Pics of your 1st bike and its story..

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Rob Hoffman

Well-known member
The first bike I learned to ride was a 1981 XR80 that my cousin had out in Texas...I was 12.


Before that, I had only been on a 1983 Honda Big Red ATC and a 1987 Fourtrax 250 2WD utility quad. Both were auto clutch and I only got to ride them because I pulled manure trailers and mucked horse stalls for free.





Then fast forward to 2001 when I finally got my first bike at 22 years old. I thought I could manage a KX500 as a first bike..it was a well kept 1989. What a fool I was! I spent more time trying to figure out how to start it (and bruising my foot several times) than I did riding it! (And the #7 was my lucky number, not copying James Stewart seeing how he was about 10 years old when this photo was taken, lol)



That bike was fun to drag race but that's where my enjoyment ended. I spent most of my younger years dreaming of racing jet skis. I put a couple hundred hours on this bad boy into the mid 2000s from 1987...
 
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Mark Zaremskas

Well-known member
Let's see...I think I have a bit of a problem! LOL! Of course I do not have all of these now...Still a nice stable though.

Bought a Rupp mini bike from a tag sale in about 1978...$50.
Learned to ride a motorcycle on a friends 1980 or so Honda XR 80.

Then:

1979 Yamaha MX100
1980 Honda CR80R Elsinore
1985 Honda CR125R

Cars then came into my life...Then street bikes.

In 1990 traded my 440 Kawi Jet Ski for a 1988 Suzuki Katana 600. Started the street bike craze...

Then:

1989 Kawasaki ZX7 - Did a track day in 1995 and was hooked on road racing.
1994 CBR 600 Race Bike - Started racing in 1996 and won all AM Championships (CCS) that year.
1995 CBR 600 Race Bike - Turned Expert in 1997 and won all EX class championships (FL CCS).
Bought a 1995 RM 250 from Donald Jacks (he passed away before I bought it). Almost killed myself on it! No more dirt bikes until 2007.
2000 Yamaha R6 Race Bike
2001 Suzuki GSXR 750 Race Bike - Raced the Daytona 200 on this bike that year. Nicky Hayden won the race.
2003 Honda CBR 600 Race Bike
2003 Yamaha R6 Race Bike
2000 Honda XR 650L Street Bike
2000 (I think) Yamaha YZF 400 SM Bike
2002 (I think) Yamaha WR 426 SM Bike - Street Legal
1999 Aprilia RS 250 - Street Legal Cup Challenge Bike
2001 Honda RC 51 Street Bike
2001 Ducati 996 Mono Street Bike
2003 Aprilia SR50 Ditech Scooter
2005 Suzuki GSXR 600 Formula Extreme Bike - Race Bike
2005 Husqvarna SM510R SM Bike
2006 Suzuki GSXR 600 Street Bike
2006 Yamaha R6 Street Bike
2005 Yamaha R1 Street Bike
2007 Honda CBR 600 RR - Street Bike
2007 Aprilia SXV 5.5 SM Bike
2005 KTM 450 SMR - SM Bike
2005 Yamaha YZF 450 - First HS Bike - MISTAKE! Way too much bike.
1980 Kawasaki KDX 400 - Never Rode It. Was thinking vintage.
2004 KTM 250 RFS - Perfect HS Bike
2007 KTM 250 XCF - Great HS Bike
2007 Aprilia Tuono - Street Bike
2008 Buell 1125 R - Street Bike
2009 KTM 250 XCW - FAVORITE HS Bike!! Current. Bought new this year.
2004 Kawasaki ZX10R (Current - 6K miles - Never ride it).

Other:
Kids - 2007 Oset Elec. Trials Bike (just sold to Tom M.); 2003 Honda XR 50; 2008 KTM 50 SX
Wife - 2008 Yamaha TTR 125
Community Bike - 2003 Honda XR 200
Community Quad - 2005 Honda TRX 230
Ours - 2008 Kawasaki Teryx 750

Some pics:


 
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Rob Hoffman

Well-known member
Impressive Mark!! WOW. And you have a clean looking E46 M3 in the background...my favorite of all 3-series. I have a 98 Alpine white 4-door M3 that I will probably keep as my daily driver for a good 3-4 more years. Before that I leased an 05 ZCP Interlagos Blue M3 and an 07 335i E90...both of which I miss every day. I'd love to find a super low mile 05-06 E46 M3 convertible to replace my E36 at some point.
 
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Mark Zaremskas

Well-known member
Thanks Rob...After I posted I READ the thread! Way too much info!! LOL! I saw others listing multiple bikes...Thought I'd share! Sounds like you have a nice ride too...And others that I would have liked to have as well!

Anyway, that car is long gone...Had an 02' SMG, then that 05' M3 6 sp. Best part...Was a full-on Active Autowerke car. Supercharged, suspension, etc. Over 450 whp. Sick car!! Should not have sold it...Bought a mint, 13K mile 99' GTS Viper after that...Sold that too. No cars now...Need the recession to go away! LOL!

Should you get bored...You can find my AA car here:

http://s163.photobucket.com/albums/t307/zracer196/
 
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Rob Hoffman

Well-known member
WOW!! (again, lol). I probably wouldn't go this far, but if I were to get a 6-speed 05-06 low mile convertible, I'd really be tempted to go the Horsepower Freaks turbo kit. For a high compression motor, these S54 engines are amazingly strong with boost thrown at them.

Rachel was shocked to hear you were an FTR racer a while back...little did she (or I) know you had the same taste in toys as me. We're going to have to meet up at the next race!
 
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Mark Zaremskas

Well-known member
Yes...The HPF kits are insane!

I bought my car all done up. No way would I have (or could I have) spent that much money...I had receipts for well over $20K spent on the AA stuff. Not to mention the suspension, etc.

We will for sure have to meet up soon!!

Take care (and sorry to all for the thread jack!).
 
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Mark Zaremskas

Well-known member
Different time periods! LOL!

I did pretty well in the mid 90's. Won all the AM championships my first year in Florida...2nd to Mike Ciccotto at ROC that year. Then rookie year EX I won all 4 MW Florida Championships (7 for 7 with Florida Championships my first two years racing all in MW classes)...Did some AMA stuff then too...And realized how SLOW I really was! LOL!

Then I got older and slower...Did the Daytona 200 in 2002 when it was still on superbikes...Nicky Hayden won that year.

So not bad...But looking at us at the same age...Melka is faster!! I started at 26 or so...And I got slower with age (and when the kids arrived)! LOL!

BUT he is CLEARLY the faster dirt guy!!! Not even on the same planet!
 
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chip golden

Well-known member
Slow. Just got new x-rays yesterday and the bone is mostly healed. Now its time to get the quad strength back. I currently don't even have the strength to straighten my leg. I tell what's left of my quad to contract, and it just sits their twitching. Its going to be tough road to get back on the bike. Stupid motorcycles.

I also finally got to see the pics from the surgery. The doc sutured the bone back together which was always puzzling to me. To keep the bone held against each other, he sewed them together and then twisted the thread. It looked just like safety wire. So at least my leg can pass tech now.
 
Dan Aitken

Dan Aitken

Hare Scrambles Ref
chip golden said:
That's just a battle for second place. I can take either of them. Want proof? Here's a picture of Scott Russell asking me for an autograph.

Click to expand...
One of my all time favorite racers.. It was a Huge blow to me when he was hurt at Daytona. I built the bike that hit him at Full Spectrum in Longwood baghdhatet
 
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Joey Young

Guest
The street stuff is cool but I and many others would cherish some old CZ's, Bultacos, Huskys, Pentons... anything dirt. You guys got some dirt stuff? Hodaka's, minibikes, Briggs & Stratton go carts or mini bikes? Bring it!!! Old SL Hondas even.
 
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