How did you all start?

[wharfy]

In the early 60's my next door neighbour had a Matchless 500 (and black jeans and jacket I was only 8 or 9 and he used to take me for rides sitting on the tank !! Graduated to the pillion seat and then at 15 my sisters honda 50 step through. I had a car license and to get a bike added you just had to ride around the block while the cop followed on his bike ( a Triumph in those days .
First "real" bike was a 1970 BSA lightning 650, had dozens of bikes since pranged every one except the Ducati 450 Desmo - wish I still had that *sigh* nostalgia ain't what it used to be.....

[dutchman49]

1963 and my Mum had taken us little fellas into Wellington to pay her Farmers and DIC accounts. I remember her threatening a clip around the ears (It was allowed in those days) if i kept going back to look at those 2 Yamaha bikes sitting there in Farmers. She knew immediately there was something wrong coz all the clips in the world would not drag me away. 45 years later and 20 something bikes and i am still totally addicted. If you have to ask why then you will never know and should stick to a car.

[Mom]

I first started riding on a mates dirt bike, I may have been 12 or 13 at the time. Oh what fun, and the burns from the pipe had to be experienced to be appreciated! Lucky no scars to speak of these days.

When I was old enough (to be living away from home and my parents influence) to get a license it was a for a motorcycle. I believe it was 1976. I was working at the Mater Hospital in Auckland waiting to be old enough to start my nurse training. I needed wheels and this was the cheapest option for freedom. My boyfriend at the time used to ride too, he "taught" to actually ride. My first bike was a 125 Yamaha 2 stroke the model escapes me, I paid $85 second hand for it! I used to carry a pocket full of spare plugs, and had constantly dirty nails from keeping it on the road.

For me, riding a bike was the only option as first wheels. Cheap to buy, cheap to run and if you were not really carefull a hell of a lot of fun too! I remember saying to the cop that took me for my test that travelling at 30 miles per hour was almost impossible for my bike as it either revved its nuts off or fouled plugs. He agreed not to fail me if I had to stop and change a plug mid test...LOL

[Motu]

My wife was working at the Mater possibly a year before than,struggling to get there on her Bantam....with a pocket full of sparkplugs.

[raftn]

I met a women, got married, she was mad on bikes, so i learnt, then got kid number 1, got our learners, then kid number two, then cbr 600, then got Zx 6, then got divorced and she took the Bike....two years later i brought my Daytonna, and have never looked back....just love riding........and it annoys the fuck out of the x wife!

[1 Free Man]

Wanted a bike for 30 years. was married for 32 years. left the wife sold the house bought a new house, Good late model 4wheel drive and a new bike. Never had a bike under my butt because I wasn't allowed one. Once I got the bike home I rode it for 10 minutes around the streets near home and decided there was only one way to fuck this cat and that was to get on the open road and go for it. My first ride was from Tauranga to Rotovegas and back. House is neglected, 4wd is covered in cob webs and dust. Me and my Suzi are never home can't get enough of it. Done over 5000k's since easter making up for lost time.

[1 Free Man]

I've just started riding, dont even have my license yet..
Brand new bike did my 100th Km just this afternoon

we moved house and i refused to catch a bus to school..
Dad "we'll get you a moped"
me "Fu#k no!... I'll get a motorbike" (spur of the moment decision)
Dad "ok"

a month later tada

You poor bugger!!!! your screwed!!!! No going back now. You reach that first 100k mark and then you have to reach the 1000k mark and then it's 5000k's ETC ETC.
It's a focking itch that you have to scratch and scratch and scratch.
3 months and I'm up to my 5000k itch.
Ha Ha Ha your doomed

[Highlander]

You poor bugger!!!! your screwed!!!! No going back now. You reach that first 100k mark and then you have to reach the 1000k mark and then it's 5000k's ETC ETC.
It's a focking itch that you have to scratch and scratch and scratch.
3 months and I'm up to my 5000k itch.
Ha Ha Ha your doomed

Then you start looking for 1000 km days, 5000 km weeks...

[Rback]

Have been around bikes for all my 44 years. Grew up next to Ruapuna race track and when we moved overseas I was living within 100m of the gate to another track. Learnt to ride and drive on the track. All on or in race bikes and cars. Had a ball. Learnt to ride on a Darbi 50cc then the next day was put on a TZ250 to warm it up.

[portokiwi]

Threw a leg over my bro's Zundapp moped 40 years ago and that was me hooked.
Mate I had a Zundapp in Portugal. My brother in law still has it. He has one he made from scratch. They are real fun bikes to ride. Oh I had a FZX750 there too, He has a ZX6R
i started with yes a XS400 which I brought 2nd hand from the shop it had 250 covers on it lol.
I didnt know till I did my drivers licence. BUT that was over 20 years ago. i still ride like a learner.
I have had XS400, CB750, ZX6R, GS550ESD, Z1000, Zundapp50cc, FZX750 now ZX9R.

[freddy72]

My Dad brought me my first bike when i was 5 and have been riding ever since mainly off road but have recently got my full licence and loving every minute of it. I try to ride every day now alot more fun than sitting in the car to get to work

[fatzx10r]

when is was about 5 my older brother got his first bike and that had me hooked on bikes, got my first bike when i was about 10 and have been riding ever since.its like a drug, but gives ya a bigger rush

[LittleAngel]

I wouldn't have ever thought I would ride a bike... but wonders will never cease eh?

My dad was in a major crash when I was little (old enough to remember him in bilateral casts to his legs ). Rode a friends 50cc scooter round town when I got my car license and had heaps of fun but my dad wasn't very happy about it (he didn't ride initially after his accident, didn't get back on a bike until 20 years later).

Jumped on the back of my best friend dads bike and was a bad pillion and leaned the opposite way when cornering And didn't ever want to do that again!! Thank you very much!!

When I met my husband.. he had a bike so I asked lots of questions about riding etc and then decided one day that I would get my license, had no interest in being a pillion. No looking back since then. Got the trusty ole GN250 and worked my way up to my bewtiful RF900!

YeeHarr I say

[buellbabe]

Went with a mate to a bike shop to pick up his brand new TT250. Saw a DT175 and fell in love. Couple of weeks later I bought it and then learnt to ride LOL. Never looked back!

That was over 20yrs ago and since then I have only ever been 'bike-less' once and thats while I was living in the UK.

[tate35]

It all started for me with a friend of mine taking me pillion on his road bike, and then on his dirt bike. After many discussions he took me for a lesson one day on his dirt bike, it was important to me that I knew where the brakes were!!lol After a quick run through I was off, I think it helped he kinda threw me into the deep end (as he would'nt listen to my MANY excuses and WHAT IF senario's) which if left to my own devices I could of easily taken up the afternoon with EXCUSES and WHAT IF's lol

But from that moment on I was hooked and a year down the track still am