The 70’s

Kenny Banyan
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7/17/2026 2:56pm Edited Date/Time 7/17/2026 2:57pm
Dave v3.0 wrote:
The first race I ever attended.    

The first race I ever attended.Mid Lake Raceway Ticket.jpg?VersionId=6cNo

 

mumbles wrote:
This reminds me of when I started racing in 1972. In NC from 1972 -75 I could go to a race, pay $3 at the gate...

This reminds me of when I started racing in 1972. In NC from 1972 -75 I could go to a race, pay $3 at the gate (included my entry fee), ride my two races and if I won my class (which I usually always got top three) I would make $20, 2nd $15 and 3rd $10. Gas was 49 cents. It was amazing back then.

I really miss those days.

B68FA12E-912E-4DB6-B05C-B81FA2D8E518 1 105 c 0
1958 BSA Goldstar 500
F5B72478-9306-4F31-9A09-EF513C9B3408 1 105 c 2.jpeg?VersionId=WHXiqTCV3fPu5SU6.JJAnl1
1973 SuzukiTM250

 

Love those pics. Thanks for sharing.💯😎

1
Dave v3.0
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7/17/2026 4:11pm
Dave v3.0 wrote:
The first race I ever attended.    

The first race I ever attended.Mid Lake Raceway Ticket.jpg?VersionId=6cNo

 

mumbles wrote:
This reminds me of when I started racing in 1972. In NC from 1972 -75 I could go to a race, pay $3 at the gate...

This reminds me of when I started racing in 1972. In NC from 1972 -75 I could go to a race, pay $3 at the gate (included my entry fee), ride my two races and if I won my class (which I usually always got top three) I would make $20, 2nd $15 and 3rd $10. Gas was 49 cents. It was amazing back then.

I really miss those days.

B68FA12E-912E-4DB6-B05C-B81FA2D8E518 1 105 c 0
1958 BSA Goldstar 500
F5B72478-9306-4F31-9A09-EF513C9B3408 1 105 c 2.jpeg?VersionId=WHXiqTCV3fPu5SU6.JJAnl1
1973 SuzukiTM250

 

Same.

At one time I had kept some race records and I think in 1975 I made somewhere in the high $800 range in purse money for the year.  Mostly $20/25 at a time.🤣 That actually wasn't a bad income for a 15 year old kid at the time.

 

2
oldnescVet
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7/17/2026 10:20pm
Dave v3.0 wrote:
The first race I ever attended.    

The first race I ever attended.Mid Lake Raceway Ticket.jpg?VersionId=6cNo

 

mumbles wrote:
This reminds me of when I started racing in 1972. In NC from 1972 -75 I could go to a race, pay $3 at the gate...

This reminds me of when I started racing in 1972. In NC from 1972 -75 I could go to a race, pay $3 at the gate (included my entry fee), ride my two races and if I won my class (which I usually always got top three) I would make $20, 2nd $15 and 3rd $10. Gas was 49 cents. It was amazing back then.

I really miss those days.

B68FA12E-912E-4DB6-B05C-B81FA2D8E518 1 105 c 0
1958 BSA Goldstar 500
F5B72478-9306-4F31-9A09-EF513C9B3408 1 105 c 2.jpeg?VersionId=WHXiqTCV3fPu5SU6.JJAnl1
1973 SuzukiTM250

 

Dave v3.0 wrote:
Same.At one time I had kept some race records and I think in 1975 I made somewhere in the high $800 range in purse money for...

Same.

At one time I had kept some race records and I think in 1975 I made somewhere in the high $800 range in purse money for the year.  Mostly $20/25 at a time.🤣 That actually wasn't a bad income for a 15 year old kid at the time.

 

1974, Boston cycles was paying 75$ for 1st 50$ for 2nd and 25 for 3rd. It didn’t take long to pay for that Yamaha 100. Oh and of course that awesome Boston cycles jersey.  Not bad for a 14 year old making 1.65/hr digging trees at a nursery during the week.

5

The Shop

mumbles
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Fantasy
7/21/2026 3:57pm
mumbles wrote:
This reminds me of when I started racing in 1972. In NC from 1972 -75 I could go to a race, pay $3 at the gate...

This reminds me of when I started racing in 1972. In NC from 1972 -75 I could go to a race, pay $3 at the gate (included my entry fee), ride my two races and if I won my class (which I usually always got top three) I would make $20, 2nd $15 and 3rd $10. Gas was 49 cents. It was amazing back then.

I really miss those days.

B68FA12E-912E-4DB6-B05C-B81FA2D8E518 1 105 c 0
1958 BSA Goldstar 500
F5B72478-9306-4F31-9A09-EF513C9B3408 1 105 c 2.jpeg?VersionId=WHXiqTCV3fPu5SU6.JJAnl1
1973 SuzukiTM250

 

Dave v3.0 wrote:
Same.At one time I had kept some race records and I think in 1975 I made somewhere in the high $800 range in purse money for...

Same.

At one time I had kept some race records and I think in 1975 I made somewhere in the high $800 range in purse money for the year.  Mostly $20/25 at a time.🤣 That actually wasn't a bad income for a 15 year old kid at the time.

 

oldnescVet wrote:
1974, Boston cycles was paying 75$ for 1st 50$ for 2nd and 25 for 3rd. It didn’t take long to pay for that Yamaha 100. Oh...

1974, Boston cycles was paying 75$ for 1st 50$ for 2nd and 25 for 3rd. It didn’t take long to pay for that Yamaha 100. Oh and of course that awesome Boston cycles jersey.  Not bad for a 14 year old making 1.65/hr digging trees at a nursery during the week.

Not a surprise up there paid more. The riders were better than where I was racing in NC also. I remember there were some guys that drove down from Virginia and had brand new Elsinores (125 & 250s) and they would always kick our buts. I was glad they only came down about once a year.

1
Trickamoto
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7/29/2026 9:34am
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Trickamoto
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7/29/2026 9:35am
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bluesmoke
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7/29/2026 9:44am
abn-166 wrote:
50 0.JPG?VersionId=xYQIEasIkEfN2EaONBas2ifHku84CHr70 0.JPG?VersionId=k2RYFPGxUqNF.T75 0
1678647748069-2885e33a-271d-479e-8523-eee9a4f47042 .jpg?VersionId=Ngp5RgbwA7zwM liiKHJdM3y3s08.w
This is what I was doing in the 70's.

Man I wanted one of the XR's! 

1
Trickamoto
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IMG 2077 7IMG 3779 6IMG 4551 0IMG 4615 3IMG 4663 4.jpeg?VersionId=qGQIMG 9188 3IMG 0054 6.jpeg?VersionId=uHJVFC2IXADycrDwsI5l2AjDIMG 3119 1IMG 3238 7IMG 8261 4.jpeg?VersionId=DIMG 9965 0IMG 9972 0IMG 9993 1
26
FreshTopEnd
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7/29/2026 4:23pm

Rick, that Montesa mini looks pretty damn cool.  Thanks for sharing you and your brother's early days. ✌️

3
skypig
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7/29/2026 8:33pm

I have that book : “The Technique of MX” ^^

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davistld01
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7/30/2026 7:17am
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500 Mike
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7/30/2026 10:32am
IMG 1634 0

Love those !!   I have a similar collection from Mid Ohio, High Point, Steel City from back East.  Boy do I miss those Trans-AM days   

2
Badoo
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7/30/2026 10:48am

1979 250 novice20260729 103242.jpg?VersionId=

 

8
7/30/2026 10:58am

What a sea of yellow in one of those starting line pics.  Lots of YZ in there and some RM. 

3
ShellyMX
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7/30/2026 11:03am
Trickamoto wrote:
IMG 2077 7IMG 3779 6IMG 4551 0IMG 4615 3IMG 4663 4.jpeg?VersionId=qGQIMG 9188 3IMG 0054 6.jpeg?VersionId=uHJVFC2IXADycrDwsI5l2AjDIMG 3119 1IMG 3238 7IMG 8261 4.jpeg?VersionId=DIMG 9965 0IMG 9972 0IMG 9993 1

Amazing pics and some lucky kids to have those bikes. You and your brother(s)?

2
Trickamoto
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7/30/2026 11:22am

Rick, that Montesa mini looks pretty damn cool.  Thanks for sharing you and your brother's early days. ✌️

thanks fte. those montesa cota 25's had high gear and low gear. you had to stop and lift a lever with your hand to choose.

2
7/30/2026 11:23am

A few things from my collection.  Does anybody know what year the black sleeved sx event shirt is from?

20260730 111328.jpg?VersionId=7eHG4BpEi420260730 111336.jpg?VersionId=jVtgYLrQS820260730 11134920260730 111400.jpg?VersionId=dt8InwJlWPoss6ad90zNwr20260730 111537.jpg?VersionId=E89Rq6o7n20260730 111638.jpg?VersionId=23AzInYTpD6w5OhUQ x3G
4
Trickamoto
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Trickamoto
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Trickamoto
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1
Moto Nomad
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7/30/2026 12:43pm

Does 1980 count? My first two-stroke after the 1979 XR80.

Image %2813%29

13
Moto Nomad
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Reese95w
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7/30/2026 3:22pm

The 70's

Back when Suzuki was serious about Motocross.

2026 07 30 02 Suzuki School of MX.jpg?VersionId=QPIacvq2I7H
6
Forty
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7/31/2026 8:33am

Great thread - so many memories - Those gate drops where every bike was a Yamaha - too much man - I see one kid lined up on a trials 80 - atta boy- run what you brung - nothing fit/nothing matched/ just line up and race.   Milk crates/Real Gatorade in glass bottles/dust everywhere/

When you arrived you pulled right up to the snow fence surrounding the racetrack and that was your pit.  Great old days - 

6

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