Who still has their first bike? Ever think about selling it?

I still have the first street bike I ever had. Its my 82 xj550 maxim and I have put over 10,000 miles on it since I bought it in 1999. I have had a few bikes and now I have a 2008 Hayabusa. But still have my very beat up xj550.

I was going to turn it into a rat bobber over this winter but the Hayabusa took all of my money. Then I wanted to restore it. Tonight I was going to just put it on ebay and just felt sad and wanted to go give it a hug for even thinking about it. Can't do it. And I have almost put it up for sale a few times with the same result.

I have beat the crap out of that bike since day one. And it's never failed me. I've dumped, had it stolen, used it as a dirt bike, hit a deer at 60mph and didn't even drop it (broke my knee, ankle, and foot though) and just rode it hard. And it still runs as strong as when I first got it, still starts for me with expected effort after its winter hibernations, still handles pretty good, and is just a beast for a little squirrel of a bike.

Don't think I could ever get rid of it.

 

Re: Who still has their first bike? Ever think about selling

My maxim is my first bike and I gave it away.

I rode it every day for over three years back in the mid nineties when I was in university (the first time). Then I parked it after I finished, and it sat in my parents garage for a few years.

A friend of the family was looking for a "project" he could do with his 16 year old daughter. I gave him my maxim. That's right, free. See - I was in the process of getting married. And starting a career. Then my first mortgage, etc. What was I going to do with my old bike that hadn't been started in a very long time...

Flash forward two kids, new career, same old mortgage but on a new house. But every sunny day, I rubber necked everytime a bike went by. I was always looking for maxims, and I regretted getting rid of mine.

I got a phone call out of the blue this summer, 10 years or so after first giving it away, the family friend was done with his project (he had bought himself a harley). Over the years he had only put 11,000 kms on the bike. Along with new paint, resealed tank, new brakes front and back, new pistons and rings, and cleaned and dialed in the carbs. He had done all this, but didn't want the bike anymore...he asked if I wanted it.

Now, I wasn't really in the market for a bike, but this was (is) MY BIKE. I jumped at the chance to buy it back. I never should have gotten rid of it. And I was lucky to get it back.

So my 2 cents is never sell it chuckles_no. You will regret it. I did.

 

wow chuckles, your leg put that dent into the tank ?!?!!?!?!?!?!?! thats insane man! ouch!

 

wish i still had my first bike, it was stolen a month before its first birthday. then maybe i wouldnt be stuck with my stupid xj that wont run properly ever. the 2nd bike i had i sold but wasnt very attached to it. i can see myself loving the xj if i can ever get it to run properly, i dont think ill ever be so strapped for cash or space that id be able to justify getting rid of it. for the year and a half or so i didnt have a bike i wanted to kill myself when i would walk outside on a clear sunny day and couldnt ride.

 

Re: Who still has their first bike? Ever think about selling

First bike memories. Oh jeez, 1978 my first duty station with the USAF, Nellis AFB, Las Vegas NV. Bought a Honda CB77 project. Engine was out of frame (was supposed to have been bored out to take 350 twin pistons). I ended up rebuilding (reassenbling?) the engine in my room and storing it in my locker untill I installed it. Much to my roomates displeasure. Anyway, got it installed and running halfway decent! Wouldn't you know it, it was time to go on my first permanent change of station to RAF Lakenheath. Never got to ride it!. Had a title but can't recall if I ever got it changed into my name. Gave it to a trusted friend and they sold it for me. The first bike of mine that I got to ride was either the forlorn abandoned CB 175 found outside my barracks or the Soviet built M-66 Ural sidecar rig. I think it was the 175. Rode it to work and back. 10 miles one way. A good short distance bike, but no tourer. Took it to Petersbough bike show and It didn't like that at all. Overheated, but never died on me. The M-66. What a tank. As fast as one and built like one too. Another story for another time. Still want another , newer Ural.

 

Re: Who still has their first bike? Ever think about selling

My first bike was an '82 Yamaha 250cc Exciter. I bought it when I was in AIT at Chanute AFB in Illinois in '90. I needed some cheap transportation and it fit the bill. I rode it around base for a few days until I got comfortable with it and took the road test. I road it back to Vermont after AIT and it sat in my parent's garage over the winter and then I sold it for a couple of hundred bucks in the spring. It was a good first bike but I have to admit that I don't really miss it.

mikeg

 

My first bike was a 1967 T200 X5 Suzuki. We weren't together very long but we sure covered some ground! I bought it new my senior year in high school.I joined the Army in June of 67 and after basic I came home (CA at the time) and rode it to AIT in Virginia. 5 days and about 2400 miles. I got orders to SE Asia, so I rode it home---the last week in January, 1968. I will Never forget that trip! It took 6 days this time.....and a ton of luck. My family sold the bike for me while I was in and I had never seen another one until this year-in Ohio. I am in the process of a frame up on my X5 and am painting it the candy red to match my first bike. It has brought back a ton of memories....things long forgotten. I won't sell this one. Purely nostalgic. No logic, but hey, I'm enjoying it. Not as much as the first one, but fun just the same.

 

Re: Who still has their first bike? Ever think about selling

That is awesome, dude. I am glad you got it back.

 

Re: Who still has their first bike? Ever think about selling

Yeah... ouch for sure. And it definitely left a boo boo. The headlight hit the deer's head (i watched the glass fly out in front of me in slow motion... really wierd) and its chest hit my knee smashing it into the tank... the ass end flipped back and hit my woman but didn't hurt her. It was like all instantaneous. No time to react... I saw the deer, knew I was going to hit it and BAM. All I had time to do was hold on and hope i'd go through it like in videos I saw... and I did. The bike didn't go down and we didn't die. We both wear helmets now at all times. But you think my knee is bad... should have seen the other guy :lol: The deer didn't even make it off the road.

 

Re: Who still has their first bike? Ever think about selling

There is a brand new exciter on ebay. No foolin'. Well, if its not a load of crap... it has never been ridden and doesn't even have one full mile on it. I couldn't believe I was looking at it. Someone won it and it was never ridden.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/1981-Yam ... _974wt_958

 

Re: Who still has their first bike? Ever think about selling

My '81 Seca is my first and only street bike. 28 years and 60,000 kms later and still going strong. I will never sell it. I could see donating it to a museum when I quit riding.

 

Re: Who still has their first bike? Ever think about selling

My first bike was an '83 Honda CBX 550. It was a fun ride. Sold it to buy a car to visit my gf. I was sad to see my bike go, but I married my gf. Worked out in the end...have a great wife and a great Maxim!

 

Re: Who still has their first bike? Ever think about selling

Still have my first true street bike. It would be my 1978 Honda 185 Twinstar.
Bought it brand new so that also makes it a one owner bike. Has 31,800 kilometers on it. Poor girl got put aside and forgot about for 24 years but a couple of years ago with the help of my youngest daughter we took it down to the bare frame and redid it with a few of our own touches added. Now gets a special place in the house. No room for a Christmas tree so hung LED Christmas lights on it and raised it up on a lift in front of the picture window. It is now the Christmas bike. Going to put the gifts under it. Had a few people want to buy it over the years but just couldn't part with it as I knew I would regret it. Will be my daughters someday.

 

Re: Who still has their first bike? Ever think about selling

Jeff, that is an amzing idea! A Christmas bike!!! My first half dozen bikes have become dust years ago I'm sure! Earliest 60's 50/55 step thrus. Ran the bejeebers out of them and loved every minute of it!

Happy holidays all!

Loren

 

I didn't really own my first bike so much as I long term rented it. It was a little Yamaha 125 that a friend had while I was there and I bought it off of him for 100 bucks. I rode that little bugger all over TaiChung and loved every second of it. When my trip ended, I sold it back to my friend for 80 and never found out what happened to it. Though if I ever did find it and had the funds to transport it back to Canada, I'd do it in a heartbeat

 

I still have my first bike. It was an 82' Seca RJ. I bought it in I think 2005 to learn to ride on. I bought my Maxim X a few years later, but to finance the purchase, I sold the Seca to my sister so she could learn to ride. She learned for about 8 months, and then had a wreck, so I came and bought the wrecked lump back to fix up earlier this year. I'll get it finished when the weather warms up, but at least it's mine again!

 

HA ha this is great guys! This is my first bike. First year. First wrenchin on anything in my entire life and I dont think I could sell her for anything. been offered 2K. Still cant do it. I hope I never do. Magic since the first time I got her fired up
-Chris

 

still have my third bike i owned a 1940 bsa wdm20 a ww2 dispatch riders bike.i bought it in 1968 used it till 72 then stored her away.put her back on the road in 99 and still using today(pics in my gallery)

 

Re: Who still has their first bike? Ever think about selling

I just got my first bike this past spring. My grandpa bought the 550 Xj from an auction for 300 bucks and was gonna put outriggers on it and use it to hough is fields. lol. Anyway, he had it just sittin in the barn for like a good 6 or 7 years and i finally got the money to get it back into good running order this spring. I went over to his place to buy it and whadaya know, he gave it to me. Would not accept any money.

I have only had my XJ for a year and i will never part with it.

 

When you got your first bike at 15. a YL1, your to dumb to know that 30 years later you will be looking for another one. :cry:

 

I still have my first bike (01 KE100) served its purpose out here in the desert, but I just don't need it anymore. However my boss just gave me my real "first" bike. In 02 my boss taught me to ride on one of the work bikes (XR100) Since that time I have put more miles on that bike than all of my other bikes combined. This year the bike developed issues, cheaper to buy new than to fix kind of issues. So he gave it to me. I will spend the time and money to restore a relatively new and common dirt bike out of love. Its way to small, under powered, and completely trashed. But it opened a whole new world for me and I will probably never let it go.

 

Re: Who still has their first bike? Ever think about selling

My first bike was a 1981 XJ550 maxim that I fell in love with, but the used car dealership lost the title to it. So I traded it back to them for a 1981 XS850 Special. I never liked they way it raised up in the rear when you took off hard with it. Now I wish I had made them produce the title because that is the main reason I bought my Maxim today. I am still looking for a 1981 550 because I love the chain drive on that bike.

 

My first bike is an 83 XJ650 Maxim. I still have it 35,000 mi later. Sale?- have thought about it but cant bring myself to do it. It's still my daily ride...along with the other half dozen or so that I have.

Dave

 

Re: Who still has their first bike? Ever think about selling

Yes, I still have my first bike. No, it's not for sale. I'll ride it till it can't be fixed, then part it out.