[csa]

It was hefty, with the full fairing and saddlebags. But boy did it ride like a dream! Riding it from Moses Lake to Seattle, then back home was awesome. Funny thing, my husband didn't ride, so he followed me out to the coast in our car! My favorite bike of all mine, was the Honda 500 Turbo. There was a write-up in the newspaper about me riding; as there were very few women that rode then. I was the only one in the group.

[wombat2go]

I am going to need some help here, about the last motorcycle I ever rode.
Year 1970~71, in Australia , the Japanese bike as I remember, was a bright pale blue colored single cylinder of about 650cc, fairly new at the time.
I just had a search, but did not see anything like that.
At that time I was student, driving a Morris 850, and I had a m/c license, but no bike, so I sometimes swapped car for bike so the bike guys could take GF out etc.
I remember this bike scared me initially, as it was a lot heavier and more powerful than the 175's and 250's that I had ridden before, but I got used to it during the Sunday afternoon I had it.
Never rode since that day.

[reeftool]

I am going to need some help here, about the last motorcycle I ever rode.
Year 1970~71, in Australia , the Japanese bike as I remember, was a bright pale blue colored single cylinder of about 650cc, fairly new at the time.
I just had a search, but did not see anything like that.
At that time I was student, driving a Morris 850, and I had a m/c license, but no bike, so I sometimes swapped car for bike so the bike guys could take GF out etc.
I remember this bike scared me initially, as it was a lot heavier and more powerful than the 175's and 250's that I had ridden before, but I got used to it during the Sunday afternoon I had it.
Never rode since that day.

Sure that bike wasn't a twin? Suzuki began building a 650 thumper in the 80's and it's still building one. Back in the late 60's and early 70's, all the Japanese bikes I'm familiar with in that size range were 2 or more cylinder models.

[wombat2go]

Reef, I may be mixing up two bikes from that time...
I looked on internet for a while, and there is not so much info or photos of the Jap bikes of that era, even on the mfrs sites.

Anyway here is a photo, I suppose a transparency, from that time 45 years ago. May the departed rest in peace.
https://app.box.com/s/h27akvt8x04lp8od7km652epfhbx6hhm
As I recall the black bike was a Kawasaki 125cc single 2 stroke, and the orange bike was a Honda 175 twin 4 stroke.
That is the Wombat holding the Honda's handlebar.

Today's Reminiscence on Motorcycles challenge for the aussies is to identify the car.
Except P38a gets a handicap, he also has to identify the day of the week this photo of the students was taken.
First prize: a pint at Y & J's tomorrow - does it still exist? it was a bit rough in those days.
I forget where the Melbourne bikers used to hang out then, I suppose up in Elizabeth St?

[lammie200]

This is a pic of my first bike - actually one just like it. I learned a lot about fixing it after my dad sheared off a shift fork in the tranny.

[gullwing]

I like Cagivas, as you can maybe see from these:

Gullwing Photography: Raptors

Gullwing Photography: Motorbikes, and hobbies in general

I would never have thought about using/buying a motorbike, but then suddenly it became the best way to get to work, and really, I enjoyed it a lot. Now I don't need the Raptor to get to work anymore but I have kept it anyway, and love taking it out.

Couple of photos of mine taken with a Rollei 35 LED:

[slip]

Had since new in '83 still my favorite bike

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[tennjed]

That CX is nice. I never owned one, but always liked the look of them. Reminds me of the Guzzis I've owned.

[gaweidert]

Back in the ancient days I owned a 1972 Kawasaki S2 350 Triple. It was red like this one. It had 3 cylinder two cycle engine. I always said it sounded like s*!t and went like hell. I haven't owned one since. I do miss it occasionally as I still get a craving for a nice ride in the countryside once in awhile.

[Arjay Bee]

At high school I had a Suzuki TS125. Fellow students had similar but one had a Triumph Bonneville and one had an old even then, Arial Square Four.

At university I had a 1972 Suzuki GT380 with the three cylinder two stroke engine and last model with drum breaks on the front. Had the same frame as the 550cc model so was a bit underpowered but not a slouch.

Married and no bike since then and while admiring from a distance since then have no passion to go back to them. Too cautious really but live on the edge in other ways. I use a Pentax K3- that's very edgy! Mirror flutter could occur at any moment!

[redrockcoulee]

Back in the ancient days I owned a 1972 Kawasaki S2 350 Triple. It was red like this one. It had 3 cylinder two cycle engine. I always said it sounded like s*!t and went like hell. I haven't owned one since. I do miss it occasionally as I still get a craving for a nice ride in the countryside once in awhile.

I had the 1973 750 triple and my wife a 1971 350 twin. The sound of the triples was unique, I always thought a comination of a two stroke motor, a Singer sewing machine and a can of rocks being shaken. We haven't had a non human powered bike since the early 90s after getting ride of a Honda CB400. My wife does not miss them but I do occassionaly but then I think it is about an hour's drive at 120 kph to find an actual curve on the road in any direction. Here they put curve signs on any part of the road that has a slight deviation from absolutely straight just to use up their signs.

[Ex Finn.]

Back in the ancient days I owned a 1972 Kawasaki S2 350 Triple. It was red like this one. It had 3 cylinder two cycle engine. I always said it sounded like s*!t and went like hell. I haven't owned one since. I do miss it occasionally as I still get a craving for a nice ride in the countryside once in awhile.

My friend had one of those back in Finland, we used to joke that it would pass everything except a gas station.
That thing was a beast compared to my Honda CB 350 Four...

Had a Honda CB-750 Super-Sport in early 80`s... still have my M endorsement.

[Rupert]

It seems like so long ago.....maybe because it was. After a long run of British bikes, this was my dream machine come true in '73. I don't think it was as durable or dependable as my previous BSA Lightning, but it was an eye catcher and plenty quick. Wish I still owned it.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Triumph_X-75_Hurricane

I have some old photos from down in Mexico in '70-'74 on various British bikes if I can find them. We used to love to ride down there, a great place on a bike back then...that has all changed too.
Bikes were a lot different back then, and so was bike riding...and bikers in general. Everything has changed. The engineering is light years ahead of '73, but riding was a lot more fun back then.

Regards!

Any Norton riders here? My best riding buddy had a Commando, pretty decent machine too.

[wayne james]

Motorbikes are best suited for the young, who think they are immortal.

bullsh*t -- still riding at 59 n started as a kid on a mini bike.

[csa]

I agree, a lot of the groups I see riding now are probably in their mid 60's+. When I was riding the group I was in, was in their 40's, married, had children; some owned businesses. None of felt we were "immortal"; we rode very defensively, being aware of dangers on the road.