KX Riders
General => In General... => Topic started by: alan on July 05, 2007, 04:14:08 AM
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A funny thing happened yesterday! Most of you know that I recently retired have been trying to put things in order. I have been building my shop and a new office in my house. So yesterday, I was filling up my bookshelves in my office and I decided to move my old racing trophies to there final resting place. The first trophy I pick up was, 3rd place 4 July 1971, how funny was that exactly 36 years ago! I picked up my phone and called my old friend that owned the track and ask him if he remembered handing me that trophy 36 years ago! What a hoot!
I received the Yamaha plaque for teaching the public how to ride motorcycles in conjunction with the El Paso Police Department.
1971 was my only racings year, I went over a jump flat out on my 1971 501 Maico and lit sideways and ripped my knee out of joint and did not walk for 2 years. I never had the racing edge again, just too much pain I guess!
But, I will never stop riding....................
Alan
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Alan,that?s look nice! 8-)
1971 were I bicycling. :lol:
(I?m proud of after many years racing manage to get
overall win in iceroadracing on old bikes.) :-D
//do.or.die
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Nice collection Alan. You should be proud of those "dust collectors". Whenever I try to get mine out the family just rolls their eyes and acts like i'm a bit touched. Nice memories to actually talk to the track owner! Cam.
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I was born in 1971...wasn't quite riding yet though.
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Wow, they had motorcycles back then? :lol: That is cool hardware. Alot of races are paying back money to adults here, but I prefer hardware. The seasoned riders prefer cash, but their mantles are probably full. I would like to reflect on my recent accomplishments in the next 20-30 years, but thanks to the trend I may only have stories. The state championship races and the occasional "Fast Time of the Day" are the only hardware anymore. My teammate and I are collecting DVD's of each race and hopefully will be as rewarding as a shop alter. :-D Good to see that they mean something to you. I hope that they never get old and memories of the glory days never fade. Nothing on the planet is more fun or challenging. Good job, CHAMP!!!!!!!!
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I was riding in 71.... I didn't race until 2 years later... Yes I fondly remember the long travel suspension (3 - 4 inches ) we had back in the day...
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I hope no one got the wrong impression about this post. I certainly was not boasting. It thought it was just so ironic that the first trophy I picked up was dated July 4th on July 4th! These were the days before the movie ?On any Sunday? and yes, there were dirt bikes!
That was a great year; if my bike stayed together, I was on the podium. Check out this picture, how do you like my boots? He He! I think if I had not crashed I probably be dead. I was not ready for the 501 power and I was riding way over my head, but I was tired of getting my butt handed to me by the guys on the new Suzuki 400?s.
The track El Paso Moto-X-Park was a tuff track with hard dirt to soft sand to silt and loads of jumps and changes in elevation. When Steve McQueen was in town with Alie MacGraw filming Getaway my friend Bill that ran the track met them and rode the track with McQueen! He has always been one of my Idols, because he did it his way!
As far as the comments about suspension in those days, we didn?t have any! I rode one of the first Proto YZ250 mono shock?s when if first came out and I remember being amazed by the difference it made.
And Yes, It does suck to be old! :x :oops: :-(
Alan :-D :-D
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No you are not boasting, you have something there to be very proud of... I know I'd be proud to show those trophies. Hell I'm amazed they survived all these years without 1.) getting damaged / broken, and 2.) not getting thrown in the trash.
I just have one question... I remember how difficult it was to start an early 70's CZ 250 (left side kick start). I can't imagine kicking over your 501. I never could get used to the left side kick starter
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The 501 was an easy starting machine, lots easer than my KX5!
Funny you should bring up the left right thing! If you look at the picture with all the trophies, you will see the 2 green ones on the right end. Those were the same day 250 and open class. I ran a Yamaha MX360 in the open and a Bultaco Pursang in the 250 class! So it was 6 moto's back to back 250 then open, my mechanic had the Yamaha on the line when I came in on the Bultaco! Problem! Yamaha left shift, Bultaco right shift! So when I hit the first corner off the line in the open class I would jump on the shifter instead of the brake!
I did pull a first in the 250 and a second in the open class that day! Like most of us at that age I was bullet proof!
Alan :-D :-D
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cool it s great to see this stuff .. back in the day..
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I was just but a glint in my fathers eye in 71 and wasn't born till jan 72.
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Oh the days!! I usually raced 250 and open but in 1977 I raced Montessa 125, 250 and a 360 in the open class. We either ran 2-30 min or 3-20min motos and a one moto GP at the end of the day, which translated to 10 motos. Lots of race-day help from my Dad and friends. Went back to just 250 and open the next year as it was too much work keeping 3 race bike running (especialy montessa's). Cam.
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alan, cool to rewind sometimes back to the glory days. great memories, thanks for sharing them. who knows, you just may end up with some kind of new trophy in the future. your never too old to have fun and compete. MADDOGGY
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alan, cool to rewind sometimes back to the glory days. great memories, thanks for sharing them. who knows, you just may end up with some kind of new trophy in the future. your never too old to have fun and compete. MADDOGGY
The only trophy I could is the oldest guy on a KX500! He He!
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Oh the days!! I usually raced 250 and open but in 1977 I raced Montessa 125, 250 and a 360 in the open class. We either ran 2-30 min or 3-20min motos and a one moto GP at the end of the day, which translated to 10 motos. Lots of race-day help from my Dad and friends. Went back to just 250 and open the next year as it was too much work keeping 3 race bike running (especialy montessa's). Cam.
Cam, I loved my 250 Montessa I did a lot of porting and polishing on it. I could beat any 250 around on that thing! I finally blew up the motor on Nitro Methane! :lol: :lol: :lol:
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My race to remember was the 86 (Im a bit younger) Blackwater 100 in WV. I skipped my french final in hs and drove out to WV with my brother. I entered it with his IT 490 Yamaha. About a 1/4 mile from the start was the first water crossing and I promptly drowned it out in a matter of minutes. The locals would dam up all the crossings with rocks and this one was deep. I did manage to get it running again and made 2 laps. I also made it on the cover of Dirt Bike. It was a aerial shot of the 1st crossing with about a hundred riders in it and there was I pushing that big 490 out. I was wearing a lime green helmet and was easy to spot. I raced it 7 more times, all on Kawasakis, and just couldnt manage to get a trophy. I really miss that race!