Powell Challenger circa 1968 - The first 2-wheeled, motorized vehicle I owned. It had a 5HP B/S engine, centrifugal clutch and springed suspension, although with no damping. The gear ratio could be modified to about 0 different positions by moving the lever at top of frame. This was the BEST of the lawn-mower engined mini-bikes I have even seen. I paid about $100 used for it in 1970 when I was 11 yrs old (Picture is of someone elses - mine was in much better shape than this)
1956 Vespa Grand Sport - In California, one could ride a motorcycle during daylight hours with just a learners permit, so at 15 1/2 years old I got my permit and bought this Vespa from from brother for $200. It was a 150cc, 2-stroke, top speed of 50mph. The spare tire came in handy. Although kids at high school thought I was a geek riding it, I was really a trend setter. :-) I was not too smart about measuring the pre-mix oil precisely and ended up seizing the engine after about a year of riding it.
1973 Suzuki TM125 - My first real dirtbike, I picked this up disassembled in a basket for $100, with the promise that it was all there. Don't ever by a basket bike - I was lucky, it WAS all there. I just had to put in a new piston. Learned lots about bike mechanics on this one. The bike seemed fast to me, at top end, but my neighbor friend had a Honda Elsinore 125 that would blow mine away.
1975 Honda XL350 - Picked up this bike in 1977 with 200 miles on it for $500. This is the bike I gained most of my early motorcycle experience on. I rode it everywhere - on the street and on the dirt. I owned it only 4 months to the day and sold it with 10,200 miles on it - that's an average of over 80 miles per day for every day I owned it!
1963 BMW R60 - This was my brother's bike, but I had it in my possesion for awhile - for safe-keeping, of course. :-) This bike had a wonderful, classic opposed-twin Beemer sound, 4-speed.
1976 Vespa Ciao Moped - In the spirit of 1970s fuel conservation.. This was also my brother's, also in my safe-keeping. 50cc 2-stroke engine was started by pedaling. Had a 30mph speed limit but got oodles of miles per gallon (if you could stand to ride it that long).
1977 Yamaha XT500 - I sold the Honda XL350 so I could by this one. It had about 800 miles on it - paid $900. Had it 5 days and it was stolen from Malibu Beach at noon. 2.5 years later the police recovered it with only 900 miles on and I got it back. I kept it for 4 months and sold before going off to Uruguay for 2 years on a mission for my church. Yep, that's me showing off - this was a great wheelie bike.
1972 BSA B50MX - Now this was a manly bike! After the XT500 was stolen, I needed another ride and was getting into D37 desert racing. I joined the Shamrocks M.C. and fixed up this BSA as my desert machine. This first picture shows the bike, near stock when I bought it for about $500. I extended travel with Marzocchi forks and beefed up and lengthened the swingarm and installed the latest Curnutt shocks. The engine was bored to increase displacement to 600cc. They called me Beezer-Brown! I somehow fooled the California DMV into giving me a plate for it, so I rode it on the street too. A big race in Olancha was cancelled due to the environmental concerns regarding the kinky-tailed, snout-nosed lizard, so we went out play-riding/hill-climbing. Let's just say I did a wonderful flying-W over the bars at the bottom of a gigantic hill and the big-Beezer took out my ACL and MCL. That was the end of my desert racing - Fortunately the BSA had the kick-starter on the left so I was able to get back into the saddle a few times, before trading this bike away.
1976 Honda Trail 90 - This was a nice bike to have around during the gasoline shortage in Los Angeles in 1978. I filled up my truck once, then syphoned gas into this bike - it got about 180 mpg.
1972? Trisport 400 - Not sure on the year, but I owned it in 1978. It had a 2 cyl, 2-stroke Rockwell snowmobile engine and centrifugal clutch. This thing was crazy fast - smoked any Honda 3-wheeled ATV I could talk into racing me. Was always breaking though, so I dumped it.
1972 Honda CB360 - Plain Jane Honda street bike of the time. Can't say this bike ever did anything for me.
1971 Yamaha YL1 - This 100cc 2 cylinder, 2-stroke was quite a screaming little bike. It would go 80mph with my chin on the tank, downwind.
1971 Yamaha 250 Enduro - Yamaha sold a zillion of these. 2-stroke. I picked this one up for some quick transportation when I was in college, and to dink around in the nearby mountain dirt roads (didn't have a dirt bike at the time)
1972 Honda Trail 70 - I bought this from a lady in Colorado who wanted it out of the garage. It had a flat tire, I paid $25. I've done nothing but replace tires, oil, and clean out the carb every few years. My kids ride it now, runs great. I had it for 20 years and sold for $650.
1975 Honda XL350 - Liked the first one so much, I bought this second one when I found it at a garage sale in 1985. Somehow, the technology didn't seem so good this time around.
1975 Honda TL250 - Now here's a classic. While officially a trials bike, I rode it like a trail bike back in the 80s when all my friends had XRs. Bought it for $100 - it had a sunk float in the carb. I had this one 20 years too, and put a lot of miles on it. Still runs like a charm. Sold it recently for $1000.
1974 BMW R75/6 - Bought this in the mid-80s, it had low miles and was in perfect shape. Never should have sold it, but moved to Oregon and it rained so much I didn't think I've have much use for it. What a mistake. Sold it for about what I paid, $1500, gave it away...
1988 Husqvarna 430WR - First bike (and only one so far) that I ever bought brand new. Cagiva had bought Husky, and didn't get many of these sold in the process of moving from Sweden to Italy. In 1990 they unloaded a bunch of these for real cheap - I paid $2300. This 430cc, 6-speed, water-cooled, disk braked, 2-stroke has a heavy flywheel and was a wonderful deep woods bike in Oregon. I kept it for 11 years and rode it a ton. Took it on 5 memorable trips to Canyonlands/San Rafael Reef area in southern Utah. Did "5 Miles of Hell", the Dick Brass Red trail on this bike a couple times. I put a paddle on back a few times and did the sand dunes at Florence. Very powerful, controllable engine. This bike could do it all.
1977 Suzuki RM370 - One of two (see Montesa VR250 below) bikes that were in someone's side yard in the rain for years - the bikes were given to me. I took the heads off and both bottom-ends were filled with water. Spent no money, but cleaned things up and got both running and sold for a few hundred bucks.
1974 Montesa VR250 - This survived with cases filled with water for years before I inherited it. Too bad it didn't have an original tank. These had a good reputation for motocross in the early 70s and would make a good vintage bike now.
1996 Honda XR650L - I affectionately called this my Pig Bike - they are so dang heavy. Nice solid dual-sports, but mostly for the road. I road it in the Black Dog dual sport around Mt. Hood in Oregon (250 miles), lost my keys to the RV somewhere along the way and rode it home and back after the event to get a spare set (another 120 miles). This bike was up for it no problem. A bit heavy to put on the back of the RV so I sold and replaced with a Kawasaki Super Sherpa 250, about 80+ lbs. lighter.
1997 Beta Techno 250 - After having the TL250 for so many years, I always wanted a real trials bike. I took some video at the national Observed Trials events in Tillimook, Oregon in '92, '95 and '03. Finally couldn't stand it anymore when I saw this parked in someone's front yard with a "for sale" sign a few months ago. Fun bike to even ride around the yard, and to stand and balance on, dead engine, in the garage. These bikes are a kick -
2001 Kawasaki Super Sherpa 250 - Nice, smooth, light (250 lbs dry) dual sport. Great beginners bike and great on the back of the RV for local transportation. 6-speed, air cooled, dual disks, electric start. I just took it touring around Olympic peninsula in Washington. Read the story.
1982 Honda XR80 - The kid's bike. Ran really rough when hot, when I first bought it. Turned out to be a worn out needle jet. Replaced that and I'm sure it's good for many, many more years.
2004 Honda ST1300A - Also referred to as "Pan European". Now this is a real sport touring bike. V4 engine and shaft drive - fast, comfortable, very smooth for the long haul and fun in the twisties too. Very popular in Europe where it has good market share versus the BMW. But here in the States, volume is very limited (by design). I believe Honda is trying to push the Gold Wing in the U.S. This is a lighter bike than the Wing and more fun to ride. Demand for the ST is much higher than supply, particularly for the ABS versions. The first '04 models showed up in March '04. I was lucky to get this particular bike so early, the dealer (highly recommended Hillsboro Honda) told me it was one of the first 20 ABS versions to be delivered to the U.S for '04. This last picture shows bike with Hondaline Topbox, and Mirror/Fairing Wind Deflectors installed. I've also installed Heli-bar raisers and heated grips to make the long-haul more comfortable. More on this bike
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