How scary a leap was Suicide Mountain ?

Arkmx wrote:

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LaRocco's Leap only smaller, less of a run at it, dang near straight up.


Watch just past the 34 second mark....




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ATKpilot99 wrote:

I was looking through an MXA from 83 and the Saddlback National was covered. They described it as a 20 ft incline over a 20 ft...

I was looking through an MXA from 83 and the Saddlback National was covered. They described it as a 20 ft incline over a 20 ft. plateau to the next ledge, but said it was a blind jump...when you went for it all you saw was sky. Hannah, Johnson, Mike Bell, Billy Liles, and Tom Carson jumped it on their 250s. Glover, Warren Reid, Goat Breker and Magoo did it on 500s, and Jeff Ward was the only 125 rider to clear it. What was this jump like compared to some of today's obstacles?

Tim507 wrote:

I do believe that Phil Larsen was the first to jump it.......perhaps some SCAL Guys can comment

ATKpilot99 wrote:

Possibly...the riders I mentioned were in the article covering the 83 national and those were the riders that jumped it that day.

Arkmx wrote:

.

LaRocco's Leap only smaller, less of a run at it, dang near straight up.


Watch just past the 34 second mark....




.

Titan1 wrote:

That's not real motocross...no trees...the dirt sucks...its dusty...its probably hot...and I bet the riders hated it.

Arkmx wrote:

.

LaRocco's Leap only smaller, less of a run at it, dang near straight up.


Watch just past the 34 second mark....




.

Titan1 wrote:

That's not real motocross...no trees...the dirt sucks...its dusty...its probably hot...and I bet the riders hated it.

dr516 wrote:

I was there.

ATKpilot99 wrote:

I was looking through an MXA from 83 and the Saddlback National was covered. They described it as a 20 ft incline over a 20 ft...

I was looking through an MXA from 83 and the Saddlback National was covered. They described it as a 20 ft incline over a 20 ft. plateau to the next ledge, but said it was a blind jump...when you went for it all you saw was sky. Hannah, Johnson, Mike Bell, Billy Liles, and Tom Carson jumped it on their 250s. Glover, Warren Reid, Goat Breker and Magoo did it on 500s, and Jeff Ward was the only 125 rider to clear it. What was this jump like compared to some of today's obstacles?

ATKpilot99 wrote:

I was looking through an MXA from 83 and the Saddlback National was covered. They described it as a 20 ft incline over a 20 ft...

I was looking through an MXA from 83 and the Saddlback National was covered. They described it as a 20 ft incline over a 20 ft. plateau to the next ledge, but said it was a blind jump...when you went for it all you saw was sky. Hannah, Johnson, Mike Bell, Billy Liles, and Tom Carson jumped it on their 250s. Glover, Warren Reid, Goat Breker and Magoo did it on 500s, and Jeff Ward was the only 125 rider to clear it. What was this jump like compared to some of today's obstacles?

MBBadgers wrote:

micky dymond cleared it too on a 125.

Tim507 wrote:

I do believe that Phil Larsen was the first to jump it.......perhaps some SCAL Guys can comment

ATKpilot99 wrote:

Possibly...the riders I mentioned were in the article covering the 83 national and those were the riders that jumped it that day.

MBBadgers wrote:

other sanctioning bodies ran there before the ama and the national, smx, cmc, nma, crc, only pro riders were allowed to race suicide and banzai mtn.

motosmith wrote:

Nobody thought of putting a little water down the day before the race?

honda907 wrote:

I LOVE it! Where is the loam, the ruts and the the big loamy whoops? Man, that track is hardpack with a capital H. Wow, every...

I LOVE it!

Where is the loam, the ruts and the the big loamy whoops? Man, that track is hardpack with a capital H.

Wow, every pro would be complaining today.

Never knew it was that much of an incline. That shot of ole Hanny shows me how much of an incline that track was on.

Amazing what we ride today, and they did this 30 years ago!!


Just blew me away what they did on that ancient (as my boy calls it) equipment.

RMT wrote:

Anyone have any stories or pictures of the "magoo double" at that track? I remember reading about this way back when and not understanding how someone...

Anyone have any stories or pictures of the "magoo double" at that track? I remember reading about this way back when and not understanding how someone could jump two jumps at once. I don't think I've seen many pictures of that jump if any but I'm curious just how big it was.

RMT wrote:

Anyone have any stories or pictures of the "magoo double" at that track? I remember reading about this way back when and not understanding how someone...

Anyone have any stories or pictures of the "magoo double" at that track? I remember reading about this way back when and not understanding how someone could jump two jumps at once. I don't think I've seen many pictures of that jump if any but I'm curious just how big it was.

mxjef wrote:

It wasn't big by today's standards. But I can remember thinking about that jump all the way around the track until I got to it, jumping...

It wasn't big by today's standards. But I can remember thinking about that jump all the way around the track until I got to it, jumping it, then thinking about for the whole next lap!....I would also say it wasn't built as well as todays jumps are either!...haha

xnationalwrench wrote:

Suicide Mountain was never built it was actually different steps for parking and watching the races. Then some pro's out playing after a practice moto's was...

Suicide Mountain was never built it was actually different steps for parking and watching the races. Then some pro's out playing after a practice moto's was daring each other on different jumps and when Jody designed the pro track he included that section. Oh BTW that was the start of freestyle also.