Rider: Josh Hayes
Then:18-Year-Old Watercraft Mechanic
Now:2010 AMA Superbike Champion
"My first bike was a salvage-title Honda CBR600F2 I bought when I was 18, in January '93. I rode it to high school in Gulfport, Mississippi, and to my job as a watercraft mechanic at Competition Marine. That was the bike I did my Ed Bargy Racing School on, and my first racebike when I started doing southeast WERA stuff.
"Living next to Keesler Air Force Base, I had a crew of military friends. We hung out at this little country bar-you could get in at 18, but you had to be 21 to drink. We'd go over there just to hang out with girls. Riding there one Sunday night, I did a little first-gear, pop-up wheelie and set it down, then stood up to pull my jeans out of my behind as I rode over some railroad tracks.
"The next thing I know, there are cops coming from everywhere and pulling us over. They said I rode a wheelie all the way down the street and then jumped the railroad tracks! They actually gave me reckless driving and took me to jail because I didn't have a motorcycle endorsement on my license. I had a racing license, but no motorcycle endorsement!
"Of course I got my endorsement immediately after that, then raced that bike for the whole '94 season. When I got a second one from the dealership, I used the first one for parts. It's long gone now. I probably sold all the parts."
