The 70’s

WoW you were the man back then, Kenny!

I begged my pops for a Honda 50. He would not give in to my requests...... 😬😥

The wheels aren't original and I didn't give much for it but, I will be at the Barber vintage swap meet in October. If a Vital member is going for the event or Vintage MX and wants to fix it up, I'd pass it along.

This was before my time but what a great thread!!!! Great pictures by everyone. Can you please give any details of this North vs South event at Southwick in the 70's? Or anything on the North vs South MX events? I don't know if I have heard about this. Very intriguing. 

I don’t know anything about N vs S at Southwick, but lots of memories at Southwick from 1974- 77, when I left for the Navy. 5 heats of 125 Novice, 2 heats of 125 amateur, 1 of 125 expert. Bikes broke a lot. Snail pipes. Bikes astride Volkswagen bugs, track walk before race, sending in notarized form two weeks prior. Helmet inspection, Bettencourts. Popoli Honda. Jimmy Ellis. The sound of a RM370. People seemed happier. 

The North vs. South race was an off shoot of all the time the riders from New England spent in Florida for the Winter Series in the early 70's.  It started with a race at Blue Ribbon MX in Montgomery, AL in 1973 after the Winter Series and Daytona.  The race teams were made up of local pros from New England that had spent the winter in Florida and local pros from Florida, Georgia, and Alabama.  The South team was managed by a local dealer from Iron City, GA (about 30 minutes from Cairo) named Ward Gibbons and a school teacher from the Panhandle of Florida named Lance Stabler.  Ward sold CZ, Husky, and Montesa and promoted races locally, Lance was one of his CZ customers and promoted races at Sassafras MX in DeFuniak Springs, FL.  Some of the notable names at the first race were the Bettencourts for the North and Johnny Borders for the South.  The North eeked out a win at the first race.

In Spring of 1974, the guys from the NESC, Ward, and Lance came up with the idea for a rematch.  The South team would travel up to Massachusetts and we'd race a warm up race at Ossipee, NH, Waterboro, ME, and finish it off at Southwick which was on July 4th.  Then we had a bunch of guys get hurt or back out so I got a call asking if I'd be interested.  Talked to my Dad (I was only 14 and had just moved onto a 125 at the beginning of the year, got to the first race and learned we had to lie about my age😎) and he thought it would be a fun trip so off we went to Iron City to join the caravan to Southbridge, MA where we'd headquarter out of Bob's Honda.  The South team for that race was John Joyner, Greg Thornton, Billy Sexton, Howie Cole, Dave Garner (myself), and a couple of guys who I can't remember.  The North team was LOADED.  Jimmy Ellis, Charlie Iott, John Bettencourt, Rick Granville, Scott Desso, etc.  I managed to get myself run over at the Ossipee race and ended up with a bum shoulder that kept me from riding at Waterboro.  I was healed up enough to ride Southwick.  By Southwick, we had a couple of guys with other injuries and/or bum bikes so the North gave us a couple of riders to make the teams even.  We still got destroyed.  I was the only rider on a 125.  Finished both 20 minute motos at Southwick and Jimmy Ellis didn't lap me on his factory Can AM so I considered it a win.🤣. He went on to win a National the next week...

The North vs. South series continued for a couple of years after that, mainly at southern tracks after the Winter AMA concluded.  The South got better participation in a couple of the races mainly from Team Georgia that had Barry Higgins and Furman Gray as the lead riders.

Some of the best race stories I have came out of that trip.  I got to spend a week on the road with my Dad.  I got to race in front of a huge crowd at Southwick.  We got treated like celebrities by the crowd and the NESC guys.  All in all, just a great experience.

Here's the Cycle Sport group photo from the race.  Thanks to the photographer for capturing me wiping my nose🤣

The 70's for me, good times but no racing pictures. I didn't enter a race until I was 30 (1989)  Parents thought motorcycles were too dangerous, never mind we were going 40 mph downhills on our skateboards barefoot in surf trunks....When I turned 15-1/2 I bought my first transportation, a '72 SL70. No they weren't real happy about it but it got me out of their hair so it was ok lol. The day I turned 18 I moved out, started buying toys  and going to the desert to ride and Baja to surf every chance we got. Barely owned shit but man what great times  Here's some random pre 1980 pics   

I'm with you brother...   

NeedMoto:

Take that pic off the wall, dust it off, and get a proper scan of it.

I raced my 1975 125 Elsinore through the 77 season.  To try and stay competitive for 77 I got a Red Line swingarm with moved up S&W shocks.  And I got FMF fork mods and added air caps.

That YZ pic reminded me that in 1977 I should have asked for a YZ80D, but instead chose a DT100D.  I didn't realize MX was all over New England and never thought to ask my in town shop, which was also a hardware store that sold first Hondas then Yamahas in the side room.  Living with trails out my backyard I decided I wanted a bike with lights so I could ride at night like lots of other kids.  Busted off every light and the speedo. So off with the MR50 to the DT.  Oddly enough I picked the MR50 3 years earlier over the Z50 as it looked moto.  Anyway here is a pic embarrasing on many levels (the red toughskin jeans, the home & auto store helmet, the wheelie).  GREAT TIMES!

Wheelie cool ^^

Good advice to scan the pic, will do! I like your mods you did to your 75 125. I did something similar and also added the TM head that they had back then. Good times back in the day...

I had no idea you were actually Stacy Peralta.

😁👍

haha😄😄 the hair and the 6 pack are long gone lol    Couple more vehicle pics

I won the 100 novice class that day and made amateur. Man it was so hot and humid. Great memories.