My first Harley was a . . . . . . . . . .

[RootOfAllEVO]

1980 Shovelhead Wide Glide. Nicknamed "Puddles", for obvious reasons. Kick start only, with a skinny front end. This, at a time when everybody rode fat EVO's, in the mid 90's. Actually had people ask me if it was a "real" Harley, because it didn't say it anywhere on the bike. Finally got tired of swimming against the current and bought an Evo Heritage. Great bike, truly. But it never felt like the shovel. I swear you could feel it in your bones everytime the pistons fired.

And your first Harley?

[4DWUDS]

A 6 year old Panhead off the dealers floor in 1966, Red Barn H-D, Laurel, MD.

[dablaze]

1974 Shovel...after all these years and buying and selling a bunch of others, she is still in the family too and always will be. Just posted her back in the show yer shovel thread.

16 year old son just turned down a cage from his mother...says if he is gonna pay to insure something, its gonna be a Harley.

Craig

[02roadcling]

1964 XLCH chopper.

I was 17 years old.

Finally paid off my '02 RK this morning.

cling

[gryphon]

In 1969 I traded for an old 45 flat head. An old delivery bike you could still see the name of the pharmacy on the right side thru the white paint. Smoked like hell and didn't run much better but hey, I was 17 years old and it was a Harley. Shortly after I traded that and some cash for a 1956 (1957?) K model flathead. Now, how many of you owned either one of those. Didn't get my first big harley till about '72 or '73. It was a 1952 Panhead

[Coff 06]

First one,custom 71 AMF sporster.Loved that bike,would have been alot of fun to ride,if I didn't have to stop for gas every 50 miles   Coff 06

[electra66]

Bought a stripped down '53 rigid pan when I was 18.

[Panzer]

Mine was a 1941 springer, 45 cubic inch flat head.
Bought it used of course when I was 15.
Took a lot of work to get her to run and I taught myself how to ride it, with a little help from my dad.
It was foot clutch and tank shift, my first love.
Later, traded it in for my second love, a "new" 1962 FLH, with spots,white fiberglass saddle bags, shield and whitewalls............color.......candy apple red.
She was a real looker.
Still remember the price..........$1,750.00 NEW.    
Pricing sure has changed.  LOL   I loved that bike.  
Those days of memories somehow return when I put the leathers and boots on and saddle up...........it's like going back home one more time.

Panzer

[V24me]

1971 FLH Electra Glide, nicknamed 'Fart Bike'  I took a bone stock bike and stripped off anything I could (bags, signals, mirrors, etc) and painted it a sweet gloss black with small blue mica flake.  I love my TC, but I still can't get that connection I had with the '71

[CraigArizona85248]

1949 Panhead... not the same '49 I own today.  Bought it in 1980 for $1800.  Sold it a couple years later for $2200 and thought I had made a killing.  Should have kept it.  LOL

-Craig

[truck]

First Harley was a 1955 XLH, I was 17 or so and it was around 1964 or 1965.
I just blew up the motor on my Matchless Apache a week or two before and my buddy was selling this bike because he was getting married, $500

[Lawless]

Bought my 82 sporty in November 88. I was 19 at the time. Still have the bike today, sits right next to my 2000 sporty....yeah I got a thing for sportsters. That 82 still runs great today with the help of a late model CV.
Lawless

[rkrcpa]

A 1973 FLH that I bought around 1980. I was the only one in the group with front and rear disc brakes and would get ribbed constantly for having such "New" technology (don't think we called it technology back then) on a bike. It's the only style I've ridden since. Replaced it with a 1980 FLH sometime ago, never ridden anything newer to this day.

[Scramjet]

1975 XLCH, chome engine covers, chrome hand controls, chrome swingarm, pearl white, highway pegs, sissy bar, Sifton cams, Manley valves, bronze guides, Phase III belt drive, Weisco H/C pistons, Mikuni carb, Branch intake manifold, braided stainless lines all over,  head porting and valve grind by me.  I don't recall exactly but I think the best 1/4 mile was about 12.9 at 102.

B

[motorplex88]

l949 Model 125 Hummer bought in 1968. Found it in a shed and gave $10 bucks. Got it runnin' and rode it around the neighborhood till we beat it to death. Later traded it for an 8track tape player. Ha go figure.

[82fxrstroker]

  74 Sporty.  Talk about a love hate relationship.  I miss my shovel's.

[Kansas]

I bought a 1980 Sportster in October of 1979.  I hated it and in April I sold it and bought a 1980 Super Glide.

[02roadcling]

In 1969 I traded for an old 45 flat head. An old delivery bike you could still see the name of the pharmacy on the right side thru the white paint. Smoked like hell and didn't run much better but hey, I was 17 years old and it was a Harley. Shortly after I traded that and some cash for a 1956 (1957?) K model flathead. Now, how many of you owned either one of those. Didn't get my first big harley till about '72 or '73. It was a 1952 Panhead

gryphon,- to answer your question when I was 22 I had a '45 army servicar 
I'm 53.95 now

cling

[ModelABob]

A 1966 Electraglide dressed out with only 23,000 miles!   What a scooter!  Man-o-man, did I put the miles on that bike.  I stripped it, bobbed it and made a show bike out of it that was ridden all the time.  Never won any trophy's
because of trailer queens, but got two really good compliments on her.  One, at Daytona Bike week from a long time Harley dealership owner and my favorite:  I was waiting for the light to change and an old lady (at least 70's) pulled up next to me.  She glanced over, smiled and gave me the old fashioned "Okay" sign.  An this was when scooter tramps
were considered the lowest of the low.

AMF/Ride Safe

[FLH]

Back in '75 or '76. I traded a CB radio (only a 23 channel) for a '70 Baja 100. One of those Italian 2 stroke dirt motorsickle with Harley badges on it. Technically a Harley, but not really. It was a real toilet, which soon blew up. Back in those days,  we snickered at Harleys. We looked at em as stone age beasts for geezers, but Sportsters were cool.
The thing I remember about that Baja 100, was it had the biggest rear sprocket I ever seen on a motorcycle LOL .I gave it to a neighborhood kid who somehow wedged a Yamaha 125 enduro motor in it. Those were fun days.....

[dakota224]

1977 XL 1000 Sportster.    

[Biscuit]

2000 Buell.  I sold it about a 1 1/2 later and it's been resold to 2 other people that I know. 
I just can't get rid of it, lol.

[Ape_do]

....yamaha...

[wood02]

1969 XLCH Sportser...bought new in 69.

[byoodah]

76 XLCH. Bought it in 79 at the ripe age of 19. Still brings a grin to my face thinking about it. First thing I learned was that when you pull off the cam cover, a lot of little washers go all over the floor. That gave me two of  the rules I live by - buy a service manual for anything you own, and never take good functioning parts off a bike just to chrome 'em.
byoodah

[partner1010]

1965 sporty, it taught me to turn off my petcock.

[shoveled71]

Bought a 67 XLCH in 71, a year later sold it and bought a 52 pan for 750.00, it was all original for 750.00, like a dumazz I chopped it.  Spike

[rking1550]

I'm not as old as some of you guys. my first one was a 1999
softail standard. had it for 2 years then bought the king in 01

[reg_beagle]

. . . a '72 Super Glide, bought from a friend in '81. Rode it to California and back (from Toronto) during the summer, then it got ripped off in Sept. of that year. I was lucky enough to find a stock '72 Super Glide a couple of years ago, and the dirty thieves will have to shoot me in the head at least three times to get this one . . .
Al

[hdjax2]

76 Sportster Bicentennial model. Bought it from my cousin when I was a senior in high school. Man was that bike fun to powerslide on the dirt roads. I hadn't quite finished paying him for it when I missed a gear one day getting on it and the front rod came out to say hello. I gave it back to him and he gave me half the money back that I had already paid him. He fixed it and still has it.   Here's one just like it

[attachment removed after 60 days by system]

[RainDodger]

'83 Sporty XLX, 61 c.i. all black, mean looking, and it would shake the crap out of you. It was fun.

[Panzer]

Hey........RKING is calling us old.
These young "kids' today........ok sonny....ok.

[paned]

1964 Duo Glide.  I bought it when I was 17 in 1967.  Ed.

[e-glide90]

1970  Electra-Glide brand new  $2400

[guido4198]

'78 Lowrider......Keptr it 'til '85 when I traded it in for The Moonraker....Still have her. Wish I had kept the Shovel too.

[rking1550]

PANZER....not really calling you guys old.... (OK maybe I am  )
just jealous I wasn't able to ride some of the classics when they were new or at least close to new

[HroadhogD1]

     In 1980 I bought a 1977 XLCH (Xtra Large Charlie Horse) and found that was right, of course I found out the hard way-many times.  Felt like this horse     I traded it to a guy for a 1976 FLH the next year-even trade!  

[76shuvlinoff]

Re: My first Harley is my only Harley and it was a  . . . . . . . . . .

pos 76 flh and it's still a pos, albeit slightly modified, pos 76 flh   

[96flhpi]

Kinda like Ape-do, my first Harley was a 1996 Kawi Vulcan 800, although first scoot was an '82 Yama 400 Special.  From across the street couldn't tell that Vulcan from a Softail Custom.  Ole timer I knew told me "well at least the seed is planted" and he was right.  Graduated to an EVO cop RK four years later, moving backwards but in the right direction with an '82 Shovel FLH now.
Vin

[chris haynes]

1947 Servi Car back in 1963.

[seattledyna]

77 Super Glide 
first order of business was to make it sound better, lol 

[Midnight Toker]

My first Harley didn’t happen until about 20 years into my riding. I grow up around Harley’s and biker thugs when I was young; which is the reason (I think) I did the motocross and road rocket thing for several years. I bought my first Harley in 1990, a 1200 Sportster, a real fun bike. Three Harley’s later, here I am, and some people even consider me a thug… go figure.

[neale]

Sportster, every time I look at the photos I tell myself you are an idiot. 1200 conversion, twin disc front, upgraded suspension at both ends.....it ran like a scalded cat and was as wide as a Norton Commando, yep........ I sure stuffed up selling that one.

[wayzalot]

1976 Sporty,  10" over front end, 6 bend pull backs, king queen seat, chrome dagger for a sissy bar.  King of the hill with this bike.  Took it to yellowstone twice, teatons, estes state park and many more places.  Easy to work on and run great.  I miss Betsy. 

[JamLazyAss]

BACK AROUND 1970, BUILT THIS FLATHEAD FROM LOTS OF PARTS...

HAD REVERSE TOO. IT WAS A LEARNING EXPERIENCE FOR SURE. NO FRONT BRAKE EITHER...


[attachment removed after 60 days by system]

[Midnight Toker]

That looks like a real cool ride, JLA.  Chopper-it..

[Blazing Saddles]

Bought my first Harley in October of 1970. I had been riding a 1967 Triumph Bonneville for a couple of years.
It was a former police bike from Winnipeg and had a suicide clutch/hand shift setup. Since choppers were all the rage I stripped it down that winter and it emerged in the spring as a rigid frame with a 1/2" rake and 12" over forks. I had the engine rebulit adding higher compression pistons, a better cam and valve springs. It was finished off with a king sportster tank, rear fender and upswept tall pipes from AEE Choppers in California. Ran a 19" front wheel and of course the standard 16" rear. Made up a custom sissy bar and king/queen seat setup and had custom spearhead pegs made from hex stock. Talk about clean looking bars - with the suicide clutch setup, no clutch lever, didn't run a front brake and had absolutely no switches on the California Pullback bars.

Wish I still had it!!!

Blazin'

[BART]

I bought a 1950 Harley EL (61 cid) around 1960 when I was in High School.  I had a 1952 Cushman Eagle before that.  I rode the EL all of the time and sold it for $300.00 in 1963; the same as I paid for it.  I wish I still had it!!

[Snussy]

A 03 Softail Standard !!  Wish I still had that bike.  Traded it for an 07 Road King.

[mark61]

  IN 1981(?)  bought a 1960 XLCH  with high compression and a fixed in place magneto. Hard to start in the moringins. Crap fell off or broke regularly! Hardly any lights at all unless I rode 75 mph. Hit by Chevy step van, Ford pick-up and dumped hitting a dog in a rain storm....Both the bike and I just too stubborn to die!  No I do NOT miss it!

mark61

[Jamo]

1980 used Ironhead Sporty...I went to look & take it for a ride.  The guy wanted $3800 & I was going to offer $3500 if it ran & rode good.  I ran out of gas 1/2 mile from his house & had to push it back.  He was so bummed he offered it to me for $3000.  Yup...had my first Harley.

[rigidthumper]

63XLH (10 years old when I got it) was the first HD I owned, and the controls were backwards from todays models. Didn't have to worry about anyone stealing it, it only started when 'it' felt like going somewhere. Things would fall off occasionally, and the OL would carry a chunk of tire tread in her pocket, to wrap around the just fallen off, hot, piece of the bike ( usually a pipe). She'd drag it back to where we pulled over, and we'd sit and smoke till it cooled enough to beat the piece back on, bailing wire to the rescue, and down the road we'd go. First new HD was an '86 Heritage Softail, Signal Red and Cream, with a belt! And a 5 speed! Sumbitch was so smooth you could sleep goin down the highway.
Robin

[Dresser]

1974 FX bought it in 1980 for $3K. It was with me for 17 yrs. Kick start, rode like a steel pipe, my OL hated it called it "THE BEAST". It got me cross country and back three different times without fail. I should have never sold it!

[bighog]

1977 XLCH bought new in Alamogordo NM.  When I was 20. dealer had about 10 bikes in the whole place.  Put on the drag pipes. Took off all the turn signals and gauges. 6 in over forks. 

[hd06myway]

Bought my first HD in 1979, a 1975 Iron Head Spory

[FATMAN]

'76 SuperGlide that I bought new.  Brown color.  Don't remember what the color was called.  Kept it tied to a telephone pole with a chain and some old mining tarp thrown over it, LOL.  Rear brake was bad to fade.  Thought I was going to drag my foot a couple of times trying to get stopped.

[Big Dan]

1965 M50. I was 9 years old when the Old Man drug it home. He had no idea what he was starting.

[truck]

  IN 1981(?)  bought a 1960 XLCH  with high compression and a fixed in place magneto. Hard to start in the moringins. Crap fell off or broke regularly! Hardly any lights at all unless I rode 75 mph. Hit by Chevy step van, Ford pick-up and dumped hitting a dog in a rain storm....Both the bike and I just too stubborn to die!  No I do NOT miss it!

mark61

About the lights, how true.

[motorplex88]

Bighog, it's a small world. That hummer I found in a shed was just outside Alamo in the then small town of LaLuz. Hell it's proly part of Alamo now! Used to go there every Sat. night to race on a short track they had for awhile. Ahhh the good ol days.

[alstar2]

71 fx.I liked it but lots of problems with that amf machine
Al

[Flat Dog]

1980 Sporty ironhead that would ping like heck in the Florida summer heat. I loved that little bike.

[IBARider]

'69 sporty i got in '75 and am still riding it.  Just can't get rid of some of em...

[attachment removed after 60 days by system]

[smokey3644]

52 Pan FL ex police bike.  I bought it from a friend that was going in the Marines for 300 bucks.  It was painted a light brown with house paint and a brush but it ran good.  It was the summer I got out of high school (66) and I'd just wrecked my car and needed something to ride around on.  It had the big tractor seat and both me and my skinny butt girl friend could fit on the seat (I guess I was a little smaller then too, LOL).

[ST40]

First and only ride is a 73 FLH bought in about 77.   I'm toying with the idea of buying or building another one now that my kids are both about to be gone from the nest.   

      Marty

[oldhippie765]

1951 61ci pan 175.00 1968 :teeth:rex

[fulldress79]

  1958 Duo Glide bought in April '73 for $1000.

[randallwhitman]

I had lots of combat pay saved up in '70, and bought a Triumph Bonny.  In '72, bought the 2nd year of the Super Glide.  Rode it from Miami to Maine and back.  What a POS.  Terrible brakes, square profile Goodyear tires, points that were good for maybe 500 miles, and a carburetor that absolutely sucked.  Did I mention that sometimes it took 50 kicks to start it?  However, what goes around, comes around, and in '85, I got bored with my Evo dresser and bought an old '76 police shovel that I still own.  This one has every upgrade known to man.  You'd go to sleep reading the list.  Also own a '07 FLHX Street Glide, but my 103" shovel's my baby. 

[reggoh]

1990 Fatboy. I was fortunate enough to win this bike at Laconia Bike Rally of that year. Presently riding a Electra Glide.

[Skullfork]

'99 Sinister Blue Fatboy and I rode the dog piss out of it!

[nibroc]

'72 XLCH bought new in Louisville,ky. 1st yr. for 1000cc. Traded in a '71 BSA 650 that quit one day because of a short in the head lite---yeah, LUCAS...lol

[Scooter1-2putt]

My first was a 67 FL that I bought in Feb. 77'. It was a old chp bike chopped with 9" longer fork tubes, 4speed kicker trans, mousetrap clutch and swing arm frame. First thing I did was change to 6" fork tubes so I could put booth feet on the ground at same time.
One of the best Harley's I've owned it was ripped off in Simi Valley in the 80's!
Damm I still miss that bike!!!
Scooter

[Reddog74usa]

My first Harley was a 1954 Panhead 40 over wide glide front end with a 2 1/2" rake and of course molded frame. I have a pic of it at the spot I bought it in 1975, I'll have to see if I can find it and post it. The front was so long my Bros would say they could tell I was comin cause they would see the front wheel and 10 mins. later the rest of the bike would show up LOL!!!!!!!!!!!

[Clintster]

73 XLCH, had to have your secret decoder ring to start it cold.  Ran like a SOB, but I was way too big for it, 6'3". Traded it after 3 weeks. The year was 77 I was home on leave from the Navy.  Traded it for a rice bike I rode to Seattle from Ohio, my Ole Man was pissed at first, he got over it.  It was around 2400 miles, too long a trip for that bike and me.  I remember when I was hanging out in Bremerton, some girl going if you had a Harley I'd take you for the ride of your life...

[snoman]

'67 XLCH , bought new in '67 . Knee still hurts !
  sno
   

[boooby1744]

'82 fxr.................       candy apple red.... . minor engine mods....it never leaked!

[ridgerider]

1947 KNUCKLE   / RAKED AND STRECHED HARDTAIL FRAME… FORD RADIUS RODS EXTENDING THE SPRINGER TO 27” OVERSTOCK.
I HAD A 2 YEAR OLD 900 KAWA THAT I HAD RODE HARD.. TRADED THE KAWA STRAIGHT ACROSS FOR THE KNUCK WITH BOXES OF PARTS. HAD THE KNUCK RUNNING THE SAME WEEK RODE IT FOR YEARS AS A CHOPPER THAN REBUILT THE MOTOR USING 2 RIGHT HAND SHOVEL FLY WHEELS AND PUT IT IN A PAN WHISHBONE STOCK FRAME WITH A 3” OVER WIDE GLIDE FRONTEND…THAT WAS OVER 30 YEARS AGO… STILL HAVE IT SITTIING IN THE GARAGE…NEXT TO MY 1999 FLHT….HARLEYS FOREVER…

[Speeding Big Twin]

My first Harley was the 1974 Shovelhead below. Not a good photo but it's the only one I have of the bike as it looked when I bought it in April 1976. I sold it about two years later. Some of you will notice it had a factory alarm. The worst problem I encountered was a snapped pinion gear shaft. Over the years I've had fourteen H-Ds and currently own one Panhead and one Evo.     Eric

 

[WideBoy04]

1984 Low Glide bought around 1988. After owning around 30 some
Jap bikes the previous 13 years. Paid 4 grand for it, went straight
to the garage and that day everything was off of it cept the motor.
The fairly new wife did nothin but complain the whole time. Now I
got a better bike and wife.

[JimB]

First motorscooter was a Lambretta, I think 50cc ?? - 1965
First HD was a 45 incher that my Dad brought home in boxes & we put together. No idea what year because alot of parts were from the junkyard.
We got it running enough for me to ride around then disassembled it, added newer fenders and stuff & repainted everything...etc
Heres the only pic I have of it... it was right after we got it rolling...silver spray can paint job & all...1967 I recall. No pretty but it was mine !
Later on, with the newer parts, fenders and the good paint job it was cool... well, for 1967 anyways



[attachment removed after 60 days by system]

[crazy joe]

My first was a 68 XLCH 9OO cc   rebuilt it and traded straight across for a 58 Pan
chopper   that I still have.

[05RK1]

1971 350 sprint in 1973   way cool at the time tough on the old bones now

[Coasty]

A 1971 brandy new XLCH 900 cc screaming sporty, I was 16 paid cash and got my ass wipped by my step father for buying a MC.  Kept the bike the ass wipping was woth it became an instant dirt bag (appearance only).  I paid $1600 for it got a jacket, gloves and leather cap.  Kept the bike for over 20 years and sold it for almost 4K.  Everything was original and it wsa garage kept all it's live.  Had over 100k on the clock and did a complete rebuils at around 60 k.  The owner and I still keep in touch and I have tried to buy it back with no luck.  I still have the jacket gloves and cap in an old trunk.  From the first day I bought a sporty I have never been with out one and have two now.  I have owned others in the past including a 1953K model.

[Plane37]

My first bike was/is the '05 Ultra Classic I have. I was thinking a Heritage Special due to price. My wife said if we get one it will be a big comfortable one. Most of the time I do listen to my wife, Not because I am whipped but because she will go for the good stuff (guess that is why she married me).  I have 46,000 on it now....Got hit headon after having it 6 months but was back on it as soon as I could squeeze the clutch lever and haven't looked back

[harleydave51]

in 1971 I bought a 1945 45 Trike basket case. Never got it running but it was fun playing with it. It almost looked like a bike when it was stolen.

[fasteddiej]

It was a 1965 Harley M50 I was 15 and bought it brand new

[hogpipes1]

49 fl pan $200- and running ,17 yrs old 10th  grd in school back in 63. sold it in 65 $400- and picked up a exc-cond 58 flh for $700- 49 was 1st yr hydro- frt end . 58 1st yr duo-glide. both classic and worth big $$ today and of course wish i had them both today of the many h-d i had over the past 40 + yrs. 85 fxrt, 00 xl ,& 03 flhtc  85 is the best of the 3 now riding and thats going to the grave w/me .

[04deuce]

A chopped 72 sporty with springer and mini apes, no front brake.....and smashed it in the back of yellow cadillac with no brake lights in the rain in the spring of 1977.....no helmet, got up a guy pulls up in a truck with a lift gate helps me get it in the truck and takes me home...rebuild it and was back at it in 3 months....good ol days

[dave629]

Red '93 Fatboy (I'm just a young'in) Sold it to Brother Tom up at the monastery.  Saw him just yesterday w/ Sister O'Feely hang'in on, out back.

[Glenn W]

............'75 Sporty, followed a few years later by a '79 FL. Firt bike ever (barely) was a 120cc Suzuki "dual sport" (riding downhill & parking are sports???)

[sw340]

46 UL in 1957

And I had other bikes before that one

[duster]

1980 Sportster.  Had a lot of fun tearing it apart and putting it back together a few times.  Like many of you mentioned, I wished I still had it now.

[retyddone]

My first Harley was 51 125 2 stroke, it took me two weeks to get it running had to use a set of Chevy points.
I still have dads 1934 45 flat head. It needs some work and a few lost parts.

Tuna

[mrmotoguzzi00]

04 FLTRI, was riding Motoguzzi's before then(00 EV11 and a 76 -V-1000) I was at Laconia and by wed I had done 1000 miles riding around the mountains and my rear tire was bald, wifey had just come up and wouldn't ride on it till i got a tire...  a dozen calls later and no tires to be found, so we went to merideth HD to see if i could rent something, 2 hours later and we rode away on my new Road Glide   I absolutely love everything about this bike, hopefully i'll never have to sell it

[Black Jack]

1978 Sportster. Bought in April '78 and t-boned to death on July 3, '78. That was 7 scoots ago. No t-bones since...

[Admiral Akbar]

A 1944 Servi car.. Second was also a 1944 servicar... 3rd was a 63 pan. Max

[Crotch_Rockets_Suck]

'95 Wide Glide bought new off the showroom floor.  Really pissed off the other people looking at it when I walked out and put the "SOLD" tag on the handlebars.  Traded it in about six months later for a customized '95 Fat Boy.  Rode that for a year and a half when I was stationed in Italy before some stupid Guido in a powder blue Fiat decided he wanted to be in my lane.  Bounced the bike off of two other cars coming the other way.  Kept the drivetrain, sold the frame, put the parts on a Paughco 200 Softail frame running duals and Boomcans.  Sold that one in 2001.  Was looking in 2003 but the dealer here in KC wanted to mark the price of a Fat Boy up 3K due to "supply and demand".  Decided right there I'd build my own.  Now have a custom "chopper style" long bike.  Getting ready to sell it for something with the ability to carry more than just a backpack.

[crankcase1943]

It was a 51 (125) Hummer with angel wing bars.

[TooLow]

1963XLCH, hardtail frame, neat old low budget chopper.  bought it for $1000 and sold it 6 months later for $2500 to go buy a 77 sporty that was chopped but had suspension  LOL  I still kick myself over that deal.  TooLow

[RKTOM]

My First "Harley" was a used 48 Indian Bonneville Chief from which I promptley removed the front fender "really dumb huh!" then went through Brits (Indian ,Triumph, Bsa,) then a Norton and an AJS Matchless and finally Hogs, still ridin at 71 and when I can't ride on 2 I quess  I'll just have to get a trike huh ?!?!

[76FLH]

A stripped 66 shovel in 1969. I paid $900 for it. It was my first motorcycle.

I have owned the 66 ,two 73's and the 76 I have now. All shovels.

Bill

[FSG]

still ridin at 71 .......................

[OldFLTRider]

1956 Pan. 

Got it in 1970 as a nice complete running (poorly) bike and decided I needed a chopper.  Stripped it bare, raked, molded and painted the frame.  Overhauled the motor and clutch.  I had an old springer that we lengthened using old Ford car rear radius rods and twisted square steel rod.  Chrome shop left it in the tank room too long and pitted the heck out of it so I put long tubes in the stock forks and rode it that way.  With the long forks, the excessive rake and stock angle triple trees (didn't understand trail at that time) it was tough to ride. Add in the foot clutch and hand shift and it was real interesting. Sold it when first baby came. 

Wish I had it back. 

[jacksrwild]

1979 XLH.  That thing handled like crap and felt like it was going to fall over every time I got on it.  Loved the bike though ... lowered it, raked out the forks put some Metzler's on it, widened out the rear wheel and then it handled great.  Rode from Mexico to Canada and back again (didn't want to see the seat of a bike for a while after that one).
Wife said I could only have one bike at a time and finally sold it about a year and half ago.  Still wish I had it back.  Maybe some day I'll pick up another one (now that I know what it needed).

[jayjaywideglide]

1971 XLCH with that darn Tillotson Carb.  Always walked with a limp cause the shock hit the back of your leg when kickstarting.  Fond memories of that POS...  But then it always got me where I was headed, unlike my TC!

[HDDOC]

1950 pan givin to me by my uncle in 1964, chopped it and he was pissed.  Doc

[flht99b]

A brand new 1979 FXS 80 cu in Lowrider purchased from Ramson's HD in Cos Cobb CT. Sure wish I still had it. Ed M.

[chengdave2003]

A new 1974 XLH bought from Harley of Atlanta for $2800.  Had to sell it three years later when I joined the military, couldn't afford the insurance on military pay.  It ate 2-3 voltage regulators (old mechanical type) a year.  Always wondered if the new electronic regulators would have lasted longer.... 



A year later reenlisted and got $12K reenlistment pay and went to Harley of Beaumont (Texas) and paid cash ($5300) for a brand new 1979 FXS Lowrider.  Kept it for over twenty years...  Loaded that bike on the Coast Guard cutters I was stationed on and rode that bike all over the world (well at least the US, Hawaii, Guam, Tinian, Saipan, Rota, etc).

Dave

[RootOfAllEVO]

I have been truly amazed at the response this thread has received, and also moved that so many of you took the time to include photos of your original bikes. THANK YOU!
I guess it's clear we all remember our first Harley like no other possession or motorcycle we had. I am also struck that so many of you wish you still had that first one, as I do mine. "Newer" isn't always better, and that certainly seems to be the case here. Those of you that have a TC or Evo for a first ride still have a great machine, but there was something so raw and visceral about the earlier bikes that forged a bond with the owner. If you ever get a chance, throw a leg over a kick-only shovel or pan and take it for a ride on a sunny day. It's where motorcycles started, and IMHO, should still be. Simple, brutally so, and yet so satisfying to ride.

Thanks one and all for your responses, and please keep them coming!

[x52gnr]

75 xlch sportster...damn what a rolling pile but I loved it.....

[Fugawee]

A 1967 XLCH I bought for Myself when I turned 18 in 1975.

[madmax]

1962  250 cc  1 lunger  H.D.   16  years old .  what a ride !!!

[Dogbone45ACP]

1974 FX, new in December 73, still have it 96 in, duel pluged sorrta fatbob look , duel Supermax beltdrives, well over 100,000 miles on many rebuilds.

[sundog1258]

My first HD was a 1973 sportster I bought when I was 19 in 1978. It had the shifter on the right and was electric/push start only. First HD and first bike I ever had without a kicker. Took the tins to a body shop and had it re-painted black.  Rode it for 4 years and ended up trading it for a truck when I took a job with a 70 mile commute.
Phil

[greenshovel0014]

1983 fxsb.     coulda bought a dyna back then,but dad said I needed a shovel..........go figure. btw he has same year and model. .................strange coincidence.