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Specially asking about the amateur racing scene. I’m fond of the 90’s because that’s the era I grew up in. Tracks were plentiful, gas was cheap and it was all 2-strokes. When I was very young (mid 80’s) I recall MX bikes being everywhere but less so in the late 90’s.
Years ago I remember an old timer telling me “you missed the heyday” referring to the 70’s. He said there were tracks everywhere.
So was there actually a heyday of motocross or is this just nostalgia of the good old days that everyone has?
70’s and early 80’s
1985
1980 500 USGP
2006
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Mid 70’s to Mid 80’s . The riders were fantastic, the tracks were better ( much more flow and natural obstacles ) The parties were better ! Pick any year from that era to see what the night before the race was like !
Carmicheal/Stewart/Reed era.
About 14-18 years old.
Old enough to appreciate all the new experiences, naive enough to believe it is important, and plentiful free time.
Some people can extend the glory years to 21-22 if they have rich parents or a little talent.
Been attending pro motocross races since 1975, fifty (50) years now. Enjoyed every moto, every track, every era. And, I’ll continue to do so. *Can’t pinpoint a fave.![]()
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Red Bud 2024
That’s me. Those years were pure bliss. The heyday is about perspective from the person experiencing it. You can ask anyone when the best time to live was (on any subject) and most people will refer to sometime in the past. My parents say the 50’s were the best time to be a kid.
Talking to a friend who is the same age, also with kids, and we commented on how we wouldn’t trade the era we grew up in with the era the kids are growing up in now. I actually feel bad for today’s kids because IMO they are missing out on adolescence. It’s been stripped due to modern technology. Point is, they won’t see it that way but will still look back in fondness and see it as the good old days. Of course there are exceptions. I know people that didn’t have a good experience growing up too.
Today
I was just going to post this. Memories and experiences we have individually will always make us feel different, but the sport and field has never been better.
Mid 1970s there were 3 displacements: 125, 250, 500 (sometimes there was a 100 class). There were 3 skill levels: Novice, Intermediate, Expert (Pro). Often there were 3 separate novice 125 motos with 30-40 guys on the rubber band starting line. Intermediates usually had 1 moto per displacement with 20 or so guys. Expert maybe 10-20. Just by participation, this seemed like the heyday. I raced 8 different tracks with 1.5 hours of my house, and there were 2 tracks about 20 minutes away. After class (highschool) I could go to the track and ride.
Wow…never saw this Kalos header before.
Agree with ‘70’s to late ‘80’s. In addition to the sports popularity and the great competition/personalties, you had incredible advances in bike technology during that time. Literally had completely new bikes every year from about ‘78-‘85. Very cool.
Mid-70's to early-80's in SoCal. Full gates in ALL classes with multiple divisions in the BEG/NOV/INT classes. And, in the summer, that was 4 days (nights) a week. If you just look at bike sales, that era dwarfs any other era, and it isn't even close.
My opinion would be 1995ish. I wasn’t around for the 70s and 80s moto. When I was racing woodland mx up in Washington’s state in the mid 90s.. it would be the worst rain, ruts halfway up my cr80 and no one cared. Classes were full. Now days of it rains even a little bit you’re lucky the event even happens.
Logging roads were all open back then too. Now days the lumber companies have gates on everything and no motor vehicle signs.
Pit Row
James stewart on a 125, no one ever stretched a throttle cable harder
Thinking more on this topic; whatever era it was when 125/250/500 smokers were on the gate, you were hanging on the first corner fence, burning hot dogs, onions and marijuana fumes in the air, then the pack screams by, exotic race fuels exhaust gasses wafted into your nasal passages, engines screaming, you-
both mesmerized and stunned by the speed and skill, girls in halter-tops smiling and -you sip your can of Schlitz and…..all was right in the world.
^this^ Americans starting to dominate European riders was a huge deal. I'd say 1973 was a massive turning point when Elsinores came out and flooded the market and tracks - EVERYBODY had to have 1 to be competitive and all the Euro import bikes fell off the scene. Speed shops like DG & FMF sprung up leading to more development and innovation with products affordable for the average racer. 2nd huge evolution was Yamaha Monoshocks arrived- again EVERYONE had to have 1 or more. YZs took over dominance from CRs at races. Innovation and new technology development went crazy with manufacturers all trying to catch up with long travel revolution. It was pretty common for manufacturers like Yamaha and Suzuki to release mid-year updated models, while Honda and Kawasaki made minor tweaks trying to still cash in on past reputation. This peak was reached in 1976 with the 125 AMA battles between Marty Smith and Bob Hannah going down to the wire for the title. Now everybody needed water-cooling and longer travel and disc brakes coming, but all gas tanks went plastic and things got kind of generic after Marty Tripes RC Honda got claimed and the production rule was imposed. Bikes had more character and differentiation back then compared to what we see now where bikes all look and sound alike with the sponsor graphic kits and paint are main differences.
https://youtu.be/K38xNqZvBJI?si=yT-r1ohBfxOaHJ4L
Rup, That pic of Chad with Goose in the background has to be one of the rarest moments in MX with Goose just standing there with his arms folded doing nothing. He was IMO, and I am sure most would agree the hardest working most thorough mechanic there ever was. Not to take anything away from any other wrenches thru the years.
It’s based on when you grew up that’s for sure, I would say 2001-2007
If you thought the mid-90s were great, you would have absolutely loved the previous two decades. 👍 🤘
Seems about true for all aspects of life honestly. I was born about 15 years too late.
You have my deepest sympathies. 😄
Looks like we may have inadvertently found Deegs biological father.
Wonder if the moto-media can be bothered to do a real investigation on the matter or if it gets ignored like most everything else? 🤔
As far as the amateur scene goes, I think by far the 70's and 80's were the best. Lots of tracks, lots of riders, you could be lined up with 1 or more factory and most certainly several national caliber riders (at least in So Cal). Most everybody I knew rode and raced, the whole vibe was good
First pro race attended was `72 Inter-Am. To quote an ad...We cherish the time when rules were few and land, tracks and fan access to them, and riding was endless. '70s and '80s were unmatched.
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