Motorbikes - Do you remember your first one?

[cat631 10]

Hello. Easiest way to get an idea of a bikes value is to go on Ebay and see what they are selling for. Search for the make, model and year.

[Arfer Mo 10]

In 1955 I was sixteen, and like many other sixteen year old lads, I was old enough to ride a motorbike..Just about then my Brother in law was just about to upgrade his steed to a Matchless 350 and he offered me his old bike for the sum of five pounds..in my Post Office account I had just the right amount to buy it....So I became the proud owner of a 1932 Francis Barnett Cruiser (my first motorbike)..I've owned many other superior bikes since then but none of them had the Magic of my Fanny Barnett...

Question....what was the first motorcycle that you owned?.

Ihad aSunbeam350 in 1940 at 16 yrs old, we were on petrol coupons then, Iwent round the block a few times then OFF like a rocket and am still a speed merchant at 82 but here in rural France its not so bad on the roads , Cheers Arthur. [ im on my 37th vehicle and never had a test!]

[cat631 10]

Good on yer Arthur, tell us some of the bikes you had.

[TELEGRAMBOY 10]

Hi,

My first bike was a BSA Bantam 125CC for the Post office I was a Telegram Boy Started in 1952,couldn't afford one of my own But working all day on one was

Great,i later bought a 1932 Sunbeam 500cc Hand gear change for£10.00 from a farm at grenoside,Happy days eh?

[redrobbo 10]

Welcome to the forum TELEGRAMBOY

 

My first bike was a BSA Bantam 175cc. Bought it in Mansfield, and toured Belguim and France on it in 1968. I was so proud of it. I can even remember the number plate registration AOL 778F.

[Plain Talker 11]

Welcome to the forum TELEGRAMBOY

 

My first bike was a BSA Bantam 175cc. Bought it in Mansfield, and toured Belguim and France on it in 1968. I was so proud of it. I can even remember the number plate registration AOL 778F.

 

I can still remember mine! my MZ 250 ts/1 was DET *** V !

[classicfan 15]

Yes indeed, the first one was a 1953 track Bantam, three speed, plunger frame. First road bike 250 Villiers in a Panther frame, expansion boxes, alloy tank, sounded great, but not the sort of thing to take a test on, so 1967 saw me take out £100.00 HP for a 1966 Bantam D7 from Charlie Freemans at Eckington, got £10.00 trade in for the Panther. Passed my test on it, as did my brother and three of my mates before I traded that in for a 1962 Norton 99SS (905 UPK, is it still around?) that was standard, but was treated to respray in metallic blue, 12v electrics, clip-ons, swept back pipes, rear sets and goldie silencers. Sold it in 1970 when I decided to get married. Rode a few jap bikes, GSX 750R, Ducati 749, BSA Gold Star, Rocket Gold Star, Norton Commando, and a few more probably that belonged to mates. Only bikes I ride now are Matchless G50, AJS 7R standard, and Seely framed derivatives with G50 & 7R motors on fun days and track days, that belong to a good friend of mine. Happy Days!!

[Timbuck 10]

I can still remember mine! my MZ 250 ts/1 was DET *** V !

It's funny how you remember some numbers..My 1st bike reg was WJ6363..That was 50 years ago....I know several ex Army vets who remember their Army numbers from the 2nd world war.

[Plain Talker 11]

It's funny how you remember some numbers..My 1st bike reg was WJ6363..That was 50 years ago....I know several ex Army vets who remember their Army numbers from the 2nd world war.

 

my father can reel off , very easily, my granma's "divi" number from the co-op, after nearly seventy years. He can also reel off his army number.

 

I can also remember the registration numbers of the two Comma caravettes that my father had, thirty-odd years ago:- PAK 477H and HNU 733C how's about that?

[Zaytsev 10]

I had a shiny new Suzuki DR 125 back in 1983. Got it from Smiths on Spital Hill. That was back in the day before the CBT. They dropped it off on the back of a pick up, gave me a few rudimentary instructions and I was free to cause mayhem on the roads.

Spent the rest of the day screaming round and coming off twice before introducing it to the front of a Fletchers van on Prince of Wales Road.

 

Those were the days.

[buck 11]

I bought a 1948 Ariel 350 in 1954. I paid 65 quid for it. It only had a seat for one, and my girl friend didn't like riding on the rear mudguard, mardy girl, so I had to buy a pillion seat as well. I didn't have it lomg and traded up to a 500cc BSA twin which the girl friend liked so much she married me!

[kittenta 10]

I had an italjet 50cc automatic in red and black when I was little