Honoring those who got us into MOTORCYCLES (for Hog-Honey)

[Justin]

Hey everyone, it's me, Justin.
I just wanted to send my condolences to Sharon (HogHoney)
Her father died yesterday, Jan 10th.

Sharon's father introduced her to motorcycles.  Many of the Sharon's early memories were riding on the back/or the gas tank of one of her dad's H-D's.  Yup, he was the real deal. . . Tons of H-D's on the property for frequent parties and gatherings, too.
   About a year and a half ago, Sharon convinced her husband, Rob to get a bike so she could revisit the good times, and the excitement she shared with her dad. Rob had his bike for about a month before Sharon decided that she needed to have her own (quickly adding stage 3 exhaust). Sharon's brother has also recently gotten back into riding.
    The memories we share of riding together, and the love of the sport of motorcycling live on. 
    Each time we turn the engine over to hear the purr (or Potato-Potato-Potato) we pay tribute to those that have passed the joy of riding on to each and every one of us.  I think the people who introduced us to riding should be recognized and honored in this thread. I'd love to hear your stories, perhaps they're like Sharon's.

Because I'm sure my father wouldn't mind giving up one of his, my next ride will be for your dad.
My thoughts are with you, and your family.
Justin

[n10sive]

My deepest and most sincere condolences to you and your family Sharon.

I too will soon experience this, as my father also introduced me to riding (HD too), and is suffering from Pancreatic Cancer now I hope you had a chance to cherish your time with your father before he passed.

[Adiggity]

Sorry to hear. My thoughts are with you and your family Sharon. What great memories you have to remember him by. You are blessed. 

[Justin]

Andy, who got you into riding.  Who inspired you?

[Justin]

My father owned a motorcycle shop.  I fell in love with them so much that dusting the bikes in the showroom was amazing.  I'll never forget the smell of tires, and gasoline.
I can remember my father and his friends on a dual sport ride with me on the gas tank (I was 5)
I spent the whole ride trying to twist the throttle. My hands were on the grips, and his hands were over mine.
I don't think I was strong enough for him to even notice my efforts.  I stopped twisting when we had to go over a rope bridge that had wooden planks.  That was absolutely terrifying.
I'm still scared, and I still twist the throttle a lot.
Thanks Dad!

[yzinger]

my first experience was on one of those old school fat tire dirt bikes. The only thing I remember is my friends' dad saying, "this is the gas. This is the front brake thats all you need." Well, I "gassed" it through a gravel patch on the pavement while turning, then grabbed the "front brake." That, was when I learned that pavement HURTS when your wearing boardshorts and a wife-beater. So the next week I bought my first dirt bike, and haven't looked back since. I'm a masochist I guess!

[1960apache]

My dad I guess! He was always a motorhead. He bought a 1973 Kawasaki 350 triple, bright orange, it sounded like a thousand bumble bee's in a tin can. I always worked when I was young, mow lawns, shovel snow, bale hay etc, so I always had money and bought a mini-bike from a neighbor, with a 3.5hp Tecumseh engine, I rode it everywhere until the local Sheriff stopped me and wanted to know what the H*#L I was doing on the back roads. I then bought a Yamaha DT80, DT175, then the YZ line came out. Finally I bought my first roadbike a 72 Triumph Bonneville, then an 82 Yamaha Seca 750. I then got into cars too much and didnt ride until 2000 when I bought the Triumph Sprint RS, then the Daytona which I rode when I lived in Reno, even when it was 20 degrees out, I would still ride to Yerington or wherever, just to ride. Now I have been riding beemers for 6 years, and ride the RT 2x a week, normally 300-500 miles. I still ride the Yamaha Fino moped for short errands every day because traffic is so heavy in Bangkok, I don't think I would live in a big city again without a moped of some type! I guess riding is always in some people's blood, I will always be a motorhead because of my father! I am not happy unless I am riding, driving or tinkering with something that has an engine! My father still reminds me of all the times I came back after going down on the dirt bike on a gravel road, with blood and road rash all over my elbows and legs etc. Some of us just never learn, but I have learned, it hurts waaaaaaay more when you crash on the streets than in the dirt!!!

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[Adiggity]

Andy, who got you into riding.  Who inspired you?

I was always riding my quad in the dirt when I grew up. Most of my friends had bikes and finally after years of chasing them around on my quad and me begging for a bike my dad finally bought me a dirt bike. Loved it and rode for a long time in the deserts and tracks surrounding Reno/Sparks. I always was very interested in "crotch rockets" but never got one because I was scared I would kill myself. (I probably would have at a younger age, btw) Then when I was 25 years old my friend invited me to the WSBK races at Laguna Seca in 2002. Which is where I met Jerome. After going to the races I was convinced I was going to go home and buy a bike. I did and previously at the races Jerome had told me if I end up getting a bike to call him to go riding with this "club" that he was riding with.(Yes it was the SSA) I did that too and it has been a never ending journey from then until now. I'm very glad to have met Jerome and been brought into the road riding world through him and the people that he introduced me to for sure. Very fortunate.

I guess you could say it was just in my blood to love riding. It was just like this gravitational pull that was always calling my name. Soul mate maybe?? ?? 

[jlavallee]

Sharon, my condolences to you and your family. I wish you all the best!

My uncle Kenny is responsible for getting me into riding, all my dad's brothers had bikes and when I was a kid I'd get a spin on a trike or mini. My other uncles had Honda CB's and the like but my uncle Kenny had a 79 KZ1000LTD which, was about the baddest bike of the time. I remember that the speedo went to 260 kph or 155 mph and I just thought as a 5 year old does, that was incredible. I'd be climbing on the thing all the time and burnt myself on the pipes a few times but sometimes he'd take me for a ride.

Looking back on it, he was probably going 25 mph but as a kid it felt like flying. He got me my first lid and it was a Shoei that looked like his. I rode a few dirt bikes and the like and really got into it when I was 12 and got a CR125 but really, that bike was too tall for me and I was better off had I stuck to the YZ80. The CR was however fast compared to the other kids 80's and 125 four strokes so I ended up bored and a lot of the time would wail down the highway seeing what it could do. Because of my frequent road riding the kids called me the highway man.

Just after my 14th birthday I had been saving money from chores, mowing lawns etc because my dad had said if I saved $1000 then he's give me the rest to a street bike for when I turned 16. I had it saved by then and begged him to go look at an NS400R at the Honda shop because it was the coolest thing I'd ever seen. I think he was surprised at what I wanted and the fact that it was over 4 grand.  I suspect now that he had made the deal thinking I'd never save that much. It looked like the bikes Lawson and the guys raced. My uncle had one of the rare KZ1000 Lawson superbikes by that time so he was my guy. Long story short, the NS sold and I was gutted. Even in Canada, the race two strokers were pretty rare by 88 so I had lost my chance.

Shortly after a friend of mine had his folks split up and his brother had a VF750F Interceptor that I loved. I begged my dad and finally he cracked against his better judgement. I think he just thought that in two years when I was old enough to ride it I'd realise it was too big for me and sell it but at least he'd have two years of peace and get rid of the NS400R guilt. At 14 I had a 750 sportbike. When my folks were gone I'd sneak the thing out for a ride, I couldn't care less about the CR now.

At 16 I got my licence and other than a few dual sports, I never rode dirt much again. I've been riding ever since with mostly GSXR's along the way. In 2001 I let my uncle ride my new GSXR1000 and he came back amazed at sportbikes having gotten so different and good as he'd always rode standards like his old KZ's and such. I told him it was his fault getting me into all this, thanked him and went on my way. He still rides and has a 07 V-Max currently.

Here is a happy lad at 14 on what was then a nearly current superbike.

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[Justin]

I love these stories.  They are totally amazing, and the pictures are totally fantastic! Thanks for sharing so much with the rest of us.
   My father quit racing when I was born (didn't want to be a bad influence..... hahaha)
When I was 17 I said I wanted to ride.  He said "The day you come home with a motorcycle is the day I break your legs so you can't ride it." 
I lived in Vermont and bought a Katana when I was 19.  Sold it before I moved back home.
Lived in LA when I was 25.  I had a magna.  My moron cousin told my father I rode. When I moved home again he said "Cousin Steve said you had a motorcycle" I was scared s***less.  I said "yeah I did"
He asked " What did you ride?"
When I told him "85 Honda Magna" he replied quickly "Those mid 80's honda's run forever"
This was the first time I felt connected to my dad.  I didn't have his blessing. . . but i had his respect.
Before he died I had a few other motorcycles (SECRETLY) 
He was so sick, and pretty crazy that I decided to leave the bike in his driveway, when I took his car to bring him back from dialysis.  He got out of the car, and walked over to the bike and had to sit on the railroad ties in the driveway.  He was too sick and weak to even climb the stairs to get back into the house.
"What's this?" he said as he struggled to catch his breath.
I was still a little scared of his reaction even at 34 years old.
I said "It's a Suzuki V-Strom 1000"
He said "Whose is it" so I told him it was mine.
He called my mother an hour later when he finally made it in the house and told her the news. 
He said "Justin's got a motorcycle!!!       It's a beautiful purple street racer!"
My mother called me immediately after she hung up. Bless his heart!  It wasn't a racer and it was blue. . . but this was his blessing.  I got his "OK" before he died.
I can't separate riding a motorcycle from my dad's memory.
When I am walking around the pits, I know he did the exact same thing, and had the same friends I have.
He would have loved Greg, and been Jerome's best friend, he'd still be talking about Yard Sale's 2 stroke, and about his friend from Scotland.  He would have hung out and laughed with Alberto for hours. Andy and he would trade racing stories. 
He would have loved that I have all of you in my life.
Thanks everyone for helping me develop a closer relationship to my father.  This club has been a gift.

Justin

[JENX!!!]

Sorry for your loss sharon.....

My dad wasnt into motorcycles at all....,It was actually the movie TopGun that got me very interested in motorcycles......I was inlove with fighter jets as a kid., and when I saw that part when maverick was riding his sportbike next to runway with that F14 taking off......I just had to have one one day.

My friends older brother had a motorcyle that was just rusting away so we decide to go ride it one day., we  had 0 clue on how it worked., i inserted the key, got busy on the kick start but it would NOT turn over., after about 30 mins of trying, we discovered that in order for the bike to start, u have to turn the igntion to ON.  Once the bike was running, nobody wanted to get on it. 1 because we were scared of his older brother and 2 because we didnt know how to., but I decide that I am going to ride this bike so......got my leg over and next thing i knew...the bike was trying to kill me. Was the typical gas,off, gas, off, gas, oh shit!!!! I had my very first adrenalin shot and was hooked. Got my first bike in 95....was a 1990 Suzuki GS500.

[Justin]

Mav got the ninja and Goose could play piano.  Oh, the inequity!

[dmh2000]

I'm very sorry for your loss.

My best friend in high school inherited a Honda 150 Dream from his older brother. After riding on the back of that for a few months I got a job and bought a 305 Dream. This was in 1968. My parents were totally against me getting a bike . I rode for two years without a license or insurance (for shame).  After that I always had a bike except for a hiatus from age 35 to 50 in the mistaken belief that I couldn't ride because I had kids.

[Adiggity]

That is a sweet looking bike. Looks like a two wheeled Cadillac from the 50's! I want one. 

[Oneup]

Sharon, I am truly sorry for your loss.

My dad got me into motorcycles.  He raced dirt bikes from the time he was a little kid.  When I was six he bought me and my brother our first motorcycle and told us that it was time for us to learn how to ride.  We weren't really given the choice or asked if we thought it would be cool.  It didn't really matter since he had been taking us on rides on his streetbike from the time we were old enough to hold ourselves up (this really made my mom mad) and we had been going to sand mountain every memorial weekend for longer than I can remember.  Our first bike was a kx 90 that was way to big for us.  One of us would have to hold the bike up while the other took off.  When we wanted to stop we had catch each other.  Shortly after we got a yamaha yz 60 (back when all yamahas were yellow).  I have spent most of my life around motorcycles.  I grew up following my Dad from race to race all around Nevada.  I've been lucky in the fact that I have seen a few pros ride before they were pro.  I didn't get into riding on the street until I was twenty.  A guy I worked with bought a gsxr 600 and let me take it around the parking lot.  From the second I twisted the throttle I knew I had found something incredible.  Within two weeks I bought my first streetbike, a TL1000r.