Hondroid started here

[vfrpaul98_imp]

1961, I am 11 years old, the Cushmans, Lambrettas, and Vespas are to large for me to handle, my parents take on Honda, oh the joy to assemble and test ride all the Honda 50 and 90cc step-thru's. I could slide forward on and off the seat to touch the ground. photo shows full Honda lineup except Cl72 scrambler. I see the front fender of the rare Cb92 next to the sign pole and my dad sits on a white CA76. I also see a cream colored tank of a CA110 three speed and the front of a C105t. Triumph, BSA, BMW, Suzuki,Yamaha, Kawasaki, Rabbit all came to the dealership floor in the next few years. the brands came and went as the Japan big 4 battled for floorspace. Honda and Yamaha always stayed. they figured you can't sell units if they are stacked in a warehouse. I remember the owner of Rockycycle(TuckerRocky now) at the time stopping by with accessories to display for sale and payment to him was made after the product sold. he would stop by every month to restock and collect. deals done with a handshake. vfrpaul.[url=http://s1077.photobucket.com/user/vfrpaul98/media/1962-1_zpsdb207bf2.png.html]

[the Ferret]

WOW...LOOK..... you could get hamburgers for 24 cents

Neat picture Paul, and to think all of those bike pictured are now worth thousands lol

Great memories for kids from that era.

First Honda I ever rode was a 1965 C110 50cc Sport...and I had the serious hots for an S90.

it's 1965 and I am 15 years old. I have a job and my dad thinks I need my own wheels to get back and forth to school and work. I want a C110 like my buddy has. So I drag my dad down to the only Honda dealer in town Cincinnati Honda on Vine Street. We walk in and I run up to the C110 and point it out to my dad. He walks up, looks at it a minute and twists the front fender to the side and says "This damn thing is made out of plastic" followed by "come on we are going down to Harley" (my dad rode Harleys by that time since Indian went out of business), so we go down to Ray Conklers HD on Tennessee Avenue. We walk up to a row of Italian Aermacchi built Harley badged 50cc 2 strokes that Harley brought in to compete with the Hondas and my dad bends over makes a fist and raps on the front fender (bonk bonk bonk) and says " See... metal. This is what you're getting". I was really disappointed I didn't get a Honda but was thrilled to be on 2 wheels... at 15, a full year before it was legal to do so. Haven't been without 2 wheels since... including a bunch of Hondas! Dad eventually switched to Hondas as well as he got old and the full dress Harleys became to heavy for him to handle, CB 350/4, CB 200, CB 175 and his last, a CB 125.

[Pauley]

That's a great story, ferret.

[pechorin75_imp]

Good story about the Harley, Ferret. When they were in high school (around 1959-60), my dad and my uncle went together and bought their first bike, a Harley "Sprint" that I believe was made by Aermacchi. As I understand it, they spent about three hours trying to sort out electrical problems for every hour riding!

[Guth_imp]

Great photo. Great stories.

[CA200_imp]

Just a awesome picture!

[pechorin75_imp]

I grew up on a farm in Kansas, and the only motorcycle dealership reasonably close by was Garber's Honda in Fairbury, Nebraska. He was apparently one of the very first Honda dealerships in the country--I'm guessing around the same time that pic was taken, vfrpaul.

His prices were almost always significantly better than other Honda dealerships. The story--and I have no way of knowing if it was true--was that he could buy at steeper discount from Honda because he'd been with them from the very start, and that was how they rewarded the early dealerships.

I ended up buying my ZRX from him. I left the dealer sticker on the tail, I suppose more out of nostalgia than anything else. Makes me think of home when I ride it.

[the Ferret]

Paul, I think it's so cool your Dad owned a multi line dealership in the golden age of motorcycling. What an experience you must have had growing up. Is your dad still alive? If not did you inherit the dealership?

[Randy B]

1961, I am 11 years old, the Cushmans, Lambrettas, and Vespas are to large for me to handle, my parents take on Honda, oh the joy to assemble and test ride all the Honda 50 and 90cc step-thru's. I could slide forward on and off the seat to touch the ground. photo shows full Honda lineup except Cl72 scrambler. I see the front fender of the rare Cb92 next to the sign pole and my dad sits on a white CA76. I also see a cream colored tank of a CA110 three speed and the front of a C105t. Triumph, BSA, BMW, Suzuki,Yamaha, Kawasaki, Rabbit all came to the dealership floor in the next few years. the brands came and went as the Japan big 4 battled for floorspace. Honda and Yamaha always stayed. they figured you can't sell units if they are stacked in a warehouse. I remember the owner of Rockycycle(TuckerRocky now) at the time stopping by with accessories to display for sale and payment to him was made after the product sold. he would stop by every month to restock and collect. deals done with a handshake. vfrpaul.[url=http://s1077.photobucket.com/user/vfrpaul98/media/1962-1_zpsdb207bf2.png.html]

I wonder what he would have thought if someone had pulled up on a new CB1100 back then?

(Wouldn't want to traumatize them with anything like a Goldwing...lol)

[the Ferret]

1961, I am 11 years old, the Cushmans, Lambrettas, and Vespas are to large for me to handle, my parents take on Honda, oh the joy to assemble and test ride all the Honda 50 and 90cc step-thru's. I could slide forward on and off the seat to touch the ground. photo shows full Honda lineup except Cl72 scrambler. I see the front fender of the rare Cb92 next to the sign pole and my dad sits on a white CA76. I also see a cream colored tank of a CA110 three speed and the front of a C105t. Triumph, BSA, BMW, Suzuki,Yamaha, Kawasaki, Rabbit all came to the dealership floor in the next few years. the brands came and went as the Japan big 4 battled for floorspace. Honda and Yamaha always stayed. they figured you can't sell units if they are stacked in a warehouse. I remember the owner of Rockycycle(TuckerRocky now) at the time stopping by with accessories to display for sale and payment to him was made after the product sold. he would stop by every month to restock and collect. deals done with a handshake. vfrpaul.[url=http://s1077.photobucket.com/user/vfrpaul98/media/1962-1_zpsdb207bf2.png.html]

I wonder what he would have thought if someone had pulled up on a new CB1100 back then?

(Wouldn't want to traumatize them with anything like a Goldwing...lol)

It would be so cool to show Soichiro Honda who started his company by attaching left over war surplus generator motors to bicycle frames a new decked out GL 1800, or VFR 1200. Wonder if he ever dreamed what the name Honda would come to represent? From generators to aircraft. Also wonder what the future has in store for future Honda lovers.