[TORQUEINDUCTION]

For me, my first riding experience was on Bajaj Sunny. I was already riding bicycle, so riding Sunny was comparatively easy.
Then my cousin brother shifted me to the 2 stroke scooter with the gears in hand, this was bit difficult to learn, but I learnt the basics, this was in 1997 when I was in eight grade.
In 10th grade, my cousin brought Bajaj Boxer, which too was a simple bike to learn.
It was in August 1999, when I was in first year Diploma in Pune, I was introduced to the beast called Yamaha RX100. This was a revelation, enthralling and fascinating experience. Something which was to be remembered for a long time. Those 3 years were spent aimlessly wandering around Pune with the red RX100 which in return gave lot of memories and 2 ATKT's in second year diploma which reduced the rides by a bit, but did not stopped completely.
I learn car again on my cousin's Willys jeep pretty late in my twenties. I drove it only twice as he sold it. But that gave me the confidence to drive my car when I brought Ritz resale in 2012.
RX100 and Ritz are the reasons I am hooked to driving.

[arun1100]

Well, I have managed to preserve the vehicles that were owned by my Dad and these are the vehicles in which I learnt Riding & Driving and also these vehicles were used for my Driving License test (Padmini and Chetak) 22 years back!



My Dad has been my mentor in teaching to maintain as well as ride/ drive these vehicles. Having observed him ride and drive since childhood, when the time came for me to learn and use, it was like just executing what I had learnt practically all during my childhood!

[Asoon]

2 Wheeler (non geared) - Luna TFR
I was in class 6th (2000), we had an old TFR 1980 model in the house which was restored and I used to go to grocery shopping under supervision initially and alone from 2001

2 Wheeler (geared) - Hero Honda Splendour
2003 - commuting to tuition classes (on sundays, under supervision), father used to escort me on his Bajaj Scooter

4 Wheeler - Maruti 800 (1988 model, one with the square headlight)
2002-2004 - only driving into the garage and outside (no road exposure)
2004 onwards driving under supervision of father (in co-driver seat)
2005 onwards driving alone only for picking up / dropping relative (not for personal use)

[SidTheChamp]

Very nice thread. Lets get back to those milestones..

1990 - First learnt to ride a bicycle when i was in 8th standard when a friend shared his bicycle. Soon I had my first bicycle at a princely sum these days of 1400 Rs. While popular choice was Hercules, I got Hero classic traditional no frills cycle (reference below). I had a great time roaming around my small town with my bicycle.

https://www.herocycles.com/bike/classic-bikes

2001 - Learned first motorcycle. Again late learner but it was only after buying my own I got enough time to learn riding. By that time I got my first time and had shifted to Thane (a suburb of Mumbai). Its a Red Hero Honda Splendor model. In fact, this bike is still bein used by a friend of my brother-in-law. I used to ride the bike extensively till I got my first car.

2003 - First car learning. I learnt 4 wheeler from driving school and got license. Then I went to US for few months and did my first on road driving in state of Massachusetts, US. I had couple of practice sessions in parking lot. The experience of driving in US was great. Automatic gears, lane based driving. Country wide connectivity of interstate highways. I fell in love with that.

2006 - Second car learning. I had shifted to Bangalore by then. After 1 year of riding my Red Hero Honda motorcycle on Bangalore roads, it was time to graduate to car. I bought my first car, a Black Maruti Alto and enrolled for another driving course as I was out of touch. Post the lesson, started driving on road and developed practical driving skills with manual transmission.

[GForceEnjoyer]

Lovely thread!

• Bicycle: I was gifted a yellow BSA Champ with training wheels on my third birthday. I absolutely loved riding it everywhere within our neighbourhood! As I got a little older and got the training wheels removed, I also rode it in Lodhi Garden, Delhi. If my memory serves, that bicycle was just the right size to fit in our Fiesta's boot without folding the seats!
• Go kart: The first time was as a 12 or 13 year old. Hyderabad Airport has a wonderful go-kart track opposite the parking lot, and on weekday during my summer vacations was my first time ever controlling something with four wheels. Thoroughly enjoyed the low centre of gravity and grip. This is one of my favourite activities to date.

As a 17-year old who can't drive yet, the go-kart is the only vehicle with four wheels that I've driven.

[raptor_diwan]

For me, my motorcycle journey began at the age of 14. I started riding a Bajaj Platina within our compound. Every night, my dad would give me a round where he controlled the 1st and 2nd gears, and I would handle the rest. At first, I struggled with the 1st gear, but over time, I learned to navigate it. However, I was never permitted to ride on public roads.

One day, feeling adventurous, I took the motorcycle outside without my dad's knowledge. A friend joined me, trusting me to drive. We sped through the streets at around 80 km/h. Suddenly, I encountered another bike, and in an attempt to avoid a collision, I hit the front brake abruptly. We skidded for a few meters, and I parked the bike silently. Unfortunately, my dad discovered it later due to side scratches and broken parts. From that point on, I was strictly forbidden from riding until I obtained a license.

[Neeraj_S]

Ohh man. It’s been so long since my first ride.
It was before legal age, well oops, but I guess it was okay since it was in a big ground surrounded by mounds of sand everywhere. I would have needed expert knowledge of not stalling in the sand to even be 1 km near to hurt someone else.
The ride Bajaj M80. If someone does not know it used to be a 2 stroke white and red moped with three gears if I recall correctly.
Had my uncle with me and he just took me and one of my cousins (he was younger so just went to watch) there since I showed interest in it by asking him how to ride. I was very surprised by him offering me to ride it.
At first I thought he was joking but when I went ahead he did hand me the stopped m80. Then he explained quickly about gears and how the clutch works. Then about the accelerator and break and stepped aside asking me to try to start and ride it.
Stalled it for what seemed like million times but then with gradual input of accelerator it started moving. And man o man was I on cloud no 9.
Rode it for maybe 3-4 mins in small circles and then went back home.
That was the day I actually noticed I had keen interest in vehicles and realized I would love to ride and drive.
The first car by comparison was quite late after when I had started my job. It was a Maruti 800 in which I was learning how to drive by a formal driving school.
It seemed easier since I had been observing the cab drivers from office for years on how they drove. It was 6 years after this when I bought my car though. Talk about being late to the party. But, well. Since then have not stopped riding and driving and probably never will.
Rides owned till now : Royal Enfield Electra, Royal Enfield Thunderbird 350, Jupiter 125
Car: Nexon.

[NiInJa]

Nice thread! My stories are similar to every other middle class 90's kid who has seen the struggles of their parents and arrived here

Bicycle:
Dad could not afford to buy a small bicycle for me, so never learnt cycling till 5th standard, got jealous of the fact that all other friends could ride a bicycle or owned one. So in the summer holidays, determined to learn cycling any which way, I went to my cousin's place where my elder cousin sister had got a used cycle which was passed onto her from another cousin sister who was now married and had left her 'Hero Hansa' used for college commute. Uncle held on to the carrier while I learnt balancing the cycle for first two nights. Sessions would start after dinner. He taught me how to balance while rolling down a sloping road. Once I figured this out, it was just me riding and learning by myself in sweltering heat of May. I literally got obsessed with the cycle, rode all day under direct sunlight, got a heat stroke, became so sick that I had to go back to my home, but extremely happy and content on unlocking a new skill!

Bike:
As always, some friend who is elder than us, who managed to sneak past his dad and get the keys of a Kinetic (It was Kinetic Marvel). Rest is history. Funny story, there was a Hero CD SS Sleek bike whose ignition lock had gone bad, and the keys of my friend's Kinetic Marvel would fit perfectly on that bike. All of us in the society got ourselves trained on that CD SS late night when the owner was asleep (used to put 20 rupees petrol that everyone contributed)

Car:
There was always one friend who was a bit rich than others and used to own a car. The car was of-course, the 800. My first experience of driving was taking my friend's car out of the parking lot of our building and parking it back again! We just had the knowledge of using the pedals (learnt from the CD SS for free) and put it to use. Later, when my dad got the car, I was entrusted with this big responsibility of taking the car out. But I really started driving after my engineering, when I got my license.

[kaps454]

My first rid was a 6 wheeled fisher price car on which a kid would sit and drag himself along, then a blue coloured pedal car and then finally a trike before moving on to BMXes, never had pedal brakes, would always fall off as the rear wheel would skid, so stuck with conventional calipers.

My first ride was an Opel, followed by Mazda 323 F followed by a Tata Sierra (finally in India), 3 Safaris with 3 different engines (a Turbo Sierra engine, then a 3 L engine from a Tata truck, and finally a DiCOR), Indica Vista TDi. That was the last diesel we bought and now have a few petrol cars apart from a Harrier.
regards
kaps

[RD410]

Nice thread!

Learnt to bicycle on - BSA SLR. The name is enough, absolute legend!

First bicycle - Hercules Splash (non-turbodrive). Quite a rare one this was. It was heavy, had a bigger frame than the 'turbodrive' series and it was super durable.

Learnt to ride on - 2006 Bajaj CT100. As light as a bicycle, rear biased weight distribution, used to pop torque-wheelies in first gear every time, electric pickup till 60 kph, dead post 60 and extremely fuel efficient at 85 kmpl!

First motorcycle - 2004 Hero Honda CD Dawn. Very boring and unenthusiastic compared to CT100, but what a workhorse it was! It used to pull heavy loads like it was nothing. And it was durable to the T. It had Ok pickup till 60kph, but was totally dead after that. Handling and braking were really scary and max FE was 65 kpl. Overall, this was a very high quality motorcycle, they don't make these kind of bikes anymore.

College motorcycle - 2010 Hero Honda Passion Pro. Although it shared the basic engine with CD Dawn, Passion Pro was radically different. It was very peppy, used to effortlessly pull till 90 kph, was able to cruise at 70kph and had far better stability, handling & braking. Overall, it was a proper bike despite being just 100cc. FE was 60 kpl max. Although it was no Duke or Pulsar, but it was in huge demand among my batch mates due to it's capacity to accomodate and pull 3 full size guys (triples) : )

First gearless scooter experience - 2012 TVS Wego. The fun quotient of this scooter cannot be explained in words. It was a revelation of sorts. Sports bike like body balance, super short turning radius, electric pickup till 60 kph, motorcycle like ergos, motorcycle like ride quality......Wego was just something else!

First scooter that truly changed my perspective about gearless scooters - Suzuki Access 125 gen 2. As peppy as bikes, this scooter can cruise at 80kph all day with poise.

First 'performance' experience - 2012 Honda Unicorn 150. Unicorn was the bike that introduced me to superior/sporty performance, handling, braking and stability. Later I discovered that it's actually one of the least performing 150cc bikes. But still, Uni 150 is special for me.

Motorcycles that taught me the art of cornering - 2014 Yamaha FZs v1 and 2017 Honda Hornet 160.

First 200cc experience - 2017 TVS Apache RTR200 4v. This one was another revelation from the mad engineers of Hosur. With that big fat midrange powerband, quick revving nature and roaring exhaust note, the Apache 200 was a beast for that time.

First 2 stroke experience - 1995 TVS Suzuki Max 100. It was fun, peppy and extremely reliable.

Bike that got me hooked to 2 strokes - 1988 Yamaha RX100. This bike just oozes character. Easily one of the most satisfying bikes to ride.

Bikes that introduced me to madness - 3 bikes in that order
1. 1999 TVS-Suzuki Shogun - 14 bhp, 110kg, absolutely mad top end pull and top it up with a crazy high pitch exhaust note. This bike was so mad, that it's top end never ends. Stock engine easily revvs above 10k rpm and even at 120kph, it keeps pulling and pulling with the exhaust note just intensifiying. This bike is proof just how mad TVS race engineers are. It is one of the most scary 2 wheeler experiences that I've had.

2. 2002 Yamaha RX135 5 speed - fully ported and fitted with an expansion chamber, it made over 20bhp. It was so crazy, that it used to pop power wheelies even in 5th gear at 110 kph. And it barely weighed 100kgs, so you can imagine just how scary it was to ride it!

3. 2012 bs3 Pulsar 220F - not near anywhere as mad as the above two, but the way bs3 220 delivered performance was quite exhilerating.

In terms, of 4 wheelers, I learnt to drive on a carburetted Maruti 800 and perfected my driving skills on a 2007 Maruti Omni Mpfi and 2006 WagonR 1.1. The WagonR I still own.

I've driven a lot more cars, bikes & scooters, but these are the one's that stand out in my memory.

[ATK]

Thanks @mm_shen, for starting such a wonderful thread to bring back the nostalgic memories.

My experience was so nostalgic, that I don’t have camera or mobiles those days to take pictures. However, shared some reference images from google to connect my experience.



My first 4-wheel drive, sorry rather a 6-wheel drive experience, was me driving a LORRY (yes you heard it right) a ~1985 model FARGO LORRY, during my 10th standard school holidays back in 1992. My dad was way too bold to make me drive. It was on the Chennai outskirts (Karanodai – Gummidipoondi road). Back in those days, it was just a single road with tamarind trees on either side of the road.



I don’t know what he did, but like he fixed a particular gear that I can be comfortable with and handed over to me to handle the steering wheel. I was sitting on the driver seat and holding the steering wheel in two hands, and my dad was sitting behind me (yes, BEHIND ME, as the driver seat was an individual seat) in the bench seat and holding the steering wheel in one hand and correcting my course.



I remember every few meters I tend to move towards the tamarind tree on the left and then on the right and so on and so forth (this is my first day on the steering). I was driving with his guidance for almost 10 kms (that’s what my dad told me). During the entire period of 10 kms, only 2 or 3 vehicles crossed in the opposite direction, such a lonely and lovely ride. I still cannot image how this was possible, howcome someone of my age can sit on the driver seat for the first time and able to cross 10 kms without hitting any trees (anyways, my dad was there to take course correction as an when required (every few seconds to start with). I literally could not enjoy the ride, but I was enjoying the drive. Some sort of unknown feeling that hit me and wanted me to do more of it. But due to road conditions I had to switch back the driver seat to my dad. Never in my life I could forget this experience. It still replays in my eyes and mind.



On a side note, after few years, back in 2003, I was working in Saudi Arabia, and I was learning to drive car for the first time from my friend. It was a rented new Ford Mondeo AT I was driving. After 30 mins of my friend teaching me and me driving at 100 kms per hour on the lonely highway, I remember my friend telling this to my other friend behind: “See how he learnt in 30 mins, its all in his blood, family blood, lorry family”. Yes, my dad used to drive lorry when he was 13 years old. Those days it was family pride to own such a big beast and drive it with all mighty. And all my uncles were owning lorries and very good at driving as well.

Yes, it's all in the blood, family blood.

(Photo Courtesy: Google and Wiki).

[arunrajk81]

The first tricycle broke the first day itself after the purchase at the t-fork section. My Father took it to a shop and gas welded it. Still, it broke the same day. But I was fortunate enough to use my cousin’s tricycles after that as there were many cousins at my age. At that time, I was an LKG kid, and I still have saved its parts somewhere in the house.


The first bicycle I rode was a normal big bicycle (Hercules) as age-appropriate bicycles were not available at that time. Those generations have a different way to ride it by putting the legs through the triangular frame and hanging on one side. A lot of people here might be able to recollect what I was referring to here.


The first motorcycle I rode was a Rx100 during my 10th summer vacation. Even my younger cousins already started riding motorcycles before me, but I was not allowed to touch a motorcycle even though my father was having a KB100 at that time. Realizing this, one of my elder cousins (Almost close to my father’s age) asked me to get into the front seat of his Rx100 and asked me to ride while he was sitting in the back seat. Immediately after the bike started moving, he jumped out of the back seat without stopping the bike and asked me to continue and change the gear. Then he went and showed it to my father. After this incident, my father also started allowing me to take the Kb100 and my Motorcycle started there.


My 4-wheeler started with an Ambassador from the Driving School. For the driving test as well as practice, the driving school used to give Ambassador, whereas for the H-test, there was a Mahindra Jeep. The Mahindra was tuned in such a way that it’s almost impossible to stall it. And there were some tips for the H-tests like we need to turn the steering wheel fully as soon as one of the poles used in the H-test disappear while looking through the rear opening.

[Apex1815]

I hail from Himachal Pradesh and started learning and driving on Himachal Roads. Driving in various terrains of Himachal Pradesh has made me a disciplined rider/driver which I follow till date in Bangalore.

First Riding Experience :

Cycle : Hero-Jet in Class 6th.

On a Sunday afternoon, I was playing around in my village with my Friends. One of my friend who was elder than us by around three years had a Hero-Jet bicycle. Out of curiosity, I asked him whether he will teach me cycle ride. The friend was kind enough to accept this and immediately started teaching me the cycle ride. He was supporting the cycle from the carrier and I was trying to ride. The cycle gradually gained momentum and I was enjoying every bit of it. Suddenly I turned back to see my friend but noticed that no body was there and I realised that I was riding the cycle by myself which made me scared and I panicked which led to disbalance of cycle and I landed in Bushes on the road side.

Scooter : Bajaj Chetak in Class 9th
While I was in Class 9th few of my friends started discussing about their Scooter learning experience mainly on Bajaj Chetak or LML NV which were hot selling cakes back then.

I also asked my Father to teach me how to ride our Bajaj Chetak but my father denied for the obvoius safety concerns and promised me to teach the same when I enter into class 11th.

But I could not wait much and started learning scooter theoretically from my friends discussion and observing my father every time he started it and gained the momentum.

One fine day my parents went outside by Car and I could locate our scooters key. With all theoritical knowledge I had gained from my friends, I cranked the scooter with the kicker and started riding slowly in our courtyard.

I rode scooter almost the whole day in our courtyard. The moment I saw my parents coming I showed them my Scooter riding. BTW they were not impressed but actually angry again because of the obvious safety concerns. But seeing my desparation, my father allowed me ride the scooter within 1 Km of our home with the condition of max 40 km/hr with hlemet and sports shoes.

First Driving Experience
Car : Maruti 800 - B.Tech (First Semester)
Gradually I realised that I must go to the next level i.e Car driving.
After class 12th, I asked my father to teach me car driving but he plainly refused as he told me to buy my own car after I start earning and then learn.

Again, after completing my first semester of B.Tech, I had come to home in holidays. He was in a good mood and we were discussing about cars when suddenly I showed my interest in learning car driving, to which he agreed and started teaching me the same in a Play ground which used to be generally empty. First day I drove in the Playground and second day was the main road which is the Ghat section in front of my home.

[RiderS]

The title puts a big smile on my face!

I have been excited to drive a car since I was young.

My uncle was my mentor then, years passed by watching him drive and finally the day came when he put me back in the steering wheel. Yes, it was an Ambassador car back in 1996. The first drive was not like I dreamt. I was looking at the gear shifter every time I changed gear, the steering and gear change synchronization didn’t go well. Of course, that is how it is, later he sent me to a driving school just to know the basics and to get rid of my initial fear afterwards he started teaching me which took me to the next level of driving and road sense.

[Aqua]

As everyone says, this thread takes many of me (oldies) on this forum back in the time.

My first two wheeler I learnt was a small bicycle (dont recollect the name now, guess am getting old). It had two side wheels for support.

The ICE two wheeler that I learn was a Kinetic Spark, way back in 1986/87. One fine day we all cousins were playing at our grandfathers house and in comes my Uncle. He suddenly asks me if I want to learn to ride a moped (I would be around 11-12 years old). That is when he took me to an open ground and I learnt to ride a moped.

The first car that I drove was even earlier, like in 1985ish. My father used to own a Standard Herald. He used to teach me drive it obviously in an open ground. No driving on roads and strictly under his supervision.

The next actual four wheeler driving I did was a Mahindra Jeep (at a driving school). I had enrolled to learn Mahindra Jeep driving because it was cheaper than any hatchback car charges .

Later on drove and rode a lot of bikes and car. So there is my story.