Let’s give a little love for our first motorcycles that got us hooked. Here’s my first bike. 1981 Honda CM400 Custom. What a great first bike. Too small to kill you, but big enough to get in a little trouble. I bought it in damn near pristine shape with around 1,000 miles on it. Odometer had over 27,000 and a dent in the tank when I sold it. The day I rode it home, it felt illegal how much fun I was having.
I rode it on perfect days, rainy days, and even some snowy ones. Survived a minor rear ending, and dumped it in the rain, finding out the hard way what happens when you lay on the rear brake a little too hard. I learned you shouldn’t teach someone to ride on any bike you care about, especially if they’ve had a few (That’s where the debt came from.)
Changed tires on the kitchen floor in my apartment, had to push it across town to use a gas station air compressor to get the bead to seat. Learned how to bump start it at the last possible moment. So many lessons and skills learned from this noble little bike. I sold it to buy a Sportster I still have, but I’m forever grateful for this one. Hope someone is having as much fun as I did when I owned it.
What was your first bike?