Memories

[cavie]

Remember this?? check out what they were riding!http://kenlevine.blogspot.com/2009/0...sic-video.html

[Gorilla]

Remember this?? check out what they were riding!http://kenlevine.blogspot.com/2009/0...sic-video.html

Back in the day never even noticed they were Vespa's Maybe was not looking at the scooter.

[tfdeputydawg]

Those are not Vespas! Those are Hondas!

[oneup]

riding... with the stand down??? and, not being an expert or any such thing, believe that they are in fact Honda stepthroughs

[Motorcycle Mike]

Yea, I'm pretty sure thoes were Honda's 50cc step through.

[rmrc51]

Wish I could be sent back in time to those days. All I'd need is a one-way ticket as I'd never want to come back.

[cavie]

They were reported to be Vespas but where in fact Honda scooters. C102's 50 cc's. built 1962-1969. I watched the show that night. The song was writtin buy the Beach Boys. I remember when the Honda 250 "Big Bear" was the ride to own!! I think that's what they called it. The operative word her is "remember".

[Ol' Man Jeb]

I remember when those Honda 50's first showed up in my neighborhood. I thought someone stirred up a swarm of hornets.

[rhino 2]

Those were simpler days in simpler times, Then came the Tree Stodges with the Domino theory.... And the world changed.........

[BIG DENNY]

I remember when those Honda 50's first showed up in my neighborhood. I thought someone stirred up a swarm of hornets.

Yes they were I had a brand new 305 super hawk and thought I had a fast bike. Boy I didnt think Id ever live to be this old.

[Big Juice]

You know, we lived through those days and now we are all the better for it........I hope that can be said for our kids and grandkids. I started riding in 1969 and never stopped, and my life continues to be the better for it (although on 3 now and not 2 wheels).

[Motorcycle Mike]

You know, we lived through those days and now we are all the better for it

I did spend a considerable amount of time in the ER though.

[woody]

I remember when those Honda 50's first showed up in my neighborhood. I thought someone stirred up a swarm of hornets.

I had a Yamaha 50 and all my friend’s said it sounded like their momma’s sewing machine.

[pcombe]

Wish I could be sent back in time to those days. All I'd need is a one-way ticket as I'd never want to come back.

Thank you for telling my story!

By the way the bikes were Honda 50's or step through 90's, had a bunch of them in the bone yard behind the barn along with trail 90's, good irrigating bikes when I didn't want to saddle a horse. Jumped a few barrels and creeks with them too.
We had 3 or 4 of them around the place at all times just for farm kid transportation.

- - - Updated - - -

Yea, I'm pretty sure thoes were Honda's 50cc step through.

Yep! that's what I remember as farm kid transportation!
When one broke down we kids would get a part off one behind the barn and pretty much fix them ourselves.


I too "remember when the Honda 250 "Big Bear" was the ride to own!! I think that's what they called it. The operative word her is "remember".

You know you were there when you can remember the Honda 350 dream as being as being a sleek looking bike that would keep you awake at night?

[Motorcycle Mike]

You know you were there when you can remember the Honda 350 dream as being as being a sleek looking bike that would keep you awake at night?

I believe you mean 305 Dream.
16 years old and the 305 scrambler was my first "big" bike.
The dream looked like an old mans bike.

[Loner]

Referencing the mention above of the '250 Big Bear', the 250 Big Bear Scrambler was one of the hottest rides around. Powerful for street and built for off-roading as well. Worked well for many of us farmboys of the time - we could use it on the farm during the week and then ride-to-enjoy it during the weekends. But, the 250 Big Bear Scrambler was a Yamaha model available in 1968 and 69. They were also noted for dropping wrist pin clips and letting the wrist pins scar the cylinders (about a $400 repair for one cylinder (of 2) back then). But just screw the ends off the mufflers and remove the baffles, and there was no feeling like screaming that setup down the roads!

- - - Updated - - -

Don't forget the 305 Dream's little brother, the 150 dream, plus the wild versions - the 305 Scrambler and the 160 Scrambler. I love them all, and they were the 'big bikes' at the time.

One of my personal favorites was a Yamaha 100 twin. First 'little' bike that we could qualify to get a motor'bike' license for at 14. Rules were bikes limited to 5 BHP (the 100 twin looked small to the inspector's eyes even though it was rated at about 14 BHP). It was the first little bike that I had that could 'do the ton' (break 100 MPH).

I was most impressed by my two Kawasaki 500 Triples that I owned. A bit slow on the power curve taking off, but get it 'on the band' and it truly was hard to hang on to. The acceleration even as it surpassed 100 MPH was counted in increments of 5 or 10, not by ones. I used one of those to break the exclusive 'Larry's run from college housing to home' that I did on most weekends. 67 miles of winding mountainous country - my best improved from 1 hour, 35 minutes to a final best of 1 hour, 17 minutes over my one year of tenure at that school (and I had to drive through two townships on the route. I never had an accident, but had many very close scares - and I did lose one dear friend doing the same run (I wasn't along that time) to a curve lined with sheer rock cliff on the curve's outside. He's always in my thoughts when I get into these nostalgic moments.

I might guess that my current driving habits would put me and my trike in at about 2 hours, 45 minutes, plus eating time at least one country restaurant and maybe some visit time with Aunt Rowena and Uncle Willie who live back in Booger Holler near the route.

[Sinical]

Wish I could be sent back in time to those days. All I'd need is a one-way ticket as I'd never want to come back.

You stated it perfectly! Count me in, too, I've seen enough.

When I was 15 and my bud was 16, he got himself a Honda 305 Dream. Couple months later, he showed up on a chopped Panhead! Asked me if he could borrow my Dad's Nazi helmet that he brought home from the war and said he only wanted to borrow it "for a day" until he could buy his own helmet.

Very next day, he rides by and the helmet had been painted flat black and he'd made a band around it using beer can flip-tops. Never saw the helmet again and, man, was I ever in trouble! YIKES!

My Dad just turned 89 yrs. old and to this very day he STILL lets me know how ticked off he was about that helmet

[FRR]

Those were the days when we were allowed to have fun. Now big brother knows what's best for us.

Amen brother!