70s MX racing. Got pics?

The Rock
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The Rock
Edited Date/Time 6/29/2022 8:15am



The 70s saw racers cutting and welding their frames to mimic the factory bikes. Here is my 73 Husky modded to be a Mikkola replica as I am exiting the mud hole at Fruitdale in SW Ohio in 1974. Local pro and part time riding coach Doug Sanger cheering me on.


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DA498
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DA498 7/29/2015 4:25pm
7/29/2015 4:25pm
I have tons of pics from the 70s, that being said, I don't know how to work the internet! Dizzy
ocscottie
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ocscottie 7/29/2015 5:10pm
7/29/2015 5:10pm
FTE should be here shortly....
dogface
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dogface 7/29/2015 5:36pm
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The Rock
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The Rock 7/29/2015 6:59pm
7/29/2015 6:59pm
ocscottie wrote:
FTE should be here shortly....
I was hoping to see shots of Vital MX folks from back in the day but never mind looking at killer shots of Michael's Trans AM series coverage.

The Shop

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The Rock
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The Rock 7/29/2015 7:01pm
7/29/2015 7:01pm Edited Date/Time 7/29/2015 7:02pm
dogface wrote:
[img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2015/07/29/99209/s1200_IMG_20140706_105447756.jpg[/img]


72 125 Penton? My friend with the 37 acre field had one and along with my 72 250 AJS hit races in eastern Indiana and all over Ohio. Did those green Pentons have a leather strap on the gas tank? CRS.
bgpn35
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bgpn35 7/29/2015 7:41pm
7/29/2015 7:41pm
I have some pics of my uncle that was a pro here in the Charlotte area, I will post some pics tomorrow when I get to work. He was just telling me the other day that they would cut the shock mounts and weld them further up to give the bike more travel, he said that the Japanese had it figured out because what they did to the suspension made it terrible! Lol
WhipMeister
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WhipMeister 7/29/2015 7:52pm
7/29/2015 7:52pm
I have tons and tons of the local races and the Rio Bravo Trans AMAs. Now where are they?
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The Rock
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The Rock 7/29/2015 8:37pm
7/29/2015 8:37pm Edited Date/Time 7/30/2015 11:48am
bgpn35 wrote:
I have some pics of my uncle that was a pro here in the Charlotte area, I will post some pics tomorrow when I get to...
I have some pics of my uncle that was a pro here in the Charlotte area, I will post some pics tomorrow when I get to work. He was just telling me the other day that they would cut the shock mounts and weld them further up to give the bike more travel, he said that the Japanese had it figured out because what they did to the suspension made it terrible! Lol
Look forward to seeing your pics.

The works Maicos showed up with the rear shocks moved up in 73 not 74. Thanks to FTE for correction on year. It was a fairly easy modification for those with bending and welding skills as the top shock mount only moved forward.

The fall of 74 saw the first shipment of 1974 and a half (seriously) 400GP Maicos with from the factory coffin tanks and moved up shocks.

To turn your Husky into a Mikkola/Semics replica the top mount was removed and put in a new location....yeah....that looks like the right spot Mr. Hill...just weld it there. No jig no measurements just good old winging it! We had already made the swingarm two inches longer because my dad and I read the Husky need a longer swingarm. Friend of ours made up these high quality plugs for lack of a better description that close to the swingarm pivot the swing arm was cut in two with these plugs going in as extensions.
mauidex
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mauidex 7/29/2015 9:09pm
7/29/2015 9:09pm
my buddys dad modded our TM 125s and it was amazing that it was almost identical to the RM 125 when they first came out..........problem was shocks goiong away unless you could afford those "trick" yellow bisteins!!!!!!!
ocscottie
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ocscottie 7/30/2015 12:46am
7/30/2015 12:46am
The Rock wrote:
I was hoping to see shots of Vital MX folks from back in the day but never mind looking at killer shots of Michael's Trans AM...
I was hoping to see shots of Vital MX folks from back in the day but never mind looking at killer shots of Michael's Trans AM series coverage.
In that case, i was just a lil tike back then, but still had some of the best days of my life on my MR50:









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ocscottie
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ocscottie 7/30/2015 12:50am
7/30/2015 12:50am Edited Date/Time 7/30/2015 12:53am
Then i moved onto the first version of Suziki's RM50, going from a 3 speed to 6 gearbox was HEAVEN!! I think this was '78? Killer start technique..NOT!

btw: the bubble visor was Ricky Ryans influence, he always wore them back then and was like an older brother to me.



Every year my mom would take us to Olan Mills in our gear to get photos taken, so embarrassing! Check out the Full Bore boots and uvex goggles.





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bgpn35
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bgpn35 7/30/2015 5:01am
7/30/2015 5:01am
Here are some pics out of my family scrap book when they all raced. They covered these races in the paper like they do high school sports now! That's my uncle on the left of the trophy girl.






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h&m_cycle
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h&m_cycle 7/30/2015 5:48am
7/30/2015 5:48am
The Narrator wrote:
Where's uptite...
Who SB? upload function won't let me... Haven't got thrown off yet because I'm posting...Woohoo Silly
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dsmith 7/30/2015 6:22am
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Bultaco
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Bultaco 7/30/2015 6:56am
7/30/2015 6:56am
Here a couple from 1973 and 1974. Pratt, KS and Sprokets MX by Wichita.

Gary Witt. Sprockets MX. He was one of the Kansas hotshoes in the early 70's.


Yours Truely. Sprocket MX. 1973 on a 1970 Pursang 250. Model 68 usually referred to as the duck tail pursang.


Yours Truely. Pratt County Fair race. 1974 on a 1974 KX-250.


Yours Truely. Pratt MX. 1973 between motos.


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imoto34
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imoto34 7/30/2015 7:06am
7/30/2015 7:06am
why is the uploaded button not working? when i clck it, it does nothing
h&m_cycle
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h&m_cycle 7/30/2015 7:28am
7/30/2015 7:28am
imoto34 wrote:
why is the uploaded button not working? when i clck it, it does nothing
Me too, all the other controls work like Bold, it's always worked before...

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h&m_cycle
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h&m_cycle 7/30/2015 7:31am
7/30/2015 7:31am
Bultaco wrote:
Here a couple from 1973 and 1974. Pratt, KS and Sprokets MX by Wichita. Gary Witt. Sprockets MX. He was one of the Kansas hotshoes in...
Here a couple from 1973 and 1974. Pratt, KS and Sprokets MX by Wichita.

Gary Witt. Sprockets MX. He was one of the Kansas hotshoes in the early 70's.


Yours Truely. Sprocket MX. 1973 on a 1970 Pursang 250. Model 68 usually referred to as the duck tail pursang.


Yours Truely. Pratt County Fair race. 1974 on a 1974 KX-250.


Yours Truely. Pratt MX. 1973 between motos.


That last Photo of you shows you were one of those Hippys Nixon was talking about...Silly
Zoom
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mumbles
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mumbles 7/30/2015 7:56am
7/30/2015 7:56am
I only have a few in digital format. I have lots of old slides though. Her are a few of me back in the day.


76 Suzuki RM250 at practice track in Gilbert Arizona in 77.



76 Suzuki RM250 at Canyon Racway in Arizona in 78.



73 Suzuki TM250 Fair Grounds track in Greenville NC in 75.



73 Suzuki TM250 Fair Grounds track in Greenville NC in 74.



58 BSA Gold Star Fair Grounds track in Greenville NC in 73.

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Bultaco
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Bultaco 7/30/2015 9:29am
7/30/2015 9:29am
h&m_cycle wrote:
That last Photo of you shows you were one of those Hippys Nixon was talking about...Silly
Pinko Commie Hippies? Cool Cool

I remember watching a news documentary in the 60's about the Haight Ashbury district and hippies in San Fran. That was about the closest this hayseed ever got to being a hippie. Wish I could even grow some hair now, let alone that much.
Hallzilla
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Hallzilla 7/30/2015 10:00am
7/30/2015 10:00am Edited Date/Time 7/30/2015 11:43am
This thread is motivating me to convert some photo's. Here is a 8mm video i digitized, it's my Dad and his friends in the late 60's ? Off Pearblossom in Palmdale. Very close to where LACR is is.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qm2qFinC7E

https://youtu.be/2qm2qFinC7E
The Narrator 7/30/2015 10:08am
7/30/2015 10:08am
The Narrator wrote:
Where's uptite...
h&m_cycle wrote:
Who SB? upload function won't let me... Haven't got thrown off yet because I'm posting...Woohoo Silly
Bauer has his own screen name. Uptite is a mystery factory Yamaha rider..
h&m_cycle
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h&m_cycle 7/30/2015 10:16am
7/30/2015 10:16am
The Narrator wrote:
Bauer has his own screen name. Uptite is a mystery factory Yamaha rider..
#8...


FreshTopEnd
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FreshTopEnd 7/30/2015 11:04am
7/30/2015 11:04am
The Rock wrote:
I was hoping to see shots of Vital MX folks from back in the day but never mind looking at killer shots of Michael's Trans AM...
I was hoping to see shots of Vital MX folks from back in the day but never mind looking at killer shots of Michael's Trans AM series coverage.
ocscottie wrote:
In that case, i was just a lil tike back then, but still had some of the best days of my life on my MR50: [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/users/405/photos/25544/s1600_129284810_1270527674.jpg?1294240935[/img]...
In that case, i was just a lil tike back then, but still had some of the best days of my life on my MR50:









I took at as a call for the local stuff. I have a lot of that from the mid 70's in Norcal, almost all unscanned and a lot not good.

Works Maico's starting showing up with moved up shocks in 73. A lot of frames got cut up in metal shop that year. A lot of frames broke those years.
ocscottie
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ocscottie 7/30/2015 11:40am
7/30/2015 11:40am
Hey mumbles, those are some awesome pics!!
ocscottie
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ocscottie 7/30/2015 11:42am
7/30/2015 11:42am Edited Date/Time 7/30/2015 11:44am
Hallzilla wrote:
This thread is motivating me to convert some photo's. Here is a 8mm video i digitized, it's my Dad and his friends in the late 60's...
This thread is motivating me to convert some photo's. Here is a 8mm video i digitized, it's my Dad and his friends in the late 60's ? Off Pearblossom in Palmdale. Very close to where LACR is is.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qm2qFinC7E

https://youtu.be/2qm2qFinC7E
KICKASS video!! Very well done, love the soundtrack!

btw: i embedded it into your post.
bronwynrayne
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bronwynrayne 7/30/2015 11:45am
7/30/2015 11:45am
Hallzilla wrote:
This thread is motivating me to convert some photo's. Here is a 8mm video i digitized, it's my Dad and his friends in the late 60's...
This thread is motivating me to convert some photo's. Here is a 8mm video i digitized, it's my Dad and his friends in the late 60's ? Off Pearblossom in Palmdale. Very close to where LACR is is.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qm2qFinC7E

https://youtu.be/2qm2qFinC7E
ocscottie wrote:
KICKASS video!! Very well done, love the soundtrack! btw: i embedded it into your post.
KICKASS video!! Very well done, love the soundtrack!

btw: i embedded it into your post.
Second that. That was wicked.
Tim507
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Tim507 7/30/2015 12:23pm
7/30/2015 12:23pm
dogface wrote:
[img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2015/07/29/99209/s1200_IMG_20140706_105447756.jpg[/img]


Looks like Rick McCaffery

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