Let's talk about Roger

Met him at a trailblazers banquet, didn’t know what to say besides “Hi”😂 Yeah a little starstruck. On a semi un-related note his son is my wife’s doctor. 👍

Get your head around the fact that it has been almost 45 yrs since he has raced. Amazing.

I think he got caught up in some bad investments and lost a lot in the 08' bubble.

Also his retirement is probably in KTM stock which isn't doing so well.

Sounds like he’s the exception to the rule “Never meet your hero”.

Great thread/stories/pictures.

Thanks everyone. 

Had the pleasure of meeting him for the first time at Washougal a couple weeks ago. 

The Euro's brought real motocross racing to America in the early 1970's Was the series called the Trans AMA? the image of Ake on the big Maico is still in my memories

"The Inter-AMA and Trans-AMA were both significant motocross series in the early 1970s, but they differed in their origins and scope. The Inter-AMA, initially known as the Inter-Am, was founded by Edison Dye and focused on the 250cc class. Later, the AMA took over the series, and it became known as the Inter-AMA. The Trans-AMA, also sanctioned by the AMA, was a 500cc series that was created to showcase European riders. The Trans-AMA eventually became the Trans-USA for its final two years. "

St Peters, Missouri, just outside of St Louis.  The track still exists, afaik, behind a large used-car dealership or church (it changes between the 2, from time-to-time).  It's been a few years since the last time that I rode a dual-sport bike around some security fencing to see the track; when the weather cools down, I'll see if it's still there.  Is that a Jim Gianatsis photo?  Trans-AMA 1977, Marty Smith "Jetting" off the start.  Just a few years prior, Ake Jonsson was winning there on a bike with 4 inches of rear travel.

No one who wasn't there can fully appreciate what DeCoster and Wolsink's commitment to US motocross in the 70s meant to the birth, growth, and popularity of motocross, and Suzuki's commitment to bringing them over every year for the Trans AMAs back then.  

The GP guys were Gods when the decade started, and although a lot of them came over early, even iron curtain guys, that stopped by 1974 for most of the guys on the top of their games, but Rodger and Wolsink kept coming, and by the the second half of the decade kids inspired by them like Smitty and Hannah came into their own and we weren't looking to see who was "first American" after a Trans AMA.

I fully believe Mikkola was every bit the match for Rodger, if not better, but he baled on the States after mid series 74 (but for the Carlsbad GPs).   Rodger remains far more known and important to the sport.  He'd still have been a legend if he'd done nothing after he retired in 1980 and walked away.  He's had about three legendary careers since.  No one has had more impact on MX in the US.

For about three years the Richmond Ramblers ran a pit bike race at Point Richmond (hometown for Brad) the Friday before the NorCal Trans AMA.  The first year was really small (it blew up the next two years).  I don't think any Euros rode it, but Lackey, Pomeroy, and others did that first year, including Marty Tripes on what I think was a mini Bultaco trials bike that Bevo had stuffed a 250 Pursang engine into.  It was wild.  There was hardly anyone there watching that first year, maybe 100 people.  I was 17-18, standing there, turned my head and Rodger was standing next to me with his then wife.  I about melted.  

Not my pic, think this is from the second year (maybe 1976)

two OF THE FEW LIVING LEGENDS IN THE WORLD

I got Roger’s autograph at the 1978 St. Louis Trans-AMA. I’d like to think I’d be less star-struck now, but it doesn’t seem likely. 

Did you ask him for a CR125 this time?

I'm trying my best to cypher an angle that supports your position. The only way that makes any sense at all would be the stance that all the championship and race win bonuses his riders have banked at Suzuki and KTM during those 20 years, have almost sank both companies.... Could the case be made for too much success??!!

He was heavily invested with Greg Albertyn and a few others in some big land development deals. They all lost big, but Albertyn lost everything. 

Even so,  its going on 20 years now.  Find it impossible to believe that roger didn't make it all backand then some.

Rodger is a team manager at KTM not a investment broker so why you would think he can easily make back lost money from bad investments just because its been 20 years. Its not like a 401K that can go up and down, its money that went down a drain and wont come back. Rodger as with most older MX hero's didn't make the big bucks back then so they don't have millions in the bank. How much do you think he makes at KTM ?? 🤣

It would be damn hard for a 65 year old to lose the majority of their savings just when they were planning on retiring and bouncing back to the same level within 15 years. 

 He lost the majority of the money he accumulated over 30-40 years, 

 I know he got a second wind of sorts when KTM came along, but I know when he wanted out a was 71, he wanted out. 

Some moto company should make a DeCoster tshirt as merch and low key give Rog the profit. 

All it would need is his last name on the back. 

Would be great to see people wear them at the races and show some of these new kids how many people are fans of Roger

I walked past him at Hi Point a few years ago. I gave him a nod and he nodded back. He looked like he was in a hurry and I didn’t want to bother him. 

Roger was always a great racer that from what others have said can still haul ass on a dirt bike. His understanding of how a motorcycle setup should operate and his work has made changes on all of the different brands he has worked with. 

He launched changes to KTM’s that launched them to a completely different level.

GREAT leader as a manager.

America would not have MXoN wins if it wasn’t for him leading the charge.

RD has been my hero since I had the chance to meet him at the Rio Bravo Trans AMA race back in the 70's. I don't believe our sport would've grown even to the size it is now had it not been for DeCoster & his influence.

I met Roger a few years ago and he gave me a tour around KTMs workshops in Murrieta. Nice guy, but he is the only rider that I have ever met where I felt star struck!

Lol...half the reason I've been going to the races forever is to visit with Roger.  He was always open and friendly...which he didn't have to be...I ain't never been anybody.  I even tried to get him into a bizjet toward the end of his Suzuki days.  

When he got bumped up to manager of all 3 KTM teams...he was so busy on race day...I stopped bothering him.  Oh well.

I talked to him a few times over the last 40 years. Always a very nice man and willing to talk. The first time I met him was at Carlsbad in 1979. I had a scrapbook I made of just him. I took it with me and hoped I would get a chance to meet him. I was able to stop him as he walked from the rental car to the track. I asked him if he would sign my scrapbook of him. He picked it up and looked at the cover for a few seconds, signed it and gave it back. He didn't say a word. I kinda at the time thought he wasn't so friendly but I found out many other times he was.

I still have that hat hanging in my garage.

Here is another shot of him in the pits. You can see what good shape he was in and he was like 34 or 35 here.

I had a similar interaction in 2022. Watching one of the motos at Thunder Valley I noticed somebody stood next to me along the fence. I look over and to my surprise it was Roger. I got butterflies. I don’t fanboy too often but I took the opportunity to chat with him and did my best to convince him to keep AC222 on the roster for the remainder of the year. 

I don’t do a great job of documenting my experiences but luckily I had the wherewithal to ask for a photo and he was happy to oblige. Couldn’t have been a cooler guy. One of my favorite photos ever!

You look up legend in the dictionary gotta be a picture of the man.  we're assembling a fund raiser for Road2Recovery Oct 18 and have commitments from the "man" himself to attend as he raced where we are holding the event NorCal MX Reunion in 1968.  Going to be a great event, www.road2recovery events NorCal MX Reunion.  Broc, Wardy, Hopefully Bailey and even RJ are scheduled to attend, don't remember the last time we had these all in attendance, ck it out as we are getting close to our cap of 300 participants.

Listened to the Renthal Reaction on Pulp. Matthes and Perabinos (sp?) Had a lot of "Roger was great, but..." stuff. Roger deserved better. I thought that was a bit low class by both of them.