old dirt bike memories

[71airgrabberRR]

Started riding dirt bikes when I was 8 years old.

Back then my Dad had a couple of really cool old Harley's (a knuckle and a pan head) and an Indian Chief, so he wanted me to learn too. Later in 1975 Dad no longer had the Harleys and Indian (regrettably he sold them), so he bought a brand new Honda CB 750 F Super Sport, (the first year they came out)

First bike I had was a barely used 1972 Yamaha mini Enduro 60 cc dirt bike.

Next one was a 100 Yamaha Enduro, followed by another Yamaha 100 that I tricked out for racing. Single ring racing piston, chamber, different sprocket set, knarly BIG knobby tires, etc. This bike really got me interested in going fast and turning wrenches, something that stayed with me forever.

Then I had an old 1969 vintage???? Kawasaki F6 series 125. This bike was cool because the transmission gear box was the same as one from a 175 CC bike. So I located a 175 jug and piston for it, ground off the "174 CC" casting numbers between the cooling fins and passed it off successfully as a 125..........Hey !!! Look at the emblems !!!!! This bike had no brakes. It was a flat track racer. Big left turns only. I put a 21 inch front wheel on it. Had a Kawasaki "torque chamber" on it and an oversized Mikuni carb.

Had a Suzuki TS 250, a Harley Davidson 125, and finally a Honda XL 250 single cylinder four stroke with 4 valves and a DOHC. That Honda was a torque monster when you were used to riding 2 strokes at high RPM's.

For a very short while I had an Ossa 250, and a Combat Wombat with a chrome tank. (neither one ran, traded them off)

Plus a buddy of mine had a bunch of automatic Honda trail 70's that we would trash.

Taught my black Lab to ride on the gas tank !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He loved to ride as much as I did. He was a GREAT dog.

For street bikes I had a CB 175 twin Honda, and a CB 450 Scrambler later. "Borrowed" my Dad's CB 750 F a few times while he was at work later on, (until he busted me at it.......I couldn't reach the ground. My same buddy with the trail 70's came over and would help me get the bike off the center stand........He had to hold it upright for me while I was sitting on the bike)
those were the days...................... Thanks for starting the thread .

 

[71airgrabberRR]

Here are some pictures I found on the Internet of what some of the bikes looked like that I mentioned in my post.

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My first bike looked like this one. A Yamaha 60 mini enduro.

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This one is a Yamaha 100 Enduro.

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Followed by the F6 Kawasaki 125

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This is what that bike looked like when stock.

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Here is a Honda 250 XL

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Here are a few pictures of the street bikes I mentioned:

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A red 1972 Honda CB 125

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A blue 1974 Honda 450 Scrambler

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And lastly my Dads Honda CB 750 F "Super Sport"

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This is the bike I "borrowed" on occasion.

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These are not pictures of my actual bikes, but are very close to what mine looked like.

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Sorry. I forgot this one. A Suzuki TS 250

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Here's the HD 125

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[eldubb440]

Started riding dirt bikes when I was 8 years old.



First bike I had was a barely used 1972 Yamaha mini Enduro 60 cc dirt bike.

.

my older brother had the exact bike except it was red.......... it was the bike I learned to ride on......... as kids, we really dug it because it looked more like a real motorcycle than the honda mini-trail 50, which other kids had

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Thanks for starting the thread .

you're welcome........I had a feeling this one would take off

 

[Polara Pat]

Okay let me join I grew up with dirt bikes in early 70s didn't really have much I started with minibike with a 3hp Briggs & Stratton engine that I bought for $20 I need the chain and a clutch and in 1973 believer not My father bought me a 1965 Honda CB160 as my dirtbike my other friends had Honda minitrail 50s and SL 70s. Well I jumped with it did all kinds of stuff that you would do with a dirtbike and actually I still have it to this day About five years ago I cleaned it up the only thing that's not original from when I was riding it are the mufflers and the rubber kneepads on the side of the tank still has the same tires on it from back then. The bottom picture is from when It was originally bought
View attachment 250591View attachment 250590

I have this exact bike but '66 that I restored a bunch of years back. It's a great little runabout but limited to maybe an hour of riding on the open road before your arms are ready to vibrate off. Super cool little bikes.

 

[Duda]

Very nice story, that's cool you kept that Honda all these years. I really love the bike.

Okay let me join I grew up with dirt bikes in early 70s didn't really have much I started with minibike with a 3hp Briggs & Stratton engine that I bought for $20 I need the chain and a clutch and in 1973 believer not My father bought me a 1965 Honda CB160 as my dirtbike my other friends had Honda minitrail 50s and SL 70s. Well I jumped with it did all kinds of stuff that you would do with a dirtbike and actually I still have it to this day About five years ago I cleaned it up the only thing that's not original from when I was riding it are the mufflers and the rubber kneepads on the side of the tank still has the same tires on it from back then. The bottom picture is from when It was originally bought
View attachment 250591View attachment 250590

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GreT story Louis, no wonder we hit it off. Love dirtbikes.

Started riding dirt bikes when I was 8 years old.

Back then my Dad had a couple of really cool old Harley's (a knuckle and a pan head) and an Indian Chief, so he wanted me to learn too. Later in 1975 Dad no longer had the Harleys and Indian (regrettably he sold them), so he bought a brand new Honda CB 750 F Super Sport, (the first year they came out)

First bike I had was a barely used 1972 Yamaha mini Enduro 60 cc dirt bike.

Next one was a 100 Yamaha Enduro, followed by another Yamaha 100 that I tricked out for racing. Single ring racing piston, chamber, different sprocket set, knarly BIG knobby tires, etc. This bike really got me interested in going fast and turning wrenches, something that stayed with me forever.

Then I had an old 1969 vintage???? Kawasaki F6 series 125. This bike was cool because the transmission gear box was the same as one from a 175 CC bike. So I located a 175 jug and piston for it, ground off the "174 CC" casting numbers between the cooling fins and passed it off successfully as a 125..........Hey !!! Look at the emblems !!!!! This bike had no brakes. It was a flat track racer. Big left turns only. I put a 21 inch front wheel on it. Had a Kawasaki "torque chamber" on it and an oversized Mikuni carb.

Had a Suzuki TS 250, a Harley Davidson 125, and finally a Honda XL 250 single cylinder four stroke with 4 valves and a DOHC. That Honda was a torque monster when you were used to riding 2 strokes at high RPM's.

For a very short while I had an Ossa 250, and a Combat Wombat with a chrome tank. (neither one ran, traded them off)

Plus a buddy of mine had a bunch of automatic Honda trail 70's that we would trash.

Taught my black Lab to ride on the gas tank !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He loved to ride as much as I did. He was a GREAT dog.

For street bikes I had a CB 175 twin Honda, and a CB 450 Scrambler later. "Borrowed" my Dad's CB 750 F a few times while he was at work later on, (until he busted me at it.......I couldn't reach the ground. My same buddy with the trail 70's came over and would help me get the bike off the center stand........He had to hold it upright for me while I was sitting on the bike)
those were the days...................... Thanks for starting the thread .

 

[Sonny Black]

Sonny flipped over the top and then was attacked as it wiped around and repeatedly hit me....I was showing off doing wheelies on a gravel road...
Drears:tard:

 

[eldubb440]

Sonny flipped over the top and then was attacked as it wiped around and repeatedly hit me....I was showing off doing wheelies on a gravel road...
Drears:tard:

that's it! thats a pic of the mini trail 50 eldubb was looking for

 

[SteveSS]

I have two early 70's Kawasaki TR?s If someone had one or always wanted on let me know. They are just gathering dust. 1 runs one is a parts bike $350 but you have to take both.

 

[64BEL]

my older brother had the exact bike except it was red.......... it was the bike I learned to ride on......... as kids, we really dug it because it looked more like a real motorcycle than the honda mini-trail 50, which other kids had

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you're welcome........I had a feeling this one would take off

Maybe it was a Z50 that I had - this looks more like it. Ah the old memory is kind of shot these days. LOL

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that's it! thats a pic of the mini trail 50 eldubb was looking for

I think Sonny's is the 50's big brother - the big, bad 70!

 

[ZR9B]

these are the ones I have now...the TS 250 and Elburro are gone..not pictured is a 72 CT70, 72 RV90 and a 72 Rupp Hustler 4HP. They all run...just not at the same time.

 

[SteveSS]

We have been bitten by the Doodle bug. It's a modern Chinese mini bike. You buy an used original with the 2.8 hp, junk that then buy the 6.5 hp engine from Harbor Freight for $99.00. New 3/4" shaft clutch and you're good. We have 6 of them now. It's something about me not getting a mini bike as a kid.

 

[MiradaMegaCab]

Yours truly on my 2007 YZ250 2 Stroke

 

[Coyoteduster]

I see a few mini bikes posted up as well. My pre-motorcycle days were enjoyed on one of these.

 

[hot rust]

neat bikes always liked the elsonore 250's, but the best one i owned was a suzuki tm 400, single cylinder 2 stroke, hardly any suspension but boy was it nasty!!!!!

 

[SublimeSixpack]

Never got into the serious dirt bikes, but in 1979 I bought a new Honda XR185 and had a lot of fun on that bike for several years! That engine just wouldn't die. Eight or nine years later I bought a new Yamaha TT225 to replace it with. I actually liked the Honda better. Still have the Yamaha, just don't find much time to ride it.
I still ride street bikes but there's nothing quite like riding a dirt bike. Fun!

 

[67Satty]

Here's another one I shouldn't have sold. 1970 Honda CL350. This came as a parts bike along with a 1970 Honda CB350. I think I paid something like $250 for the pair.

 

[the mississippi madman]

It's not that old by year but the design is from early 80s late 70s, here is my 99 harley army dirtbike
Don't know why it loads upside down

 

[Donny]

Ah! Love this thread! I too fit into this era; mid/late 70s early 80s dirt biking! I drooled over my friends' Honda Trail 70 say in 1975, I lived, ate, and dreamt that little scooter! We used to ride ALL DAY LONG! No helmets, gloves, long shirts, had jeans on though! We had a Sand pit in Laconia NH and kids used to ride out there all the time with bikes, Dune Buggies, and anything! No video games, Internet, Computer, Cable TV, just bikes, etc! I was able to score my first dirt bike in 1979, a 1978 YZ125. Then, in 1981 I bought a RM250, a 1980 model. I bought these on my own working packing eggs at a local farm. My friend had a 81 RM 125, and, when the 82 RM 250 came out I just had to have it, but, fate had it that this wasn't the case, but, glad to see that bike posted in this thread!

Currently, I have a WR450F and a TTR-230 as my dirt bikes, don't get too much chance to rip it up these days, but, sure was fun! Here's my bikes, my pics, and shared here!

WTH? I thought I had scanned pics of my old bikes! Now I'm pissed, got to locate them and scan them!

 

[snakeyes]

 

[Coyoteduster]

Here's another one I shouldn't have sold. 1970 Honda CL350. This came as a parts bike along with a 1970 Honda CB350. I think I paid something like $250 for the pair.

View attachment 250944

That's exactly why I've never sold this! Bought her new, but she's disassembled now and getting a makeover.