Thursday, February 7, 2008

Yamah GT 80

I remember putting a brochure for a Yamaha GT80 on my dads dresser every december saying that this year it was OK to combine my birthday and christmas present together (my birthday is 5 days before Christmas). I did this for 3 years until..... I can remember it vividly. We had finished opening presents and my dad asked me to get something from the Den. As I walked in my heart almost stopped as there before me was a brand new (or maybe it was a year old?) 1974 Yamaha GT 80.
It had a busted headlight (dad dropped it taking it out of the car) but it was perfect to me! This was a full-on legit motorcycle, with lights and kicker and key and... heck it was street legal!
If memory serves me correctly, it snowed on Boxing day and I remember riding the Yamaha up and down my street in the snow. To this day, one of my favourite things to do, when it snows, is to take the kids little XR80 out and slide around on the quiet, snow packed street.
It was this bike that hooked me on Sickles for the rest of my life! It was this bike that made me want to race MX. It was this bike that made me wanna jump like Evel Knievel. It was this bike that made me what I am today (good or bad). I loved THIS bike!