I brought a Jawa Model 634 350cc in 1976 and taught myself to ride. I commuted and never did any long trips. The Jawa was reliable by the standards of the day, but it had its eccentricities, like losing a cylinder in any heavy rain. I ended up with a can of CRC strapped to the bike. I logged 20000 plus miles.
In 1979 I was thrown off it by a rotating Morris Oxford, Google Morris Oxford, if you don't know what that is. I spent a month in hospital and sustained a nasty gash in my right foot. Friends repaired the Jawa, but the bush in the steerring head had been damaged and the thing would always shudder under any sort of braking, this did nothing for my confidence. About a year later I was overtaking a car, when a dog ran in front of it. The driver braked hard and the rear of the car swung round and took me off. I gave up in disgust.
A few years after my mother died, I began to notice Suzuki GN 250'S about the place. I liked the look, and they were cheap new by New Zealand standards. In late 2007 I enrolled for a two hour refresher course, and am eternally grateful that I did. I subsequently brought a GN250 and enjoyed it for a little over 11000 miles. My only issue was that it was a little under powered for long distance riding. During 2010 I noticed a weird looking bike in the Suzuki dealer ship. It was a strange purple and cream colour, but it appeared cheap by NZ standards. It had a low seat height, so every now and then I would sit on it. It had one cylinder and didn't look like a crotch rocket. I also looked at a GSF 500 or something, which looked like a crotch rocket but was a lot dearer. Then a silver and  pearl white S40 turned up and I had to have it. I've had over 33000 very pleasant miles since late September 2010. Including one 3000 odd mile trip. No mechanical issue to speak of.

I think I bought my first bike around 1960 and motorcycles became my primary transportation for several years.  I rode until about 1972 when I gave it up because of the demands of work and life in general.  I started riding again in 2011, when I joined this forum and I hope to ride for several more years.

I started riding when I was 8 or 9. Got my first street bike when I was 16, an old beat up Honda 350 that had to be push started due to both starters being messed up. I put about 20,000 on that bike and never did fix either starter. In the early 80's I got a '76 Goldwing.  Got married in 87 and the wife, who knew I rode and had ridden with me, pitched a fit every time I rode.  I also have a hiatal hernia that was really being bothered by riding. Eventually, it was just easier to not bother than to fuss about it.  I stopped riding somewhere around 89 or 90. I still have the old Goldwing...don't have the wife. I 2012 I ran across an 87 Savage for a price I could afford and got back into riding.  I sure am glad I did.  I miss my old Goldwing. Hope one day I can restore it and ride it again before I kick the bucket.  I still have the hiatal hernia but it doesn't bother me much or too often. But, I now also have emphysema, carpal tunnel and lower back pain.

I was off bikes for about 14 or 15 years.  Never again until I can't physically ride anymore.

I lived for motorcycles from junior high until I graduated from high school. I spent all my spare time riding.....weekends i was racing.  I sold my  1974 TM125 racing motorcycle when the RM125 came out in 1975.  I sold my Suzuki RE5 when I went to college.

I had about a 28 year gap without any motorcycle while I went to college and started my profession........in hindsight it was a big mistake, and I should have made an effort to own and ride a motorcycle during those years.

I am going my best to make up for the time lost.

Dave has the cleanest lines I have ever seen, ever since he first got his first white Savage.

He raced earlier and it stuck with him.

Let's see, started in ''65 with the Suzuki 150; sold it and bought the Goldstar in '69; added the SR500 in '78 and sold it in '84; sold the Goldstar in '91 due to "Poor Folks Time"; without a bike until '99-'00 sometime when I was GIFTED with a brandy spanking new '96 Savage...it was taking a very long nap in the crate since it had been put together at the factory.
It was a Fathers Day Gift from my Very Good Son !

Have you considered an old, ragged Miata?

That's what I'm thinking about, if I get a bike and it is more than I can handle.