I got my start with a 1972 Suzuki TS100. My Dad just came home with it one day. No taking me to the store to pick something out. No window shopping. It just showed up. I can't complain. It was the coolest gift I had received up to that point in my life, and came soon after a visit to the oral surgeon to remove four teeth and the permanent teeth under those to get my mouth ready for braces. Maybe my Dad thought something like a motorcycle would make me forget the ordeal. It did.
At the time, I could barely touch the ground. So I promptly broke half the clutch lever off turning around at slow speed in a cul-de-sac that was not level. Dented the tank. This was day one. Fortunately, growing up in the DFW area of Texas, we were in a smaller suburb just a block from dirt trails on land that hadn't been developed yet. I don't think Texas has ever required helmets, so I had a ton of fun growing into that bike, wearing a helmet most of the time. It was metallic glitter orange helmet. Cooooool.
Now in my 50's ... I just sold my 1978 BMW R80/7 with R100S engine and components. It was a beautiful "naked" bike and destined to be a custom, but I ran out of money to do anything. It was still fun to ride until we moved into a new house. The garage leaves little space for a bike that size, and with a steep driveway it was difficult to maneuver the bike into place along the wall, without scraping my car. Those big cylinders would be a few inches from where I'd drive in. Not a good thing. Another factor is that I want to take advantage of some of the trails around the outskirts of town. Central Oregon has a few trails in case I want to explore. A smaller street/trail bike is in order ... time to get an enduro!
I like the classic lines of the 70's and some of the 80's. The newer dual sports don't look like motorcycles. I understand the reason behind the design. But I'm not a hardcore dirt bike guy, and never will be. I want my ride to have style, performance, and reliability. I respect early industrial design and the engineering that were responsible for the growth of the dual sport craze. Call me sentimental, but I just feel that there is more character and a closer connection to the machine in a vintage bike. I don't need perfection.
Why am I here? Well, I like Suzukis, but they are at the high end of the whiney spectrum. Honda's have a different feel and to me, they are at the other end of the exhaust note spectrum, sounding sometimes like they are bogging down. But Yamaha has always seemed to have a muscular, "I mean business" kind of appeal. The look, the sound, the performance. What's not to like. To be honest, all those years I enjoyed my bike, I envied the guys on early Yamaha enduros. Didn't matter which model. They all looked super cool to me. But I was a good boy and didn't complain. After all, only a few of my friends had bikes as well.
I'm in the hunt and possibly final days of finding the right bike for me. The only bike I'm close to a deal on is a 1972 DT2 250. But it's a long haul from where I live. I can borrow a trailer, but still need to rent or borrow a car with a hitch. I'm on the cheap an not willing to spend $80-100 or more to transport. I have a tight and finite budget. I'm waiting to find out if a 1983 XT 550 is still available. It's a different experience, but it's worth a look. The DT2 is "restored" and I would hate to drop it on a ride ... oh, and by the way, my plan at this moment is for easy trail riding until I get back into the comfort zone of handling a bike in dirt again.
Well, I guess that's my introduction. The only other useful info on me might be that I love vintage HiFi gear and music (vinyl, cassette, 8-track, cd). Yes, cd is technically vintage now since it came out in 1983 ....
See you nuts around the forum. I'll post a thread once I get my first bike!
Matt
It does look like a 1971 JT1. The exhaust is an aftermarket brand called hooker header.
