Posts
1472
Joined
3/8/2008
Location
Urbana, IL
US
bigborefan
3/27/2015 10:19am
3/27/2015 10:19am
Edited Date/Time
3/28/2015 8:09am
Fixed the title for you
The Shop
also note how many jumps were to flat, not some Evil Knievel double or triple jump
I just sayin
PS: the second drop off is super cool
PPS: Thanks for posting the video!!!
Watching those guys ride the 500's from the 90's and earlier is pretty cool. Some of those factory bikes were churning out some amazing power. Men amongst men!
there is no factory bike at 240 pounds now, and there was no stock bike anywhere near 194 pounds then either,
but i think we would both own a Jeff Smith BSA in a heart beat tho, my old mans rickman BSA is cool enough, one of those would be amazing,
Pit Row
But those are insane conditions.
Anything with a down pipe will qualify for balls.
When we began racing Yamahas... My JT-1 cost $211. My Brother's LT 100 unit (Green metallic gas tank with a down pipe) cost about $253. I remember my dad ceremoniously putting the oil tanks in the trash. Premix henceforth. My father was a wizard mechanic Lighter wins. He knew. We were Navy in the P.I. from 1969-1973. My dad used to get the Seabees to weld the rear shock mounts forward for clearance.. Lengthen the swing arms... Beefier/longer/heavier forks, etc.. Custom foot pegs!. Remember fork braces? Yep. We had all manner of carbs/springs/shocks/forks and shit lying about the house. Asusa(?), Konis, etc. Mom was really pissed!
After a year or so, we got sponsored by a Yamaha dealer in Manila, and really.. Rink-a-Dink ( recall that was their name?) Yamaha in Colorado . Someone in my family knew them. They sent us several sweet blue mesh jerseys to wear. We had our names on them! F*** Yeah! All the while wearing GI boots to race in.
My Dad knew a USAF pilot MX fan from Clark AFB that flew to Japan often. Said Pilot would pick up Noguchi engines/pipes and shit and when we'd go race in Manila dad would gather the engines/pipes and stuff. He'd spend all the next week getting them fitted in anticipation. Did this a couple of times. I am reasonably sure my brother had a 125cc pimp engine in his "100" ...
Yes, they even fabricated a pipe for the JT-1. We kicked the shit out of ALL comers. I moved up to the "100" for practice. We were Preston Petty and Webco pimps. Radial heads. Screw metal tanks and fenders. Too heavy. Seat frames were lightened via drilling, and the local seamstresses would fit custom covers. Trim all useless weight.
Not boasting, but I rolled well in my class. No DNF's, about 23 firsts, and one third in my first race. Dad was a great mechanic.
When I had to race up a class or two, my brother would kick my ass on his 100. He was an animal. The only race he didn't win was when he forgot to open the petcock and stalled. The adult racers always bitched that he only won because he weighed nothing. He was WAY better than me. Yes, he had potential. Fucking crazy kid.
We was bad ass, oh yeah. father knew "small dude, bigger bike" theory.
. The worst MX injury I have witnessed in person was when my then 11-12 year-old brother dumped my (his former) LT 100 unit brake side while goofing around on the "little" bike and was rendered unconscious.
He went down with the throttle WFO against the ground...rear wheel spinning. The down pipe seared the flesh on his leg for several minutes. Ugly wound. He was rescued by a fellow "Typhoon MC" member and track organizer out practicing. What a crappy sight seeing my brother return the pit draped over a gas tank.
Mom declared that the end of it all... Women win. But it wasn't the "End of it All" at all... We moved to Italy for 6 years.
I rode a early 70's CZ and a 1975(?) KTM. Early Maico as well too. Nice Italian friends. WTH, where were those "Cabalero" units from??
I snuck in a 1979 Husky CR 125 a few years later while we lived in Italy. Kept it at a friend's pad. Last cool MX'er was a 1985 Maico 250 in college. Crazy bike... The dealer had them in his basement in Meadville, PA. Ron Brise, if you are out there... Thanks! High Point and Magoo!
Anyhoo, my brother still rolls Harleys, and I am helping a friend work on a 2004 KTM 525 SX. What a beast. It is like riding a 16 hand high horse!
SO... it never really ends if you don't let it. I am thinking about a KTM 2-stroke... Hmmmm. Maybe an old Honda...
But really, until you have ridden what Robert, DeCoster, The "Flying Finn", Adolph (hint: Not Hitler), had to deal with... Those were sturdy folk.
EDIT: New around here, so iffn' this needs to slide to the vintage schuff page, mods, send it over...
if you could find me a kick start for it i would be a very well liked son, i brought him the TLD Steve McQueen open face helmet to go with it, and it did sit in the entrance to the house, i
Learned so much on that bike. Never raced it.... however with a snuff on the straight pipe I prowled every riding spot in the great Seattle area.....
Great Vid seeing those 500's,pretty sure Geboers had a win too at Glen Helen
Post a reply to: When men were men...and dinosaurs ruled