new vs. old talent

david631
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david631
Edited Date/Time 1/27/2012 7:38pm
I'll probably get massacred for this. I just don't get the same thrill watching current moto cross as I did watching the races during the 70's and 80's. in the races today there's maybe up to 5 guy's who can win. in the "old" day's if there were 40 guy's at the line, with at least 20 being able to run in the top 5. I know the times dictate the machinery but, the work's bikes in the 70's were really something to see. I mean under 200lb. works suzuki's. CZ's with sand cast cases, maico's with ti axle's. the riders were also very colorful. adolf weil, the paul newman of m/x. rocket rex staten. bob "huricane" hannah. need I say more. just like classic rock and roll, these guy's have staying power. I'm glad I was there to see it.
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Halfast816 6/13/2010 6:36am
6/13/2010 6:36am
I think it had more to do with guys doing what they loved to do. Not a bunch of people looking to make a buck. The old guard made a majority of their money from winning not just showing up. It was a way for them to avoid the real world of 9-5 for awhile. Now kids figure work hard get a big contract and be set for life, why risk getting hurt bad there is always tomorrow. Before anyone says todays riders work hard, sure they do but just working hard doesn't mean your heart is in it. If you've ever sat and listened to any of the old school riders talk they seem to hold the time racing as a wonderous era full of great times and mischievous pranks.......Now its my Monster powered procircus equipped pogo suspesion sponsored preperation H pain in the ass sponsored speeches. Moto went from a soul sport to one owned and operated by the almighty buck. If exposure is so great why were numbers of participants higher in the old days?? I won't blame the 4 stroke but...........
BVS40FL
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BVS40FL 6/13/2010 7:48am
6/13/2010 7:48am
I remember seeing team photos in the DB and MXA of Team Honda and it looked like a baseball team photo. They had 3 125 guys 3 250 guys and 3 open class guys , plus all those mechanics. The fastest guys today MAY be faster than the fastest of those days but....... the talent pool was WAY deeper then.
Oh well , Nascar has lost some of my interest too. For the same reasons.
scooter5002
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scooter5002 6/13/2010 8:02am
6/13/2010 8:02am
All very true. As well, the podium speeches pretty much suck these days. The corporate takeover is almost complete, save the biblical interventions. The price you pay when your sport finally goes mainstream and all that it entails. I watch the racing and change channels the instant the flag drops. Unless Windham makes it to the podium. I can probably hang in there for him.
500 Mike
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500 Mike 6/13/2010 1:05pm
6/13/2010 1:05pm
David.... you'll get no disagreement from me. MX has lost it's flavor.... for me anyway. In those days the riders were more colorful, the bikes were always in a state of development. It wasn't just the same big 4 bikes circulating the track. Who knew what or who was going to show up at the the next race. Maybe it is because I am much older now, maybe it's because the bike development has essentially stopped, maybe it has been the move to 4 strokes, maybe it is the push to make MX mainstream... maybe it is a little bit of all that. I will say that it sure is nice to be able to watch MX on the internet as well as TV live these days. BUT... in years past, I would have been up at 4:30 AM and driving 3 hours to get to High Point by 8 AM so I could scope out the bikes and get a good seat along the fence to watch all day. I didn't do that yesterday and I haven't done it for the past 3 years. I did watch it on the 'net and TV yesterday but it's just not worth the effort I used to put into it. Everything changes and has a life cycle. I am just glad I have the memories of the glory days of motocross. I sure do miss them!

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JPT
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JPT 6/13/2010 2:22pm
6/13/2010 2:22pm
I'm in agreement. I miss the days when you'd have 8-9 brands lining up at a major race and you could tell what a bike was at 100 yrds even if you were color blind.
ElkinHammer
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ElkinHammer 6/14/2010 7:20pm
6/14/2010 7:20pm
I get way more thrill out of looking at old mx/sx races on tape than watching Mt. Morris on sun. the reasons are many! but the bottom line is that i'm old and stuck in 1987! im sorry i just can't help it... it was just plain better... thank God for vintage MX
montesagold
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montesagold 6/15/2010 12:34am
6/15/2010 12:34am
a men! can't wait to get my dads 74 VR together, i'm hooked! i love the modern stuff, but like most things these days, gone to far. i was born in the wrong decade for sure!
LONG LIVE LOUD GUITARS AND THE SWEET SMELL WHICH IS DOUBLE STROKER!!!
motogrady
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motogrady 6/15/2010 3:24am
6/15/2010 3:24am
montesagold wrote:
a men! can't wait to get my dads 74 VR together, i'm hooked! i love the modern stuff, but like most things these days, gone to...
a men! can't wait to get my dads 74 VR together, i'm hooked! i love the modern stuff, but like most things these days, gone to far. i was born in the wrong decade for sure!
LONG LIVE LOUD GUITARS AND THE SWEET SMELL WHICH IS DOUBLE STROKER!!!


How much you want for that basket case VR?
montesagold
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montesagold 6/15/2010 4:12pm
6/15/2010 4:12pm
not for sale! we''ve got 2, he restored the one he had when he was 15 back to original. it loooks it did when it come over on the boat. try to put up a pic. w'ere puting another together to ride.
slowvet
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slowvet 6/15/2010 6:57pm
6/15/2010 6:57pm
JPT wrote:
I'm in agreement. I miss the days when you'd have 8-9 brands lining up at a major race and you could tell what a bike was...
I'm in agreement. I miss the days when you'd have 8-9 brands lining up at a major race and you could tell what a bike was at 100 yrds even if you were color blind.
We're damn lucky to have witnessed it.
JPT
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JPT 6/15/2010 8:48pm
6/15/2010 8:48pm Edited Date/Time 4/17/2016 11:25pm
JPT wrote:
I'm in agreement. I miss the days when you'd have 8-9 brands lining up at a major race and you could tell what a bike was...
I'm in agreement. I miss the days when you'd have 8-9 brands lining up at a major race and you could tell what a bike was at 100 yrds even if you were color blind.
slowvet wrote:
We're damn lucky to have witnessed it.
Absolutely. The pioneer days of a new sport.

New in the US at least.
observer
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observer 6/16/2010 5:47pm
6/16/2010 5:47pm Edited Date/Time 4/17/2016 11:26pm
I'm gonna copy & paste this and put it up on the "Moto" column....Laughing
Talk about stirring the pot. Tonguejust kiddin'


The younger guys have no clue about the history of motocross and most don't care.
My first race I ever attended was a Trans AMA event at Rio. Weinert beat the Euros at there own game-that day. I was forever smitten with the motocross bug. What I saw those guys do that day, I thought was magical. I knew right then what I wanted to do. With the exception of a blur in the 80s(20-25 y/o)when I went on a partying tear-after racing, I have followed the sport ever since.(still casually followed it though)
What I have witnessed is, basically, the net result of corporate money demands. This sport sought for years more corporate sponser money. Well...now ya got it. Along with there demands from clueless people-that want to see it done there way.
It saddens me to see this sport being ever so steadily be pushed to the confines of stadium racing. This years Seattle SX was a circus in the pits. The half time entertainment being the "freestylers" flying around on the KTM 250SXs(2t relegated to being freestyler bikes, how sad is that?)...some of the stuff is OK, but it's obvious that the whole night is geared for 20 something y/o, flat billed, tat adorned kids. I guess I'm just getting old too. But to me...it's like a world class quarter horse being "put down". It just flat ass ain't what it used to be man. In every way...
ElkinHammer
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ElkinHammer 6/16/2010 6:07pm
6/16/2010 6:07pm
observer wrote:
I'm gonna copy & paste this and put it up on the "Moto" column....Talk about stirring the pot. just kiddin' The younger guys have no clue...
I'm gonna copy & paste this and put it up on the "Moto" column....Laughing
Talk about stirring the pot. Tonguejust kiddin'


The younger guys have no clue about the history of motocross and most don't care.
My first race I ever attended was a Trans AMA event at Rio. Weinert beat the Euros at there own game-that day. I was forever smitten with the motocross bug. What I saw those guys do that day, I thought was magical. I knew right then what I wanted to do. With the exception of a blur in the 80s(20-25 y/o)when I went on a partying tear-after racing, I have followed the sport ever since.(still casually followed it though)
What I have witnessed is, basically, the net result of corporate money demands. This sport sought for years more corporate sponser money. Well...now ya got it. Along with there demands from clueless people-that want to see it done there way.
It saddens me to see this sport being ever so steadily be pushed to the confines of stadium racing. This years Seattle SX was a circus in the pits. The half time entertainment being the "freestylers" flying around on the KTM 250SXs(2t relegated to being freestyler bikes, how sad is that?)...some of the stuff is OK, but it's obvious that the whole night is geared for 20 something y/o, flat billed, tat adorned kids. I guess I'm just getting old too. But to me...it's like a world class quarter horse being "put down". It just flat ass ain't what it used to be man. In every way...
I agree 100%
david631
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david631 6/16/2010 9:32pm
6/16/2010 9:32pm Edited Date/Time 6/16/2010 9:33pm
that's a damn shame. not to care about the history of a sport your involved in. it seems like there's credit given when due in other sports. you ask a ball player today if he's heard of kirk gibson and the answer will be: hell yeah he hit that homer over dennis eckersley's head in the world series btw. the dodgers and the A's. all the way down the line. bradshaw in football. nickelaus in golf and so on and so on. I mean I hope they give DeCoster his due. five time world champion. don't think I'm tootin' the history horn here. but I'd rather watch a video of rex staten kicki'n the asses of the world's best on a production CZ at the 74' Carlsbad USGP than a lot of what's televised today.
prillernut
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prillernut 6/16/2010 9:42pm
6/16/2010 9:42pm
heh! Smile all true.. I guess we're learning how our parents, and their parents before them felt. Damn young whippersnappers, with bikes that start every time (unless it's a hot valve-cruncher) and don't have to worry about holding together long enough to finish a moto. Don't know how good they've got it, and just can't appreciate it Wink


Good times... like you guys, I'm just so thankful I was there!!
TG130
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TG130 6/16/2010 11:31pm
6/16/2010 11:31pm
Old school MX rules.
observer
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observer 6/17/2010 8:07pm
6/17/2010 8:07pm Edited Date/Time 4/17/2016 11:27pm
david631 wrote:
that's a damn shame. not to care about the history of a sport your involved in. it seems like there's credit given when due in other...
that's a damn shame. not to care about the history of a sport your involved in. it seems like there's credit given when due in other sports. you ask a ball player today if he's heard of kirk gibson and the answer will be: hell yeah he hit that homer over dennis eckersley's head in the world series btw. the dodgers and the A's. all the way down the line. bradshaw in football. nickelaus in golf and so on and so on. I mean I hope they give DeCoster his due. five time world champion. don't think I'm tootin' the history horn here. but I'd rather watch a video of rex staten kicki'n the asses of the world's best on a production CZ at the 74' Carlsbad USGP than a lot of what's televised today.
Yessir, spot on there David.....DeCoster, in my opinion, is known by the younger kids(if they know him at all)because he manages Team Suzuki and that wunderkid Ryan Dungey(I like that young man)....
not because of his marvelous accomplishments in the psort in the past.
Most don't have a fricken clue.......and anyway...they weren't NEAR as fast as todays riders! ........yeah...OK.

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