stripped it down so it could be repainted blue!

That right I remember him with one of those..........they were a great work bike for the day.

In the 80s I used to ride home at night past the Honda shop and lust after the Honda CB1100R. They were an astonishing $10,000, which was a year's income for me at the time:

For me I was about 6 yrs old and my dad had a bike to ride to work on, think it was called a Poche or some thing like that, anyway when he got home he some times sat me on the tank and road round the block. I'd get my fingers caught when he turned a corner and I never complained. I was hooked!

I'm starting on the next generation already