Mark Firkin age 63. Here's a Readers Digest edition of my time in the sport......Started racing in 1969 on a Bully Sherpa S 125 and graduated to an RT1MX Yamaha in 1970. Bought my first Maico, an MC350 later that same year and still own the bike 'til this day. I raced motocross and dirt track on a succession of Maicos and a couple of Yamahas with an amazing lack of success until 1975 when I went to the US where I worked for Mike Goodwin's Stadium Motorsports, the original supercross promoter for a few months. During that time I raced my own Montesa VB360, and Goodwins Husky 360 auto (later to become mine) and IT400 in desert and GP events before leaving to backpack with my partner in Mexico, Guatamala, Nicaragua and Belize for 8 months. Upon my return to the US I ran a small bar in Long Beach, CA and played A level Rugby Union for the next 5 years until a broken relationship and homesickness brought me home to Oz in late 1980. From 1980 to 1986 I rode club enduros (and the odd big one) on Maico Magnum GS400, '82 Maico GS490, and Yamaha TT600 and a few others until rugby took over again for a few years. In 1986 while in California visiting friends I went to the original Dick Mann Vintage Rally at Sandhill Ranch near Livermore, California where I instantly fell in love with vintage motocross. Upon my return I got together with my club, Penrith and my friend Geoff Eldridge and mapped out what was to become the first vintage meeting in Australia, eventually held at Amaroo Park at Easter 1988. In 1988 GE asked me to write some vintage articles and a monthly column for ADB which I did until I chucked it in in 2008. I now write the occasional feature for VMX as well as continuing the column tradition that started with ADB in 1988.
I organised the first VMX Nats at Dargle in 1992 as well as helping with the '94 Mt Kembla Nats and the '97 Nepean Vintage Dirt Track Nats and helped Des O'Shea set up the Condoblin Greybeards meeting, held every June long weekend for the 10 years of the nineties that often had entries topping 200..all pre 75. I competed in VMX until 1999 on the following bikes (in rough cronological order)..Maico 250 squarie, Maico 350 squarie, '74 Maico 440, MX125 Yamaha, Champion Honda XL350, Yamaha DT1, Champion Yamaha SC500, Yamaha SC500, Maico, TM250 Suzuki, Maico AW400 and a few more that I've forgotten.
While I no longer race vintage motocross I still like having guest riders on my bikes and that tradition will return this year with Tony Clarke aboard my Cheney RT1 in pre 70 and RT2MX in Pre 75. I'll return to dirt track on my Cycle Factory RT2MX flat tracker and motocross tackle with suitable tyres this year and hope to have my Trackmaster Benelli up and at 'em later this year.
The current colection comprises.............
*1970 Maico 350 square barrel.....my one owner bike
*1970 Maico 350 square barrel....the sister bike to above....currently dismantled.
*1973 Maico 250 radial ....currently dismantled.
*1964 Maico 360 Metisse ...next years project bike.
*1964 Maico KR250 short tracker.
*1973 Maico trials bike....I hope to ride it a bit more this year.
*1972/76 Suzuki TS250 powered TM Suzuki...VMX Mag project bike.....currently undergoing conversion to flat track
*1974 Boyd and Stellings framed TM400 Suzuki.....to be raced at some stage this year.
*1968 Yamaha DT1 Enduro...restored for Yamaha Australia to celebrate their 50th Anniversary. Currently undergoing conversion to DT1MX specs.
*1969 Yamaha 'DT1 from Hell'..my original pre 70 class DT1, slowly returning to the track, possibly next year.
*1969 Yamaha DT1 pre 70 racer....Purchased from Nathan Senior, now fitted with Swenco leading link front end and Arnaco shocks.
*1969 Cheney RT1 Yamaha....this years team leader race bike.
*1970 Hindall RT2MX flat tracker.
*1972 Hindall RT2MX motocrosser.....this years other motocross star.
*1970 Cycle Factory framed flat tracker fitted with either DT1MX or RT2MX engines, depending on the meet.
*1967 Hindall Ducati 250....garage queen
*1981 Yamaha IT250J...Vinduro toy.
*1982 Suzuki PE400Z ....garage queen
PROJECTS WAITING IN THE WINGS:
*TriBSA 500....BSA C15 frame, TRIUMPH 500 unit motor. This years #1 project.
*Trackmaster Benelli 650 flat tracker......I'll soon resume work on it for next years races.
*Trackmaster Yamaha 650.....waiting for the right motor to come along.
*1973 Rickman Metisse Moto Islo fun project.
*1971ish Antig Maico 250 square barrel.
*1974 Yamaha TY250....very trick bike that deserves full attention......next year.
In storage at the farm I have 4 x Suzuki TS90s, an XL350 and an RT1 Yamaha basket that's been run over by a bulldozer. I've got a shitload of Maico and Yamaha motors and parts, a C77 Honda and who knows what else. There are a Sherco trials bike, a couple of quads and my beloved mountain bikes, including the one with the 50cc motor. I currently don't have a modern.....there's no room
