[Jeff in Kentucky]

I rode dirt bikes from 8 to 16 years old, and my first street bike was a 1978 Yamaha XS650 that I rode from 1980 to 1985 (the power was similar to a newer 500cc Kawasaki Ninja). I considered buying a new Honda 500cc Ascot in 1982, but I decided to save my money for college instead. 1982 was a lot like 2009, with new bikes sitting for years on dealer showrooms because of a recession.