Firsts.

[fast1]

   Watching a movie with my wife this evening I remembered how special the first time you can do something becomes. When we took the train to Smithers in February I walked the sidewalk across the street from our old house (which is still there) where my MOM taught me how to ride my steel seated and hard plastic tired candy red bicycle at the age of 5. No training wheels in those days. My MOM pushed me back and forth a while then we made a game. From a start point I would go as far as possible and she would mark it with a flattened lucky elephant box, then I would go back to the start and try and better it. We were both so proud when I zoomed all the way to the other end of the street! Of course then I had to stop and turn. Learning curve. 45 years later that memory came flooding back like it was yesterday. My first motorcle ride was on my cousins Arctic Cat mini bike. 50 c.c. 2 stroke with a centrifugal clutch, blue frame and the iconic Leopard skin seat. We had to share and there was seven of us that day so turns were short and waits were long. Got an idea! suggested to everyone that we go swimming and play on the paddle boards my uncle Wally made, then lagged/lingered 'till they were all gone. Couldn' pull the rope hard or fast enough so had to ask my aunt for help. Took almost an hour before it ran out of gas and the other kids figured out what I pulled. I was in Heaven! Been hooked ever since. There have been many others of course, most recently my free fall license but for the purpose of this thread I want to hear about others first experiences on 2 wheels!!! Come on, don't be shy. Han's , could you help Will do one? Love to read it from his perspective.that would be special. CHEERS.

[Hans]

Well, my first 10 minutes of riding was on a Honda Trail 70 one summer in Houston, I think I was about 13.  Followed up the next summer on a Can-AM 175.  A bit of a learning curve that one was.  My dad, fearing that I was too quiet and introverted, asked me the spring that I was 16 if I would like a motorbike, he rode a Nimbus in the Danish Army after the war and remembered that he had a hell of a lot of fun on it.  So I learned on Neil's GS400 (not the one he has now) and then we went and purchased a 1983 Yamaha Seca 400.  With which I almost lost my licence over the course of the next year.  I might have been quiet and introverted, but I was also a bit on the nutso side.

Wil was riding his Bicycle without training wheel the summer he was 4.  As soon as he was doing that I would take him on the street, showing him the rules of the road, how ride a bicycle as safely as possible on the street.  He's pretty good an confident on the bike, so I thought a little dirtbike from Santa was in order, one thing, I didn't tell Mrs Santa.  That beg forgiveness thing.  His first ride last summer was in the parking lot at the school across the street.  The exhaust restrictor was in and he had just enough throttle to get moving if he paddled off. He was a little nervous, but inside of a lap of the parking lot he had the biggest smile.  Been progressing from there, the restrictor is out and he has the full throttle.  I did a handshake deal last night on the next logical step for him, a Honda CRF70.  About the same power, but it's bigger and has 3 speeds.  Can't believe I just bought a friggin' Honda.