Cause it's fun...

 D.

I basically bought a bike because I couldn't afford a car and I wanted transportation while I living in Argentina.  Also, a crazy Argentine had given me a ride on his Honda Africa 750 while I was at the beach.  We met in a hostel, split an order of empanadas and a couple Quilmes, and headed out to pick up girls, helmetless, of course.  We didn't really pick up any girls, but I came away from the experience set on purchasing a bike.

A short time later, I was in Santiago, Chile talking to some guys at a downtown motorcycle parking lot.  One thing led to another, and soon I found myself on the back of a CBR250 zooming through traffic on a helterskelter ride through the center of Santiago.  I stepped off the bike shaking with adrenline, and offered the guy about two-thirds his asking price in cash.  We negotiated a little and I soon had a bike.  I still had no idea how to ride it though.

Luckily, a guy named Jaime, who watched over the bikes in that parking lot offered to teach me, and we went on a Saturday to the outskirts of the city so that I could practice in a big office complex parking lot.  I spent all day practicing.  When I crashed into a curb, Jaime took me halfway around the city to get repairs, ridding with hardly any clutch lever and no left foot peg.  Got the bike fixed for less than $10US and went back for more practicing.  A few hours later, I pretty much had decent control over the bike, and Jaime was getting ready to go home.  I offered him money and cab fare, but he wouldn't take it.  He took the bus.  Unbelievable.  

The next day I practiced a little highway ridding, then said to myself what the hell, packed my backpack and rode over the Andes (pass is at about 10,000ft) back to Mendoza, Argentina, where I was living at the time.  Somehow I made it in one piece.  I've pretty much owned a motorcycle ever since.

BTW - My avatar is a CBR250R; I would ride that bike at 17K rpm (no joke!) in sixth gear with no leathers or gloves.  I broke the speedometer at an indicated 180Km/hr, which was good because I stopped adding miles on to it, which helped when I sold it.  I figure I probably put at least 10,000KM on that little bike in the few months that I owned it.

Glimpse of Chilean side of Andes crossing:

Quote from: octaneThe chicks dig it thing never really got me going either. Maybe I just never found the right passenger, but I never had as much fun with a lady on the back.

I said "Chicks Dig It"... I never said riding two up was fun... I was referring to when you pull into a parking lot it draws much more attention, and the instant conversations start... its a great ice-breaker for meeting people (not just girls, all kinds of people strike up conversations)... the curiosity factor is much higher for a guy on a bike than a guy gettin' out of his pickup truck.    :mrgreen:

peace

Misunderstood you. You're right, nobody gives a crap when I pull up in my Dakota. Unless I'm towing the race car...

yup, dad was born and raised in poplarville mississippi, travel round there was tractor, pickup, OLD Merc or dirtbike/converted standard-dirtbike.    tractors and old merc's are still there BTW.   His bike was main transpo, first bike i remember him having was an old honda 350 twin. but it never moved, i did get too ride alot with him on his 75 honda XL250 dualsport bike, then it was 77 honda GL1000 bought from my uncle, after while he lost intrest and it sat, then it was an RZ350 neat bike, 87 GSXR 750 and i think my all time favorite bike had to have been 85 yamaha FJ 600.  currently the GS is in that slot, but i would love to find another honda XL250 cheap.

Quote from: Rich500Oh yah, I wanted to pick up more girls too. That definatley helped.
Nothing gets the ladies like a 400lb vibrator

On wheels!

Quote from: jgaryMy son is almost 3 now. I take him for short rides, but he'll be a lot older than 6 before he gets one of his own.

Yeah right.  We'll see about that one.

well for me, it was my dad (flashback to when he was 9-10 years old) he had his first bike that he shared with 3 other poeple. he had an old Honda 50 his first bike. he said he was hooked ever since. (fast forward to his late teens) he was riding one of his bikes and hit his uncles German Shepard in the side doin i think 30-40mph. his uncle wanted to sue him for killing his dog. ih and he broke his ankle in three places. i guess he gave it up the. (fast forward 17 years) he found out he had diebetes with an oustanding blood sugar level.( ok for all you who wants to now how high it was it was 750 or somthing) he finally told my mom "i got diebetes and i want to start riding again." she thought it over and said yes. so he got a honda shadow spirit 1100. the he said he wanted me and him to do stuff together and brought up the idea of getting me one. so he got me a Kawasaki Eliminator 125. great little bike. boght it for 1600 bucks, logged 2000 miles on it, and sold it for 1500 bucks. now heres the cool part. we found my 1996 gs for 1500 bucks up north of my place. bought an hour drive. drove up there, test road it, bought it :mrgreen: . a few months later, me and him set out for a ride. we noticed we both needed gas. so we head out and passed the Amoco (this is usually were we get gas for the bikes) we pass it and im thinking, "ok were getting gas at Petro." (the place our gorup meet for staurday morning rides)so were heading along and the stupid ass train company decides they are going to move 4-5 cars across a main street at 9 in the morning when they should have done it at 5 or 6. so the crossgate comes down. yep what you are thinking actually happens. he ran into 3 inches thick of fiberglass at 70 mph. it probably wouldnt have been so bad if i didnt see it, which i did. scared the hell out of me. luckily no broken bones. just road rash and a couple stiches. i think 9 total.so ive noticed that we have slowed way down after that.this happened about 3 months ago and now every time i hop onto my bike im scared of red lights cause im afraid he aint gonna see it and a car is going to plow right over him (scary thought) end of story.

Damn! all this talk about why we ride just makes me want to
go out for a ride. Stupid snow and -8 weather!
When I decided I wanted I bike I had never even been on one
My dad didn't want me to get one.
My mom encouraged me (thinking I'd take her for rides
all the time).

Why we ride?  

I bought my GS at a time when motorcycles were fun, economical and efficient and when cars were none of the above.  Those were the bad old days when imports were tin cans and Detroit was having its cake and eating it, too, with a take it or leave it attitude and dealer lots stocked with "your fathers' Oldsmobiles."  Cars provided no competition for bikes until years later when affordable pocket rockets like the CRX, Civic Si, Colt Turbo, Escort GT and Toyota FX came to market.

I further trace the "why" question back to one "dark and stormy night" when some guy in m/c gear took shelter inside the 24 hr convenience store I was loitering in.  At the time, I had no concept of "freezing my ass off" but, looking back, I recognize the expression on his face.  Leaving the store, I paused to glance at the motorcycle parked next to my 4-door POS.  Yeah, I did my time on mini-bikes, but, apart from being a real motorcycle, this guy"s bike looked different.  The body pieces were integrated, with the tank blending into the side panel which blended into a tailpiece.  It looked modern and sporty.  It even had a name on the sides of the tank:  "Hawk."

I was working full time and the loot was burning a hole in my pocket so I paid a visit to the local Honda shop.  No "Hawk" in sight, but there were chrome laden "Nighthawks," and a giant "Hawk" (CB900F), and a rocket bike (Katana 1000), and a weird-looking bike (Kat 550), and a bike something like a "Hawk" called a GS450E.  I took several brochures home from the dealership and, shortly afterward, came down with the WORST case of new bike fever.  

And, it was good timing as the sickness came at the beginning of the Great Motorcycle Glut and the factories were offering some AMAZING steals on carry-over models.  I picked up the "Hawk-like" Suzuki new for $1195 and soon was spending my weekends exploring local backroads I never knew existed.  Bike fever hit twice more in that decade (1850cc's worth of Honda and Suzukis purchased for less than the cost of one SV650) reaching a high point when I snared this torquey devil new for $2100:    

http://members.bellatlantic.net/~conn395/pictures/hondacx650.jpg

<Sigh> Last bike I ever loved.  Foolishly traded it away for faster company a few years later.

Still love riding the backroads, but don't lust after brochure centerfolds anymore.  I smile at those TV commercials where the family is expecting excercise equipment (or a Christmas decor makeover) then are surprised to find a showroom line of Yamahas instead and the middle-aged man goes nuts.  That's good acting at that age.

I started riding in 196?, uh, when I was 12 on an Allstate 125. Bought it used, 1 year old, with 622 miles on it for half of new price. Then moved up to a Honda 90 C200, just before the S90 was introduced. I quit riding in 1975 due to wives that didn't like bikes and other interests. Decided in 2000 that it was time to start my second childhood so I bought a cruiser. Then decided I wanted to take longer trips so I bought a Gold Wing. Recently decided I wanted a sportier bike for fun riding so I bought a couple more.  I now have 2 Gold Wings, 5 cruisers, 2 GS500e's,  1 Ninja 600, and a couple of vintage Hondas sitting here. Anyone want to buy a bike?

At first, I wanted a bike to get chicks.

Then, in 1998, I actually rode my first bike, an 1988 Honda Hawk GT NT650, and fell in love. She was fast, naked and sweet.  

Quote from: JBix

WHY DID YOU START RIDING / WHAT GOT YOU INTO MOTORCYCLES / MOTORCYCLING?

Your turn!

My fate is sealed due to genetic inheritance.  My grandfather is into fast vehicles, most of my uncles ride/rode bikes and my dad rides bikes.  I have pictures of me in nappies sitting on the petrol tank of bikes (dad's I think) looking for the starter switch  

So at the age of 12 I saved up and bought my first - a littel red Honda CR80R two stroke dirt bike with a wicked powerband.  A few years later we moved countries and I sold this much loved bike.  For the next 15 years I managed to stay off bikes tinkering with cars instead but always looking at bikes with a sense of yearning and taking the occasional spurt on a loaner.  Then the impulse got too strong, set-off by my dad starting to ride again and a good mate starting to ride (who I taught to ride on one of my uncle's little beatup bikes) --- well I am now back on bikes, the garage has both a '96 blue GS and '96 blue VFR750 and my wife started riding the GS this year --- I think my kids fate is sealed, this is before they can even say "bike"  

Cheers,
Conrad
Now wearing Draggin Jeans due to his genes

I rode dirt bikes as a kid.  Parents were totally against it.  I even kept one in my friend Jerry's garage.  He was the only one who knew.
Loooong hiatus...lots of living, lots of changes.  
Got back into biking a few years ago.  Always wanted to, but there was always a reason not to.  No more reasons, and am I glad I did.
I did everything the right way.  MSF.  Practice.  Safety gear.  Lots and lots of riding with good (and bad) riders, so I know the difference.  Bought the GS 500.  Added a Yamaha V-Star.  Next: who knows, maybe V-Strom or FZ-6, but I don't think I'll part with the GS.  It's just too sweet a ride.
More reasons:
1. Great fun
2. Total freedom
3. Inexpensive, amazingly quick and efficient commuting
4.  As Vtlion may have mentioned, chicks dig it (yes, my cage is a pickup truck, and I definitely agree, getting off a bike is the much better ice breaker)
5.  You can go anywhere in the world and ride
6. You never see a motorcycle parked in front of the shrink's office

My list of events that got my bike.
1.  Little brother wanted a dirtbike.
2.  Dad wanted a bigger bike to ride with brother.
3.  Dad got 90cc for brother and Dual purpose for him.
4.  I rode little brothers and loved it.
5.  Dad got me a Kawasaki dual purpose for b-day #16 .
6.  Rode Kawasaki for a year and dad talked about a street bike when mom moved out.
7.  I saw GS at a dealer, told dad about it, Dad liked it, told mom, mom said a reluctant OK.  Went to dealer and bought GS.
8.  Dad got Honda Shadow ACE.
*9.  I want 2002 SV650.  Prefer yellow.

It all starts small and gradually grew from an idea to a reality.

Divorce  :x  coupled with the desire to try something new and exciting... :mrgreen:

Quote from: CrisDivorce  :x  coupled with the desire to try something new and exciting... :mrgreen:

Oh, yeah, I knew I forgot something!!  Fun, huh?  

Okay, I will give in.  I was givin my first Motorcycle when I was 14 years old (Actually my mom bought it for her and I aquired it).  A 1972 Honda CB175, m'fer felt like it was as heavy as the GS almost.  I had been riding for a year before I wrecked it on a dirt road, wish I still had it (little thing had alot of power for a 175)
Here is a small write up

QuoteThe little CB/CL175 was a high performance twin cyclinder that could rev all the way to 12,000rpm. The 2.4 gallon tank will take the machine about 160 miles before running dry. The frame is made of steel. The engine is an overhead cam twin cylinder, with a compression ratio of 9 to 1. An electric starter is standard equipment.Dry weight is 280lb's

And before that I had 3-wheelers and go-carts.  So needless to say I knew I would end up owning another motorcycle before long.

Quote from: dmp221

Quote from: CrisDivorce  :x  coupled with the desire to try something new and exciting... :mrgreen:

Oh, yeah, I knew I forgot something!!  Fun, huh?  

Yup!