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I was recently writing about Tortelli, and the what ifs (1 year in lites, stayed at kawi, same trainer). I sincerely believe we didn't see the real tortelli (96/97/98) when he was in the US.
But I almost could say the same about Albee. On the Honda De Groot, he quite demolished the gp scene in 92 and 93 with a title in 125 then 250. He then never showed that type of speed and confidence later on the yellow bike.
It is true that RC may have won on a quad, but I think most riders, even JS7 or MC, could have had different career with more brand loyalty (if proposed) or sometimes just more luck regarding the bike evolutions (ie. JS7 2009 vs 2010+, CR 96/97 I think had Honda kept the steel frame MC would have won even more races). It is hard to get to the top and to stay there, 1 change, 1 click in the program can often derail it.
I think Broc Glover is one of the most under-appreciated riders in history. His rides on those production-based YZs versus the full factory bikes is the stuff of legend IMO. The guy beat David Bailey riding a full factory RC500 on a pig YZ490. And yes, Rick Johnson gets credit, as well. Dude was a busted wheel away from winning a 250 title on one.
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Can-Am took the top 3 in the Championship that year. Not likely something that would have happened with a POS bike.
Talking that particular bike, that particular year, against what the other manufacturers were putting out.
But Glover's YZ490 against a works RC500 Honda has to be at the top of the list. Honorable mention to RJ almost beating Hansen's works RC250 on a production based YZ. What's really impressive is that Hansen was at the top of his game and his RC250 works bike was so far ahead of the other works bikes in 1982.
Look at that sea of HRC to the outside of Bad Boy.
‘84 USGP Champ (one of my favorite pics)
I do have one observation, though. The ‘81 and ‘83 OW’s that Glover won two of his three 500cc National championships on weren’t exactly chopped liver. Or were they?
MXA did a test years ago (early to mid 90's I estimate). They had the actual bike that Everts rode and ran it against modern 250's of the day. The Puch smoked every modern bike every time off the line, it was no contest. The bike was a rocket ship. No suspension compared to the modern bikes, but the motor was ahead of it's time.
Second would be Rick Johnson on his 82 Yamaha losing the championship to Donnie Hansen's works Honda RC in the last race.
I recall hearing an interview where Hannah reportedly offered Decoster that he would ride for Honda for FREE and would only ask for win bonuses if he could get a ride on the works Honda's in 83. His production based 82 Yamaha reportedly being 20 or 30lbs heavier than the Honda works RC. Rick Johnson also testified to how much better the Honda's were even a few years later... so Broc Glover gets my vote. The 80's Yamahas had some tough years and were not on par with their competition for some time.
Broc is also probably one of if not the most underrated national champion. 6 time national champion against a plethora of Hall of Fame riders. I think folks sometimes forget how good he was and how hard he had to work to get those last 3 championships on an inferior bike. Certainly left out of some conversations he should be in with the casual fans.
Great thread! The 80's Honda Factory team was a juggernaut, beating the riders or the bikes was an accomplishment. Also a number of greats with their careers cut short. Magoo,Hansen, and Bailey.
Pit Row
Albee
RC
Rossi.
Who else?
I guess that Jacky Martens and his Husqvarna 610cc would count too, because the bike was amazingly powerful but it handled damn hard.
Sears 106.
What will be interesting is if they do it to the next guy for MX... because it's been a long long long time for them since being at the top.
After MC, they were back on top 7 or so years later with RC. Since RC, it's been 16 or 17 years? You'd assume Kenny is the underdog still for a bit...
actually JMB.
Firstly when he moved to the US in 89, he got support from DeCoster and Payton, but not American Honda whereas he was HRC in the GPs.
Secondly when he decided to move to road racing, he got no support too and did it with his own money at the beginning. At his first gp in 250 in 92 in france, he raced a kitted honda that was a snail compared to the factory bikes. I was there, just as a kid, and honestly it was a bit embarrassing ; you know, JMB had that kind of superstar status back then and he qualified last and got lapped about mid race. Maybe Honda tried to keep him in MX at that time by showing he would be ridiculous in road racing.
Then he created a private team in 93 and raced a kitted aprilia, went to the factory aprilia team in 94/95, then got a factory yamaha in GP500. Problem, after Rainey's era, the yamaha bikes were quite competitive in 96 but not in the same zip code with hondas (Doohan, Criville). Then in 97/98/99 he never got a competitive equipment (a work in progress, 3 cylinders, then 4, then 3, lost of mechanicals, etc)
Bayle still scored the best GP500 championship results for a french during the 90's and 2000s, finishing 9th in his rookie season in 96. He then got unlucky with team changes, and pushing the enveloppe to compensate he also ended up injuring himself. But I am 99% sure he would have ended a few championships on the podium if Honda would have kept him at the time.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean-Michel_Bayle
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