CALL BACK THE PAST

I love it Pete O !! Brings back some fond memories. Johan de Jager "It's all about the ride, nothing else"

Nice, thanks for posting. Kobus --------- Dream like you will live forever, live like you're going to die tomorrow

Pete, great post that brought back many fond memories. Will follow shortly with mine.

Two of the bikes I owned - true classics of their era! 1979 Honda CBX1000 6-cylinder1983 Kawazaki 1000R Eddie Lawson Replica

My first bike. I was the youngest of three brothers and eventually got it after my brothers when I turned 16. MBX50cc

That Kawa certainly brings back memories. Here is my first (1984) SUZUKI GS 550 E http://www.suzukicycles.org/photos/GS/GS550E/1979_GS550E_black_Japan_250... Kobus --------- Dream like you will live forever, live like you're going to die tomorrow

My first ever ride was on a 50cc Honda +- 150m there and back, my 2nd ride on my first bike a new Honda CB400N( a blue one) got it Tuesday night(I think) rode next morning to Velddrif, the Thurs or Friday left for Rundu in Namibia, did its 1st service in Springbok. Got a bit of a surprise when the tar ran out other side of Grootfontein!!! When finished with military service rode through SWA to CT. Next was a 250cc Kymco Dink Scooter bought after Easter 3 years ago , then that September a Suzuki 650 V-strom, then May 2 years ago the R1200GS. Seeing all these posts perhaps we should have a Thanks- Giving day to the Japanese for getting us into motorcycling!!:-)

I can't remember my first time, just remembering being regularly strapped to my dad on the back of his 1100 Kawa with an old car seat belt :P (and being woken up when we got to nursery school) My first ride was a Gamma Suzuki 50 (I separated over ripe vegetables from the good stock in a 7/11 to buy this myself), followed onto a Honda MB100 (ugly little thing, but reliable and could lift), following on that was a tank of a Yamaha XJ750S (my first shaft, but not a terribly reliable vehicle, spent more time in the garage with covers off than on the road.) The next little girl was a VFR400 NC24 which was a right dream to ride - except that the standard pipe made her sound more like a mosquito on steroids than my 50 did... Then I was lucky enough to win the GS, which is where I am now - never looking back ;)

Neil that's a great idea. I'm sure most of our members started Jap and others are still emigrating! What do you think Jane? A BMW logo and a club badge and this would be a perfect next step. BMW in the making: In the name of Thanksgiving Day ''The world needs dreamers that DO!''

Yes The Japanese gave us the 50cc bikes a REALLY great intro bike, then the 400cc range. Now the results of those early days! Thanks be!:-)

Jane won't fit on that either!:-)

I had a unroadworthy MT5 as teenager, and then a Suzuki TS50 that i used to ride off-road with my brother-in-law. It was because of those fond memories that i started biking again. Oh, also had a Vespa ET4 for the last five years, but had to get rid of it to pay for my Dakar. The Dakar is my first big bike.

'''Honda MTX50''' - School commuter. '''Yamaha DT50''' - Bought for R200 with a seized piston & rebuilt it myself. More power & better looking than the Honda. '''Kawasaki KDX200''' - Varsity transport. Powerband was a bitch in traffic! <10 year gap> '''Sachs Madass 125''' - Cause Jeeps are thirsty, and hey, it's German! And finally... '''BMW R1200C'''

Great memories. Motorcycles has been a part of my life for the past 35 years and the total that has seen the inside of my garage (to date) is 25. So, I'll not post pictures of them all, but the following bikes specifically brings back many memories... As you can gather, I've owned many Yamaha's, but the last three bike were all BMW boxers and I'm now totally converted. See you on the road, and off the road also, somewhere. Keep riding. KIND van die WIND First bike = Honda SS 50 (1973)Kawasaki KX 125 moto-crosserKawasaki KDX 200Yamaha RT 360Yamaha RD 350[img_assist|nid=5125|

Had one too, also for transport while at Pretoria Technicon. I rember that I sometimes got the 2-stroke/fuel mixture wrong and the Powerband would leave a massive smoke cloud a couple of blocks long behind me.

'''Same Suzi 50 as PeterO''' - While at school '''Kawasaki KDX200 - Red''' - While at Pretoria Technicon ... Loooong (almost 20 years) gap ... '''BMW R1200GS Adv''' - Well, almost. Getting my new baby next week. I'm finding it very difficult to concentrate on work.

aka Beemerstyle

My My seeing how we all came via the Japanese bikes to the BMW,I think we ought to raise a glass of Saké at the next club meeting!:-) Anyone who did not can raise a beer!

Yamaha 50 RZ - 2 years, 25 000 km, this RZ (road bike) LOVED off-road Suzuki 200 ?? (twin) - 4 months, 2 000 km buildt up 50 - few months, ?? km Honda 550 FOUR-K, 2 years, 20 000 km Friend passed away in a motorcycle accident, sold ALL things bike related About 11 years passed before I got back onto a bike - Kymko scooter - 1 year, 5 000 km Another couple of years passed Honda CB 400 naked bike - 2 years, 20 000 km BMW 650 GS - 13 months, 17 000 km BMW R1100RT - 13 months, 30 000 km (NO typing error) Currently I have a R1200RT Same pattern as so many others. ;)

When I was at school: Honda SS 50cc: 1979 - 1981 How I envied the boys whose parents bought them the new 2-stroke Honda MB 50cc which was much more alive than my sewing machine 4-stroke. My bike came in parts, and I had to help a mechanic friend of my dad's assemble it. At the time I hated that (and to some extent I still hate working on my bike, especially when I strip bolts. Tin cans for 20 years, then a Bajaj (Vespa) 150cc for 4 years, before I needed a bigger scooter and a friend sold me Brenda Buttercup: BMW F650 1998: Brenda Buttercup In two years I took the odometer from 70 000 km to over 100 000km. Nov 2007 I got lucky with Mr Badger: 2001 BMW R1150GS: Mr. Badger on his inaugural offroad trip 73 000 km on the clock, now, 5 months later at 85 000km. The first trip was to the Sandveld with Andyman. We had thick sand the first day, then thick mud the next, and the bike handled quite differently to the Funduro. And I tasted the joy of having heated handgrips and now am forever spoiled.

Nice memories, thanks guys! Now, can anyone please post some pictures of the mighty, all conquering Suzuki Gamma 50?!! (There were two models: one with black rims and then the "facelift" with the shiny bits on the rims.) I never owned one, but I remember tearing up endless km's of tarmac, and fat hopelessly overweight Honda MBX's, on my friend's Gamma's! Then came the Katana's. And two years of Army.. and Tempo chocolates.. and...

You mean this one? Got it from a web site called //www.bromfietssloperijdewitte.nl Suzi Bromfiets: RG50 GAMMA ''The world needs dreamers that DO!''

The Gamma Monster!: The Suzuki Gamma :) Another shot grabbed off the web, I can't find any photos from my own days on it.

RG50 Gamma

This where it all started for me. :) THEEE Yamaha RZ 50 I downloaded this of the web. I will look at home if I still have a photo of my red RZ.

Ja, ja, ja! Dis die een Vernon. Loshande die mooiste "fifty" ooit! My pêlle het sulke metaal bloues gehad, maar ons almal weet die (metaal) rooies was die vinnigste! Sover my kennis strek het die ou wat die Katana ontwerp uiteindelik vir BMW gaan werk. Of was dit nou andersom?..

Aaaai Neel. Daar is mos nou geen vergelyking nie. Die RZ was die mooiste en betroubaarste van al die 50's. ;) Spoed .... wat was dit? Daar was beswaarlik 2km/h verskil tussen die fietse. Die grootste verskil was die "pitch" van die engin. :) Op die gelyk pad het Suzi n bietjie weggetrek, maar daai bulte was haar dood, dan kom die RZ weer gemaklik verby. Of ten minste dit is hoe ek dit onthou ..... Dit was darem lekker tye.

KAWAYAMHON My first bike I bought an old Kawasaki KL 250 in 1980 for R30.00 and rebuilt it from spares thrown out by the local bike shop. Only ever bought fuel and oil. Front shock extensions care of dept of education :). Was the only one in the school with a 250.Hmmm, those were the days...

Ek het ook so 'n Gamma gehad. Ander kleure maar sy was my 'pride and joy' op Hoerskool. LOL, ons beure het die Polisie kronies gebel want ek het my 'baffle' mos uit gehaal om die fiets meer brul te gee... Gedink dit was die mooiste brul ooit. wonder hoe sal sy klink langs my GS vandag??? Aj, die goeie ou dae...

Ek dink vir almal (insluitend myself), sal die 'brul' van haar altyd goeie tye laat terug vloed, maar langs my GS - 'n miskiet langs 'n Leeu :)