Vital MX Forum QNA: David Bailey

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DoctorJD
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DoctorJD 8/21/2016 7:18am
8/21/2016 7:18am
I know I'm late to the party, but I'll throw this out there just in case.

First off, thanks! I don't have a question as much as I do a memory. You were the first rider I'd ever seen "brake tap". It was at the 84' (I think) national at Six Flags Over Ga. There was an uphill double (the one where Keith Bowen landed on Hannah) that led immediately to a left-hand 180 as soon as you landed. I kept noticing that every time you went over the jump, your rear wheel seemed to lock up. I remember telling my friend that I thought something was wrong with your bike, but then we noticed that you were actually touching the brake. Upon closer examination, we could tell that the front end dropped when you did it. It was revolutionary.

I read somewhere that you and Johnny O' were the messing around in the desert and discovered the technique. Is that true?

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Skidaddle
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Skidaddle 8/21/2016 8:39am
8/21/2016 8:39am
In the 80s local tracks used to disc the whole track every 3-4 motos so the ruts were gone and all new lines formed. Loam for days. I was on a 60 and loved skimming across freshly disced dirt. Todays tracks are shit and not fun to ride. Concrete is for supermoto and you can get rid of ruts in a few minutes.
Bowmanator
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Bowmanator 8/21/2016 11:08am
8/21/2016 11:08am
In my moment of haste I forgot to mention this top photo, November 1983 San Diego supercross,
the JT cameo you're wearing David matched with the Honda jersey and white gaitors are the coolest moto duds of all time IMHO. "CAMP DAVID" just too cool...nothing before or after rivals these duds. Obviously the next photo is Foxboro `83 with you and Larry, then you on one of the early Bultacos Thank you again for all the time you've put into the comments and questions...we're unbelievably grateful.





David Bailey 8/21/2016 12:23pm
8/21/2016 12:23pm
Bowmanator wrote:
In my moment of haste I forgot to mention this top photo, November 1983 San Diego supercross, the JT cameo you're wearing David matched with the...
In my moment of haste I forgot to mention this top photo, November 1983 San Diego supercross,
the JT cameo you're wearing David matched with the Honda jersey and white gaitors are the coolest moto duds of all time IMHO. "CAMP DAVID" just too cool...nothing before or after rivals these duds. Obviously the next photo is Foxboro `83 with you and Larry, then you on one of the early Bultacos Thank you again for all the time you've put into the comments and questions...we're unbelievably grateful.





You've got an inside line on those photos..

Yeah that camo stuff was cool. Laporte was in an add in it and I liked it, so when that CMC San Diego SX happened I was the new Supercross champion, but since it was a CMC thing and had TV coverage and I had to run #58 I was bummed and felt like I'd be lost in the pack. John Gregory and Rit and I decided I might as well wear camo and I think it was Rita's idea for me to run Camp David. Some people thought it said Champ David. I wouldn't run that.

Foxboro - I can't thank my Miller, Wrangler, Shoei, Champion, JT, Scott Honda.. Haha. Seriously, Larry was great and Margaret was so nice - and such a good sport when Hannah would win!

That last photo of me is on a custom 100cc in a 125 Pursang frame. Gary and the mechanic there at Bultaco chopped the forks and shocks so I could touch and came out and woke me up to come into Cemoto East (in NY) to see it. That's why I'm in my PJ's. They put lot of work into that bike, which was my first big bike. Notice the rear brake on the left - and the front brake cable and drum on the right!

kkawboy14
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kkawboy14 8/21/2016 4:11pm
8/21/2016 4:11pm
What do you think the possibility is that the 22 sx's will do away with the outdoors? And what's your opinion about the future of moto?
CamP
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CamP 8/21/2016 5:16pm
8/21/2016 5:16pm
Coolest thread ever!

I attended a Bailey school at Lake Whitney before the '81 national and David was assisting Gary with the class. It was a threshold event for my riding. I doubt David remembers, but at the end of day 2, Gary has everyone practicing starts and David comes up to me on his semi-works #45 KX250, and asks me if I'd like to go up in the hills and do some trail riding with him. Pretty much the highlight of my riding career!

Tag680
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Tag680 8/21/2016 10:03pm
8/21/2016 10:03pm
Tag680 wrote:
Hi David, I hope I'm not too late to the party here. Great thread! I've been a big fan since I was a kid racing minis...
Hi David,

I hope I'm not too late to the party here. Great thread!

I've been a big fan since I was a kid racing minis in the early/mid-'80s (Northern Ohio/Southern Michigan). You have been an inspiration in MX and in life. Your ascent in '83 was a great feel-good story where the "good guy finished first." Who could not have been a fan after that?!

Your skills, riding style and killer gear in '84 - '86 defined an era. You were way ahead of your time. As fans, we watched you masterfully ride that HRC 500cc bike around that gnarly Carlsbad track on ABC's Wide World of Sports. I copied these races on VHS and watched those tapes very closely, over and over, trying to figure it out. Young people today just don't understand how unbelievable cool it was back then to see our heroes that we primarily only saw in still print photos (many being black and white) come to life on network television. MX was so underground at that time; you guys were almost mythical.

Your defeat of RJ at Anaheim '86 is interesting in so many ways and illustrated why you were so special in that era. With all those horrible cheese wedge jumps around the track, laid out in no real particular or intended logical rhythm whatsoever, you superimposed a smooth, seemingly effortless rhythm over that course and it was amazing to behold ... still is. I would like to see today's pros try to negotiate an EXACT replica of that track on the same bikes you guys rode. They would find it very difficult, I'm sure, to establish a consistently fast rhythm and would want no part of that. RJ is a respected legend in his own right, but all his blunt force speed and aggression could not compete with your skills that night.

By the time the Pontiac Silverdome Supercross rolled around in 1986, one of my best friends/racing buddy and I were big "Team Bailey" fans. This was around the same time that the 1985 500 USGP aired on ABC. That little documentary on you in the middle of the broadcast confirmed that you were the coolest guy of the bunch … and then you handed it to RJ two days in a row that weekend. Great times.

My friend and I were competing in the Silverdome amateur SX on Sunday night and we begged our parents to book us in the hotel where all the factory teams stayed. We were in the hotel restaurant having breakfast and then we saw you and I think your dad and maybe Cliff W come in to eat. Coolest thing ever! Then we saw Wardy and Lechien leave through the lobby for practice at the Dome and Lechien gets behind the wheel of a rental car and literally fishtails through the parking lot on the way out. We were laughing so hard! Suffice to say that between that move and that awesome right-hander both-feet-on-the-pegs rear brake slide that Lechien did during his mind-blowingly awesome 1.5 laps at Carlsbad during the '85 USGP, we were also Dogger fans!

I have a few photos from that weekend that I took and have been saving. Attached are some samples of the best ones, taken during practice and the races, I believe.

I do vividly remember watching all you guys in the pits (loved that set-up at Pontiac) and you, particularly, appeared to be in a really good, relaxed mood that weekend - lots of smiles, back-slapping others, and joking around doing some "air-riding" (like air guitar, but pretending like you were doing whips and stuff). I assume being in the zone like that contributed to your wins. Any elaboration on that weekend would be much appreciated.

Also, regarding the photo where you're shoveling some dirt, I've always wondered what those forearm "warmer" things you were wearing were. Were they like leg warmers to prevent arm pump? You appeared to be doing some impromptu track maintenance - not sure what that was all about! Notice that even then you were smiling. (I'm certain you're working on the left-hander right at the end of the lane that came out of the stands, had that sketchy triple and then some rhythm whoops).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9urvSJCFm4

Thank you for being a Hero to so many. I'll end with the fact that I fought cancer in early 2010 (stage "1.5"), one month after my 40th birthday - gnarly chemo radiation for 7 weeks. I made a full, quick recovery and my tests have been clean since the end of treatment, now 6.5 years out. I did dig deep during that time and borrowed from my MX experience to soldier through it. The challenges you've risen to in your life that have been so well documented were a big source of inspiration during that time.

Thank you, Mr. David Bailey. Please write a book some day!

Sincerely,
Tom G.

P.S. Others have said that Dungey's riding style and overall approach is reminiscent of you. I see this, too. The way RD positions his torso/core, elbows and leverages the bike and centers himself look like an updated Millenial version of you. Very cool to watch.






David Bailey wrote:
First of all, I'm happy to hear you won the fight with cancer! Yes, MX seems to help us through tough times. It did for me...
First of all, I'm happy to hear you won the fight with cancer! Yes, MX seems to help us through tough times. It did for me too.

The way you wrote this is great and gives me a glimpse from your perspective, which is cool. I can picture Lechien. Ha!

I was having trouble pumping up in Pontiac in '84 and was off the back both nights so when we returned there in '86 I was getting armpump on the way there! I hardly ever struggled with it unless it was rutted or early in the season. So to combat it Cliff had those sheepskin things made to keep my arms warm. I struggled with that triple and I was getting more nervous and tight. So I went to my flimsy gloves with some of the padding cut off the tops and decided to forget about the triple and just race the track. I got smoked in my heat, but I didn't pump up. I was sitting on the bulldozer talking with Jeff Frisz who always got great starts and he asked if I counted when the sign goes sideways? He said "I'll watch all night and count." He goes watch, it's gunna be on 6. We watched one of the other qualifiers go off and it was pretty much 6 and he looked at me like, see?! I was afraid to gamble like that, but when I thought about it some more I realized I would at least be sharper if I knew within a second or so. I counted and nailed the starts! It changed the whole weekend. I went in all Tin Cup with arm warmers and gloves and two color lucky socks and crap, but it came down to executing the start with a plan and then racing the track! Simple as that.

I think I'm shoveling the back of my starting spot so I was on more of a downramp. Seeing me acting all happy and messing around was probably just over compensation for what wreck I was the first night and then how relieved and truly happy I was the second night.

Is that a Gatorade bottle for ants? It needs to be at least.. three times bigger!

Thanks for the pictures and pointing out my sheepskins. I forgot all about those.
David, thanks so much for taking the time to respond.

I thoroughly enjoyed that insight! Your memory is amazing!

Tom G.


robkinuk
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robkinuk 8/21/2016 10:47pm
8/21/2016 10:47pm
David,
Thanks for a great Q&A.
I still have your email saved on my computer you sent saying "Rob, thanks for your art, these paintings are keeping me alive and fighting to get back healthy", after the complications from riding kept you Bed bound for 12 months. Ludo Boinnard. then bought my original painting of you from Maggiora MXDN 86 when One Industries released a replica of your JT helmet.
Glad to hear your coming to Maggiora MXDN next month, just booked my flight, be great to hook up , see Gina again and congrats on becoming grandparents !
huck
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huck 8/22/2016 11:53am
8/22/2016 11:53am
David,

I don't have any questions, but I wanted to say thank you. A few years ago I had a couple mutual friends get with you and have you autograph a poster for me...It was a gift I was giving to one of my best friends. In return, and to show my gratitude, I donated to the Terry Martin Project. (through Vicki Patterson)

http://www.vitalmx.com/forums/Moto-Related,20/Help-Needed-David-Baileys…

Looking back now, it was in April 2012...about a month before his passing.


Anyway, I'm sure you don't remember this, but I just felt like a thank you was in order.


All the best!
tempura
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tempura 8/23/2016 4:42am
8/23/2016 4:42am
David, you're a true legend.
A friend of mine raced you around 1985 at Sugo, here in Japan. He was riding a works Yamaha.
To this day, I sometimes hear him mention your name while in conversation at the track.
Your ability and grace on a bike is still talked about among riders young and old here.
Thank You.
mxnick
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mxnick 9/25/2016 1:18am
9/25/2016 1:18am
Photo by Thom Veety. I think this was either Phili or Pittsburg. Peace out, finish line!



mxnick
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mxnick 9/25/2016 1:20am
9/25/2016 1:20am Edited Date/Time 9/25/2016 1:21am
Photo by Thom Veety. Broome Tioga, 1986.



Bowmanator
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Bowmanator 11/2/2016 6:08am
11/2/2016 6:08am


David, here's a photo of you from 1986 at the Metrolina Fairgrounds Tony Harrell track in Charlotte, NC.

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wreckitrandy
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wreckitrandy 11/2/2016 7:36am
11/2/2016 7:36am
Bowmanator wrote:
[img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2016/11/02/158554/s1200_2645.jpg[/img] David, here's a photo of you from 1986 at the Metrolina Fairgrounds Tony Harrell track in Charlotte, NC.


David, here's a photo of you from 1986 at the Metrolina Fairgrounds Tony Harrell track in Charlotte, NC.
David made a double out of the two jumps after the wall jump that day. It had never entered my mind that it could be done. His ride that day was perfection.
Bowmanator
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Bowmanator 11/4/2016 4:02pm
11/4/2016 4:02pm Edited Date/Time 11/4/2016 4:03pm
mxnick wrote:
Photo by Thom Veety. I think this was either Phili or Pittsburg. Peace out, finish line! [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2016/09/25/153374/s1200_Bailey.jpg[/img]
Photo by Thom Veety. I think this was either Phili or Pittsburg. Peace out, finish line!



I believe this was Washington DC `83 and we were sitting right above where you see the spectators. A day race and a dangerous neighborhood.
I remember David celebrated his birthday that weekend and had a piece of cake in the winners circle.
David Bailey 11/4/2016 8:33pm
11/4/2016 8:33pm Edited Date/Time 11/4/2016 9:26pm
David Bailey wrote:
Bonzai was sketchy off the start! I was so worried about going down that thing in a sandwich that I usually ended up holeshotting. I never...
Bonzai was sketchy off the start! I was so worried about going down that thing in a sandwich that I usually ended up holeshotting. I never took the outside at Webco. It was just one of those, letting your leg or arm hang off the bed at night type of things. Something could happen.. Nothing scared me that much outdoors except first turns and the Carlsbad downhill, but in SX there were some razor sharp doubles that Lechien or Warren Ried or somebody would grease at the end of practice and I'd be sweatin' it. There was a big double at the Rose Bowl in '83 and a quad jump at LA in '85. Those were a little scary, especially when you're heading into a heat and hadn't done 'em yet.

My first bike was a Schwinn Sting Ray ;-)
Then;
Yamaha 60cc mini enduro (I'm on it in that Lucas Oil commercial) - it shifted four down
Yamaha GT 80cc - it shifted four up, I think? I'm still mixed up..
Bultaco 100cc (lowered 125 pursang with a 100cc Lobito motor in it) - it shifted on the right side
Bultaco 125, 250 and by the time I was in the open class it was a 370
Kawasaki Uni-Trak 250 and a 420 for local races and practice - 1980
Kawasaki 250 (semi works stuff) in 1981. The first "Works" bike I ever rode was a 1981 Kawasaki. Fast and light!!
Then Honda. I got lucky and rode their epic works bikes from 1982 through 1985. 250's and 500's.
For practice bikes I would have two "stock" 250's, a 480, then 500 and I always had a 125 to keep sharp!

I never had an XR, but I did ride Gene McCay's Yamaha Nagucci (sp?) in Florida once at the mini olympics in the erly 70's. That thing revved like an old F1 car and felt like a 125 compared to my GT 80.

MX came easy for me. A gift from above. I had to work at it, but I could learn it and get good at it. Triathlon didn't come natural, plus I'm a baby in open water. All I can think of are snakes and sharks so it was hard to swim waaaaaay out there you know? I finally figured out how to swim with my legs and core giving me zero help, messing me up if anything. Once I got out of there alive the bike (handcycle) was a matter of just putting in the miles, getting to some hills, doing some speedwork. I've always been able to do that and I enjoy it. I rode 30 miles today. The race chair for the run segment took a while to figure out. Years in fact. That didn't come natural so to go 1:30 at Boston and win a few here and there was rewarding. Thinking back, they both took a lot of practice and experimenting and I did pretty good at both, but I was born to ride a motorcycle.




MikeD94 wrote:
David, The early bikes you mentioned sounds challenging with different shift patterns, etc! Also, I'm impressed that you still put in long miles. I hope that...
David,
The early bikes you mentioned sounds challenging with different shift patterns, etc! Also, I'm impressed that you still put in long miles.

I hope that you don't mind...I have more questions!

How long did it take for you to become faster than your dad the 'Professor' when you were growing up? How much input or influence did your dad have on your riding? Did you have any bad riding habits that you had to overcome? If so then what was it?

I'm curious to know since I did not see any faults when you came onto a pro scene and you made racing mx/sx look easy. Seemed no one had similar style as yours (and DeCoster's) until JMB came along.

Thanks for putting in the time here and most of all thanks for representing USA at MXDN's and USGP's!!
Hi Mike, I just saw you weren't through with your questioning ;-)

Gary was really good as long as his body was. Once that started to age and stiffen up he rode less so I basically just moved past him as he wore out physically. We never really raced though. I knew my place with him. In 1980 when Bultaco was finally gone and Team Green started up we both raced local stuff for fun back east. I found a couple photos recently of me signaling him during his moto and we were both wearing Fox gear. Another one was 1980 at Daytona. They had an amatuer day and he rode whatever class was appropriate and I was his mechanic. My mom is there with us and I'm sitting on his bike. Her hair was all big and Farrah Faucet. Great shot. There was a time towards the end of that year and a few spots in '81 and then on Honda's in '82 where I think even he was surprised at what I was willing and able to do. That's when he got a camera and started filming! Like, hold on a second, let me grab the camera. Fun times working on my skills (showing them off a little) and then seeing how it looked on film.

I didn't develop any bad habits I can think of. Just fears. Jumping scary doubles, doubting I could beat the top guys, worrying about doing bad or arm pump, stuff like that. So I just rode more! That was my cure for everything. You hear riders now after poor results suggesting they're gunna hit the gym first thing Monday and "work" harder, but I avoided the gym. I got happy on my bike and developed more skill and speed and that pretty much took care of any doubt.

Thanks for the comparison. That's good company!
David Bailey 11/4/2016 9:09pm
11/4/2016 9:09pm Edited Date/Time 11/4/2016 9:28pm
Bowmanator wrote:
[img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2016/11/04/158910/s1200_2645.jpg[/img] David at Red Bud on the Bul sometime around `76


David at Red Bud on the Bul sometime around `76
I have heard some people say, I've never seen a bad picture of the Little Professor. Well, here's one. Yuck. However, that was a screwy drop off into a tricky right and I suppose that's how you look in that situation with 33 1/2 inch wide crome handlbars and whatever the heck I have on for gloves? Not sure if it was that day, but somewhere around in there (we stayed at Red Bud a lot thanks to the Richies) I saw Mark Barnett for the first time on a 125 Honda. Ridiculous fast! Unbeatable in fact.
David Bailey 11/4/2016 9:20pm
11/4/2016 9:20pm
Bowmanator wrote:
[img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2016/11/02/158554/s1200_2645.jpg[/img] David, here's a photo of you from 1986 at the Metrolina Fairgrounds Tony Harrell track in Charlotte, NC.


David, here's a photo of you from 1986 at the Metrolina Fairgrounds Tony Harrell track in Charlotte, NC.
wreckitrandy wrote:
David made a double out of the two jumps after the wall jump that day. It had never entered my mind that it could be done...
David made a double out of the two jumps after the wall jump that day. It had never entered my mind that it could be done. His ride that day was perfection.
That was a fun day. I really enjoyed hanging out with people at local races, some of whom I raced with on the way up the ranks. Racing keeps you sharp and there was always a local kid who would test me pretty good. I was firing on all cyclinders at that time and pretty happy in life and loving that dirt and those berms! Damon Bradshaw was racing his 80 that day #68 and probably going about the same speed as I was.. I have a photo he had framed and sent me from that day and we're both railing a left and he looks a little better actually. I remember that double. It took a little set up, but I figured it was worth a try.
David Bailey 11/4/2016 9:48pm
11/4/2016 9:48pm
smezmx wrote:
[img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2016/09/24/153364/s1200_image.jpg[/img] [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2016/09/24/153365/s1200_image.jpg[/img] [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2016/09/24/153366/s1200_image.jpg[/img] [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2016/09/24/153367/s1200_image.jpg[/img] [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2016/09/24/153368/s1200_image.jpg[/img] [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2016/09/24/153369/s1200_image.jpg[/img] [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2016/09/24/153370/s1200_image.jpg[/img] [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2016/09/24/153371/s1200_image.jpg[/img]
















Maggiora! That was a great time. So fun to hang out with Johnny and Rick and hear their thoughts on things. Team USA was having a rough day (which was a bit of a bummer) but I wasn't. I was having a blast! So were our wives. We were treated excellent over there and the fans were really cool to talk to. So many people with photos of 1986 and replica stuff. Those bikes were really nice! Man I wish I could've had one wish and gone out there on that modern 500.. That's the only way that trip could've gone any better. If you ever have a chance to go see a GP or another MXoN at Maggiora, GO! Just look at that place. It's better in person
1
wreckitrandy
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wreckitrandy 11/4/2016 9:49pm
11/4/2016 9:49pm
David, I think I remember seeing a photo of you playing a keyboard years ago. Do you still play?
David Bailey 11/4/2016 10:01pm
11/4/2016 10:01pm
wreckitrandy wrote:
David, I think I remember seeing a photo of you playing a keyboard years ago. Do you still play?
That's funny. My friend on here (Tbteam) had a band and played saturday night at my national in Va one year. For a gag, they had me on keyboards, but they were playing themselves.
wreckitrandy
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wreckitrandy 11/4/2016 10:50pm
11/4/2016 10:50pm
Man it's super cool of you to be on here 'talking' to us! I appreciate it. The only time I ever met you, you had just won at Axton in '86. You were drinking something pinkish looking out of a plastic bottle. I asked what you were drinking. You looked at me for a few seconds. It was a bit awkward. I thought you might have me thrown out of the place! Finally, you said, "Gatoraid"...... I said, 'That stuff tears my belly up.' You said, "Mine too. You have to half it with water." So I just wanted to say thanks for the advice. It was all I needed to stop pukin' after the races and start dominating the Bowmanator!
Aceofspades 11/4/2016 11:30pm
11/4/2016 11:30pm
Always wanted to be able to tell you what joy you brought to my imagination as a 13 year old kid back in 1985-87, David. Anyone too young to have been alive during those wonderful, wonderful days of motocross really missed out on not only the best racing, but probably the greatest group of riders ever, and you were the very best Smile Thank you so much for the precious memories that I (and others) have of what a great rider and representative of the sport you were and are. P.S. you and Art Ekman were the best announcing team, ever!

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