Posts
73
Joined
1/4/2009
Location
Camarillo, CA, USA
Edited Date/Time
10/4/2013 8:39pm
I used to "Cow-trail" from my house on Western and Carson to Normandie, then down a dirt back alley East across Figueroa, Vermont, then, Main Street. to JACKRABBIT HILLS. (Across the 405 from the GOOD YEAR BLIMP)
People lucky enough to live near the deserts and mountains always had a place to get out and ride, but we had to dodge the cops to get in (And out) of Jackrabbit almost every weekend in the 70s and early 80s.
I used to see many racers practice there. I saw many big name pros, local pros, amateurs, and even magazine editors from Dirt Bike and others.
A kid and his family from my neighborhood were in the original "Gone in 60 seconds" because they were there flying RC planes on the little blacktop located in the middle of this place that had to be approx. 40 acres.
I would pack a lunch and make a day of it. Most of my friends from school rode there.
Bill Boyer, Danny Matis, Greg and Blake Vitali, and many others. I use to see Donnie Luce out there. (Yamaha Quad Racing Team Manager) Donnie and I raced in the 125 class for a while at Ascot. Let me know if you know this place. A lot of great memories!
People lucky enough to live near the deserts and mountains always had a place to get out and ride, but we had to dodge the cops to get in (And out) of Jackrabbit almost every weekend in the 70s and early 80s.
I used to see many racers practice there. I saw many big name pros, local pros, amateurs, and even magazine editors from Dirt Bike and others.
A kid and his family from my neighborhood were in the original "Gone in 60 seconds" because they were there flying RC planes on the little blacktop located in the middle of this place that had to be approx. 40 acres.
I would pack a lunch and make a day of it. Most of my friends from school rode there.
Bill Boyer, Danny Matis, Greg and Blake Vitali, and many others. I use to see Donnie Luce out there. (Yamaha Quad Racing Team Manager) Donnie and I raced in the 125 class for a while at Ascot. Let me know if you know this place. A lot of great memories!
Is that the same place as Dominguez Hills? If so I used to ride my Penton 250 & my Maico 440 there. we used to have a sort of MX track & a bunch of trails.
You might remember the slope that came up perpendicular to the freeway, then it was flat on top and sloped down the other side. One day Jennings was clearing the whole top on his Wheelsmith Maico. He'd done it a few times until finally, about ten feet in the air, his throttle assembly slipped off the end of his handlebar! He stepped off and landed hard. He let me ride his Maico the rest of the afternoon. Wow, what a Cadillac compared to the RM I had at the time. I got my own Maico not long after that. The next morning JJ woke up to a foot the size and shape of a cantaloupe----it turned out that he'd broken it-----again! He spent the next few weeks in plaster.
When I worked in Long Beach, in the summer time I'd take my bike to work with me on my Toyota PU and after work I'd head over to get in some riding. That was so cool being able to get in an hour or three of riding before it got dark! I'd always stay far away from the mobile home park since the folks there were likely the ones who'd call the cops. But just in case I'd always leave my loading ramp set up on my tailgate so that when the police arrived (probably 1/4 of the time) I'd just ride right up the ramp and start taking off my gear. They'd pull up and tell me "You can't ride here," and there I'd be, taking off my gear and saying, "Oh? Well I was just leaving." That always worked...I never got a ticket there once!
Eventually it got too popular and some of the other regulars were getting cited again and again and I stopped going there. The last time I was in SoCal I drove by on the 405 and it looks like most of the terrain is still there. Hmmm, maybe someone with a quiet electric bike could get away with riding there....
Bigfoot
I work in Rancho Dominguez so I drive by the Goodyear blimp often. I always dreamed of sneaking into the area you described to ride because it's just a dirt field. Pretty cool to know the area was actually a riding spot.
My co-worker said when he was a kid he would ride his Honda scrambler all over the hills in Rancho Dominguez. I asked him what hills? He laughed and told me it was a fun place to ride.
From my first motorcycle, (A Yamaha Mini Enduro), to my (Dale Lewis) Maico 450 Magnum.
The Shop
DeCal Works Huge Plastic Inventory of UFO and Polisport kits.
Luxon 4-Post Bar Mounts
$189.95 - $239.95
Well, it wasn't exactly an "Official" riding place. It was always private property. The cops just seldom came in after us. They did try to get us coming and going though.
Every person whos ever purchased that property has lost their ass. I still drive by on the 405 from time to time. It look like they're finally going to do some major construction.
I always have a BIG SIGH each time I pass it.
I grew up in the area. When I was a kid my dad would take us out to eat at the "Golden Bull" right next door to Jackrabbit. They had a golf course and trampolines! I would always try to talk the folks into springing for a "Tramp Sesson". M-E-M-O-R-I-E-S
We use to "cow trail" down to it as much as we could. I think we took the railroad tracks from the Mobil plant on 190th and Hawthorne blvd to get there, using any piece of dirt we could find and we were always dodging cops and the railroad police and more busted glass than our tires could take. The amount of times we use to side saddle the bike to cross intersections was gross !!!!
I'm also pretty sure that the really fast guy that would lap you was me
I'm sure they're many of us old farts out there who loved riding this place. I'll dig through the archives and find a photo of me from there. I think I'm logging a little flight time on my old RM. (It wasn't old then)
190th? Did you go to North? Did you know Brian McCormick, or Mark Sager?
How the hell do you post a photo on this site??
Check out the cool blue jeans and the wide leather belt! (Tre-chic)
RM with super-trick tank cover!
Anyone know that guy who is blocking my photo??? Nylon vest, no shirt. Latest in 80s moto wear!
How about the place that is now the overpass on 190th and Prairie? Back in the day Prairie ended at 190th and there was a great area south of the corner. I'm not sure what kind of chemical waste we rode in ,but the cops would leave us alone most the time. From there you could ride the tracks to a bunch of spots from the Union Carbide plant in El Segundo as far as the LA Harbor.
As for the pictures, you have to post them on a photo share place, then use the "photo" dealio. Do a search for a better explanation.
Ooops, sorry. How'd that get in there??
I see you got the picture deal down pat . lmao !!!
We also use to drag race down Van Ness on Saturday nights. (Before the cops got tough on drag racing) I had a 67 Ranchero with a 289. Sometimes I would race my H1 500 Kaw Triple. Are you from my old neighborhood? I grew up on Western and 215th St.
Funny, not only did I lap you on the bike but took your money at the drags!! Do you remember a '69 root beer brown Cuda? We made a lot money down there with that car.
How about a Jimmy Welch, he lived over by you and had a CR 250 Elsi, his glasses were thick as coke bottles. At that time I lived off of Prairie and 182.
Pit Row
Not sure how, but I know I'll get the blame for this.
*Seems to be a popular pose, huh?
I mentioned talking to you about Jimmy Welsh with the coke bottles and Elsinore 250. He said there were about 3 boys in that family. Does that sound right? I vaguely remember Jimmy. Wasn't he pretty fast for a while?
*ATTENTION - IF ANYONE HAS PHOTOS OF A FAVORITE OLD OUTLAW RIDING SPOT
FROM BACK IN THE DAY. PLEASE POST.
I KNOW THERE'S A LOT OF US THAT WOULD LIKE TO SEE OLD PHOTOS OF "JACKRABBIT HILLS" (DOMINGUEZ HILLS - CARSON), HARBOR CITY SLOUGH, MAYFAIR CREAMERY (DEL AMO AND VAN NESS - TORRANCE) OR WHEREVER.
THANKS!!!
CHRIS
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