The worst first bike?

[shrub]

I'm curious where we all started. I look at learners today with some very nice machines, and look back to my first bike.

It was an RD200 that I bought off a mate. It had no power until it hit the power band, then everything went crazy for about 2 seconds. The brakes were big ugly drums that were either on or off, and the frame twisted and weaved. It also had really cool tyres that were square and hard as rocks, but still passed a WOF so they stayed. It seized every now and again and the electrics were mostly insulating tape and bits of speaker wire, so charging was variable - another reason I pushed it home on a regular basis. And it had solid footpegs, so every time I went fast round a corner the rear wheel lifted off and I fell off.

But on the Greenhithe bridge it could hit 150 (using both lanes) and it sounded really cool when I took the baffles out and accelerated faster than any of my mates carts. And most of all it had two wheels, I could ride it and I loved it. I rode everywhere on that thing, fell off regularly, fixed it all the time and shed a tear or two when the bike wrecker came to collect it when I bought my shiny and nearly new DT250. Which I only ever binned off-road.

[Corse1]

hey we started of differently but ended up with the same second bike. My first was an XL175 that never stopped running. Was gutless as all shit and had an annoying leak from the gear shift shaft seal but still have good memories. The DT250 next bike did not leave the same good memories. Got stolen and recovered etc etc. Was the first monoshock model.

[Paul in NZ]

The Ariel Colt..... shudder.....

[neels]

My first bike was a TC100, just kept going and going even after I'd crashed it numerous times playing down the river, lost count of how many number plates and indicators I replaced and how many times the clutch housing was welded up when it cracked.

Eventually ended up unwarrantable when the back mudguard fell off where it had rusted through, at about the same time as I lost the end of the exhaust and the baffles from inside it somewhere in the waimak river bed and the seat fell off because the steel underside had rusted away.

Sold it to a mate for a crate of piss, don't know what happened to it after that.

[Jackal]

Had a Yamaha AG100. Road legal for the most part and had it for years. It took me all places. Up 90 mile beach and back in the 80's. Had an old 20 litre drench container with the top cut out bolted to the carrier. Often had one of the kids sitting in that, one on the tank and one behind me. All 4 of us would get around Taihape and then Kaikoura. The thing was an old shitter and slow as a wet week but it would not die. Finally gave it to a friends son. Only fell of it once on the road, (hit some loose gravel on the way to rugby practice in Taupo) Came off plenty in other places! The bloody thing is probable still going somewhere in Blenheim...........

[T.W.R]

First bike I learnt to ride was a BSA D3 Bantam 150 rough as guts painted gloss black & with a sloppy gear lever & knarly clutch, spent hours riding that around the house section and at the Vintage car club grounds at Mcleans Island when the old man was involved with the PVMC.

Then progressed to a one season old YZ80 and got involved in Junior MX for a few seasons until an accident the caused me to sever nerves in my right knee and the doctor said no more MX

First roadbike was a 76 Suzuki GT125 spent a few months ripping around the canterbury district imitating a gorilla on a tonka toy until one arvo I holed a piston whilst 2up squeezing out every last ounce of go it had left in it :slap: pushed it home (Prebbleton to Lower Riccarton....roughly 16kms) took it to the shop to get repaired and once fixed Traded it in on a 1owner, 5k old, 85 CB250rs without even taking the GT out of Doug Creswell's workshop.

[Headbanger]

I started on dirt bikes at an early age, so it was a natural progression at about 14 to simply ride it on the road to my riding spot, and after you have taken that step you might as well just carry on riding it on the road.

First semi-legal bike was a Honda XR200, semi-legal in that it had a headlight, no indicators, no mirrors, no wof, no rego, and the number plate I stole off my old-boys bike trailer.

First road bike was a 1987 Sportster.....woot woot. Best bike I have ever owned.

[Katman]

Z250C.

I often wonder whatever became of it and would buy it back in a flash if I got the chance.

[GOONR]

One of the old twin shock DT125's (http://www.bikez.com/pictures/yamaha/1979/15276_0_1_2_dt%20125%20e_michael%20strange%2015%20 aus.jpg) in the uk 18 odd years ago. It was rubbish so I didn't keep it long, threw it in the bin and bought a RD125 (http://motorbike-search-engine.co.uk/classic_bikes/RD-125-MK1.jpg) then a NSR125 (http://www.bikez.com/pictures/honda/1990/22147_0_1_2_nsr%20125_Igorova%20Honda.jpg). Then stopped riding for about 16 years.

The one's in the link's didn't belong to me, just random photo's

[Blackshear]

First bike was an RM80. That thing was a fierce motherfucker.
Then it hit the powerband.

[slofox]

1953 350cc Ariel - "Red Hunter" although mine was kind of black and rust coloured. Bought for $100 in 1968. On the excuse of "needing transport because the bus timetable did not suit lecture times and venues". Actually because I just wanted a motorbike...

Went out to pick it up. Paid over the money and got aboard to ride it home. Got 100 metres down the road and the clutch cable let go...somewhere down on the inside of the primary chain cover IIRC...looked inside said chain cover to find it filled with grease, not oil. Because, as I found out later, the primary case was about as capable of keeping oil in as a broken sieve...oh and when you applied the rear brake the whole back wheel locked up. No matter how gently you applied the pressure. Went back to confront the seller who more or less said "tough luck sonny now fuck off..."

So me mate nursed it home while I rode his speed twin back. Looked at the rear brake next day to find that the back suspension (kind of suspension anyway - very primitive) was so shagged that whenever you applied rear brake, the whole thing lurched and pulled the brake cable real tight real quick. Which explained the lock-up...so stopped using the back brake and only used the front.

Eventually got the back end sorted so could use back brake without arsing off. Suspension was still totally rubbish. No compliance at all - may as well have had a rigid back end.

About two days after I got it sorted, I went for a spin one night around Christchurch city. Heard some sod up close behind me on a bike - thought he was buzzing me so hurled round a corner to get away. It was a copper on a bike, wannit? Who promptly ticketed me for cutting the corner. And despite lying in my teeth I got done for no licence as well...

About two weeks after that, some old loony in a car ran into me by turning across my right of way in an intersection. Bike went crash. I went crash. Landing on the helmet I had only bought that morning...lesson there. Bike was fucked for many weeks until we discovered there was an air leak in the inlet (between carb and flange). Once fixed bike went again.

Spent many many hours on that old thing. Learned how engines and gearboxes were put together as well. The hard way. When I took the gearbox apart to see why it jumped out of top gear, I carefully laid everything out in order so I could put it together again. Took it to the wrecker dude to see what was wrong. He tipped the box upside down, rummaged through all the components, thoroughly mixing them up (I was going white about now), lifted up the final gear and said "the dogs are worn. Stick a spacer between this gear and the bearing and you'll be sweet!". He then shoveled all the bits back into the box and sent me on my way. i was too embarrassed to say "How the hell does all this go back together?" Just slunk off home. As it turned out, there was only one way it could go together - the right way - so all was good eventually. And the spacer worked as well...

Eventually sold it. But it always went. Not very fast, but it went...

[Big Col]

A yamaha dt360, It handled like a small tavern.

[marty]

Yamaha XS250 - like a small XV400/550. Well not physically smaller, just more gutless. Was an overweight, gutless parallel twin. Lent it to a 'mate' and he biffed it - never paid for it to be fixed. I rode it with duct tape and RTV'd up instrument cluster, but never really enjoyed it. Did I mention it was gutless?

And I have never lent a bike out again without making it clear what the consequences of scratching it are.

http://www.motorcyclespecs.co.za/model/yamaha/yamaha_xs250%2082.htm

[pzkpfw]

RD250LC that had had a half-arsed 350 "upgrade". It had become a pre-mix, still had single front disk. Rode around for half a year then wen toverseas. Had to sell it when my Sisters Husbands Mother decided it couldn't live in her farm shed any more. Found it outside a shop a few years later when I came back to N.Z. Someone had fixed it up a bit, but it was still my spray-can blue. Had zero money so sadly couldn't re-buy it.


Thread title says "worst" but most of us seem to have fond memories.

[sugilite]

Suzuki TS185ER - looked mint when I got it-trashed in a few short weeks.
It was an immaculate red happy sweet innocent bike, pity it took me only 6 weeks to crush it's soul!

Funniest moment - Getting suckered along a steep, soggy, slimy pine tree infested hill by my mates.
I was on trail tyres, fell over at low speed and crunch went the indicators on the right.
Unbeknown to me the front brake lever had broken inside the rubber boot, I get bike up, it's ass facing down hill, go for said brake lever and no ones home, the bike rolls down hill hits tree with a brake light destroying crunch, in it's final act, the bike then falls over crunching the left hand indicators this time and burying it's foot peg into my poorly protected left foot, completing a 30 second concerto of destruction!
After that, I took safety gear very seriously. Also about that time shares increased in value for accessory indicator and brake lever companies!

[release_the_bees]

I had a 50cc Italjet dirt bike as a kid, but my first road legal vehicle was a Yamaha V50G. My first road bike was a Kawasaki KR150.

[badblackbuell]

Honda C50 steppy, cheap to buy and run. Fried the rings doing burn-outs while running lawn-mower oil, rebuilt it at school in metal work class for the grand sum of $90. Fond memories include doing wheelies on it till the carb bowl would run dry and then slam the front back to earth!

[SMOKEU]

CG125. The centre stand would scrape the ground even on a moderate lean. The front brake fell off, so I had to ride around using only the rear brake with cheap, bald tires. Surprisingly enough, I never binned it.

[Flip]

We had a BSA bantum pos on the orchid. I also had a couple of Solex's. When I was 15 I brought a C100 and a SL125 followed by a XL175 which was a load of rubbish and an Yamahaha AS3 125 that I still have.

[Bender]

The first bike I ever rode was an old Jawa. The styling looked like someone had ridden a pushbike through a candy floss machine. It had been sitting out the back of a friend's place (his father used to ride it to work) while the NZ weather tried to rust through its thick Czechoslovakian metalwork. My brother swapped it for doing some panelbeating work on the guy's car. We attacked it with our extensive tool kit, which comprised a couple of hammers, a set of pliers and a cool drill/screwdriver my Dad had - the bit spun round when you pushed it in and I liked to use it as much as possible. I'm sure the Jawa ended up with some holes in it that would not have been necessary. Anyhoo, we got it going somehow - it must have been pretty simple, like putting some petrol in it) because we knew zero about engines in those days.

It was maroon and rust coloured. I never could figure out whether it was a 175, 250 or 350.

Czech this out - it had two pistons that rose and fell together, with a single, common combustion chamber and head. Woohoo, way to engineer something, Bronislav. Despite making almost zero power, it could pitch you off when it kicked back. It was uglier than a fresh dog turd but I was wary-as of that kickback.

I got the horn going. So I used to toot it frequently as I rode round the block. It sounded like someone strangling a Starwars droid under water. Everyone used to come out and wave as I rode round and round the block, blue smoke belching, and tooting. Most of them even waved brooms and axe handles.They must have beenkeen to show solidarity with the Eastern Euro workers who built such a fine machine. We were a working class community.

I had my first crash on that bike. Down the side of the house at outrageous speed, a new record for the 7 Ballance Ave GP course. Hit the picks and the front brake did something it had never previously done. It worked. Front wheel locked up straight into the clothes line.

One day the horn stuck on and I realised why the previous owner had disconnected it. I turned it off by grabbing and handful of wires and ripping them out. IThe horn went silent but so did the Jawa. None of us really liked the thing and no-one could be bothered getting it going again. My brother sold it.

But ... I can still remember the utter thrill and excitement of gunning it up Ballance Ave, throttle wound open, wind blowing in my hair (it did not occur to any of us that a helmet might have been a good idea).

[Bender]

Double post, sorry

[cheesemethod]

GN250 on stock tyres. The thing that really let the chinese GN250s down was the tyres. A stone the size of an apple pip was enough to upset the front end, every tar snake felt like it was trying to pull the bars out of your hands. If anybody knows Beach Road in Browns Bay, you'll know that on a couple of the corners they have cut groves into the road (I assume for drainage). The front tyre would sit into the groove like a needle on a record player. Unfortunately the groves don't go around the corner, but across it, therefore it always felt like it was trying to push you into oncoming traffic. Fucking scary sensation to experience on your first bike. It didn't seem to matter what speed or lean angle you had on, the front end seemed to have a mind of it's own. I finally decided it was time to throw the plastic hula hoops out when I had an off going around a roundabout. At about 15km/h. Don't really know what happened, was slightly damp but no big deal. Was easing into the roundabout one moment, next I'm on my side wondering how it happened considering no brake was applied. There was a dent in the top side of the tank where my knee bounced off it when I went down. After spending a princely sum of $280 for both front and rear Michelins, it was a totally different bike. Did about 25000km on it before I sold it. Only thing that ever broke was the speedo cable, and occasionally my pride when I saw somebody on a CBR250.

[PeteJ]

Yes, the first bike wasn't a worst: a 1965 Honda 90 OHV not OHC. Try as I might, I just couldn't kill it.

However, my second bike was a then-10-year-old Triumph 650 Thunderbird. It was a pile of misanthropy that leaked oil from everywhere that had oil in it and a few places that didn't. The front forks were collapsed, the left footrest had broken off - so for the first 2 months I had it I rode with my left foot up on the primary chaincase, including a trip from Dunedin to Tauranga and back - and in rainy weather the bloody useless distributor that lay invitingly horizontal behind its gutless cylinders would fill with water so that after you stopped it would run on only one pissweak lung.

The electrics were stuffed in some way my juvenile mind couldn't work out, so it only ran properly if the headlight was on. The wiring problems became worse one day when I sat too hard on the seat somewhere near Waiotapu and shorted the whole lot out, with much melting not only of insulation but also of copper wires. I bought 3 yards of green wire from the servo at Waiotapu and sorted it in best "There I Fixed It" fashion.

I remember the Triumph agent in Dunedin scoffing at the new Honda CB750s, saying they wouldn't last like my wonderful British product. What a bloody genius.

Its one virtue was that it could do 45mph in first gear, which was the main thing enabling me to win a gravel hillclimb on it.

It was years and years before I bought another British bike.

Wanna hear about my first Italian bike? Same crap, different accent.

[Oakie]

The year was 1978. The bike was a Kawasaki G5. A 100cc 2 stroke dual purpose bike. Blue.
The best thing that bike did for me was make a busty 15 year-old girl feel sorry for me as I tried to kick start the bastard at the bottom of the hill I lived on. As I type, that busty 15 year-old is now a busty 47 year-old playing on our Wii behind me. Good bike for that at least. (Ha ha ... the G5 as a chick-magnet!).
Apart from that it was a decent enough bike for a learner I guess although the lack of baffles did attract the traffic cops attention and cost me my first infringment notice 32 years, 7 hours and (as I type) 3 hours ago.

[reemit]

I had a wierd one, an Ian Dyson Replica Kwaka KH250 2 stroke triple, with what we called a 'square death' on the back. (Avon Speedmaster). Expansion chambers on it, noisy as fuck.

[jeremysprite]

My FXR150 - I bought it off Trademe, sight unseen, dodgy photos, repainted front end, lower reserve than all the other FXRs selling then, no one else was bidding on it... Who would have guessed that it'd had a front-ender and the plastics didn't fit square, and the forks were so bent the mechanic couldn't get them out of the triple clamps... Lesson learned? Maybe not... 2nd bike was also a Trademe buy, sight unseen, reasonable photos, cheaper-than-usual GPX250 that had the soggiest suspension ever. Guess I'm a sucker for a 'bargain'.

Both great bikes once said suspension was sorted though!

[Urano]

cagiva cocis 50 lucky explorer .... :laugh:
then aprilia futura 125 (what a bike....)
and the a ninja 650r.

next will be probably a gixer 750.
or as i hope i'll make mine on my own... ;) ;)

[EJK]

Does a scooter count? Mine was SJ125. The thing was a yacht. Handled like one too.

[Urano]

i think to have misunderstood the topic, actually...
my cocis was not a bad first bike at all.
but i don't think in the 70s or in the 80s we had bad bikes to learn with.
they were the years of the changes, when the "old" bikes became the "new" bikes....
the years of sporty 125 2 strokes, that were damn good bikes, and true teachers for the guys.
my futura had 35 cv, the rgv gamma i drove sometimes had 70: and it weighted 130 kg... that was a school...

[Tunahunter]

First bike was a Honda 50 scooter purchased in 1968 - forty years later (no biking in between) I bought a 650 Boulevard - I rate the two bikes equal for power and manoeuvrability

[SVboy]

How about a Suzuki Tm 125 with radical porting and chamber-nothing nothing nothing powerband-wheelie-fall off the back! Repeat! Not the ideal first bike, especially with the freezing works gumboot and jeans safety gear combo!!!

[Dare]

Bandit 250. No, wait. Actually it's been pretty close to a perfect first bike :mellow:

[SPman]

It was an RD200 that I bought off a mate. Good ones are becoming very collectable, these days.......

Don't think I've ever had a bike that was totally useless and I didn't enjoy in some way or other.....other than a mates fucked 1969 CB350 Honda that died halfway across a very busy Brisbane main intersection and left me hurriedly contemplating about 10 million lines of rapidly looming traffic......

[jim.cox]

Bandit 250. No, wait. Actually it's been pretty close to a perfect first bike :mellow:

Kawasaki KH 100 was really crap

But that paled into insignificance with my second bike - a Suzuki GT 550. What a bad tempered, bad handling pile of shite that was - flexi frame, bullshit brakes and powerband that did nothing till 7000rpm when the front got light, the frame flexed and the rear wheel lit up

I'm now strongly averse to two strokes - I wonder why

[Bren]

1986...Kawasaki Z200...got it in the days of the "buy sell and exchange" spent weeks looking for a bike to spend my hard earnt money on....

Was a great bike to learn on...very gentle and forgiving....and it had the kick Start AND Electric start...Woot Woot!

[Fluffy Cat]

1979 DT 50 m, everything that could fall off it did. The bike had also been "rewired" by the previous wrecker. The seat did not fall off, however it was snapped in half and I held it in place with bungies.
I loved it but it taught me a few things....and I now have a pathological hatred of points and condensers.:yes:

[dogsnbikes]

Would have to be the CT90 it would fly through the air like a brick and land like a anchor,if you landed front first the airfliter seemed to rush up and crush your nutz as you slide into it ,the exhaust burns were many,

so upgrading to a SL100 for $100 and a big ben mince pie seemed like the best thing next to slice bread,at the time

[slofox]

Just found this little piece of doggerel that I penned some time ago - all about learning to ride - and that first bike, the Ariel...


LEARNING TO RIDE

It started many years ago
When I moved south down by the snow
And found I had to get around the town
The buses, they were way too slow
A motorbike was the way to go
So through the bike ads I went looking round

My first was made of British steel
You started it up with a kick of the heel
My flatmates thought I was a bloody fool
It weighed a ton, was really slow
But the wheels went round and it did just go
And I thought I was pretty bloody cool

I hadn’t had this thing for long
When several things, they just went wrong
I learned about the dark side of machines
The cables broke, the brakes were poked
The zorst pipe poured out clouds of smoke
I had to do some work behind the scenes

But I did try and by and by
I thought this thing was ready to fly
I took it out for a fang along the road
It first went well, but then, with a clang
It shuddered to a stop and just went BANG!!
I had to push it home to my abode

Most things you can fix with a few little tricks
And a bunch of parts from out in the sticks
And soon I’m cruising down the city street
But my sense of fun was soon undone
I found myself right in the gun
When the motorbike cop and I, we chanced to meet

He chased me up and made me stop
This rotten nasty traffic cop
He got stuck in, his face turned kinda blue
He said I failed to keep to the left
And since of a licence I was bereft
I found myself up to the neck in poo

Eventually I went to court
The beak said “Yerr we know your sort!
If I’d my way I’d make you all do time!
But sadly, since your crimes are small
And you’ve turned up here to field the ball
I’ll hafta make do with a million dollar fine!” (the bastard)

I crawled off home back to my lair
And cursed the day that I did dare
To ride without a licence for the bike
I got out the book and took a good look
And decided that by hook or by crook
I’d get that licence soon as you could like.

But still my learning was not done
Despite the fact of having fun
Soon enough I met the dreaded cage
The man who was driving “didn’t see”
The motorcycle carrying me
And on the road I landed in a rage

Now even though it was his fault
(His head was thicker than a bolt)
I realised that it was up to me
To keep my eyes out good and sharp
And give the horn a real loud PARP
When the cager comes, well, you just gotta flee

From then on in the bike went good
I rode all round the neighbourhood
And even took some trips on down the line
I took it out onto the track
I even managed to ride it back
This biking thing was looking pretty fine

In time I bought a brand new bike
With shiny chrome and things ya like
A modern beast and really up to code
And so it’s gone on ever since
Me you don’t have to convince
I’ll see my days out, biking on the road

[Stylo]

A yamaha dt360, It handled like a small tavern.


Something like this mate ....?

[CRM]

TC100 - thrashed it but loved it. I rode it on the farm, to school, did road trips, tried to keep up with my mates in the forestry on their TM125's, and amazingly it kept going. One issue I did have was it kept fouling plugs, so on a trip of 80km or so I usually had to stop and clean the plug at least once. It was only after I sold it for an XL175 that I realised I had a metric feeler gauge that I thought was imperial - so I was setting the gap about half the proper distance. That explained a lot!

I stripped it down to make it lighter but didn't make much difference... pulled the head off to try to de-coke it and stripped a thread - a great learning experience for a young guy. I paid $500 for it and sold it to my brother in law as a farm bike after having it for what seemed like half a lifetime but was probably only from when I was 15 to 16! My other brother-in-law had one the same and we used to do crazy mountain-climbing on his farm. With the low ratio and low seat height you could take them anywhere. Good times...

[ynot slow]

First bike Suzi TS185 (1975)went good,sold it for a 1980 XR200(was in1982)swapped it for a Yamaha IT175 '79model,was freaky with pre mix 2 stroke,that was worst bike.

[mansell]

Started on a Suzuki A100 - had it for about 6 months, but it was too slow so I upgraded to a '74 RD200 which was one of the best bikes I have ever owned stangely enough. I rode it everywhere for about 4 years and eventually blew it up 200 yards from work one morning. If I could find another I would seriuosly contemplate buying it.

Interesting though when my wife wanted to learn I brought her a NS250R - she hated it, I fucking loved it, I guess there's still a soft spot for strokers in my blood

[tri boy]

Worst first bike.
Catholic girl, front bucket seat of a small car.
Handled my boys like she was playing conkers.
Nearly castrated me.
Can't remember her name, but the grip is burned into my nightmares.

[PeteJ]

Yes, but it equipped you to deal with the Scrambler's seat...heh heh heh...

[MarkH]

First bike was a Honda 50 scooter purchased in 1968 - forty years later (no biking in between) I bought a 650 Boulevard - I rate the two bikes equal for power and manoeuvrability

Blingworthy!

My first bike was a Suzuki GT250X7 - I really liked it, but being 2 stroke it wasn't all that cheap on fuel for a 250. Quick enough to get me a few speeding tickets.

One of the worst first bikes has to be the Hayabusa that some US footballer bought - put him in hospital with some very bad injuries. USA - land of the free (to kill themselves).

[Morepower]

Something like this mate ....?

Cool , I so wanted one of those DT360's back when

[aprilia_RS250]

First bike Aprilia RS 250 GP1. First time taken out was 6am last xmas. Rode through Queen St and central auckland while the streets were empty to practice using the clutch and all the other things. Wrists got a bit sore so headed towards the Harbour bridge for a bit of a cruise and see what motorway riding is like. I was the only one on it from memory. Gave it the guts right at the bottom and she screamed into life. Let's say the turtles head popped out when the rpms got to about 8000rpm. It was one of the best Xmas mornings in my life.

[grbaker]

Those new(ish) GN250's.... rusty pieces of crap, with such crappy front disc brake you have to use the rear brake to actually stop and tyres that arent' really tyres.

They are a poor relations (inbred at that) to the 20+year old GN250, CB250 etc, and quite frankly I am embrassed for Suzuki for bringing such crap to this country. They are as bad as those Scooters that lawn mower shops are selling (that can do the spped limit so the owners ride in the gutters... f me)

The Yamaha Scorpion 225 is a good example of a cheap learners bike that isn't dangerous or unstable.

[Madmax]

my first was a kawasaki A7 then a honda cb350/f
after that an H1

[lorenzo.V]

My first bike was a Tas Taka 100 (farm bike), for 170 bucks. I had a lot of fun on that old machine.

[bones135]

Mine was an SL125, 15 years old & proud as hell,lol aaahhhh the memories, haha

[vifferman]

I went to school with a guy who had a Kawasaki 500 triple as his first bike, at the age of 16. He dropped it at least once a week, and almost inevitably wrote it off.
Second bike was a Kawasaki 900 (after he'd recovered)..
I started more 'sensibly' on a CB175 twin. Mind you, that could do 85mph, topped out in 5th, with a bit of a downhill. Nothing sensible about my riding though, and I wrote it off.

[Big Col]

Cool , I so wanted one of those DT360's back when
, they had the most savage kickback of any bike ive ever started. Or nearly started in this case.