General > In General...

1971 a Race to Remember!

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eprovenzano:
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... 

alan:
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

eprovenzano:
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

alan:
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

stewart:
cool  it s great to see this stuff  .. back in the day..

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