Greetings from Husker Nation everyone! I'm 23 and I go to school at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln.
My current ride, that I just got painted, is a '75CB550. This is the bike I first learned to ride on when I was in high school. My dad traded off his car for it back in the 70's and rode it back to nebraska from Arizona with ape hanger bars on it and a maroon spraypainted tank. He hadn't ridden it for years, and it sat in my gradparents' shed on their farm north of town. Around my Junior year of high school I finally talked him into bringing it out and letting me tinker with it. He couldn't get it started when we got it home and got pissed, natually, so I took over in my spare time.
Not really knowing anything about bikes at the time, I naturally proceeded to tear everything apart, see how it worked, and carefully put it back together in the right order. Strangely enough, I was eventually able to get it running like a champ again. New plugs, new in-tank fuel filter, an intense carb cleaning involving guitar string, and it fired right up. Thank God he had previously disposed of the ape hangers, so by this time it was basically back to normal. I think he was a bit jealous of my innate motorcycle mechanic skills, but I know he had to be greatful. He spent the next few years taking care of it while I was away at school.
My sophomore year of college found me buying a fixer-upper '72CB350 in the absolute ugliest color of blue you can find. I saw it sitting in a yard for 400 bucks. Asked to take it for a ride,,got the kick start about halfway down and it fired right up. He took 300 dollars cash and I rode it home that day. It was perfect for getting back and forth to campus. I even got a lot of compliments on that piece, but eventually the 550 came calling again. Pops wanted a little more space in the garage back home; I was to be reunited with my sweet baby once more.
I ended up selling the 350 on ebay for 650 bucks and spent this past winter longing for the 550. I used the cash from my old bike towards a paint job and I'm happy to say she's done and looking even more beautiful than I ever expected.
The thing I love about these bikes is that they're so modest and understated. Strangely I have no interest in any bike any younger than 30 years old. They're just easy to work on, well built bikes. I guess I just like the feeling of giving the thing a second chance to be treated how its supposed to be. I guess the compliments are pretty good too though...
Heres picks of both bikes, the 350 right when i bought it, and the 550 before and after paint.
CB350:
CB550 before: (just posing, I've got gear
CB550 after:
I've put about 7,000 miles on it. It can get me into a LOT more trouble than I can get out of - gracefully - real fast. 
Not too bad for 66 - huh? 
2000 Honda VTR250 w/74k kms. Actually, I had no preference in brand when I was looking. I eyedballed a CBR2500RR and was sold on it until I happened to sit on a VTR250. That was it. 
