Motocross Files - Ron Lechien

travis-grant
Edited Date/Time 10/17/2014 5:44pm
Apologies if most have already seen this documentary series, but i gotta say it's a real good look in to the riders personal lives. I for one, NEVER knew about the sort of things Ron got up to away from the track and WOW!

If you have time, you gotta give this a watch (and the others). Thin of it like 'Inside the outdoors's' Father.

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O___o
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O___o 10/17/2014 6:40am
10/17/2014 6:40am
Please tell me the time he got caught with an entire dufflebag full of weed in Japan is in there... Johnny O and Bailey tried to pretend like they didn't know him at the airport

If that is not in there, I'm sorry Dogger.
travis-grant 10/17/2014 6:43am
10/17/2014 6:43am
That part IS in there yes, JO & Bailey could see from the other side of customs and ron starts pointing at them when the Japs discover the Weed.

Ha - The President of Honda Japan had to personally take Ron back to get all his things. Kawasaki still signed him the following year too!
travis-grant 10/17/2014 7:06am
10/17/2014 7:06am
True,

As a (not so proud to admit) former Cocaine user, i can positively say the guy must have had a huge natural talent. Trying to ride after an all nigher on beer & drugs, i just cannot imagine. Feeling like absolute HELL and having to concentrate/use energy just doesn't work.

Sleeping it off in between moto's in the back of the box van, cap over face, whilst fans scream for you - rockstar lol

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Paul1PA
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Paul1PA 10/17/2014 7:28am
10/17/2014 7:28am
Thanks for sharing the link t-g, that was definitely worth the watch! I was track side when Lechien crashed at Steel City. Happened at the start of the race and the poor guy laid there the entire moto with a broken femur. He was then finally air lifted to the hospital. Still vivid in my mind after all these years.
motomike137
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motomike137 10/17/2014 7:52am
10/17/2014 7:52am Edited Date/Time 10/17/2014 7:53am
travis-grant wrote:
True, As a (not so proud to admit) former Cocaine user, i can positively say the guy must have had a huge natural talent. Trying to...
True,

As a (not so proud to admit) former Cocaine user, i can positively say the guy must have had a huge natural talent. Trying to ride after an all nigher on beer & drugs, i just cannot imagine. Feeling like absolute HELL and having to concentrate/use energy just doesn't work.

Sleeping it off in between moto's in the back of the box van, cap over face, whilst fans scream for you - rockstar lol

Ronnie was crazy talented! He probably has forgotten more about how to ride a dirt bike than most of will ever know!
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Markee 10/17/2014 8:13am
10/17/2014 8:13am
Nice, hadn't seen that!
AZ35
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AZ35 10/17/2014 8:17am
10/17/2014 8:17am
One Last Comeback wrote:
if Vital had been around in the Johnson/Lechien days it would have made J-Law seem like a choirboy.
So true, in the pre-internet days it was so much easier to get away with all kinds of dumb shit.
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markit 10/17/2014 8:28am
10/17/2014 8:28am
In the 80s we use to do enduros after good bender, I wasn't doing the hard stuff then but man its a good thing we where young.LOL To be able to race at that level with all that going on,wow.
One Last Comeback 10/17/2014 8:32am
10/17/2014 8:32am
RJ was telling the story on Pulp about being at a foreign Supercross and Lechien skips all the qualifers and is nowhere to be seen.
Ronnie shows up for the last chance and wins it, then tells Ricky before the race he's "still drunk." Then he holeshots and beats RJ.
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ridge 10/17/2014 8:43am
10/17/2014 8:43am
I've watched that a few times. I've heard RJ say (a few times), thank god Ronnie never took it more seriously.

Think about who Ronnie made look silly at times: RJ, Ward, Bailey O'Mara, etc.

IF Ronnie had figured it out, I doubt McGrath would have been so dominant...at least so early in his 250 career. And while I'm saying "if", if RJ and Bailey hadn't gotten hurt, they might have given MC serious competition in '93 and '94.

It's crazy how things work out.
travis-grant 10/17/2014 8:47am
10/17/2014 8:47am
this is the stuff of legends lol.

(in the bad boy kinda way) - the stuff YOU want to hear happened, but never really believed it did.
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hammertime 10/17/2014 8:58am
10/17/2014 8:58am
One Last Comeback wrote:
if Vital had been around in the Johnson/Lechien days it would have made J-Law seem like a choirboy.
no shit...and like travis said, to win races after having a mcdonalds straw up your beek all night? preposterous!
dirtworldmx 10/17/2014 9:03am
10/17/2014 9:03am
travis-grant wrote:
That part IS in there yes, JO & Bailey could see from the other side of customs and ron starts pointing at them when the Japs...
That part IS in there yes, JO & Bailey could see from the other side of customs and ron starts pointing at them when the Japs discover the Weed.

Ha - The President of Honda Japan had to personally take Ron back to get all his things. Kawasaki still signed him the following year too!
I always thought it was funny (and a bit hypocritical) that Kawi hired Lechien after that, yet fired Emig for a much lesser drug-related incident. But Emig was coming off a disappointing year and Lechien was killing it then. Guess that makes all the difference, but I don't know all the details.
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motomike137 10/17/2014 9:06am
10/17/2014 9:06am
One Last Comeback wrote:
RJ was telling the story on Pulp about being at a foreign Supercross and Lechien skips all the qualifers and is nowhere to be seen. Ronnie...
RJ was telling the story on Pulp about being at a foreign Supercross and Lechien skips all the qualifers and is nowhere to be seen.
Ronnie shows up for the last chance and wins it, then tells Ricky before the race he's "still drunk." Then he holeshots and beats RJ.
Didn't he do domething similar one year at the Des Nations?
travis-grant 10/17/2014 9:09am
10/17/2014 9:09am
Well, like One Last Comeback basically said, the Internet has a lot to answer for.

Emig's little lake Elsinore toot could have probably been stubbed out right there and then had the internet/forums/online magazines not been around to escalate it.

(excuse the pun)

racer628
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racer628 10/17/2014 9:24am
10/17/2014 9:24am
he partied all night before the mx DES NATION...in 1988....and cruised to victory....legend.
travis-grant 10/17/2014 9:27am
10/17/2014 9:27am
Dude burnt the Candle at both ends, lit the middle and smoked it.

As Chick Norris looked on in awe.

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gsxrcr28 10/17/2014 11:24am
10/17/2014 11:24am
Dogger was the man, loved watching that guy ride. Probably my all time favorite rider, bummer he had so much trouble, had the potential to win a lot of titles.
travis-grant 10/17/2014 11:27am
10/17/2014 11:27am Edited Date/Time 10/17/2014 11:28am
gsxrcr28 wrote:
Dogger was the man, loved watching that guy ride. Probably my all time favorite rider, bummer he had so much trouble, had the potential to win...
Dogger was the man, loved watching that guy ride. Probably my all time favorite rider, bummer he had so much trouble, had the potential to win a lot of titles.
I bet his role at Lucas Oil is pretty damn good though. Still not a patch on his past lol

p.s are you near Clearwater? me and the missus visit there each year and got to the Shepherds resort, purely for the night life!!!
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gsxrcr28 10/17/2014 11:31am
10/17/2014 11:31am Edited Date/Time 10/17/2014 11:38am
gsxrcr28 wrote:
Dogger was the man, loved watching that guy ride. Probably my all time favorite rider, bummer he had so much trouble, had the potential to win...
Dogger was the man, loved watching that guy ride. Probably my all time favorite rider, bummer he had so much trouble, had the potential to win a lot of titles.
travis-grant wrote:
I bet his role at Lucas Oil is pretty damn good though. Still not a patch on his past lol p.s are you near Clearwater? me...
I bet his role at Lucas Oil is pretty damn good though. Still not a patch on his past lol

p.s are you near Clearwater? me and the missus visit there each year and got to the Shepherds resort, purely for the night life!!!
Clearwater is on the west coast of Florida, I'm on the east coast.

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O___o 10/17/2014 11:35am
10/17/2014 11:35am
gsxrcr28 wrote:
Dogger was the man, loved watching that guy ride. Probably my all time favorite rider, bummer he had so much trouble, had the potential to win...
Dogger was the man, loved watching that guy ride. Probably my all time favorite rider, bummer he had so much trouble, had the potential to win a lot of titles.
travis-grant wrote:
I bet his role at Lucas Oil is pretty damn good though. Still not a patch on his past lol p.s are you near Clearwater? me...
I bet his role at Lucas Oil is pretty damn good though. Still not a patch on his past lol

p.s are you near Clearwater? me and the missus visit there each year and got to the Shepherds resort, purely for the night life!!!
Lauderdale is 2 hours south of Clearwater. If you go to Clearwater, you are about an hour away from one of the most "happening" local tracks in all of MX.

Ron's dad felt so strongly about the performance of Castor 927 that when the original company was going out of business, Ron's dad bought it, resurected it, whatever, and that's why 927 still exists today. and Ron runs it now, I guess. (Maxima)
travis-grant 10/17/2014 11:37am
10/17/2014 11:37am
gsxrcr28 wrote:
Dogger was the man, loved watching that guy ride. Probably my all time favorite rider, bummer he had so much trouble, had the potential to win...
Dogger was the man, loved watching that guy ride. Probably my all time favorite rider, bummer he had so much trouble, had the potential to win a lot of titles.
travis-grant wrote:
I bet his role at Lucas Oil is pretty damn good though. Still not a patch on his past lol p.s are you near Clearwater? me...
I bet his role at Lucas Oil is pretty damn good though. Still not a patch on his past lol

p.s are you near Clearwater? me and the missus visit there each year and got to the Shepherds resort, purely for the night life!!!
gsxrcr28 wrote:
Clearwater is on the west coast of Florida, I'm on the east coast.

ok,

suppose im about 300 miles out.
travis-grant 10/17/2014 11:38am
10/17/2014 11:38am
gsxrcr28 wrote:
Dogger was the man, loved watching that guy ride. Probably my all time favorite rider, bummer he had so much trouble, had the potential to win...
Dogger was the man, loved watching that guy ride. Probably my all time favorite rider, bummer he had so much trouble, had the potential to win a lot of titles.
travis-grant wrote:
I bet his role at Lucas Oil is pretty damn good though. Still not a patch on his past lol p.s are you near Clearwater? me...
I bet his role at Lucas Oil is pretty damn good though. Still not a patch on his past lol

p.s are you near Clearwater? me and the missus visit there each year and got to the Shepherds resort, purely for the night life!!!
O___o wrote:
Lauderdale is 2 hours south of Clearwater. If you go to Clearwater, you are about an hour away from one of the most "happening" local tracks...
Lauderdale is 2 hours south of Clearwater. If you go to Clearwater, you are about an hour away from one of the most "happening" local tracks in all of MX.

Ron's dad felt so strongly about the performance of Castor 927 that when the original company was going out of business, Ron's dad bought it, resurected it, whatever, and that's why 927 still exists today. and Ron runs it now, I guess. (Maxima)
so he will be raaaaaaking it in
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gsxrcr28 10/17/2014 11:40am
10/17/2014 11:40am
travis-grant wrote:
I bet his role at Lucas Oil is pretty damn good though. Still not a patch on his past lol p.s are you near Clearwater? me...
I bet his role at Lucas Oil is pretty damn good though. Still not a patch on his past lol

p.s are you near Clearwater? me and the missus visit there each year and got to the Shepherds resort, purely for the night life!!!
gsxrcr28 wrote:
Clearwater is on the west coast of Florida, I'm on the east coast.

travis-grant wrote:
ok,

suppose im about 300 miles out.
Yep, I just looked it up 267 miles.
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Steve125 10/17/2014 1:23pm
10/17/2014 1:23pm
I remember being at Southwick in 89. RL missed both practices because he went to his girlfriend's prom in Ca. the night before. He wasn't even at the track til about 11 am on raceday.. He went out and led most of the first moto with Stanton barely beating him at the end. Second moto he also led but ended up fading to 10th. I think it was starting to catch up with him. Still an awesome ride after a long night like that.
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Falcon 10/17/2014 1:35pm
10/17/2014 1:35pm
I had the pleasure of hanging out with Ron at the Tucker-Rocky show a few years back. At the time, I was a rep for a competing oil company, but he and Dan Massie from Maxima welcomed my coworker and me into the party. Ron even bought me a beer! (Full disclosure - It may have been the one that was too many, in fact.)
I asked him a little bit about his past without being too invasive (I hope.) I won't repeat what he said here, but I gathered that all my suspicions were justified. Complete rock star.

It's a good night when you can hang out with a hero and he buys you a beer.

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