How Old Were You When You Started To Ride

[sammyseaman]

I was either 5, 6 or 7. Not sure so I'll just split the difference with 6.

[bluepoof]

I was 22.

[bomber]

15.

When the bike (a Honda 305 Sterrt Scrambler) was in my garage, it belonged to my buddy, John.

When it was in HIS garage, it belonged to me.

[Rincewind]

Around 5 years old if you count 50cc mini-bikes.  That was... over 30 years ago.  

[sammyseaman]

15.

When the bike (a Honda 305 Sterrt Scrambler) was in my garage, it belonged to my buddy, John.

When it was in HIS garage, it belonged to me.

Nice  

My pops brought home a Honda CT70 he found at a garage sale for $50. I still remember him pulling in the driveway with that little minibike sticking out of the trunk. All we had to do was fill the tires with air and clean the carb. I guess I had been pestering him for a couple years to get a minibike. What a dad. Here's to you pops  

[maddjack]

not quite 15

[bubba zanetti]

Licensed for 38 years but began on a Briggs and Stratton at a tender, impressionable age.

[MadOzodi]

DOH!

I'm the oldest n00b so far.  

[jay547]

i learned to ride at age 13 on a friend's honda sl 70. at age fourteen, in 1973, i got my motorcycle license and bought a honda sl 100. i've always had at least one bike ever since with the exception of maybe three of those years.

both of my daughters began riding at age six. one raced motocross for eight years. the other is thirteen now and wants to get her mc license when she turns fourteen in february.

[rabbott5]

I kind of started when I was 8.  I had a cousin teach me on his bike. I didn't have enough money and I couldn't talk mom and dad into buying me one.  Whenever we went to visit I would go riding with my cousin.  That started the summer of 1966.  I finally got my own bike in 1972, part of the money came from my 8th grade graduation gifts.

[olderigetfasteriam]

Thanks, just made me realize I have been on two wheels over 40 years..............

[Tony T]

I was about 6 or 7. Since my parents where very anti-motorcycle, (A coffin on wheels my dad always said.) I kept my orange 3 1/2 HP minibike at my friends garage. His dad was a HD mechanic and totally cool with us tearing around the neighborhood every chance we got. And now from what I heard my old friend is too. I always wanted to find him again and let him know I still ride.

Anyone in Chicagoland know a HD wrench named Scott?  

[veefer800canuck]

I was 9

My brother taught me how to ride on his 1970 Bushmaster 90

The year would have been 1975


This isn't HIS bike, but it's exactly like it, right down to the paint:

[Blunder]

Licensed for 38 years but began on a Briggs and Stratton at a tender, impressionable age.

Licensed for almost 31 years but do you remember the thrill when you were about 12 and got that B & S motor going full chat?

Blaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat, blaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat.

Those fat tires would make it squirm all over the place and all you could do was give it more gas.

That was livin', baby.

[sammyseaman]

i learned to ride at age 13 on a friend's honda sl 70. at age fourteen, in 1973, i got my motorcycle license and bought a honda sl 100. i've always had at least one bike ever since with the exception of maybe three of those years.

both of my daughters began riding at age six. one raced motocross for eight years. the other is thirteen now and wants to get her mc license when she turns fourteen in february.

 

[McHack]

Dad got me a Honda XR75 when I was 12,  lived in El Paso, Tx...  lots of open range out there.

Never got my license until 2 years ago.

[Doug Just Doug]

I was 12 when Santa brought me a brand new Yamaha TY80.  

[xbud]

When I was 11 years old my brother was buying a used 73 Honda 350 Four cafe bike for transportation to High School. I went with him and my Dad and the guy he bought the bike from had a garage full of bikes, from dirtbikes to trackbikes. My Dad negotiated the price on the Honda while I sat on a 69 Yamaha JT60 Dirtbike, the guy said he would knock $100 bucks off and throw in the JT60 if he paid cash right now. So I actually got my first motorcycle for free.

[black hills]

I was 10 when I started riding, but I'm pretty sure I was a motorcycist from the first ride on my dad's bike (around 6 months of age).

[2000TJ]

I see a trend here...you guys are old and started young.  That's cool.  

My Dad was obviously hard up for a riding partner and decided to plop my 15yr old arse on a 78' GL1000.  I used it for my DMV test at the age of 16, rode it for 3 years, and cried a bit when he sold it after I went on active duty in 99.

Lite bikes in the dirt is a commonly recommended starting point for riders....soemone forgot to tell my Dad.

[kevrider]

23.

[TBone]

I picked up my first bike on my 42nd birthday, a 2005 Kawi Z750S.  

[hazra]

6 or 7.  I started with handling the controls on my uncle's CB360... I was too small to ride it alone.  Later that summer a CT70 showed up at my grandmother's house.

[Chuck 500]

Realized a lifelong dream at 55.

[Explorer]

I was 3 years old when my brother put me on his Mini-bike. From that point it was down hill or up hill, or anyway I could ride.

[vanderpm]

I was always interested, my parents used to ride quads, but sold them when Michigan closed a lot of the state trails. I got to ride along a couple of times before they sold them, and I loved it.

Fast forward to when I was 20 (summer 2005), and I got my first bike, an '80 Suzuki GS 550, for $100 from my uncle and I spent the summer wrenching on it and getting it running to take to college with me.

[Leanintree]

9 yrs old. Dad came home with a 1978 GT80 and an IT-490

[bogfro]

27 for motorcycles.  Was into bicycles a long time before that, though.

[Goose]

26

[Sputnik]

16.
My first bike was a Yamaha DT 175.

[Hodge Podge]

28, on  a '99 Bandit 600S

[wibornz]

I was four.  I started both of my kids at three.

[sammyseaman]

I was four.  I started both of my kids at three.

 

[vulcanbill]

Honda Z50A at 8 years old.     Rode that into my teens.  85 Nighthawk 650 at 19 when I was in the Army in HI.  Had to sell that to get money to fly home.  Had a couple months without a bike when I got out but got another one shortly there after.  Haven't been without since.  

[dm_gsxr]

'77 with a used Yamaha 250 to learn how to ride.

So 20.

Carl

[MGoBlue]

My 10th birthday present was:


And to pay it forward, my son will get this on his 10th in a few weeks!

[evilted]

Since right after my 36th birthday.  Just one of those things I'd always wanted to do, but never got around to (actually bought my first street bike in 1997, but never actually did anything with it).

I don't feel like starting on the street so late cost me much, but I do wish I'd been on the dirt a lot younger --like when my body had a higher proportion of cartilage and I just healed up a lot faster.

[lizard]

38, once I was in a financial position to reasonably afford something I perceived as a "toy."

[vulcanbill]

Kudos to you guys that are starting "later in life".  I don't know how willing I would be to start something of this caliber from scratch at my age (41).  For example, although mildly interested in, say, hang gliding, there is no way in the world I'd be willing to do that.  Motorcycling is nice and safe and comfortable.  I'm glad I learned nice and early when I was brave and didn't have access to statistics.  

[jeepinbanditrider]

16 back in 2001.  First bike was a 79 GS1000 and then about a year after that I picked up a 2000 Bandit 1200S.

[sammyseaman]

My 10th birthday present was:

KD80! The memories just came flooding back. Thanks  
I also was around ten when my pops bought me one of those. After two CT70s it was my first real dirtbike. I rode the feck outa the thing. I remember one side of the motor stuck out further than the other and the choke knob was in a weird spot.

[ST-DocLizard1]

Age 31. Bought a Kawasaki KZ400 in 1978 and had to have a friend ride it home for me because I did not even have learners permit. Been hooked ever since.

Doc

[pino]

35, back in 2001

[chornbe]

I was 12. Dirt bikes on the farm.
I was 17 when I bought myself my first street bike as a graduation present: KZ440 LTD belt drive.

[falconati]

21

[coho]

I asked the mall Santa for a Kawasaki when I was two.  

[chosemerveilleux]

Got a moped when I was 9.  Next bike was a Honda 200X when I was 11.

[flips21]

Honda XL 185 at 15 1/2.  Permit age ya know.