Share your fondest memory of motorcycling

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Lots of doom and gloom on here, especially with the PMS (Parked Motorcycle Syndrome) season looming large ahead of us, so instead of all that noise:

What's your fondest memory of riding (or owning) motorcycles?

I have too many to just choose one, but recently, this came up on my memories feed:

We were staying at my buddy's banana farm for a few days and he had an old Honda 150 something or another from the 80s that he used as a runabout. Cosmetically, it had seen better days, but he got it cheap, nursed it back to life, and it was well-maintained and started right up on the first kick.

We took it out for a spin around the plantation (plantain-tion? :)) and had such rip-roaring fun, giggling as we flew past banana trees at a blistering 25 km/h!

My wife managed to take a picture while we were getting bounced up and down on that ole clunker:

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Not one of our most epic rides, but just looking at our smiles, it ranks up there with about thousand+ other experiences which might take the title of "fondest motorcycle memory".

What are some of yours?
 
In the summer of 1974 I rode from Vancouver to Banff, Jasper, Prince George and Prince Rupert. Then I took the ferry to Haida Gwaii and lived there for a few months. I was young, not sure what I wanted to make of my life but it turned me around. Everyone should have one ride like that.
 
In 1981when I was 17, I rode my bike with my 15 year old girlfriend( she looked 16) to Rich Stadium in Buffalo to see the Rolling Stones. US border guy just asked us where we were going and let us through. We thought we could buy scalper tickets but when we got there we found there were no tickets to be had. George Thoroughgood and Living Color were the opening bands. By the time The Stones came on we still had no tickets. Into their second song we decided we were going to walk right through the front gate and keep walking. Well, that’s what we did and walked right onto the field and saw almost the whole show. That would never happen today.Most memorable bike trip ever.
 
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Passing my M test, I was very proud of myself for sticking with the lessons.
 
I had planned a trip a down to the Finger Lakes. Turns out my trip down was the very first Saturday after 911. It was weird, they were still in a state of shock.
 
Oh so many! My neighbour had a KX80 he let me take a rip on. I had no idea what I was doing. Helmet too big, twist the grip and keep lifting my left toe to go faster and hopefully not loop out when I forgot to let off the throttle.

I may have clutched or not but, I took off and headed for whatever open space I could find. And then worried about how to stop the thing, not stall the thing, not wipe out and somehow turn around and get back to where I started.

I’m pretty sure I wiped out with a handful of friends laughing the entire time to get to me and pick up the bike and look it over and give it a kick for the next one to give it a try.

I couldn’t afford a cool RM or KX dirt bike and ended buying a well abused mini bike with a 3 horse B&S I hid in the woods and used it for a summer.

Later in life, I got a TW200 to tour the back country of BC. Logging roads and trails in the mountains. I ended up with an early series 600 Ninja that was is insured by the province of BC pretty cheap and just about killed myself.
 
Hard to pick just one, but a lot of the earlier years were magical:

- first time ever riding a bike - up and down my street on my neighbor's YZ80
- buying and riding my first bike (DT200) home from somewhere way up north - with an old motocross helmet the seller threw in, but no goggles
- learning how to ride faster and faster around Honda Ride Center's dirt track in Pickering on XR100's
- first time riding an oil-cooled GSXR-750
- first time at Shannonville
- every time at Mosport

But possibly the most relevant to this forum was when I first signed up for GTAM and discovered the Streetsville Sunday rides, the Dhruv K rides, and the Thursday Night rides. Oh, and BurgeRR Nights.

And earlier this year I went down to the Deal's Gap for the first time with a bunch of GTAM'ers and had an amazing time.
 
Fondest memory was getting my first motorcycle in 1968 closely followed by the rest of my motorcycle memories.
No bad times except for a bad crash in 1970, but since I am missing memories of it and the next 3 days of my life, that doesn't count
 
1. Riding to North Carolina to meet up with a group of people I met on a motorcycle forum. It was a three day event with everyday planned by the local riders and we rode some amazing roads and had a great time. Made a lot of friends that day and have ridden with several of them since then.

2. Riding up Mount Washington (I'm afraid of heights). Scary but felt good to accomplish it successfully. Was even better to see the number of tough guys who aborted the ride or made it to the top but had to pay someone to bring their bike back down.

Just two of many.
 
Went to Daytona in 2000 for the AMA races and bike week which was something that I always wanted to do. Great racing but I was surprised at how few spectators were present for the actual races, stands were basically empty or appeared so because the track is so big.Met Freddie Spencer there just outside the pits, real nice approachable guy. Most of the crowd at bike week were Harley type bikers that just cruised the main strip. A high percentage of those were accountants dressed up as pirates that trailered their Harleys there. Some faction of NASCAR took over the AMA years ago and I stopped following it.
 
BKnight said:
1. Riding to North Carolina to meet up with a group of people I met on a motorcycle forum. It was a three day event with everyday planned by the local riders and we rode some amazing roads and had a great time. Made a lot of friends that day and have ridden with several of them since then.

2. Riding up Mount Washington (I'm afraid of heights). Scary but felt good to accomplish it successfully. Was even better to see the number of tough guys who aborted the ride or made it to the top but had to pay someone to bring their bike back down.

Just two of many.
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I did Mount Washington on my ST1300, I could see that being a little intimidating for some.As long as you look straight ahead and don’t look down as they say, most people will be fine. I remember as we were going up, you could smell the overheated brakes and transmissions of the cars coming down. I certainly would think twice about taking a new car with an automatic transmission up there. Did you get the “This Bike Climbed Mt.Washington” sticker?
 
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When my middle son was 16 he got his M2. Both of us were excited, he called me at work "hey dad, can I ride over to Riley's ". I said sure, take the little Ninja knowing the kid lived 10 doors down the street.

He wasn't back when I got home, so I called him. Turned out Riley's place meant his cottage in Point au Baril.

First I was mad, then remembered when I was 16 and rode to Bala and back on a Kawi 100, 2up with a crazy gal pal - that was one of my great motorcycling memories.
 
Bobo said:
I did Mount Washington on my ST1300, I could see that being a little intimidating. As long as you look straight ahead and don’t look down as they say, most people will be fine. I remember as we were going up, you could smell the overheated brakes and transmissions of the cars coming down. I certainly would think twice about taking a new car with an automatic transmission up there.
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Mad Mike said:
When my middle son was 16 he got his M2. Both of us were excited, he called me at work "hey dad, can I ride over to Riley's ". I said sure, take the little Ninja knowing the kid lived 10 doors down the street.

He wasn't back when I got home, so I called him. Turned out Riley's place meant his cottage in Point au Baril.

First I was mad, then remembered when I was 16 and rode to Bala and back on a Kawi 100, 2up with a crazy gal pal - that was one of my great motorcycling memories.
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I knew two guys that rode to Florida two up on a Honda CB400-4 for March break when they were 16 years old, a pretty small bike.They wore snowmobile suits all the way there.Talk about a parents worst nightmare.That was about 1978, I can’t imagine a 16 year old kid doing that today.
 
Just too many to list. As of next spring, I will have been riding for 50 years (with some breaks in between).

I'll list just a few:
* jumping a rail intersection on my IT 250 to launch well over 15 feet up and maybe 80 feet out
* doing 70mph wheelies in top gear on my KX 420 (what a lemon they were, though)
* finishing my first trail race that felt absolutely impossible, and beat 2/3 the field
* hanging out and leading rides for years, which has made me lifelong friends
* keeping pace with top pros on my RSV4 at Calabogie and gaining time on the brakes
* getting my first race podium on my anaemic R3
* getting 2nd overall in RACE AM Superbike on a 600 despite missing two races
* doing Deal's Gap area rides for so many years, and the camaraderie of committed riders
* picking up my first "real" track bike from Joey McRae (GSX-R 1000)
* uncrating the GSX-R 1000 racing bike from Clint McBain (see avatar picture)
* picking up my first RSV4, my v4 dream bike
* buying my first bike for $100, a Yamaha GT 80 in mid condition

Yeah, that's a few. But there are just so many more, over 5 decades. I first started riding at the age of 8, despite my father being terrified of motorcycles. He remained that way until the day he passed, but he let me follow my nose and supported my competition efforts.

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Love this thread idea! Keep the story's coming.

Street - Barry's Bay Tire Burner WAY back in the day. First season on a sport bike ('99 SRAD), 1,000km group ride. A lot of laughs, some beautifully scenic roads and great comradery. The story's at each gas stop were pure moto-head joy!

Dirt - A lot of good ones over the years, but it HAS to be this last summer. My young boys moved up to 110s and absolutely shred the track and trails now. I smile and laugh in my helmet the entire time I ride with them now. Wasn't so long ago I'd just about overheat or foul a plug riding so slow with them on their 50s with training wheels, and now I'm nervous their "ole man" won't be able to keep up sooner than later! Fun times ahead.
 
I suppose it's normal to always remember when a ride end ups in a trip to emerg. First time was on the way up to Sport Bike Rally and I got a ride in the ambulance (just a few stitches). The second time we were enjoying gravel north of the Soo. It was an hour from camp to the hospital in Sault St Marie. I could have rode myself but we figured they might give me some kind of drug so buddy doubled me in(just a few more stitches). Rode back to camp at 1am in the rain going slower to avoid moose and deer.
 
Street - (Tie) #1 - My first multi-day ride and it was a 9-day ride from Ontario to Deals Gap and back on a GSXR1000. Rode every day spending a few days down there as well as taking the long ways both to and from. Learned so much and had such a great time making memories with friends.
#2 - A 10 state ride on our baggers. I forget how many days we were gone (8ish I think) and ended with a total mileage of around 4500km. Mileage wasn't important but the amazing memories had we still laugh about to this day.

Dirt - When I was 16 going to Machine Racing in Aurora with my mom and trading in my '91 CR80 for one of their fully race-prepped '91 CR500's. Sales manager came and spoke to my mom suggesting it wasn't a very good (safe) idea but my mom corrected him saying "If that's what he wants then sell it to him". I rode that 500 in the trails/track every weekend and most days after school. Loved that thing (and obviously wish I still had it).

Edit: My mom was also the one to encourage my motorcycle passion. My dad had zero interest in cars/motorcycles but my mom knew I loved them. My mom and I were driving somewhere and spotted a used YZ50 leaned against a hydro pole for sale at a used car dealer when I was 5yrs old. My mom asked my dad what he thought and he said no, but my mom had the chequebook in her name, so $475 later she brought it home to me. I rode EVERYWHERE on that thing! Now that I think more about it, this would be my most fondest memory of motorcycling.
 
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So many years of memories, one I`m fond of. Summer of `71, I`m 14..been riding an array of dirt bikes for nearly 4 years. My cousin says I should ride his beautiful `70 CB750 around the Bramalea City Center parking lot. Big empty lot on a Sunday when things once were closed. "Uhh..by myself"? He thought I was capable enough, I guess I was. Thanks Bruce for my lifelong addiction/affliction. 🏍️ 🏍️ .
 
Hardwrkr13 said:
Street - (Tie) #1 - My first multi-day ride and it was a 9-day ride from Ontario to Deals Gap and back on a GSXR1000. Rode every day spending a few days down there as well as taking the long ways both to and from. Learned so much and had such a great time making memories with friends.
#2 - A 10 state ride on our baggers. I forget how many days we were gone (8ish I think) and ended with a total mileage of around 4500km. Mileage wasn't important but the amazing memories had we still laugh about to this day.

Dirt - When I was 16 going to Machine Racing in Aurora with my mom and trading in my '91 CR80 for one of their fully race-prepped '91 CR500's. Sales manager came and spoke to my mom suggesting it wasn't a very good (safe) idea but my mom corrected him saying "If that's what he wants then sell it to him". I rode that 500 in the trails/track every weekend and most days after school. Loved that thing (and obviously wish I still had it).

Edit: My mom was also the one to encourage my motorcycle passion. My dad had zero interest in cars/motorcycles but my mom knew I loved them. My mom and I were driving somewhere and spotted a used YZ50 leaned against a hydro pole for sale at a used car dealer when I was 5yrs old. My mom asked my dad what he thought and he said no, but my mom had the chequebook in her name, so $475 later she brought it home to me. I rode EVERYWHERE on that thing! Now that I think more about it, this would be my most fondest memory of motorcycling.
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Braaaap! NOTHING said serious injury and broken bones like the big bore two strokes. :love: Respect `em or suffer.
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