It was 1962 and dad bought me a motorcycle. He tried to buy a Honda Cub but the dealer was fresh out of red ones.
In fact the only red motorcycle he had was a Honda 90 dream. The problem is I was 13 going on 14 when a 5 hp scooter would be legal. But the Honda 90 had a few more horsepower and really wasn’t legal. But the 90 dream wasn’t selling and the dealer was eager to sell so a price less than list but only a few dollars more than the $395. The Cub was selling for.
The Creative dealer solved the problem by calling it a Honda 90 Cub and registering it as such. So that summer I raced every Honda 50 Cub I could sometimes exceeding the speed limit by as much as 5 whole miles per hour!!!!! Back in those days the neighborhood police would just give you a verbal warning for 5 mph.
Come fall there were 3 Honda 50 cubs at school and me. Suddenly there was a big demand for the Honda 90 Dream.
Dad loved to borrow my Honda probably putting nearly as many miles as I did. In fact he lent it to his Barber who fell in love with it and had to get one himself.
Naturally he had to come by and show it to dad. But, ummm he was pretty new to riding a motorcycle. With 31 miles on it he tried to show off by Revving the engine in front of our house. Except he didn’t understand it’s done by pulling in the clutch.
Yep! New Honda dumped in our driveway. Honda 150 Dream. 2 cylinders, not just one!
He broke his collar bone skinned himself in a few places and gave himself a concussion. Helmet? He wasn’t playing football what did he need a helmet for?
Ambulance called and Dad rolled the Honda along side the garage. For weeks I looked at that 150. 13 horsepower I think it had. Wasn’t too badly damaged. Few scrapes, shift pedal bent forcing it to stay in gear and the key was broke off.
Time for first service and the Honda dealer suddenly wanted my Honda back. So for something like $75 I upgraded to the Honda 150 Dream, errr Cub.
Yes! 14 years old and I’m driving an illegal motor scooter.
