[Yamaha4Ever!]

I owned a Yamaha YM1 in the late 60's. Was in college and a friend of mine and I decided to drive from NC to Daytona Beach on spring break. My bike had 17k pretty-hard-miles on it when we left for FL. He was driving a YR-1 350 Yamaha. We drove to FL hard. When I got down there, my 305 was knocking and slapping. We took into a Yamaha shop and I was told my engine was blown. Oh boy!! What next???

Well, we took our bikes back to the campground, parked mine, and did all of our riding around on his bike. We pulled the cylinder head on my bike (you know, with a 2-stroker, you just have to remove 4-head bolts and the head slips right off and the cylinder jugs can easily be lifted--try that with today's multi valve, multi cam machines, not to mention getting off all of the plastic first). The right side rod had 1.5 inches of side-to-side play. So we decided to leave my bike parked. When It was time to return to NC, we decided that we'd drive my bike as far as we could and he'd tow me the rest of the way with a 50' piece of rope (oh the brain power of a 20-year old!!).

When it was time to come home, we fired 'em up. My bike was rattling and banging and clacking bad!! Northbound we headed. You know, my bike stopped running 3-times on the return trip. As it began slowing to a stop, I'd just downshifted each gear. It'd catch, and back up to highway speed we went. THAT BIKE MADE IT ALL THE WAY BACK TO NC ON A BLOWN ENGINE!!! Many miracles in the trip friends!!!

I took my bike to a Yamaha shop and it cost me $200 to get the engine rebuilt ($1415 in today's money). I drove it for 200-miles and a lady turned in front of me, causing me to total my bike and break my left leg in half. And oh yes, I got back on another bike after the accident!!

 

[Damir]

and that's why we did all the stupid things when we were young...so we can tell stories now...ohhh sweet memories :-D

 

[mikester]

When I think back to childhood it's a miracle I survived! No seatbelts, people weren't considered too drunk to drive as long as you could close one eye and see a single set of lines on the road,...

These days kids have to be bubble wrapped and wear a hockey helmet on the bus as helicopter mommies call the school to complain that some teachers have expectations that kids need to be responsible for themselves.

 

[Padre]

Man, that's a great story. We used to ride on the tailgate of my dad's mid-50's pickup with a load of sand in it. Feet dangling over the roadway, wearing flip-flops (used to call them thongs), and never once lost a brother or cousin. Simple times-great times. Thanks for the memory.