What did you cut your teeth on?

[SometimesSansEngine]

A chat at lunch with work colleagues made me think of this topic.

What did you cut your teeth on in the motorbike world? We often talk about first bike or current bike but not so much what you learnt on.

I did my CBT on a Yamaha YBR125

I then did my A licence training on a Kawasaki ER6N (2009-2011 version)

Car wise, I learnt to drive in a Renault Clio (Clio II (1998–2005))

[rob m]

Did my CBT and Part 2 test on a Honda CG125 in 1996 but I had been riding for 10 years on L plates prior to that. GSXR 750 was my first bike after passing my test.

Car wise it was a Metro 1.3S in in 1993. The S was important as it stood for ‘shite’.

[Justarn]

First bike vfr400 nc30 then 5jj R1 6 months later.

First car MK2 escort 1600 crossflow

[Gerontious]

In 1980, on my 18th Birthday, I bought a 1976 Kawasaki KH250 triple and I felt at the time it was the bees knees. At that time, nearly everyone I knew had a CB250 super dream, my KH was so much cooler. 2 stroke triple. Fast forward 38 years and I get my second Japanese bike. All the others. Meriden and Hinckley Triumphs then BMWs.

[fastbob]

We've already got an ongoing first bikes thread in Readers Rides https://www.themotorbikeforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=92&t=64286

[Guest]

In 1980, on my 18th Birthday, I bought a 1976 Kawasaki KH250 triple and I felt at the time it was the bees knees.

That'll be because it was. Noisy, fast, thirsty, "interesting" handling.......and fun - lotsa fun.

KH250= Bee's Knee, CB250N = Maggot's Toenail (clipping). No contest.

[SometimesSansEngine]

We've already got an ongoing first bikes thread in Readers Rides https://www.themotorbikeforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=92&t=64286

 

Yes but, this is what you learnt on, not what you got as "your" first bike

I'm interested to see how the bike school bike du jour has changed over the years, now a lot of schools seem to use (from what I have seen) SV650s and ER6Ns.

[Guest]

We've already got an ongoing first bikes thread in Readers Rides https://www.themotorbikeforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=92&t=64286

 

Yes but, this is what you learnt on, not what you got as "your" first bike

I'm interested to see how the bike school bike du jour has changed over the years, now a lot of schools seem to use (from what I have seen) SV650s and ER6Ns.

....back in the day, there were no such things as "bike schools".......dunno if this is a good or a bad thing. I think it reflects the fact that a lot of what you have to do to get a bike licence these days is just jumping through hoops - hoops whose only purpose is to make it harder to get on the road and put you off for good measure. I think, though, that it might have had an unintended consequence - if you're willing to go through the hassle of getting a licence, then you'll be less willing to give it up or walk away from it. Kudos if you've been through the mill....

[fastbob]

We've already got an ongoing first bikes thread in Readers Rides https://www.themotorbikeforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=92&t=64286

 

Yes but, this is what you learnt on, not what you got as "your" first bike

I'm interested to see how the bike school bike du jour has changed over the years, now a lot of schools seem to use (from what I have seen) SV650s and ER6Ns.

 

Same thing in my day .

[learningtofly]

I would have to go back many, many years and long before the CBT and current test system was even a twinkle in the eye of whoever thought it up. Anyway, it was a Honda CG125. In orange

[ThePhatomfart]

Myself and a few other kids cut our teeth on a BSA Bantam 125 (2 stroke) , we found it on the back fields , did it up and got it working, with the help of a few older lads, tyre's were bald , no seat and we grasstrack that bike till it blew up, think I got my confidence then on a bike . Happy Days

[Piggy]

Did my test on a GS500, cbt on an SR125. First bike I ever tried to ride was a C90 but really learned on various 50cc junk, Fizzies etc. First road legal proper bike was a CB125T

[Guest Richzx6r]

I did a couple of CBTs on ur 125s I think but can't really remember, did my das on a kaka er5, was good because once I had passed the test the instructor on the way back to drop the bikes off at the school just said well now you are both legal I'm going to turn off the radio and you two go and have some fun on the bikes......so with that I started bouncing the bike off the rev limiter in every gear and had a grin wider than the Atlantic

[skyrider]

well way back in 1980 I took my bike test on an rd 250e and in the same year I did my car test in a Toyota corolla (probably the first model)

[Stu]

It all started with field bikes for me growing up!

We used to have a puch magnum X which could easily carry 3 of us at a reasonable shit that hurt when we crashed speed

then as I got older my parents split up and they both ended up skint so no more bikes

Then fast forward a few years and i did my CBT on a cg125 I think then 1 and half days riding a er5 before passing my test and getting a zxr400

[Bender]

First 2 wheel experience was a twist and go on crete some 30 odd cough cough years ago.

Clutch was playing up and after some encouragement by the numpty in charge I revved and revved and bang somewhere circa full tilt it kicked in, almost left the seat, shot down the road just missed a dog and a tree, for the next week it behaved flawlessly and took me and the girlfriend all over the island.

Geared bike drz400

[fullscreenaging]

My best mate when I was 14 left school (he was 16) and got an AR50. He taught me to ride it.

Then when I was 18 me and a few mates used to mess around on another mate’s KMX125 at a local place that was like a small wood with a bridal path splitting it down the middle. It had a load of jumps and small valleys and even a reasonably small what could be described as cliff out of the mud. At the bottom it levelled out smoothly enough that we could either drop down the vertical wall or vice verse. You could even ride it from side to side just like the wall of death. So that’s what it was called.

We had some great times down there until the guy that owned it fell off and broke it.

I didn’t touch a bike again until I was 36. Did my CBT & DAS.

[skyrider]

perhaps it was just clogged up a bit

[skyrider]

perhaps it was just clogged up a bit

(Benders post)

[skyrider]

perhaps it was just clogged up a bit

(Bender's post)

 

[geofferz]

Man I thought I was old!! Doesn't help that I started late - cbt on an ajs 125 about 4 years ago, then rode a yamaha mt125 for a year, then das on an mt07 then bought an mt10. Lots of yamaha basically.

[Fleck]

First bike I ever rode was my mates C70 when I was about 13. Then the first proper geared bike was his AP50. We used to ride them off road. (mostly )

[Justarn]

First bike I rode was a pals twist and go 50cc monkey bike when we was 12, lived in a small village with lots of farm tracks where we used to take it.

At 15 I had a dt125, field bike again, got confiscated by the plod and I acquired 9 road traffic offences lol....

No license

No helmet

No tax

No mot

no brakes (it had a back brake that used to just lock the back wheel)

No clutch

No lights

Carrying a pillion (lucky they didn't catch us 4up)

No insurance

Then fast forward to 18 riding a pals stomp 125 pit bike through the orchards

21yrs old Then bought a vfr400 before my cbt and learnt on my landlord farmers private road doing slow control.

CBT Yamaha yb125

[trcooke]

I did a direct access in Belfast having never ridden a motorcycle ever before and I couldn't say exactly at what point the cbt was complete but throughout the whole process I rode a Yamaha 125 of some description, a van van 125, I did the MOD1 on a hornet, the MOD2 on a Suzuki Gladius, and some other footering about inbetween on a Honda Super Four.

The Gladius was by far the nicest ride of them all.

[S-Westerly]

Learnt to ride a bike on the CB250N and yes with hindsight it was a maggot's toenail. At the time (1978) though I thought it was great. Learnt to drive in my Dad's Citroen DS and that was an awesomely weird car to drive.