Noguchi

Larry
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Larry 2/19/2009 7:16pm
2/19/2009 7:16pm Edited Date/Time 2/19/2009 7:17pm
DJRacing wrote:
Noguchi dirtbikes, 125cc

Does anyone know more about this old school parts/tuner factory other than they used yamaha parts?
Any info would help.
All I remember about you in 77 was hauling ass in Fulton county stadium.

Did you ride that Shinobi at the Burnt Hickory National?
andymoto
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andymoto 2/19/2009 10:42pm
2/19/2009 10:42pm
andymoto wrote:
McDannald was like Dist. 36 blue plate #1 one year; can't remember which.
BobbyM wrote:
you sure bout that? lesnewski was 78, jodry was 77 and i was 79...i think
Charlie Marshall in '75; Thought Neil maybe '76 or '77? Thought Jodry was '76 myself.

You raced 'em; you remember better.

I'm just a mixed up fan of all you guys.
badbrad108 2/23/2009 1:48pm
2/23/2009 1:48pm
Hi Larry
I did at Burnt Hickory but I think AIR was the first one. Richard Burdett was getting Zappa to fix all of the first problems and it was his bike I raced.
jim
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jim 3/11/2009 7:36am
3/11/2009 7:36am
Dennis Hall # 254 was the Noguchi rider for the Atlanta area in the mid 70's. He was the only kid in High School to drive a van with the Noguchi logo on it. He was a good friend of mine for a number of years.The 1st bike I had he brought me an old noguchi down pipe, we changed the carb. and air cleaner, ported out the piston with a dremel grinder. Took it to the track and it would out run his on a straightaway, the turns were a different story, he was very fast

The Shop

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Larry
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Larry 3/11/2009 9:45am
3/11/2009 9:45am
jim wrote:
Dennis Hall # 254 was the Noguchi rider for the Atlanta area in the mid 70's. He was the only kid in High School to drive...
Dennis Hall # 254 was the Noguchi rider for the Atlanta area in the mid 70's. He was the only kid in High School to drive a van with the Noguchi logo on it. He was a good friend of mine for a number of years.The 1st bike I had he brought me an old noguchi down pipe, we changed the carb. and air cleaner, ported out the piston with a dremel grinder. Took it to the track and it would out run his on a straightaway, the turns were a different story, he was very fast
Were you at Road Atlanta Trans Am when Dennis pulled the holeshot in the 250 support class.
He was leading Marty Smith and all of us locals were going crazy!
jim
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jim 3/11/2009 11:38am
3/11/2009 11:38am
I was not there that day, but I rode in an amateur race there. What I remember about that place was the last downhill after the back straight. You could not see the bottom until you were in the air. whew!
mitchell184
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mitchell184 8/12/2010 7:47am
8/12/2010 7:47am
Guys, all great info on Noguchi and Shinobi - cool names from the past. Anyone remember a kid from Ohio named Willi (or Willy) Pertz? In '74 or '75, he had a couple of Gene McKay's YZ80s, and they were SO fast. He was a tiny kid and didn't ride mx all that well, but he was hell on the short tracks and tts back then. I'm doing a story on Noguchi in issue four of Moto Retro Illustrated, my new vintage magazine, and any info or pix you can shoot my way would be greatly appreciated (and credited in the magazine). We've done three issues so far (see the site for details...motoretroillustrated.com), and are working on #4 now. We're glossy and oversized and packed with stories on bikes, events, people and moto-culture from the mid-'60s to the mid-'80s - the glory days. Thanks much! Mitch@Motoretroillustrated.com 310.849.1845
project racer 8/12/2010 4:56pm
8/12/2010 4:56pm
I do recall the SE Noguchi liason was Dirty Distributing in Atlanta. An old friend of mine was sponsored by Dirty in Dirt Track and Road Racing. Jay Levingston.He was the #1 novice in the nation back in '72 or '73.

Woody Kyle also worked for Noguchi early on. He built some of the fastest 2 stroke short track engines around. Also helped out Jeff Frisz in '87 with his Suzuki's. Jeff had many holeshots that year in the 250 Nationals using WKR engines.
project racer 8/12/2010 4:56pm
8/12/2010 4:56pm Edited Date/Time 8/12/2010 4:59pm
Mini elsie, would that have been Russ Kerr? What time frame was that ? I-30 Speedway?
Nicholas_Hall 7/8/2011 4:25pm
7/8/2011 4:25pm
mx317 wrote:
Gene McKay was a local racer from around here. I bought one of his old Noguchis that was bad fast. He had his own Jap mechanic...
Gene McKay was a local racer from around here. I bought one of his old Noguchis that was bad fast. He had his own Jap mechanic (Hachi) that kept his stuff up.
My dad talked about Hatchi and Tamahara all the time lol. He told me some great stories. I cant believe you people know who these guys are. Smile
Mini Elsinore
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Mini Elsinore 7/9/2011 8:28am
7/9/2011 8:28am
project racer wrote:
Mini elsie, would that have been Russ Kerr? What time frame was that ? I-30 Speedway?
Was Glenn Kerr the Dad's name? There was a female flat-tracker out of Georgia (Tammy Kirk?) who ran Noguchi. I did not realize at the time that Georgia was "Noguchi-central" in the USA. I always considered the McKay's (Tennessee) as the Noguchi "first family."
mx317
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mx317 7/22/2011 12:00pm
7/22/2011 12:00pm
Gene raced one of the shop bikes a couple of weeks ago. With a little practice he would be good for the vet class. He brought a suitcase by with pictures from back in the day and clippings that his mom saved. It was neat to look through all of it.
Jim_Harris
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Jim_Harris 12/28/2011 7:09pm
12/28/2011 7:09pm
mx317 wrote:
Gene has made some bad choices. Bob Collie and I were racing at Loretta's in 2003 and he came out to watch. That is the last...
Gene has made some bad choices. Bob Collie and I were racing at Loretta's in 2003 and he came out to watch. That is the last time I talked to him. He was working in construction for a guy that he and his son races. He says Gene will jump on one of their bikes every now and then and fly around their track.
I'm a friend of Gene's here in our home county, I'm happy to report Gene turned his life around, and has been doing very well these last several years.
burker1307
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burker1307 1/23/2012 10:23am
1/23/2012 10:23am
badbrad108 wrote:
Back to Shinobi water cool heads I did most of the testing for them and was the first to race in a National in I think...
Back to Shinobi water cool heads I did most of the testing for them and was the first to race in a National in I think 1977 with water cooling.
I just bought a 1976 YZ 125X that has the water cooled head. Bike is in very good shape and runs. Anyone have some articles on this from the day? Any info? DG had a prototype at the time also. This bike was found in a barn for $200.00! I got very lucky.
Big Daddy
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Big Daddy 12/14/2012 8:51pm
12/14/2012 8:51pm
jim wrote:
Dennis Hall # 254 was the Noguchi rider for the Atlanta area in the mid 70's. He was the only kid in High School to drive...
Dennis Hall # 254 was the Noguchi rider for the Atlanta area in the mid 70's. He was the only kid in High School to drive a van with the Noguchi logo on it. He was a good friend of mine for a number of years.The 1st bike I had he brought me an old noguchi down pipe, we changed the carb. and air cleaner, ported out the piston with a dremel grinder. Took it to the track and it would out run his on a straightaway, the turns were a different story, he was very fast


This photo of Dennis Hall was taken in Florida in 1975. Like others have said, Dennis was the dude on 100s and 125s in Georgia back in the day. He pulled a 5X8 enclosed trailer with these Noguchi graphics as well. It was the definition of cool back in the day!
245
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245 7/8/2013 3:38am
7/8/2013 3:38am
HORNETDRIVER wrote:
I raced against Gene on one of his Noguchi Yamahas at the Patoka, Indiana AMA national in 1974 or 1975 (I can't recall which...early onset Alzheimers...
I raced against Gene on one of his Noguchi Yamahas at the Patoka, Indiana AMA national in 1974 or 1975 (I can't recall which...early onset Alzheimers, I reckon).

That was one serious-fast kid on a seriously fast bike.

Very sad to hear he's made poor choices.

HORNETDRIVER
Think it was 74, 75 Gene moved up to big bikes,
rob.boucher.547 8/13/2014 8:41am
8/13/2014 8:41am
I have a few shinobi head kits in a box on the farm , will dig a few up for photos
yamaha 125 kits with the plates still attached to the radiators , with lechtron
carbs too!
rob.boucher.547 8/14/2014 12:33pm
8/14/2014 12:33pm
I will have a few photo's to post after the weekend
Until i have the parts in my hand i cannot remember
what bikes the kits fit
the engines were pulled out of the frames and used
for Flattrack, ice racing (thats where the lectron) carbs
were used
the 74-78 YZ's were outdated so fast as each
model was purchased we shitcanned bikes and parts
for the latest
My brother had all the gyt kit parts every model

Pit Row

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sgthubbard#60
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sgthubbard#60 8/15/2014 4:04am
8/15/2014 4:04am
My Shinobi for 76-78 CR125. Neat stuff.


dynohut
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dynohut 8/18/2014 2:49pm
8/18/2014 2:49pm
Nice Danny Doss post Trey on the right day he was faster than Marty Smith back then.
rob.boucher.547 8/18/2014 5:57pm
8/18/2014 5:57pm
On a sheft in a box for over 30 years , ran it thru
the parts washer today
For a YZ125

domoguchi
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domoguchi 8/19/2014 3:50am
8/19/2014 3:50am
Hi Rob,

I am interested in buying this kit for my yamaha if its for sale please let me know.
Thanks
rob.boucher.547 8/19/2014 6:53am
8/19/2014 6:53am
OK, would have to figure out
the value if i decide to sell this kit
domoguchi
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domoguchi 8/19/2014 2:53pm
8/19/2014 2:53pm
Fair enough. Just let me know.
rob.boucher.547 8/24/2014 10:14am
8/24/2014 10:14am
I am open to offers on the kit, before it goes on the
next project build list
YZ302
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YZ302 4/1/2017 8:34pm
4/1/2017 8:34pm
That is likely Gene McKay.
project racer 4/1/2017 8:54pm
4/1/2017 8:54pm
Friend of mine traveled from Florida to the Short Track portion of that event in Tupelo ,'74. Never forget him saying when they got out of the truck and took a look, the track was about the size of a baseball diamond.
project racer 4/1/2017 9:04pm
4/1/2017 9:04pm Edited Date/Time 4/1/2017 9:06pm
Woody Kyle was a big part of Dirty Distributing / Noguchi in the southeast. That is him wrenching . He is still building fast engines. One of the few YZ450's in AFT (AMA) flat track racing pro singles class has won the first three races so far this season, with WKR engines, ridden by Dalton Gauthier.




Oldnslo
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Oldnslo 4/2/2017 3:00am
4/2/2017 3:00am


Here's my old team jersey ! Noguchi built some cool " Go Fast" " Yamaha bits. Still have a bunch of NOS stuff...
Noguchi is to Yamaha as Mugen is to Honda.

YZ302
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YZ302 4/2/2017 5:51am
4/2/2017 5:51am
Is that a reproduction jersey?

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