Your Rider Resume

Hmmm...my resume. Well here's a list as complete as I can remember of the street bikes I've had before the FZ1. My first 2 wheel adventure started on a 50cc scooter in high school before I could drive a car.

Yamaha Jog scooter (I lied when I said the FZ1 was my first Yamaha)
Kawasaki EX500
Kawasaki ZX6E
Honda CBR 600 F2
Kawasaki ZX7
Ducati 900SS
Harley Sportster 1200
Honda VFR X2, a '90 and an '01
Kawasaki ZX9R X2, a '98 and a '00
Kawasaki ZX10R

I've taken almost every class known to man and tracks and I don't go together well, I always go overboard and wreck so now I don't do any trackdays. As a street rider I live in the NorthWet and ride all year round..rain, shine, and have been caught in snow a few times. When I'm working I commute everyday rain or shine and usually have heated gear and grips to make that possible. I usually farkle the hell out of my bikes which includes a fuse block for heated grips, vest, GPS, radar detector, radar screamer, Cigarette lighter adaptor, and anything else I can think of...usually a voltmeter to keep track of things. The FZ1 will get it as well...with the real estate on that handlebar I have a bad feeling it'll be full of crap soon. I ride everywhere around Washington state and ride to Laguna Seca EVERY YEAR. It's the trip of the year and I look forward to it all year long.
 
I've always dreamed of riding a real motorcycle - just exactly like what I have now; my first, my FZ1.

I got my license 14 years ago on a borrowed bike, after taking an MSF course, and the first test-ride I took was an FJ1200 - man! was that thing a monster!

You see, in my teens, my older bro was a classic harley dude - not one of those rich guys, all clean and saddled up with a 30k chrome-infested, show bike, but one of those guys you didn't want to see walking into your restaurant, and he built his own trike (!) and was anti-social with guns and sh*t. So with parents-in-horror, lack of funding, etc. it never came to be. When I got married, 'it was too likely to kill me while makin' kids.

I rode a few dirt bikes, quads, and three-wheel off-road'ers, but never owned.

Earlier on, I did have a Honda Express - remember those? won that in a raffle at the grocery store! Ragged that out every way but loose - ran like there was no tomorrow!

We owned a bicycle dealership for a decade - bikes were a major part of my life (still would enjoy building/repairing... the smell of tires just gets to me.) Amidst that time, we dealt in mopeds... remember, the ones you could pedal OR use the motor, but looked like a real motorcycle?

Before that I had one of those mini-bikes (you know the square seat with the lawnmower engine and the little fattie tires). That was great fun - couldn't get me off that thing.

Alas, it all started with the "Big Wheel" - the ultimate speed-demon for the pre-school crowd. Wore those tough plastic wheels right through. It was powered by pure-cane-sugar!:th_smiley_rotfl2[1]
 
Okay, here we go...

I've been a licensed since about 1981.

No MSF class but I have attend several roadracing schools.

Owned a Yamaha TX500, Yamaha Vision, Yamaha RD400F, Yamaha RZ350, Suzuki GS1100E, Yamaha FZ6, Buell 1125R, Yamaha FZ1, Yamaha R6

I've ridden about 90,000 miles

I was an expert class road racer with the MRA (Mountain Road Racing Association) and whatever club is in Phoenix. I've placed as high as 5th in an expert race and finished 9th over all in 450 Superbike for the season. I have also raced the Streets of Steamboat. That was the last street race in the US. We raced through the condo area below the chairlifts on the mountain, very fun!

Not formally trained as a mechanic but as a poor racer I did all of my own work. I can top end two-stoke motors, tune carbs, read plugs and do any other non-motor or transmission work. I will admit I don't like electrical work. I can also repair ABS body work a do a so-so job of painting. My father is the real painter and he and I have painted three of my bikes.

I've toured most of the Western United States and was dumb enough to ride across Death Valley in mid-July twice!

I've crashed at least 10 times, maybe more, and broken a few body parts along the way, and taken a helicopter ride that I don't remember. Wear your gear.

I've never been hit by a car, come close, and I've never hit a car. I have run over a black lab, and a rabbit.

Currently I commute about 2 to 3 times a week on the FZ and I'm estimating I'll ride about 5,000 to 7,500 miles a year. EDIT: 6100 in '08, 2,800 for '09, ''10, maybe 2,00, '11, maybe another 2,000. Sad...

I'd like to do track days again and I simply need to carve out the time to do it. EDIT: Two track days in '08, two track days on '09, including Big Willow, 1 day in '10, and 5 in '11.
 
Last edited:
Short resume: I was a racer.

Started riding at 11, racing at 15, and quit at 50.

3 time champion: once riding Observed Trials in the Champ class in Colorado, twice as an RMEC Senior A racer in enduros. Also 2008 Senior ISDE Qualifer. Got a neck injury on my 50th birthday at a race in Nebraska, so I don't race any more. Can't run yet either.

The FZ is a way to stay on bikes.
 
Last edited:
My short resume:

Went through a MSF course in September, a birthday present from my wife. This was my first time on a motorcycle. (Been mountain biking for years and have never owned an automatic car, so I guess those were advantages?)

Bought a 2003 Suzuki Intruder 1400 because of a screaming deal I got on it. Sold it 2 months later, getting all my money + more back.

Bought the FZ in December. Rode it for about 2 weeks then a shop dropped it, keeping it MIA for a little over a month. Been riding it since.

I've clocked about 8k miles to this day, not a lot, but I'm proud of what I've done in such a short period of time.

Bikes I've Rode:
FJR1300
Gen 2 FZ1
R1
R6
GSX750
ZX9R
ST1100
and of course,
Intruder VL1400
 
2001 honda cbr f4i
2007 kawasaki ninja zx6r (totaled)
2007 honda cbr 600rr (totaled)
1999 kawasaki ninja zx6r
2001 fz1 (but haven't rode it yet!)

msf course

been riding for 3 years, unfortunately and fortunately i have learned a lot from crashing and it has made me a better rider, it's all about how you look at it and what you do with it.
 
Bikes I've owned (in no particular order):

1980 Yamaha XS650 Special II
1986 Honda CB700SC Nighthawk S
1983 Honda VF1100C V65 Magna
1975 Honda CB550 Four
2004 Yamaha FZ1

Rode year round, with my bike as my primary transportation, from '88 until '98. In summer of '98, I had a nasty accident when I ran over a roofing nail on the highway while doing about 75 mph. Ended up in the ICU with 3 cracked ribs, a partially deflated left lung, broken bone in my hand, a plate and seven screws in my right shoulder, and about 4-5 sq feet of road rash.

After that, I wasn't sure I'd ever ride again, and I let my motorcycle license lapse. But in the last couple of years, the "itch" returned with a vengeance, until finally I decided to buy another bike. Fell in love with my FZ in October, and spent most of that month riding it around my apartment complex while I waited to take my MSF class, and I've been back on the road ever since.

I am so glad that I decided to start riding again. And it didn't take long for my roommate, who had also stopped riding for a few years, to get the itch as well; last weekend he picked up a 2001 BMW R1150GS. It's gonna be a great summer!
 
Resume

I got on my first motorcycle when I was 13, it was a Suzuki 125 enduro. This bike was not mine or my families it was a friend of mine who lived out in the country where they could ride. My parents never knew I had been on a bike and had learned to use a clutch from the bike. When I was learning to drive a car, my mom was trying to explain the clutch, I never said a word about riding the bike yet. So she finishes about 10 minutes later and I pop it in first, second...etc. She asked where in the world did you learn to do that, then the motorcycle thing had to come out.

I had a Suzuki GN400 for a year in college, had to sell it because we needed the money. Then was a long dry spell without a bike.

A couple of years ago my wife said she would like to get a scooter to ride to work. We went and looked, I couldn't bring myself to buy a 50-150 CC scooter so her idea turned into getting a 2004 Honda Silverwing (600 CC Scooter). My wife said she would try to ride it also. I went and took the MSF course and got my motorcycle endorsement. So I rode the scooter for about a year (about 6k miles). The scooter really was fine, I just wanted something with a safer riding position than a scooter allows and got a 2006 FJR1300. Very big change, much larger bike. I put about 7k miles on it over about a years time. In about a months time I almost got hit 3 times from cars not watching for bikes and decided it was too dangerous and sold the bike. That lasted about 2 months and I decided I missed riding too much and decided although riding a bike is more dangerous than a car, I would take the chance anyways and drive defensively. I was thinking of getting a 6th Gen VFR and was also considering the FZ1. The FZ1's were so much cheaper, I decided to buy a 2008 FZ1 that I got a very good deal on and decided that if I didn't like it I would sell it when the weather got warmer. Well its now April and I have put on about 800 miles on it since purchase and I have to say I like the bike better than I thought I would, however the verdict is still out. I have not done much to the bike since getting it, only cosmetic things like a new ZG touring screen and tank pad, the bike already came with sliders. We'll see what happens as I drive it more. As I have mentioned in some other posts, I am hopeful my wife will drive at some point. She knows she can get one anytime she wants to.
 
Bikes in the dna

First bike i rode was a mr 50 honda at 5 years then got on to a cr80 ra at 10.by the time i was 15 and could kick start my old mans xs 850 i was on the black stuff not that dad new about till the police notified him.got my own cj 360 honda at 18 and wrote that of at 21,got off bikes for 7 years due to cars and women.back on the bikes again i started with a 89 dr250 for a bit of dirty work then got a 87 gsx1100 f,traded that on a 01 zx12 r which i could'nt keep a licence but keep't the 03 xr 400 that i'd upgraded the dr to.slowed down when i got a 04 st 1300 honda but was not the bike for me,traded that on a st3 ducati (lemon) but sold that when i did another licence on my mates hyabusa.back to the cars again till i traded the xr on the current fz1.
Other bikes i'v had a good ride on are,cb1100 rc,01 gsxr1000,06 zx10,many hyabusa's,wr 426/450 and the list could go on.
 
Oh well this is long. I started with a "Zundap 50cc 3 gear" when i was about 12 years old but just random driving, when i went to high school i get myself a scooter "Gilera Typhoon" and a year later or so a "Yamaha DTR 125". Then at 22 yo it was a crescendo, first in 2004 a:

2001 Hyosung Aquilla 250- with this one i get used in going further and riding with passenger it was very easy to ride.

1998 Honda CBR 600F4- Black with yellow lettering, my first contact with a sport bike, i love the experience and i learned a lot with it. Fast but not very good suspension wise. It was very realiable altough it had about 52000kms (32500 mi) and also easy to drive and forgiving with some mistakes, but i feel with this one, nothing serious.

2006 Suzuki Bandit 1200s- I still year " you should never had sell this one", was the most confortable yet (wife loved it), it goes like hell in low rpm´s.
Downside-bad brakes and suspension, for sport ride that is, perfect for touring. Fell with this one also.

2002 Suzuki Gsxr 1000- With power commander, arata full exhaust, k&n air filter... It was realy fast, and i liked so much the 1000cc superbike that 2 months later i bought a

2004 Kawasaki zx10- More of the same, very fast, good brakes and suspension, but not very pretty for my my taste so 3 months later

2005 Suzuki Gsxr 1000- Had it for 6 months great bike in all aspects except that i feel in love for the

2008 Suzuki Hayabusa- Fastest bike ever, it goes in every gear and almost in every rpm, but disapointing in braking and cornering compared to superbike 1000cc, then the wife wants to do some riding with me so traded the busa for 2 bikes

2009 Harley Davidson Iron 883 and 1998 Yamaha Yfz 1000 Thunderace- HD was completly different and i enjoyed ALONE but was terrible with passenger and worse in highway. The Thunderace was a treat, loved it, having in mind it was a 11 year old bike, and i spent a lot of time and money on her. Next step. Sold the Harley and traded the Thunderace for a

2008 Kawasaki Ninja ZX6r- Perfect for riding short periods alone. The best braking and cornering so far, goes surprisingly well for a 600cc engine but it was so far the most uncomfortable bike of all, impossible to ride in the back. That brings me to what i have today

2007 Yamaha FZ1s abs- Just have it for a week but i´m loving it so far. Needs a few mods but non the less is a great commitment between comfort and sport. The engine is very good and suspension to. Don´t like the lack of the wind protection of the windscreen, i´m looking fot a new one to cover my 5.8 ft.

That´s my story
 
OK.. about time I add to this thread...

As far as "street" motorcycles go ... it is a short list: My 2009 FZ1

However, there have been a long line of dirt bikes that got me here...and that has to count for somthing because since I was a little kid motorcyles have been a huge part of my life :D

1st bike without pedals would be a briggs n straton mini bike.. such a sled but it got the ball rolling... that led to dirt bikes and eventual racing amatuer motocross in New England around 89' or so.. been racing ever since...

Here's the official list:

1980 Kawasaki KD80M
1984 KX80 "Fast bike for a 14 year old let me tell you..."
1987 KX125 "First bike I started racing on"
1990 KX125
1994 KX250
1994&1995 Suzuki RM 250 "Momentary lapse of reason...my apologies to suzuki fans"
1997 Honda CR250 "First year Honda aluminum perimeter frame.. beat the crap out of this bike for 4 years...thus honda fan for life."
2001 Honda CR250 "Best 2 stroke I ever owned"
2003 Honda CRF450 "First year I switched to the dark side (4-stroke)"
2005 Honda CR450
2005 Honda CR450 "Bought one off a buddy to replace the one I broke from previous line above"
2007 Honda CRF450 "Current Motox ride..."

Since I have been racing I have been relatively safe over 20 years with the exception of a few bumps and bruises along the way:
Broken colarbone, Broken right ankle (5 screws and a plate), broke a few toes... small bone in my hand... and most recently shattered left heel in 2007...that got another plate and screws but was riding three months later. Pretty proud of that considering I was 37... You know... we keep hearing how it takes longer to heal as you get older.... Horse Manuer! Spinning on a spin bike an hour a day worked wonders for a speedy recovery! ;)

Finally this year in June, we broke down and got a street bike and after tons of research... I knew the FZ1 was for me and after 2300 miles... I have absolutely no regrets! The wife loves it too and when we're on it ... nuthin else matters... life is GOOD :D


MiddleboroAug.jpg
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Oh well this is long. I started with a "Zundap 50cc 3 gear" when i was about 12 years old but just random driving, when i went to high school i get myself a scooter "Gilera Typhoon" and a year later or so a "Yamaha DTR 125". Then at 22 yo it was a crescendo, first in 2004 a:

2001 Hyosung Aquilla 250- with this one i get used in going further and riding with passenger it was very easy to ride.

1998 Honda CBR 600F4- Black with yellow lettering, my first contact with a sport bike, i love the experience and i learned a lot with it. Fast but not very good suspension wise. It was very realiable altough it had about 52000kms (32500 mi) and also easy to drive and forgiving with some mistakes, but i feel with this one, nothing serious.

2006 Suzuki Bandit 1200s- I still year " you should never had sell this one", was the most confortable yet (wife loved it), it goes like hell in low rpm´s.
Downside-bad brakes and suspension, for sport ride that is, perfect for touring. Fell with this one also.

2002 Suzuki Gsxr 1000- With power commander, arata full exhaust, k&n air filter... It was realy fast, and i liked so much the 1000cc superbike that 2 months later i bought a

2004 Kawasaki zx10- More of the same, very fast, good brakes and suspension, but not very pretty for my my taste so 3 months later

2005 Suzuki Gsxr 1000- Had it for 6 months great bike in all aspects except that i feel in love for the

2008 Suzuki Hayabusa- Fastest bike ever, it goes in every gear and almost in every rpm, but disapointing in braking and cornering compared to superbike 1000cc, then the wife wants to do some riding with me so traded the busa for 2 bikes

2009 Harley Davidson Iron 883 and 1998 Yamaha Yfz 1000 Thunderace- HD was completly different and i enjoyed ALONE but was terrible with passenger and worse in highway. The Thunderace was a treat, loved it, having in mind it was a 11 year old bike, and i spent a lot of time and money on her. Next step. Sold the Harley and traded the Thunderace for a

2008 Kawasaki Ninja ZX6r- Perfect for riding short periods alone. The best braking and cornering so far, goes surprisingly well for a 600cc engine but it was so far the most uncomfortable bike of all, impossible to ride in the back. That brings me to what i have today

2007 Yamaha FZ1s abs- Just have it for a week but i´m loving it so far. Needs a few mods but non the less is a great commitment between comfort and sport. The engine is very good and suspension to. Don´t like the lack of the wind protection of the windscreen, i´m looking fot a new one to cover my 5.8 ft.

That´s my story

Very nice collection of bikes!
 
In my blood

My first ride was on a crazy powerful Rupp 50cc mini bike that my friend had. It was a hard tail with spring suspension and at 8 years old it flew. At the age of 12 I convinced my Dad to buy me a YZ80, I think this was the happiest years of my Mom's life as she did not see hide or hare of me till I was home out of gas. Still remember my first crash, ripping down a trial following my buddy on his RM 80 when all of a sudden he stops. I must have been in dream land cause I hit him full speed my front tire dead on to his back tire. Knocked everybit of snot in my head right out into my full face helmet.
At the age of 14 and working part time I bought a yz100, this also was the start of my motocross years. That bike was a bitch to ride way to stiff for a small kid but still slugged it out and had a couple of not to bad finishes.
At 15 graduated to a RM 125, loved this bike and kept it for many years.
Upon turning 16 I immediately went out and bought a KZ650SR. It was a special addition with candy apple read diamond tank, cross over exhaust and dual disks up front. Took my drivers test on the bike on my 16th birthday, did not even go for my car licence till just before the snow hit that year. I loved this bike, wheeled like nothing and kept up with the 750's that my friends owned. I probably would still have it today on display in my garage (I still think it is an absolutely beautiful bike) if my friend would have wiped it out coming in way to hot for a corner.
Upon getting my insurance money I bought a GS750E. It was a nice bike but just the same as the Kawi.
It was with this bike that my driving days were off limits for the next couple of years. Too many speeding tickets combined with a very high speed chase resulted in a charge of criminal neglegance in the operation of a motor vechicle. Sold the bike and rode the big orange pumpkin for the next two seasons (that is what we used to refer to our transite buses as).
I was into cars for a few years when I again got the itch. I bought a FJ100 and rode this thing into the ground. I cannot even remember the mileage on it when I sold it but way over 100,000km. It was bullet proof, I modded the hell out of it and rode it down to the states almost every weekend. (no helmet law so it went well with my shorts and no shirt riding style).
In my mid 20's I met the love of my life, sold the FJ and bought a Mustang GT. With work then the lack of work (construction) I was forced to take up driveing long haul trucking for about 5 years, even though I wanted a bike I could not see the rational in owning one when I was only home about 50 hours a week. I actually went about 10 years without a bike, rode as much as I could but my freinds were getting tired of lending me there bikes all the time. When finances allowed it I started looking and found a bike that was going to actually be for my wife.....A 1985 Yamaha XJ 550 Maxium with only 5000 miles on it. Paid a wopping $ 1400.00 for it. I rode this thing for years, it was down on power but it was still a bike. When we moved to Invermere BC the urge for power and handling was too much and I sold the bike for a wopping $ 1400.00. Not bad considering it now had over 20,000 miles and was pushing 20 years old.
Here I was looking for a bike, I wanted a sport bike as I had come to luv my freinds VFR1000 Honda. My problem was that my hobby (mountain snowmobiling) was eating up all my allowance. So here I was looking at kijiji when I see this bike, a 2001 FZ1. It was love a first sight, I drove to Calgary with my whopping $ 4000.00 cash in hand. The bike had less than 20,000 km on it and was mint. The original owner was selling as he was relocating to Californa and could not insure it as all the smog piping had been removed along with many mods. When I loaded it up he looked like he was going to cry.
For 3 years I rode pretty much every mountain road from the Alberta BC border to the Okanogan. And after work once again slowed to a trickle in BC (damn construction) I relocated back home to Winnipeg. Now with another 2 years of riding on the bike and 48,000km on the speedo I honestly cannot see myself selling it. I would love to someday get a second generation FZ1 and even posted mine forsale in a bid to do this but with offers in the 3200.00 range for my still absolutely mint 01 I decided to keep it. So ride I do over 500km per week form early April till the snow flys in November. Got to luv them early and late seasons when you can ride your bike and sled in the same day.
 
Last edited:
lets see
79 Honda Z50R
76 Suzuki TC100
then to the street in college
87 FZ600
86 GSXR 750 Limited edition
track bikes in here
85 GSXR750 Canada model (took my racer school on)
85 Honda interceptor
92 FZR600
back to street bikes
95 ZX9
97 GSXR750
00 TL1000R
02 RC51
90 FZR400
06 DR650 supermoto
two Harleys
01 Custom Night train softail
06 Custom Vrod
07 FZ1
84 RZ350
97 GSXR600 (track bike)

I like the rare and gray market stuff.
 
My resume'

I started riding motorcycles at 6 years old on a 50cc Honda 3 speed automatic. I have to guesstimate that I've logged nearly 500,000k in my 40+ years. I was born and raised in Wisconsin, I ride my bike rain or shine and only really drive my car in the winter. (even drive my bike then when it's above freezing) I just moved to Florida so I can pursue my two passions(riding and fishing) year around.

Some of the bikes I have owned are:
1969 Honda mini-trail 50
1970 Honda ct 70
1976 yz 100
1978 dt 175
1980 dt 400
1976 kz 400
1982 650 nighthawk
1984 650 nighthawk
1983 xj 750 maxim
1984 xj 750 seca
1984 fj 1100
1985 fj 1100
85 suzuki gs550es
1983 xj 900 seca x 2
1984 v65 magna
1992 gsx 750f katana
1994 rf 900
1986 zg 1000 concours
1995 triumph sprint
2001 Fz1

I know I'm missing a few in there, but that's all I can remember at the moment.

I am very mechanically incline and have done the majority of my own service and maintenance over the years, from brake pad replacement, to swapping motors on my 900 Seca and my Triumph Sprint.

I love sport and can't imagine myself not owning a bike. Nothing else I have found in my life, brings me the peace of mind, that riding does. I am always up for a ride, anytime, anywhere.
 
Resume

I am 26 and rode a 110 about six months ago, 10 minutes later I flew over the handlebars. So saturday i went down and bought this beautiful machine. It is my first bike and don't plan on it going anywhere anytime soon.
 
Last edited:
I started out on a borrowed 100cc Hodaka Road Toad (My friend had like 30 bikes and said it was the best to learn on. He was an MSF instructor and got me started out right).

I rode my dad's heavy-Harleys all over the Black Hills area in Wyoming before going off to college.

From there, I rode one of my dorm-mates' EX500f in exchange for teaching him how to ride it. I put several thousand miles on it over the course of a couple years.

In 2004 I bought my first bike, a 1997 Suzuki TL1000sv. I rode it until it developed an electrical bug that was over my head back in 2007, then sold it in 2010.

In may of this year I bought my 2001 FZ1. I put on about 5k miles before crashing in a construction zone in July.

I'm working on fixing up the FZ, and I've been riding my buddy's 1993 CBR900 so he didn't have to store and winterize it now that he's got an R6.

I've crashed the TL1000s 3 times, all minor low sides.

1. Pulling into my apartment in college, pothole was filled in with loose gravel by the city. I didn't see it and slid out.

2. I laid down at Deal's Gap (The Tail of the Dragon). I knew the road well, but my uncle had died on his bike that week and I think my head was out of the game.

3 A week after the gap, I dropped it on the track at Little Talledega grand prix in Alabama.

I'm a firm proponent of leather, good helmets, and boots!!!
 
i have a 2002 fz1. i have practiced in an abandoned parking lot and in my 1/4 mile driveway for a total of 15 miles. i get my temps october 22. yes, be jealous ;)
 
Started riding on a 50cc 2-speed motorcycle when I was 13. Moved up to a 350cc 5-speed Jawa at 14.
Quit riding for many years and finally came back to it about 5 years ago.
Started on Ninja 250. Moved on to FZ6 and just got a FZ1 less than a month ago. Have ridden many different bikes in between.
Became a MSF RiderCoach this year.
 
Back
Top