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"things got kind of generic after Marty Tripes RC Honda got claimed ". Forgot about that. That was such a big deal. I wonder what happened to that bike.
Honda sold the most motocross bikes in the mid 80s...
The heyday was May 24, 2025
Thank you Rupert, your photo drops are as always...great!
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another big deal was Tripes winning the 1st Super Bowl of motocross in 1972 IIRC when he was 16 on a new YZ. Track designers built in a "water crossing" mud pit that freaked out the European riders who didn't know how to deal with it.
Absolutely. Epic times. Glad we got to experience them .
I’m thinking it peaked in the “mid to late ‘80s” based on attendance and popularity of the Golden State Series, Trans-Cal Series…etc. of you recall, Goat and a few other people/groups had other series back then, too. EVERYONE had a bike in their garage.
In the 70s there were soooooo many brands… Hodaka, Maico (the early 80s 490 stayed popular all the way into the late 80s!), Monarch, Penton, CZ, DKW, Indian (absolute KING of the mini-scene), Bridgestone, Can-Am, OSSA, Bultaco, Rickman, Carabella, Ammex…many seemed to go away or fade from the scene in the 80s & in the shadow of The Big Four…Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha.
At the Golden State races, you’d see the pros out there racing with us the day after a Supercross…full tilt works bikes when there was such a thing…Lake Madera comes to mind. Magoo at Saddleback on different brands of bike in all 3 classes….back before his real factory days…damn, that was real racing.
From NorCal to SoCal…you could find some-where to race from Thursday-night thru Sunday. There were times when I raced in Fremont (The San Francisco Bay Area) on Thursday and then went down to SoCal for Saddleback on Saturday and Carlsbad on Sunday.
As a few folks are surely going to comment on…we had A LOT of tracks and races to choose from back then, too. Hell, most of us had practice tracks just a few miles from the house and many of us rode from the house to our local track/riding areas.
To me…from the moto to the music to the chicks…it was the best of times.
I'm a product of the 90's and from a generation of accountability. The local scene was huge and the nationals were no different. I'll post this first moto result because it's a stacked field and I was a part of it. Proud of my heyday.
1974-77.
Wasn't uncommon to have up to 150 riders show up just for the 125 class at any given race. Gas was under 50 cents a gallon, racetracks were every 20-30 miles, and local purses for the money classes paid enough to buy a bike if you won 2 classes. Hop up parts were everywhere, local shops supported the sport AND all they sold were motorcycles. Lots of them. Bikes were entirely new EVERY year.
Oh, and you could show up the morning of the race AND be home by dark in most cases. Without a reduction in laps. Because there wasn't a class for every skill level/40 different mini classes/10 different age groups and it was an honor to be moved up to Expert because no one sandbagged hoping to go to Loretta's...because it didn't exist. You only got a trophy if you earned one.
I'd like to see that same chart...but start it in 1973 when the Elsinores first hit. I'm guessing 74-75 would be huge numbers even when compared to 84.
Anything form 1985 to present day is the best.
Which position are you?
I started a few years before you Rupert in 1972, so I’m a little older.
I feel the same as you. I was up at the crack of dawn on Saturday and showed up before any bikes hit the track. My excitement level leading up to Pala was off the charts, I’ve never been to a pro moto/SX race and failed to have a fantastic time. I could honestly watch those guys ride 7 days a week…. It never gets old. The only thing that stops me is really hot days, I can’t handle that like I used to
I’m thinking he was in 15th. That is something to be very proud of Austin
Yes in the 70s early 80s we had riding area everywhere
1973-1975 were good years for Honda...
Pro wise, I loved the 70s. But . . .
Early on nationals for three different classes took place in different locations on different dates but for a few exception like the original Hangtowns, until two class rounds came into play, but even then guys racing 250s could not race 500s as as second class..
Part of me wants to say the 80s when we had 125, 250 and 500 classes, but it split up the best talent. They tried to fix that in the early 90s by splitting the 250 and 500 series into six round seasons for each, which sucked because one bad day ruined a guy's title chances in a short season. But at least you got to see all the best talent at one track on one day (125's ran a full series, 12 or whatever number in support of the 250/500 series).
Much as I loved the 500s and hated to see them go, losing them and having all the top guys together on 250s began the heyday we have now. Full 125 (now 250f) full 250 (now 450f) classes with all the best talent at one track the same day. Hard to beat.
Local I think it depends on the region.
Pit Row
It's even more impressive when you realize that Honda didn't have an Open class bike to sell until 1981. And that drop off in 76 & 77 was the result of benign neglect and those horrid CR250 efforts. The starting lines were yellow starting in 76 until Honda finally released the 78 CR250 & the 79 CR125.
The economic crash in 1987 ended MX's heyday, the number of participants hasn't recovered.
Well said. I feel very lucky to have been part of that . Baylands on Wednesday nights was a blast. AC/ DC and bong hits.
It was the time that put that first shiver up your spine, when you were young and MX changed your life. It's not about stats and there are no wrong answers.
When ever you were young.
I'll go with late 70s to mid 80s. Just amazing riders, development, bikes, gear, the smell of premix, grassy Unadilla, USGP, Wide World of Sports once a year, and Bob Hannah.
There are a lot of different aspects as to what makes it good. I started racing in 1980 and I'd have to say that modern times are really awesome The professionalism of the sport has always evolved, despite romanticism about the past. My favorite era is the 80s but there was a lot of cheesiness in terms of tracks, media, announcing etc.
I remember going to the freaking local library to track down a VHS of the MXDN to watch, and that was my only resource, if that gives you an idea.
I missed the OP's local scene qualifier. 👆 is the right answer. I loved racing local in NorCal mid to late 70s in to 1980 or so when I headed off to college. NorCal was great, and three-four close friends got to the track together most weekends, and made friends with regulars from other places.
I'm sure some locales are the same, but it seems like it might be harder to pull off in Cali now apart from the REM regulars.
Everyone is going to say the era they grew up in 😂
Terry Good has it and it'll be in his museum
70's USGP Carlsbad
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