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My first bike was a 1970 Honda Z50 'Mini Trail'. Paid $35 for it in 1974. It was probably worth $1, but the experience and knowledge I gained from rebuilding the engine was worth much more...The pic at right looks like the bike I had, only mine had no headlight, mudguards, exhaust silencer, comfortable seat or BRAKES!
I graduated to a 1973 Suzuki TS100 when I was 15. This bike cost $50; quite a lot considering that I earned $7 a week from a 5.30 am paper delivery job! I discovered even more about engines and found out about steep hills on bush tracks (up and down) and how the TS100 did badly going up and down those hills! I do have a pic of the bike I owned and will post it soon, but until then, the pic at right is similar to the one I had. The TS100 'Honcho' as Suzuki called was very under powered. I tricked it up a bit with suspension parts from an Ossa Explorer.
My father had a friend who we often went camping with. He bought a brand new Suzuki TS185 M model in 1975. I often rode it and to a 15 year old who had struggled with under-powered bad handling bikes, the new 185 was a dream. The pic at right is a bike just like that I rode. TS185s are noted for their good power to weight ratio and handled pretty well for thie time. Can't wait to get the '72 version I bought onto some dirt...
I liked 'trials' style riding and was pretty good at it. In the early 70s, trial riding was popular in the UK and Europe, then eventually in the USA but in Australia it was considered a little strange. Motorcross was big in Aussie but it wasn't my style. I was lucky to be given a sponsorship by Suzuki and had a nice (but heavy!) Suzuki RL250 at my disposal. The Yamaha TY250s were hard to beat. I did a little competition here and was doping OK, but Suzuki pulled the pin on the 'junket' when the RL model was dropped. The pic at right is similar to the bike I rode.
In the 1980s, when cars (Capris) were more my fancy, bikes became a little less important. But I did swap a pair of speakers, amp and turntable for a 1976 Honda TL250. I had a lot of fun on that bike and only sold it a few years ago. I think it is being restored at present. i do have pic and will post it here but in the mean-time the pic at right is how a TL250 looks.
