OzVMX Forum
Clubroom => Foto Forum => Topic started by: Quicksilver on February 21, 2008, 01:33:23 am
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Got any pic's from when you were young playing or racing. Heres a pic of a young Quicky ( 12 or 13 years old) playing on the farm on my first CR125M. Pic about late 1977 early 1978 I think. Yes. I painted it all red ::) Every Honda owner wanted a red devil back then. Silver bikes became red.. ;D
(http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii279/Quicksilver_032/13years.jpg)
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Heres another. Not really an action shot but figured its a good pic of the bike. This was around same time. My old mans brand new XL350. My brother and I took it one Sunday while the olds has gone into town. Grabbed the bike and old 3.08 cal riffle headed out to drop a few wild pigs. So excited about getting to ride the new 350 bro and I didnt check fuel level. Bloody thing ran out. Mum took this pic of me waiting with the bike while the old was deciding on a punishment..
(http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii279/Quicksilver_032/xl350.jpg)
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Photo of a young Wiltec circa 1977 YZ80C at the North Brisbane track at Beams road, must have been a practice day as I have no number on my back or front plate (age 13)
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Hey note they I might be riding a Yamaha but it does have a CR mud flap ;D
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And are those Army-style canvas jungle boots on your feet?
I think we all had a pair of those in the 70's.
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Yeah mate I'm just shocked I didn't have me flano on!!!
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I don't have a lot of photos of me from back then - I was usually the one taking the photos. As well, I never raced as a kid, I took that up with some enduro and dirt track in about 1982 or so.
But here's a few faded pics from about 1976 to 1979.
(http://www.ozvmx.com/images/forum/vmkid1.jpg)
Crossing a raging torrent on a TS100
(http://www.ozvmx.com/images/forum/vmkid2.jpg)
Big air on the TS
(http://www.ozvmx.com/images/forum/vmkid3.jpg)
I could actually wheelie back then...
(http://www.ozvmx.com/images/forum/vmkid4.jpg)
Me and a mate rode our bikes to Birdsville, me on the SP370 and him on the PE250.
(http://www.ozvmx.com/images/forum/vmkid5.jpg)
Me throwin roost on the mighty TT500F, one of my favouritest bikes.
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Graeme, two things stand out in those photo's the lack of a helmet (very 70's / 80's) and the ever present Victa mower tin for the fuel :D
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just a few..years '72ish/'75/'76/'77/'79
9y/o MT50R(http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a205/Doctor_Suzuki/1971_Chris-minibike1.jpg?t=1203665687)
12y/o XR75(http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a205/Doctor_Suzuki/doc_1975_xr75_nudgee_1.jpg?t=1203665935)
13y/o TS/TM100(http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a205/Doctor_Suzuki/1976_Chris_SuzukiTS100.jpg?t=1203665728)
14y/o RM80B(http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a205/Doctor_Suzuki/ME_RM80_1977.jpg?t=1203665806)
15y/o RM80B (http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a205/Doctor_Suzuki/019cb354.jpg?t=1203665850)
16y/o RM400C(http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a205/Doctor_Suzuki/ME_RM400_BANYO.jpg?t=1203666009)
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On ya Doc; there's those Army-style canvas jungle boots again!!
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:D yup..Sherries Disposals in the Valley Wombat. I bought my first boots in '78 with the advent of my 1st job. Rossi's I do believe they were :-\..I may have been better served staying with jungle boots ;D I then progressed to Red Devils and then Gaerne which is where I stayed..matter of fact I still run the same boots as I did in the 80's :D
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First bike purchase was a Yamaha Dt 250 (little bro on the back )
Then came the Kx 250 :) :) :) Did the mods work ;D
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Graeme, I glossed over the shot of the SP and PE (actually that's a lie, I stared at the SP for ages and then made c opy of it for my scrapbook. ::) ) but then I started to think about what it would be like riding a PE 250 to Birdsville and back.
Amazing! ;D
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heres a pic of my mates brand new YZ490N 85 model just rolled off the show room floor...takin her for its first spin...sorry its not an action shot but.... ::)
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Yeah Tony, when I think back on that it was pretty cool. We took no special preparations - just threw some gear on the bikes and headed off. We had a few problems, but nothing serious. The best bit was it started raining once we got to Birdsville and so had to ride through slush and mud for several hundred km on the way out. A big road train lost it on a slick muddy sweeper somewhere like Boulia and rolled it out front of the general store.
But for real weirdness, we all rode our trailies from Maryborough to Sydney, through town and into the Cross where we stayed a few days. That's OK for the two of us on 500 Yammies, but my mate on the IT400 should get a medal. Vibration, premixing fuel, bong-bong-bonging everywhere, cramped up like you wouldnt believe, and no electrics as I recall...
(http://www.ozvmx.com/images/forum/vmkid6.jpg)
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Sorry we got off topic fellas............. but thanks Graeme. Cool stories.
My 84 KX 500 was registered too. Only road it through town once.................... :-\
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My first bikes were shared with my little bro;
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Here's my old IT175. It was a good wheelie bike with it's mellow power.
(http://www.ozvmx.com/pics/albums/userpics/timswheelie.jpg)
Note the regulation safety gear for the period, top of the line army boots (leather ones) and kidney belt.
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:-\ The kidneys would have been safe in an accident. You'd of made a good organ donor!
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In the pits at Narrabundah track ACT.
My brother David on his Honda MR50. Me and my Yamaha YZ80B. Iain on his Yamaha DT125A(E).
(http://www.spitfire.com.au/~mboddy/narrabundah70s1.jpg)
David over the jump on the main straight.
(http://www.spitfire.com.au/~mboddy/narrabundah70s2.jpg)
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KX 80 D1 At Monza Park '81 (why could'nt I be that skinny again!)
(http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee74/All_things_414/MonzaKX80D1.jpg)
CR 250 (whatever the '86 model was) practising Monza Park ( Doing the Gary Baily dig ya foot in routine...)
(http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee74/All_things_414/MonzaKX80D1001.jpg)
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This was me on my YZ80C back about 1981 or 2 I had just painted the tank and was happy with the result ;D I walked for 2 hours to buy the bike and then had to walk it home :o jimson
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414, the helmet graphics in the Honda photo intrigue me.
I'm being nosey here but what's the big yellow circle - a symbol of individuality or product placement?
I remember Barry Sheene had the 'Donald Duck' on all his lids and I followed his lead with several designs.
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Jeez. Some people DO have an eye for detail! Actually it was the symbol for "Agricultural Requirements". I was tarting up a helmet and a mate of mine had these laying about so on it went. Probably would have been more appropriate for what I ride these days. Can you pick the boots that I had on with the KX 80? I'll give you a clue. Six months of crashing 'till I got used to them....
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'Agricultural Requirements' you say? wear it loud and wear it proud... ;)
My guess at the boots is Sidi.
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My guess would be star wars stormtrooper Scott Boots ,Only the rich kids had them .It was funny watching them walk back through the pits like spaz's
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I reckon they're Scotts as well.
I had a pair and I was a poor boy in those days (come to think of it, I still am)! I absolutely hated the bloody things and only rode one race meeting with them and chucked them in the garage cupboard. In the early 90s I found them again and wore them at a Nepean dirt track. Unfortunately the same issues I hated for them fifteen years earlier were still there. Call me crazy but I like to feel my gear changes. With the Scotts (Heckels as well) there was next to no feel through the boot so missed gear changes were par for the course. It wasn't so bad with the Maico but I raced a CZ as well and I couldn't get those gear changes right with the Scotts. A switch back to my old Ashman Red Devils and the gear changes were right again.
I sold the Scotts about five years ago for $50 only to find that I could have got a couple of hundred for 'em on eBay.
Scott has just released a new version of the plastic boot, the Scott Genius. You'd think they'd have learned not to bother after the market failure of thirty years ago. The latest ADB reports that gear changing is still awkward. At $799 a pair I don't think too many will make the mistake we made 30 years ago.
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414..my monitor is shot and I can't see sweet fa but I reckon they're Heckel's or Vanderamini's..I had the latter plastic jobs..the worst boots I've ever owned and turned me of plastic boots for life..not only absolutely no feel and even less comfort but they only lasted 12 months before they were totally stuffed and headed to the dump :(
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I think doc might be on the money coz the scotts had blue on the front and i think the vendramis were all red !
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Here is some Gator prepared earlier .
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they look like SIDI's
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I go with Doc on the Vanderamini's as I had a set as well and they were crap with a capital C, even so I did use them when I had a broke ankle and took the inner boot out and the plaster fitted in fine :D :D true story ;D
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Yeah the Doc's on the money. Vendramini's. And they were the worst barstard of a boot I ever wore! Absolutely no feeling whats-so-ever, uncomfortable and stunk to high heaven..... ::)
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Here's my contribution. It was taken in 1974 at my local mini bike club and this photo was taken at the exact spot where turn 1 at Granville Speedway now sits. The bike is a XR75KO.
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Those photo's of your trip look good Graham. That was a brave ride on the IT, I had a DT400 & it was horrible on the road (bloody horrible in the dirt too) It used heaps of fuel, a V8 would have been cheaper to run.
Photo's of me riding are pretty much non existant too.
Here's my2nd bike with my car in the background.
(http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a393/gmcloa/MX125C-1.jpg)
Mallee Rally 1980
KX 250 A4 with long range tank
(http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a393/gmcloa/MalleRally.jpg)
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GMC, I think the KX A4 never looked quite as pretty with the number plates rear mounted.
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Here's a pic of our 2nd bike - YZ80E. This was my intro to the 2 stroke 'powerband'. Not a bad bike but it was the 1st with the monoshock and the frame kept cracking at the swingarm mounts, despite the factory recall fix. Eventually upgraded to a YZ80G, which was a fantastic bike but haven't got any pics of her.
We ran mx and short circuit in N/E VIC, where Myrtleford was my favourite track. Ricky Wason was a good B grader at the time, does anyone know how far he got in mx?
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I love these old photos; they're little time capsules.
The subject of the photo is just as interesting to me as the cars, the clothing and the haircuts in shot.
I wish I'd had a digital camera back in the day...so many of the old photos are going yellow and are increasingly difficult to identify any real detail.
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GMC, I think the KX A4 never looked quite as pretty with the number plates rear mounted.
Yeah, those number plates were crap but 79 was the year you had to have the plates further rearward so to keep riding it this seemed the logical thing.
Funny how the rule book for vintage doesn't say where those numbers need to be ;D ;D
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Woody, how did you get the bike around..I notice the big block 180B has no towbar ;)
my RM80 would slot backwards into the EK Holden wagon but the fumes meant you were dead on arrival :(
jeez a lot of things make sense these days..always suffered with crook eyes and headaches :o
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hey chis i love the boots my older brother just got home from vietnam so i scored his army boots if could only work out the way to work this scanner ive got some old trail blazer pics from the state finals at inala in brisbane its a shane all the old track are closing and i hear that tivoli will close a big piece of my youth will be gone the mini bike days had a big part wheelstander and trail blazers then albert distric motorcycles club .
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Yes GMC, '79 was not kind to those of us not able to afford the new model bike.
I used silver tape, tek screws, fuse wire and whatever else to rear mount the plates on the 250 A4. But there'd tear off or drop off at will.
At best the bike look like a 'bitsa' and at worst it just looked wrong.
Asthetics is important...
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My mate John Heidemann had a new RL250 Suzuki trials bike and I could see he was having all sorts of problems getting good air jumping up a vertical creek bank at Dayboro. This a photo of me showing him how to do it right!!
I'm a slow learner. Not long after this, we were on a trail ride on Stradbroke Island and every time John on the RL250 hit a patch of soft sand, he did a big tank slapper and fell off. The rest of us on our TYs just thought he was having a brain snap and I (again) decided to show him how to ride the RL. Well of course I got along well till the next bit of soft sand and did the same tank slapper thing as John did. My big problem then was getting John off my TY for the rest of the ride.
From that time on, John and I have steadfastedly avoided riding Suzuki RL250s.
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Heres something for Doc
My first Suzuki (TS185) - taken in about 1975
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My first proper enduro bike (IT175D) and at my first ACU 1 day enduro. Woodford (near Brisbane) in 1978. Note the riding gear is overalls - the only gear I had that met the PPE requirements for an ACU event.
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My first Bultaco - a M85 325 Alpina. In this photo from 1976 I had just repainted the whole bike. It was registered, but the lighting gear was taken off for a trial.
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This is John Walmsley's Suzuki/Maico shop at Capalaba in 1976. See if you trainspotters can work out what the bikes are out the front.
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Ok this was at the start of a trail ride either Christmas Day or Boxing day in 1978. We are at the garage at the junction at Samford and up in the mountains that day there was another group of riders and one of them had the first TT250 I had ever seen. We had a good look at it while catching breath between hillclimbs.
No points for the PE175s and PE250s and the KLX but what is the red bike and which model IT is it??
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Feetup is the red bike a Suzuki ts 1977 maybe. :-\ jimson
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I'll have a go at guessing the bikes Feetupfun :P
from left to right I'd say....
RV90 pointing backwards, a kawa F9 bighorn, RV125,RM125A,GS400 twin,TS185,RV90,A100
bikes behind these against shop front maybe a GT125/185twin roadie and what appears a CT125 Honda?
the ute being '76 could a HQ or HX :D
Jimson, the red bike is an SP370 ;)
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Looking at the door trim on old ute id say its likely to be a HQ..
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I'd say the IT is a G model judging by the sidecovers and possibly a 125 because of the steel swingarm. The ute would be a poverty pack Belmont with no arm rest and either a HQ or HJ i'd reckon.
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Feetup are you sure that pic wasn't taken in '80? The klx250 came out in oz in 1980, i bought one of the first ones, and IT's first came out with rear mounted sidecovers in 1980 i'm pretty sure.
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I knew Doc would get the SP370 at Samford but what a legend picking all those bikes at Capalaba. Doc -were you there that day???
When I think about it a bit more yes the Samford photo was Christmas or Boxing Day 1979 or Australia Day 1980 and that was the first proper trail ride for that KLX.
Picking the IT model really is a bit hard. It's actually a 400C model - pretty rare beast and pretty crap to ride way up in the mountains too. I'm trying to remember the rider's name.
SP370 David Lahey
IT400C Brian ???
KLX250 John Zordan
PE175C George McKenzie
PE175C Gordon Burley
PE250C Dick Wort
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:D feetupfun, I can't say I ever set foot in John Walmsley's Suzuki shop. My fav haunt as a kid was Reece Hampson's Northside Suzuki or Mayfairs at Windsor. Both my RM80 and RM400 came from Phil Thew's but I never set foot in that shop as a kid either..the other side of town may as well be the other side of the world when one relied on public transport or a sweat machine pushbike :D
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Doc
So you were a Northsider hey. Yes there was a bit of a divide in Brisbane. I was from Bulimba/Balmoral and rode mainly on vacant industrial land around there as a kid. One place on the bank of the river at Hawthorn we called Rheem after the factory next door is now a millionaires row of fancy mansions.
Another riding spot on the river down at Murrarie was called Baynses. It is now covered up by the Southern approach for the Gateway Bridge.
Fond memories.
Was Northside Suzuki the Suzuki shop at Zillmere? I think my buddy George got his PE175C there. John Walmsley Suzuki had become Capalaba Yamaha by then so no chance of getting a PE there in 1978.
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(http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e204/tmbill/TMBill2.jpg)
Colmore South east England Circa 1976 TM Bill converted Yamaha AT 1
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(http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e204/tmbill/joce2.jpg)
Tm Bills Daughters Circa 1996
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(http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e204/tmbill/photo7.jpg)
TM Bills Daughter 2008
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The old 350 and 175.
(http://i266.photobucket.com/albums/ii279/Quicksilver_032/xl350xl175.jpg)
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That XL175 brings back memories. My riding buddy had one he rode in the countless hillclimb contests we had in what is now a National Park at Mt Glorious near Brisbane. He was a die-hard 4 stroke dirt-bike nut while the rest of us were just die-hard dirt bike nuts. His poor XL175 was hotted up and flogged to death over about a 24 month period then unceremoniously replaced with an XL185 which was also flogged to death then replaced with a KLX250 - hotted up and flogged to death then replaced with a DR250S enduro model. Then he got married and that was it for him
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The old XL's were top farm bikes. Better then bloody ag bikes, smoother to ride could putt along all day behind sheep or cattle yet decent enough to play on too. Only thing that was very very important was monthly oil change. Forget that and you'd stuff the heads on em quickly particular if doing low speed 1st and second gear work in 40 degree summers.
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Me & my dad ( TM Bill Snr ) it just dawned on me were a 3 generation VMX family :)
(http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e204/tmbill/AmberlyMoto-X010407025.jpg)
(http://i40.photobucket.com/albums/e204/tmbill/AmberlyMoto-X010407002.jpg)
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Bill, remember your dad well, very cool, say hi for me eh..I see he is on the TS185 special but what's the Kawa jersey on a zook :-\ don't tell me he's now riding the A5 too!! ;D
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Thanks Chris i will pass on your regards , Yea i do appreciate my old man :) we had some turbulant times as a kid but when push come to shove he was always in my corner .
The TS thing was to make him feel at home , he has a TS 185 the same model he bought new in 1975 still in the UK and on the unusually sunny days they have over there he takes it out for a spin 8)
The Kwaka shirt was the only bugger i had to fit him :-[ but i have ordered a suzuki shirt for his next trip ;)
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Bill, is that down south at the "Past Masters" ?
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Here is a couple of pictures of my RM125S only months old back in 1975.
I am reliving my youth at the moment by helping a friend rebuild another 125 S, you will probably see it at a BMCC Club Days throughout 2008 and beyond.
Peter
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p295/gracem1290/2-1.jpg)
(http://i131.photobucket.com/albums/p295/gracem1290/1-1.jpg)
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pmc..Peter, always good to see another Big S enthusiast ;)
did I meet you at BMCC sign on? Eddy's 125S?? :)
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Bill, is that down south at the "Past Masters" ?
Close DJ Sid Harrison memorial last year :)
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:o Hey Bill...posting pics at last, good stuff.
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DOC, Yes that was me with Ed and his 'S'. I also managed to get a few laps on it at the club day on Sunday after we sorted out some of the bugs from the practice day a couple of weeks back, after riding my RM250B I was really surprised how well the little beast handled. We've still got the gearing and a throttle cable broblem to sort out, but when we get there, it's going to be a great ride.
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Here's my last 'kid' pic. Proud 15yo owner of a new YZ125G.
Doc, I ended up inheriting the 'gympie gold vinyl roofed' 180B from my dad after he was none too pleased with my hot HT 253, which I know was a death trap, but it was fast and cool.
I also remember getting a lift to a meet in the back of a HK panel van and finding it hard to breathe.
I was lucky enough to get ferried around to all the race meets with my best mates mum. Barty was very quick on his YZ100 and took out the 79/80 N/E Vic junior 125 title.
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Circa 1981 (I think) Menai NSW, man that think would thump hard when it landed.
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Woody,,the HT no doubt was fast and cool in the day but these days they still remain cool even if not so fast..they wonder why the road toll is spiraling..cars now are rockets compared to what we had. Remember the ton was a benchmark..I can't think of many cars on the road that wouldn't do this speed today excepting my hot rod L300 hippy van ;D I reckon my ol' 180B was good for the ton and it had the huge borg warner auto reamed in there from the assembly line :P my first grey powered crashboxed FJ was good for about 90, the EK wagon was flat out at about 75..it had the wonderful 138 hydramatic..indestructable but dead slow without major reworking and then it was just slow. Had the Goss Special 2 door Falcy..it was the plushest car I ever owned but not the fastest..a 2nd FJ sedan which I basically dropped an XU1 202 motor..less the triples but the 650 Holley did the same job ;) 920kgs on the weighbridge, absolutely fried the tyres from the lights and not a seltbelt in sight 8) I still have the car but not in it's former glory..yet ;) the quickest car I have ever owned was an ex police VN Commonwhore sedan..a dead stock injected V6 auto and handling package made all the others seem like utter slugs and now this model is basically a slug also..it got written off by flood and then I lost all interest in cars and bought the you know what ::) sorry folks..got a little side tracked but just 1 car pic :P vintage illegal street drags and the other my late Dad on of all things a TY175JC!!..JC stood for Jesus Crikey! ::)
(http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a205/Doctor_Suzuki/DADTY175.jpg?t=1205236671)
(http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a205/Doctor_Suzuki/J.jpg?t=1205235458)
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Doc I've got a deal for you. If you keep putting up photos of trials bikes, I will keep putting up photos of 1970s MX racing and Suzuki dirt bikes
David
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This is just the best thread. Thanks for the memories fellas. Even though they aren't mine. :D
Bill, don't ever underestimate the value of that shot of you and your old man. My Dad took me to the races for years and I don't have one photo of him and me together. I'd kill for a shot like you've got.
That XL175 brings back memories for me too, Quicky. I bought mine off Alec Campbell (you sidecar blokes will know him) The last bike he sold before being killed in his last race. But mine had a bright red exhaust on it. Didn't make it any faster though.............. :-\
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geez I don't have many trials pics feetup :( my brother 'Eurekaman', who has gone incredibly quiet and hard to locate ever since I gave him the TSX250 on an indefinate loaner, well he was the trials man in the family..nothing serious but I'm pretty certain I have a reasonable RL250 all lined up if he's willing and able to spend a 'little' coin..there will be 2 RL's in the family then ;) what's the saying? going slow can become a way of life 8) here's a pic of my high school teacher..Johno Johnson..he was a Canadian but we won't hold that against him ;) pretty cool teacher that rode with his students on the weekends..this was taken about 1976 at what was called Nudgee Quarry. There was the big quarry and the little quarry and then the Cattle Bridge..this was also very popular and my fav. 40 bikes or more of a weekend, all the fuel you could burn for a buck and no hassles from anyone or a police officer to be seen for the duration..we actually camped here and would ride all day and night on the full moon..jeez we had it good ;D
(http://img339.imageshack.us/img339/7614/johnojohnsonor5.th.jpg) (http://img339.imageshack.us/my.php?image=johnojohnsonor5.jpg)
and ditto to what Tony stated..Don't ever take a moment with your family for granted and get a bloody photo at least..I too kick myself Tony..my father set me on the right path right from the word go..bikes! ;D 2 years to the day that he passed away..I'm spewing I never got to take him to watch me race in the past 2 years as he would have been over the moon. I'm sure he still is and I guess he's not as heavy over the rear axle to carry onboard with me anymore. Maybe that's why things have been going so well..he rides with me ;)
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You guys are blessed to have those memories of your Dad and bikes. My Dad was a tough old police crown seargent who hated bikes because he'd "scraped so many dead riders off the road" over the years. My first couple of bikes were kept at my mates place so my father wouldn't know about them. Eventually I told him about my registered Lobito (conveniently overlooking the Sherpa S racer) and bought it home. Unfortunately, in a quest to display my magnificent bike control, I popped a wheelie coming up the driveway on the maiden trip home and nearly ran over my Dad and Frank the neighbour who were enjoying a beer while Dad watered the front lawn. It didn't help the cause at all (see my infamous Lobito piece to see the full story).
At the time we were seriously into drag racing and were racing a fuel injected small block Chevy powered Fiat Topolino altered. My Dad showed monumental disinterest in the car and only ever commented on it when he was having a whinge about how much money we were spending. Sadly he died in 1976 while I was living overseas, having never seen me race either bikes or cars (or so I thought). When I came home a few weeks later I went through his stuff and found a big scrapbook with every magazine article or mention of both my car and bike stuff and 6 copies of Australasian Hot Rod magazine with an article on us and the car! Mum told me that he had rarely missed a drag race meeting in which we were competing. He'd be sitting on the lounge, obligatory KB in hand watching TV when we'd leave for the track and after an hour had gone by he'd grab his mate (or Mum) and drive out to Catlereagh, stand on the hill watching us race and then rush home and back on to the couch before we got home. I never had a clue he was doing this. I also later found out that he knew quite well that I had been racing motocross, way before I blabbed to him about the Lobito.
For years I had a hard time understanding why he openly supported my Rugby career but was so weird about the motor racing. In every way he was a loving and funny guy whom I was extremely proud of but I never understood his antipathy towards my motorsport. Speaking to his mates and the rellys years later it appears that he was indeed very proud of my racing as he bragged about it with everyone....except me! I guess he had his reasons and I don't hold any weirdness about it. Despite that glitch he was a great and loving Dad and not a day goes by when he doesn't enter my thoughts.
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DOc and firko, thanks guys for sharing its great to here good stories.
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I too was a lucky one. The whole family used to follow my skinny backside around the countryside so i could race. I got mum to dig up a few photos for me because of this thread.Really brings the memories back.
O.K. so here is a photo to have a good laugh at, at my expense of course ::) My first bike and i was 12. The neighbor worked for channel seven so his son and i got to play 'Chips' at padgents in Brisvegas, 1979.What a crack up.
(http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2007-5/1259377/ponchbaker.jpg)
And here is my first Honda with my dad holding it. Its got one of those aftermarket fandangled seats that go up on the tank. What will they think of next!
(http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2007-5/1259377/DadCR.jpg)
Third one is of me with Dave Armstrong and Jimmy Deakin at Jimmy's old mans property for the Qld unlimited Champs in 1985. This was after presentation.Little bro in there as well.
(http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2007-5/1259377/85QldChamp.jpg)
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My Dad had a heart attack :'( four weeks ago and he dosen't like flying or lifts a ambulance takes him to Nowra hosp. I was the first one there from my family anyway the Doc said he needed to go to Sydney straight away and by road would take to long so they brought in the air ambulance I can still see the look in his eyes the Doc said Mr Bailey were just going to take you down to the lift and then out to the chopper :o They flew him into St George hosp. in Kograh in 22minutes it normally takes 2 hours and 20 minutes in a car anyway I use to see him about once a month now the poor bugger has to put up with me three times a week ;D jimson
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good on ya jimson,you keep supporting/visiting ya dad, he'll appreciate it. :)
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Brad..you were obviously Ponch cause John had the lighter coloured hair :D solo 1!! something I never wanted to be was a policeman..a stuntman yeah.. :D
;) yeah good onya jimson..it's a bit like the memories and times relived here in this thread...life goes so fast that you really don't know/appreciate what you've got till it's gone. I remember the old man having his first ride on my eldest bro's TM125..plent of revs they told him or you won't be able to get it off the line :D plenty of revs alrighty, dad gave it everything and dumped it resulting in the fastest looping of a bike I'd ever seen :o bro was in tears as his unmarked rear guard was now slighlty folded and torn :D somethings are priceless!
here's a little item from years past..it took me till I was 22 to get a QLD bike learners permit even though I had been riding bikes and working in bike shops since 16. It was an assumed thing and never once was I asked to produce it by anyone. The bosses mrs was a police woman and around the city and fortitude valley area so long as I wore the shop tee shirt the police knew I worked for her hubby at one of brissy's best known bike shops and that I would 'presumably' be suitably licenced :P oops..it was a $15 fine for not having an open licenced rider with me but that was it and i got busted twice in my life (so far but probbly never again)..I never did get a bike licence and in a way I'm kinda glad ;)
(http://img87.imageshack.us/img87/5340/oldlearnersnm7.th.jpg) (http://img87.imageshack.us/my.php?image=oldlearnersnm7.jpg)
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Hah 090 ,that is priceless are they ya mums sunnys and what are you riding . How about a re enactment at CD5.
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What a great thread; the old photos are brilliant.
Too many of mine are going yellow with the detail being lost years ago.
And Brads 'Chips' photo is top shelf!!
Hey Brad, on the Channel 7 neighbour thing back in '79...
At that time we had a bloke in ADMCC who worked at Channel 7 (pretty high up) and I'm sure he had two boys into dirt bikes.
He lived at Wolffdene, just south of Stanmore Rd.
He played a large part in the three or six hour(?) MX held on the site of the current Windaroo High School in 1980 (I think the door prize was a mini bike).
I'm pretty sure Channel 7 televised the race.
Does this ring any bells; same family maybe?
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Wombat i remember that race, i think the channel 7 guy was Gary Linnaker and i have a feeling his son raced against Brad in mini bikes. The big race at windaroo was sponsored by Kentucky Fried Chicken in '81 with all the big names from down south riding. There were a couple of 3 hour races held there as well, i remember riding one of them in 1980 i think.
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Gary Linnaker rings a bell...
Was it '81? I remember I'd stopped racing but remained involved on race days.
Somewhere in the ADMCC archives is a photo of the winner coming over the line and I'm the long haired bloke waving the checkered flag.
I don't remember the winners name but there were a few notables present on the day.
'31, we can date this.
The Windaroo race was a few weeks before the first Archerfield Supercross (you rode in that ay?).
I distinctly recall I broke up with my girlfriend at the Windaroo race - she appeared unexpectedly and I had to hide the prospective girlfriend I'd invited to watch the race.
Neither new about the other...
It wasn't long after I took the NEW girlfriend to the Archerfield MX.
As we took our pre paid seat I noticed the old girlfriend (and her sister) sitting two rows behind!
What was the chance as the saying goes?!
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This machine had to be the loudest bike in Australia, that megaphone ends just in front of my boot. My first production MX bike, a Dot 250MX at the Eimeo short circuit track, around 1965. now lets see if the photo turned out.
Mike
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July 5th 1981! With the photos mum gave me she also gave me this gem! Gary Linaker is spot on John, and Gary jr is the other Chips guy in the photo.Im going to have to scan the whole program as there is some great stuff in there, especially the names.Btw Gary was promotions manager for channel 7.Arrrgh!! After an hour of pissing around to scan and get these pics loaded , i've got this one but the other one i will edit in later.
(http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2007-5/1259377/KFCCover(2).jpg)
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Hey Brad, your Dad looks familiar too.
Was he in ADMCC; did he build in-ground pools?
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THIS IS A REALLY INTERESTING THREAD FELLAS ;)
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yeah i agree Paul, heres my old pics.
taken down the local Drains adjacent to a vacant block of dead flat land. very boring track so we pulled mono's down the Drains, ok i was only 17 then.
Yes Hilly, i am on a Yamaha's first model 1980 TT250G i have confessed my sins years later ;D
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Yes wombat,my dad is in the pool game. He was the president of the club for a while as well.
nice wheelies Hoony. Can you still do the one handers?
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Yes Hilly, i am on a Yamaha's first model 1980 TT250G i have confessed my sins years later ;D
Don't feel bad Hoony. I remember Mr. Kenny Roberts riding one at the start of a particular movie that looked pretty cool. ;D
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like most of us Brad, those skills went with my dark hair.
the "don't use, it lose it" saying applies. i can still pull a good mono but nowhere as good as then as i spent all day doing them.
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Brad if your old man tinted his hair he'd look exactly the same as he does in that old shot. Wombat i reckon the first Archerfield supercross was late '79 with Mike bell and Rex Staten there riding YZ250f's. The first set of quads were there and the aussies were having all sorts of grief trying to jump them 2 and 2 until Gally finally mastered them. I need someone to scan some old pics and programs for me, i've got lots of them from that era. The first 3 hour race at windaroo may well have been '79 or early '80.
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Ha! Dads had that beard for nearly 40 years! Now that i have gotten into vmx, he's all excited again and wants to follow me around all over again. I love my dad!!
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are you bringing him to cd5 ;)
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Dont know if he will fit with all the bikes im taking :D
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Get him to take his truck and he can take some bikes for me too... Ha ha
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Mike, great photo of the DOT. I never knew there was a track at Eimeo. My uncle came from Mackay and used to ride with a few of the lads up that way. He also knew some of the old stalwarts of the Maryborough club, apparently they used to have a grasstrack or something around Copenhagen Bend there. He often mentioned guys that I knew like old Uncle Ernie Rook.
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This has to be the best thread yet!
My Dad was a plumber and has the patience of a saint. Every Sunday I’d unload his Hi-ace van and load my bike in, he’d drop me and sometimes a mate at one of the local riding areas and return about 4-5 hours later. Many were the times he was called on to drop someone off at hospital and/or take a damaged bike home for someone. Never complained and looking back gave up so much so I could have fun.
Here’s my beloved TS90MX with me in the green T shirt and my mate Jeff in blue. The third one is me and it was so cool back then to wear your T shirt on the outside. Gave that “factory” look! Sadly I've never been one for photos, these are the only photos I've got of back then.
Brent
(http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2008-1/1296303/TS90MX1.jpg)
(http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2008-1/1296303/TS90MX2.jpg)
(http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2008-1/1296303/WorldMXchamp.jpg)
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Good one Brent , I wish I hade a Dad like yours . I hade to chain up my Lambrette +Puch 125 in the forrest .
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Dad had a hotted up army Indian in the '50's and nearly killed himself on it so he didn't want me to ride on the road. A traily was ok tho.
Something else the cunning bugger did. I was always buying motorbike books and looking at the pictures, my reading wasn't too good in those days. Dad would read my mags when I went to bed and start discussing various bikes with me the next day. I had to go back and read the bloody things! He wasn't that interested in bikes but the crafty bugger found a way to get me reading.
I've got a lot to thank him for
Brent
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To lose these memories through trauma or dementia would certainly be one of the biggest losses one could ever experience. It's okay to say worse is losing loved ones but to not remember who you are yourself let alone loved ones and family would be incredibly difficult and hard to fathom. Anyway hopefully no-one here gets into a situation but I was just sitting here thinking. My grandmother on dads side died with dementia and it makes me wonder if I shouldn't write some things down now..just in case ;)
Brent, I never had the MX version TS but I was kinda close even though I never knew they existed (at the time)..here's another pic of the TS100 powerthruster. It also had the dinner plate TM rear sprocket for max acceleration :P If it rained within 100 miles it would stop but would go again after you kicked it about 50 times so that was ok. The helmet is soooo daggy now I look again..it was all I had and better than a bucket. The rider getting the huge air on it is Ray. We've been mates since grade 1. We'd always share my bikes as he was not allowed a bike of his own..his mother was/is not the sort of person you'd want to argue with :o :D
(http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a205/Doctor_Suzuki/DocTS100RaytheBaker.jpg)
this is my elder brother. This was Nudgee 1974 roughly where the finish line is on the current track.
(http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a205/Doctor_Suzuki/trevtm1251974nudgee.jpg)
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My Dad was a full-on motorbike nut from a young age so there were never any issues about me riding. He had a break from riding bikes while my sister and I were very young but by the time were were about 10 he had found a 100cc Czech scooter called a Manet and did it up and registered it. Soon after that he found a 125cc Jawa road bike and also did it up and registered it. I learned to ride motorbikes on the JAWA and the Manet scooter on our farm and at the beach at Point Lookout. On one holiday at Straddie, my Dad spotted an old bike at the Adder Rock rubbish dump and recogised it as a 16H Norton. Before he had us kids, he had owned a series of english 4 stroke road bikes, and his favourite was his Inter Norton. Theres a photo of him at age 23 sitting on his Matchless he called "Miss Behavin" (well before the Norton International). Well this rusty old 16H in the photos was something pretty close to his heart so we grabbed it and brought it home in the back of the car (see the "before photos"). I think I was about 12 so it would have been in about 1971. My Dad worked on it for about a year and many trips to the Lotus St motorbike wreckers at Wooloongabba and eventually got the 16H going and we took it down to some vacant industrial estate at Lytton on the tailgate of the Falcon and he rode it. He reckoned it had sidecar (lower than solo) gearing but it still went about 60km/h in first gear.
After doing those restos he finally bought some new bikes including the worst handling bike I have ever ridden (AG100 Yamaha). He took me on day-long trail rides (with me at 15 or 16 and no drivers licence on my registered TS185) and generally got me totally hooked for life on dirt bikes.
Thanks Dad
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Having a bit of trouble getting more than one photo per posting
These are the before photos of the 16H
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The after photo at Lytton of the 16H
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Heres another one for Doc
This is a guy who could actually ride a Suzuki RL250. Mark Stephens and his brother John were bought two competition model RL250s in 1974 by their father Col who was a bike nut and had a brother who was a Suzuki dealer in Tasmania at the time. I went to high school with Mark and first saw a trials bike by going along to watch him practice near his home at Arana Hills after school one day.
I think the photo was taken at Bidaddaba (near Tambourine Village).
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Feetup.
Different subject but............
After your references to Stradbroke and Victoria point (VMXmag article) I was wondering if you would have known the Lawler brothers? They are cousins of mine.
They were surfers from Victoria point and surfed off the island. One of them lost his leg in a shark attack off Point Lookout in about '73.
Brent
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The name Lawler rings a bell and I remember the shark attack but I don't know them personally. That was a long time ago - was it Ray Lawler or was that their Dad? My memory is telling me they had a house or Guest Houses or something at Point Lookout. We only went there on family holidays and stayed in rented houses - Baileys and Ives places. Your cousins will probably remember others I knew including Wendy Goebel (sand worm collector) who was the only person with a permit to ride a motorbike on the beach after the council brought in rules about bikes on the beach. I went to school with Wendy's daughter Leith and she was a red hot surfer. Ann Wyer was another surfer from school who went over there a lot.
They probably also know the Heaths who have had a place in the street that went up the hill from Clayton's Guest House since the mid 1950s. I went to high school with Douglas Heath and stayed with them on holidays there a few times as a teenager. Later on I went on a few trail rides until they brought in the beach riding laws.
We lived at Worthing Road and some people called it Victoria Point and others called it Thornlands. That photo in the billabong in VMX was beside Eprapah Creek.
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Graeme, Eimeo had a scrambles track, a short circuit on the salt flats, and a very scarey hillclimb up Blacks beach hill, with a 100ft drop to the beach on the left side - I had scarey moments on my Ariel 500 twin when the throttle jammed wide open just short of the top. I did the brave & sensible thing - bailed off! Bike was never the same after that.
Maryborough had quite a good motocross track in the 70s, if a bit tight in spots. They held a big meet in 74?. I showed up with my brand new KTM MX250, only to find some unknown with a foreign name going very fast. Someone told me his name was Per something or other - never heard of him. He fell off twice, I fell off once, the bludger still beat me. Third place was another Mackay guy on a 125 who didn't fall off at all.
The moral of the story is - don't fall off.
Mike
ps - if any part of the above story proves to be inaccurate, blame it on too many glasses of red, and the associated brain damage.
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Going back a smidge to an earlier post, I've found the old Supercross ticket from Archerfield.
A few well known names on there; not least 'Stefan' who's well known to us Queenslanders.
I'm 99% certain that puts the first Windaroo 3 hour MX at around Oct or Nov '79.
This is what I was doing at 19 - so I'm in the right thread...
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is stefan that "ottoman" hairdresser ?
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'Ottoman Hairdresser'???
Sorry Hoony, I don't understand the Ottoman bit.
Stefan is indeed a Hairdresser here in Qld.
He's been around for Decades and has stores the length and breadth of the Sunshine State.
He's also well known up here for racing Power Boats - those big off shore kick-arse million dollar jobbies.
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well can you remember what an Ottoman used to be called !
i
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Even I get that, and I'm not even 30 :D
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Ah, the penny drops! Very good Hoony. I haven't heard that.
I was thinking too hard; I thought you were questioning his ethnic origins such as the 'Ottoman Empire' and 'Turks' (I think he's Lebanese).
Unfortunately, like all male Hairdressers the man is labelled a 'Poof'.
On the night of the Supercross he walked along the side of the track not far from where we were sitting.
He was waving to the crowd as people called his name.
My mate Ted called out, "Hey Stefan, ya left ya handbag at my place!!".
It got a bit of a laugh from the crowd and Stefan ignored it; I just cringed.
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well you all know how politically correct i am.
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My old Mx licence spanning from 1975 thru to 1981
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1979 pic of an enduro event :)
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What a great lookin' track.
The red dirt reminds me of a riding area on Brisbanes southside called 'Dead Horse Creek'.
We made ourselves a great MX track in there and the dirt looked just like your photo.
For the Brissie boys who don't know it (and it was a bit of a secret) it's the land between Compton Rd and the Bunnings at Kuraby; directly west of where Springwood Suzuki now sits.
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gee oldfart, I had an idea to post a pic of my old race licence but you beat me to it and in age.
I just love these old pics. Does anyone have pics of N/E Vic MX & short circuit during the late 70's & early 80's?
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http://http://i204.photobucket.com/albums/bb130/yzhilly/VicTitles82waaiaSepparton.jpg .G'day Woody this was me at VMBA 1982 Vic titles at Waaia near Shepparton it was a great track ,big wide and fast. I remember a Japanese young Gun came over to race in 80cc A grade .This really shook up the established kids in this class i cant remember his name but he got around the pits like a rock star and was real fast on the track.
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It's the tinted goggles that make you go fast!! If only 2nd gear would last more than three meetings, this was a great bike.
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Mike, excuse my ignorance but just what bike is that?? Greeves??
Bet you wish you still had it eh!! 8)
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Very interesting forks set up.
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Yes, Doc, It's a 1964 Greeves Challenger MX1, of Dave Bickers, Malcolm Smith & Dick Mann fame. I think even Joel Robert (now that's a familiar name) rode a Greeves for a while prior to his time with CZ, but he rode the MDS, the previous model to this. I'd love to have this back in my shed!
Great forks for their time, Wombat, very stable under brakes - something to do with the front end geometry remaining constant over the full travel. Until Ceriani forks became available with more travel(6in) and lighter weight, they were great.
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here is my family motocycle pic from 1977 nsw c grade teams championships. my dad who still helps with my bikes at the age of 85 (my hagon tt500 is there now in peices for repaint(the tt500 was my older brothers he is on the far right of pic.)back to my dad he is next to me i am on the hagon bultaco.the other shot is my dad riding at my brothers house in bangor near meani about 1968-70.the track was were the public school is now
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Ah the fashion of the 70's.
I noticed the flared jeans on the blonde fella standing at the far left.
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they are brothers tony day the guy riding at one stage was nsw classic dirt track champ i think a few years back
jimg
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Hey Jim, is that John Langfield in the white t shirt and funny hat?
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is Langfield still riding these days at all in Vet speedway/longtrack?
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Hilly, that guy at shepparton had the surname of Toyama and your right he was super fast. I remember one race vividly- it was a great dice between him and trevor Thomas. I think Thomas beat him. The other quick boys in that 80cc A grade race were a couple of local brothers by the name of wally and Larry Monta. They always had that sand well sussed out.
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Thanks Geoff thats the guy . I remember his first race he left a few riders on the deck as he pushed to the front and from then on it was on he showed the locals a few things and it just made them faster .I was racing 100cc C grade then and got third ,It was a great track i loved the huge start straight and the big first corner. I see that track is still listed with MV do they still race on it and is it the same setup ?.
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no it is my older brother who is mates with john,
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when we were kids/teens...... it was Camel and Marlboro now its Bourbon and shooter glass's with your new googles.
Cougar Bourbon signs on as naming sponsor of Honda racing’s Full Throttle Sports managed team for the 2010 Australian national title competitions.
“We’re excited to partner with one of Australia’s premier race teams Honda. The newly named Cougar Bourbon Honda Race Team will be a proud part of our marketing and consumer activity, and everyone is looking forward to cheering on our riders,” said Jenny Nolch, GM of Spirits for Carlton & United Breweries.
General Manager of Honda Australia Motorcycles, Tony Hinton, echoed the positive feeling about the Team being able to partner with such a reputable brand.
“It is always tough to find companies who will jump on board to sponsor an elite level Australian race team. This is a fantastic alignment for the Team and Cougar, and we look forward to success in 2010.”
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Yes it's good that they went from cigarette sponsorship to a product which does the young people of today no harm what-so-ever....... ::)
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Cigarette companies, food for thought ;)
http://medicolegal.tripod.com/boycott.htm