Young Grass Hopper

[Blakamin]

Learnt myself on my brothers xt(?)250 in '79... he'd just bought it brand new...(he's 10 years older than me) and when he wasnt home I'd ride it (been on the back of bikes since I was about 6)
did he beat the shit outta me when he found out!
2 weeks later my eldest brother rode it round a mx track, jumped over the corner and into a tree... totalled!
at that age, i was also speed skating (woohoo) and doin handstands on my skinny blue plastic skateboard with red wheels! (anyone in their 30's should remember those)

[bungbung]

I had a go on a mates xr200 during a party. I was 14 or 15. I knew the basic mechanics of the gears and clutch and what have you from driving cars.

[vifferman]

Taught? TAUGHT?!?!

I just got on and rode. You'd think that after such an auspicious start, I'd be a great rider. Perhaps I peaked on the first day...

Mind you, I did learn on the first couple of rides (dirt bikes off road), to be careful when parking across a hill to lean into the hill.

[Fryin Finn]

The first time I rode a bike was on a friends Yamaha 50 step thru'. I had no lessons but managed to ride up the street and back again. On the way back I couldn't understand why downshifting (from top gear) didn't slow the bike then I discovered I had the clutch in - let it out in 1st gear at 60kph - the bike did a zillion revs but slowed alright. Ist lesson learned.
2nd lesson a few years later on my first bike (Yamaha 360 - my Avatar) - dont use kickstarter with bell bottomed jeans - get tangled up and fall over with bike on top. Very funny - had an audience.
Didn't learn lesson 1 very well - I was riding my brothers Honda SS50 in the wet - it had a unique gearbox keep changing up and you hit neutral from 4th then up again into 1st. Well I went into neutral told myself not to change up but being thick I did - instant spit off.

[bungbung]

I forgot about the guy who used to hire yammie pw50's to ride around a grass track on the Hutt riverbank near Stokes valley.

I had a go on one when I was 7. It was pretty cool even though I was a bit on the big side for it. My mate ended up with some interesting cylinder head finning burn marks on his leg when he lay down for a bit underneath one.

[F5 Dave]

My sister’s boyfriend (now husband) taught me on her XL185 (I was 15). He later unceremoniously dumped us both off it which was my first crash. Dad never found out about that.

Or that my sister had a bike for that matter. I wonder when I should pop that one out? At my wedding maybe?

[Batcerb]

Had to teach myself... Not much fun to start off with thats for sure