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What Brand Bike Did You Ride Prior to HD?

My first bike way back in 1972 was a Honda Scrambler. Had a friemd ride it home for me from the store where I bought it 'cause I didn't know how to ride. After a few days, i was fine going through the gears. The lessons of the road would come later. Loved that bike. Powerful memories with me & my girlfriend on the back. Next was a 1974 AMF Sportster 1000cc. I had arrived! Had to sell the bike the next year due to 2nd DUI! Then I went without riding for about eight years until I bought another Honda. I think it was 500 0r 550 CC's, I forget. It was too small for me and my wife as we had both put on a little weight so I bought a 650 Kawaski which I have ridden for over 25 years! it was the longest lived vehicle of any kind that I have ever owned! All the while I wanted to get back to HD's again so when the opportunity came a few years ago, I bought my '03 Ultra Classic. I love it! I really appreciate it because it is by far and away the best bike that I have ever owned.
 
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5HP mini-bike @ age 12
Hodaka Combat Wombat 125CC @ age 21
'92 HD FXRS Low Rider Sport @ age 50.......... loving life
 
I started on a Lambretta,passed my test,then a BSA A7 500 twin,crashed and lost a kneecap,....fixed the bike and never saw it again after a guy rode off into the sunset on a test ride.......got married,kids,got bored,saw a '75 FXS,fell in love,rode that one for 5 years and many pints of oil,went to a dealer for some wire to fix the FXS tail lite,came out with my WIDE GLIDE and a loan.oh,and the wire(the dealer threw that in for free).My only regret in all those years was the gap between my beeza and my fxs.(and the Lambretta,but we wont talk about that)
 
In the early 80's, I had a Suzuki GS 550. We sold that when we got pregnant, and I didn't get another bike until the late 90's. That was a Yamaha Virago 750. Rode that a few years and traded up to a V-Star 1100. A few years later traded that for a new Gold Wing, but after 1 year decided I wanted something a little more suited for "around town." I traded the Gold Wing for a new Valkyrie. Man, what a nice bike. I once rode from Denver to South Bend, IN in 20 hours, and I never felt like I "had to" get off that bike. Then, in 2003 the department I work for was turning a Police Road King back in to the local dealer, and I wanted it. I sold the Valkyrie, bought the Road King and put close to 30,000 miles on it. This past july, I traded for a 2009 Electra Glide Classic. I'm really looking forward to my yearly ride to Great Falls, Montana.
 
175cc Honda in 1970, bought it (was in a box) but never really got to ride it
450cc Honda street scrambler in 1971, burned a piston and never really ran good after that
350cc Kawasaki dirt bike, had a lot of fun on that in the hills on Ft McClellan Alabama when I was in the Army
750 Honda K3 I believe, put about 22K miles on it
350cc Honda, bought it for the x-wife but it scared her so I rode it a while and sold it
650cc Yamaha
1992 XLH1200, bought new and still have it, 70K miles on it
2009 Road Glide, my Christmas present to myself this year, “Sweet Ride”

Russell
 
Started with a '51 HD back in 1965. It went away when it was taken on a joy ride and put a rod through the cycinder. Fast forward a few years, 500cc Kawasaki, then a Yamaha dirt bike. Fast forward a few more years, and I was back to HD. Hopefully to stay this time.
 
My first bike was a '79 Suzuki 425 that I'd traded a friend my '64 Dodge beater for in '83. It was cheap and I wasn't sure if motorcycling was for me. Kinda was really enjoying riding so three months later (and half way through a motorcycle training course) I traded it in for a new '83 Honda V45 Magna. 17 years later sold the Magna in 2000 when the cams went for the second time. A week later bought a '83 Goldwing Aspencade. Rode that for 9 years and sold it this past summer after buying my current ride; '09 Ultra Classic.
Only once in the last 25 years did my wife ever suggest I sell my bike to help pay bills (after our first daughter was born in '87). My simple answer was 1)the Magna was paid for, 2) it wasn't worth anything, and 3) I had the bike before I married her, it was my only vice. She never suggested it again.
As for why I went HD, back in '88 a friend of mine had a '79 Sturgis he'd let me ride when he was trying to sell it. Loved the sound and feel but, new born and 2nd on the way, we couldn't afford it.
Love my '09 Ultra, it reminds me of the old John Deere tractors we had on the farm growing up. ‘Potato-potato’ sound, vibrate like crazy at idle and smooth out under load, nothing fancy and they get the job done.
 
- Rupp Sprint mini-bike
- Home-made mini-bike chopper (fun)
- 75 Yamaha 200-twin (1st street bike)
- 74 Kawasaki 350 enduro (1st dirt bike)
- 79 Suzuki GS550 (1st new bike)
- 81 Kawasaki 550LTD (1st fairing)
- 88 Suzuki 750 Intruder (1st v-twin)
- 05 XL1200C (1st HD)
- 09 Street Glide (1st touring & present ride)

Had great times/memories on all & will continue until I need a walker, or trike.:bigsmiley28:
 
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