Do you wish you didn't sell your first bike?

[RoboRider]

So about 38% of people regret not having, or still own, their first bike. That's significant and does tell a story.

It seems from reading that those who had that special attachment miss the bike.

Thanks.

[layton]

Nope......it was a damned old iron head sporster......

[HONDARIDER]

I had a strong sense of nostalgia at an early age so I kept my first minibike from the 3rd grade and my first motorcycle from high school despite having bought and sold 30+ other bikes in the meantime...I've had it for 25 years now...unfortunately, it's not nearly as cool as some of the bikes people first threw a leg over. It's a 1982 Honda CM250 Custom. I still like to put on a mullet wig and my old Fulmer helmet and then take it for a ride around my old neighborhood. I expect this will be the last motorcycle I ever own when I'm too old and weak to hold up a bigger bike. I still feel like I'm 16 when I ride it. My son has taken a shine to it as well...

[rd400racer]

I still have my first bike. 1971 Honda SL125

Got it in 71 when I was 10 years old.

[RoboRider]

Love these last two posts!

[Hexkopf]

My first was a Honda CB750. It was the first thing I bought once I got to my first duty station in Pearl Harbor Hawaii. I can still remember riding on those roads between the pineapple and sugar cane fields, and watching the sun set with a girlfriend on the north shore...

Those were the best days.

[middleagecrazy]

I've owned only 3 bikes so far:
1. 1990 Kawasaki EX500 which I got rid of because I was divorced and needed money for a down payment on my house.
2. 1983 Kawasaki GPZ 550 (Still have) I bought this bike off of Craigslist and I'm looking to bring her back to her glory days. The guy who owned it did some work(?) to it and could never get it running right. I got it and with some elbow grease, money and lots of swear words she runs fine....Still has the 4-1 header that reads "Kerker by Kawasaki". Its about an 85 out of 100.
3. 2007 BMW F800st (Still have...for now) I got this bike when the snow was flying 3 years ago in January. I've upgraded the bike (Sargent seat, Scorpion carbon fiber can, mirror extenders, Coocase V36 and K&N air filter. The bad news is this thing is costing more in parts and repair than I think it may be worth (ABS unit (fixed), ABS front sensor wire(fixed), TPS in both wheels(when tires get replaced), Front fork seals(Going to the garage Monday) as of today.

To be honest, the GPZ would would hurt worse than the F800 in terms of letting go. I guess I feel that unless the bike has some deep personal history, it's only a bike an there are tens of thousands of other bikes out there that are looking to make memories with you....good or bad. I don't regret selling my first bike because it helped me get to where I am today and because it was a great bike for me and kept me interested in motorcycling.

[1074]

First bike was a 66 Yamaha Twin Jet 100. Bought it new with money earned during Easter vacation.
Then some guy on a Suzuki X6 Hustler let me ride that. Next day I traded the 100 in on a Yamaha 250 Catalina. Never looked back.

[donbmw]

I started riding in 1977. MY first bike was a Kawasaki 1971 500 H1. Rode it until 1979 and bought a Honda CX500 custom. Then trade that in on the 1982 R65 that I still have along a 1975 R90 and 1980 R65.

My first bike don't miss it at all with what I would need to do to it all the time. The Honda was a nice bike but was just not something that I would hang on too.

I don't know what it is about BMW's but have always wanted one when I started riding. I can say that the Kawasaki got my interest in them as the Kawasaki dealer was the BMW also. There was just something about them I fell in love with and plan on keep the ones I have.

[BASSGUYDAVE]

My first bike was a brand-new '72 Kawasaki 350 2-stroke triple, bought when I was 18 for $1000 out the door with a helmet included. It was a cool first bike, but I soon tired of the vibration, the peaky powerband, and the fact that it often fouled plugs and ran on 2 cylinders. I had never ridden a bike before this one, but by the time it was a week old, I wanted a bigger one.

So no, I am not sorry I sold it.

I apologize for the out-of-focus photo - it was taken with a Kodak Brownie camera using 620 film.

[rodney.anderson@cox.net]

Like several others here my first bike was a Honda CB360. It had about 4400 miles on it when I bought it and I put 11,000 on it in just less than 2 years. It was a good bike to learn on, but there wasn't anything about it that was better than adequate.

All of the nearby Honda dealers back in the mid '70's didn't seem to care if they sold a motorcycle or not, at least not to someone that was just barely into their 20's.

A stop at the local Yamaha dealer and some real customer service got me the chance to ride a new RD400 in '76. I bought a blue one in November of '77. It was faster than the Honda, got better gas mileage, was far more comfortable to ride and handled better. That's the one I really miss and I'd be willing to pay quite a bit for one in like new condition.

Having said that, if I had another RD it would be only for occasional rides. My '01 R1100RT is a much better motorcycle (as it should be). No vehicle I've ever owned, whether 2 wheeled or 4, has given me the satisfaction of the RT.

[GlobalRider]

So, questions:

Do you wish you didn't sell your first bike (you don't still own it do you?)

Nope, I wish I hadn't sold my 6th bike.

At least I never sold my 1st BMW which was my 10th bike...now just over 20 years ago.