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10338
Joined
8/1/2006
Location
Corona, CA
US
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1670th
Edited Date/Time
1/27/2012 11:35am
Ok we all love Motocross. What was it? When? Do you remember?
A crowded theater on Colorado Blvd. in Pasadena 1972. I was a huge Evil Kinevel fan, my mom and I heard a radio ad for free tickets to a movie being shown about Motorcycles. “On Any Sunday.” All we had to do was go down to the Motorcycle shop and get them. I had seen the advertisement someplace. Maybe the TV, I remember pulling the Paaaaalllllleeeeeeeezzzzzzzzzzzzeeeeee can we go? Please Mom, Please Mom? I believe she replied with, alright your father can take you. For some reason I remember standing in line. All these cool dudes with Crochet Coors and Budweiser hats, painter hats bell bottoms and motorcycle brand tees. Everyone was wearing flip flops. Even I was. I felt cool as them. I wasn’t anything more then 6, but they weren’t my older brother or sisters. That made them cooler. We made our way into the theater, it was a circus atmosphere of teens being unruly and loud. Man this was cool! I had my very own seat that again was really cool! I think my dad felt the vibe as well, I was stoked. My first outing with Pop. The theater went dark, I remember when the light came on it was some kids on BMX bikes. I could immediately identify with this film, I had a bike, and I loved to make noises and pop wheelies. Though I was probably the worst, it was fun! I don’t remember much after other then catching the bug. I had moto tee shirts hats and everything moto. It annoyed my mom to no end. Everything had a full rev and a gear shift noise as I ran down the hall or went to church. A few years later in 77 I remember watching the USGP on Wide World of Sports. (Remember the skier throwing it away on the beginning clip?) Anyway i was watching this race; Saddleback was the track, hot, dusty, and looking back at it today it looks like concrete pack. Each corner was rutted and muddy. I don't remember who I was watching to be honest with you. I could look it up but would I be right? One was yellow the other was red, the leader would fly into the rutted turn, slow down and it was about this time the follower would be rubbing tires with him. Then the leader would peel off on the straight. It went from 4 second lead to nothing. Back to four seconds and back to nothing. Oh the suspense was incredible! I watched the race and I remember my friend Duncan and grabbed our Stingrays and started imitating them in the dirt lot. I was hooked.
I remember asking my mom for a bike, she was an admitting nurse at USC General Hospital. I heard lectures on how dangerous dirt bikes, motorcycles were until and even after I just brought one home. Hodoka Dirt Squirt. I earned it; she wouldn’t take it away from me. I think she felt better it didn’t run. I remember the night I got it running. Boy was she pissed!
When was it for you? What moment? Do you remember?
A crowded theater on Colorado Blvd. in Pasadena 1972. I was a huge Evil Kinevel fan, my mom and I heard a radio ad for free tickets to a movie being shown about Motorcycles. “On Any Sunday.” All we had to do was go down to the Motorcycle shop and get them. I had seen the advertisement someplace. Maybe the TV, I remember pulling the Paaaaalllllleeeeeeeezzzzzzzzzzzzeeeeee can we go? Please Mom, Please Mom? I believe she replied with, alright your father can take you. For some reason I remember standing in line. All these cool dudes with Crochet Coors and Budweiser hats, painter hats bell bottoms and motorcycle brand tees. Everyone was wearing flip flops. Even I was. I felt cool as them. I wasn’t anything more then 6, but they weren’t my older brother or sisters. That made them cooler. We made our way into the theater, it was a circus atmosphere of teens being unruly and loud. Man this was cool! I had my very own seat that again was really cool! I think my dad felt the vibe as well, I was stoked. My first outing with Pop. The theater went dark, I remember when the light came on it was some kids on BMX bikes. I could immediately identify with this film, I had a bike, and I loved to make noises and pop wheelies. Though I was probably the worst, it was fun! I don’t remember much after other then catching the bug. I had moto tee shirts hats and everything moto. It annoyed my mom to no end. Everything had a full rev and a gear shift noise as I ran down the hall or went to church. A few years later in 77 I remember watching the USGP on Wide World of Sports. (Remember the skier throwing it away on the beginning clip?) Anyway i was watching this race; Saddleback was the track, hot, dusty, and looking back at it today it looks like concrete pack. Each corner was rutted and muddy. I don't remember who I was watching to be honest with you. I could look it up but would I be right? One was yellow the other was red, the leader would fly into the rutted turn, slow down and it was about this time the follower would be rubbing tires with him. Then the leader would peel off on the straight. It went from 4 second lead to nothing. Back to four seconds and back to nothing. Oh the suspense was incredible! I watched the race and I remember my friend Duncan and grabbed our Stingrays and started imitating them in the dirt lot. I was hooked.
I remember asking my mom for a bike, she was an admitting nurse at USC General Hospital. I heard lectures on how dangerous dirt bikes, motorcycles were until and even after I just brought one home. Hodoka Dirt Squirt. I earned it; she wouldn’t take it away from me. I think she felt better it didn’t run. I remember the night I got it running. Boy was she pissed!
When was it for you? What moment? Do you remember?
As for On Any Sunday, I saw them filming at several races. When it came out me and a buddy drove 3 hours to the closest place they were showing it. Sat through it twice. Still set down an watch my copy every now and then.
I'd never been to a motorcycle race before, but Uncle Bob had a silver-tanked Yamaha MX in the barn, and on one of the weekends while we were there he took my brother and I to a race in Washougal. He even stopped on the side of the road on the way in, and picked off one of the cardboard signs which pointed the way to the race as a souvenir.
I was blown away by the full gates of Honda 125 Elsinores, and what seemed like an equal number of red-tanked Huskys (with chrome port). I was hooked from then on.
As for On Any Sunday, it made a tour of our area matched up on a double bill with a pre-action sport movie called Go For It. Back then, the theater owners didn't kick you out (not that there were a lot of people in there anyway), but I spent the entire day in there, and I think I watched each of those movies three or four times.
unfortuneatly the folks weren't nearly as exited as I was, so it would be a few years before I could save enough to get my own bike. It was a 2 year old Yamaha AT125, what a hunk of crap, but it was mine, and the old man had to deal with it. I was on my 4th or 5th bike before he ever saw me ride.
The Shop
I was sold.
Two years later, I had my first bike (my mom needed some convincing).
My dad used to race in the 60's (maybe top 20 in Finland) and he used to take me and my older brother to some MX races and I also started reading mx magazines, I even read MXA before I could understand any English.
Then when I turned 10 year old, me and my brother got our first bike that we shared. It probably didn't cost more than $50, but that didn't limit the fun factor at all! I'm just happy my dad was an excellent mechanic. He took up riding again at the same time as me and my brother started. And one of my best days on the MX track was when I finally was able to pass my dad! It took me a few years...
My late dad
I really love that pic. Very cool post.
Anyway, I was in non-stop awe from the moment we rolled in the gate. I had never seen so many “dirtbikes” in one place before, with all the riders strutting around in their exotic leather pants and stuff. My ears were filled with the sweet sounds of simplicity and my nose drank in that unforgettable aroma of racing two-strokes. I was hooked forever, and I had yet to swing a leg over a bike!
And speaking of "On Any Sunday", my Dad and I were at the Sacramento Mile that was featured in the movie. Then in 1979 I was at the Carlsbad GP when that race was featured in the movie "On Any Sunday Two". I think it's pretty remarkable that I lucked out and got to be at both those races.
My very first memory is my Dad riding my around on a 1973/74/75 Yamaha GT/MX 80 (it was a mix) while I was sitting on the tank. That is the only reason I even remember that house we lived in...
Shortly after, in my neighborhood of about 50 houses, there were at least 20 kids with bikes. No kiddin'. I finally got to join the bunch in January of '78 on a brand spankin' new YZ80. There was about 500 acres of land behind our neighborhood and we tore it up every weekend for a few years. We even had a few tracks to choose from. The owners were cool with us out there.
I can remember coming home from school one day and there were cows all over the neighborhood. I knew exactly where they came from. Some jackass had cut the fence and they got loose. Needless to say, the free ride was over! After that day if you went riding you'd better plan your escape route because the law was coming at you. We spent several hours hiding in the bushes!
Man, those were the days. The sad part of it now is that I've contributed to the decline of the free riding land as we knew it; my house is now built right about where my favorite track used to be!
HOF
Pit Row
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