OzVMX Forum
Clubroom => General Discussion => Topic started by: Tony T on October 10, 2007, 08:28:43 am
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Evo550 just sent me copy of a Maico test from about 1981 I think.
Included was this advert from GE.
(http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-8/1063360/CZAd.jpg)
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:D I have that copy of Dirtbike. I think the jumping maico graced the cover but I do remember that ad and thinking (at the time) how weird (= insane) it was someone would actually be chasing an ol' clunker like the CZ..the Mr Eldridge showed great foresight eh Tony ;)
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I remember that ad too. I also remember that GE seemed pretty keen on the vintage thing when it took off in the 90s. I have always wondered what would have happened if he'd not gone to that rally in Nevada. What would the vintage scene look like now? Ray got into it, and Geoff surely would have too.
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I suspect it had something to do with this article(hit the links below) circa Jan 1981. Yep I still remember walking down the footpath from the bookshop reading that same magazine I'd just bought. I'd already found my 400 six months previous but took twenty more years before VMX happened for me.
1981 the begining of VMX as we know it started with the CZ World Championships.
http://www.czmadness.net/articles/MXAJan81-1.jpg
http://www.czmadness.net/articles/MXAJan81-2.jpg
http://www.czmadness.net/articles/MXAJan81-3.jpg
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Thanks for the 81 MXA links, I lost my collection to a rather vindictive lady friend a few years before meeting my wife...
I was 14 then, but sure as hell knew what a Cz was, in fact- I knew a twin pipe from a side pipe and black frame red frame and Falta.
It wasn't until 91 that I actually saw people racing vintage bikes here in Texas, USA, and though I had collected a few derelict Pursangs from 88-90 for peanuts, I had sold or given them away by 91, thinking I would never get to race them.
I am thinking now that VMX got started sooner in OZ than in USA. Kind of interesting how we are looking at vintage articles about vintage racing. Thanks again for those scans-very cool.
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Little off topic James but just wondering where you blokes from Texas mount your cow horns?
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Little off topic James but just wondering where you blokes from Texas mount your cow horns?
Lozza, another bit of irony here..as it was 1981 when my dear sister brought over two female exchange students from the UK. This was near the height of the US TV show Dallas, and shortly after the movie Urban Cowboy etc.. Well, they were amused for about a week and then DEMANDED we show them our oil well, our Cadillac cars, and ranch. ;D ;D We about fell out, as my stepdad busted his ass(arse?) to give us a middle class living-we didn;t even know anyone who made money in oil. Now, just this morning I pass on the freeway, a clean 1963 Cadillac coupe-and it has horns on the front-no shit. I have no clue how they mount-as they appear to be larger than even the 1-1/8" 'Fatbars" or Pro Taper Bars ;D ;D I would guess if one has so much cash to piss away, and so much ego to do this-that custom mounts are not a problem.
BTW 1981 was the year that AC/DC's Back In Black was charting in US( released in summer 1980) , I could tell you much more about the best hard rock band of all time than horns on cars or ten gallon hats. What a time it was, wished I could have owned a 490 Maico-and still do.
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Hmmmm maybe there's a business opportunity for an enterprising soul ;D ;D ;D "Texas Longhorn Mounts -VMX-AHRAMA-ebay.com/parts.......
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Here's the real story on how the Aussie Vintage Motocross movement all got started.
I'd known GE since the old days and we both shared a love of bikes from "back then", he with his precious CZs and me with my beloved Maicos. In early 1985 a brilliant idea came to me one balmy night at the pub and I decided to restore my old square barrell Maico which had been sitting idle in Mums garden shed for over ten years. At the same time my mate Chris Ellis decided to restore his basket case '71 400 Husky. A year or so later the bikes were finished so I approached Geoff as to whether he'd like to do an ADB feature on them. He jumped at the idea and the resulting four page, colour feature came out in the May 1986 issue of ADB. To set up an interesting background for the shoot I approached Amaroo Park management and asked if we could use the then badly derelict Amaroo motocross track. The Amaroo track manager at the time was a lovely old bloke named Ray Price who gladly did some superficial weeding and grading to get the main straight looking something like it did during the tracks golden years. After the shoot GE, Chris, his brother Bernie and I sat around reminiscing over a few beers about the great times we had all experienced at the track back in the seventies. We all wondered aloud just how many old pre '75 bikes were out there still in running condition and whether they would be interested in a one off race at an upcoming meeting at (I think) Dargle.
Eventually the idea faded away until I read in Revs about an upcoming event in California called the Dick Mann Vintage Dirt Rally to be held at a track called Sandhill Ranch, near Livermore, California. I managed to contact Dick Mann (after a lot of dead ends) and he sent me all of the information. Thinking it was a great idea, I hopped a plane to California. After a few days of catching up with friends I ended up in San Francisco where I visited Dick Mann at his workshop in Richmond, near Oakland. That great old bloke spent the whole afternoon explaining philosophy behind his dream,the rules and the reasons for them and all of the inns and outs of running a vintage meeting. I was blown away when he invited me to stay the weekend at his house with he and his wife Kay. For the whole weekend he smothered me in enthusiasm for the vintage motocross thing. The following weekend I attended the event, rode a borrowed CZ400 that Dick had set up for me, assisted in tech inspection (scrutineering) and basically became engulfed in the whole vintage experience. I had the most fun I'd ever had at a race in years and left that evening with a bunch of new friends and a head full of ideas.
Upon arriving home I told anybody who'd listen about this vintage motocross thing and most punters seemed to think it was a good idea. Back at the same pub that had inspired the Maico resto I sat with my mate Chris Ellis and basing our ideas on the California Vintage Racing Group (precurser to AHRMA) rules, in one evening worked out a simplified set of rules and age groups that are still the basis of the very same rules we use today. With a set of rules now on paper I went to GE with the idea of putting on a meeting at Amaroo Park. He thought it was a great idea and right from that moment he worked with me in trying to get the ball rolling. While he was smothering the mag in vintage articles, I started working with the ACCA (MANSW now) on the logistics involved in getting older, retired racers back into the fold without the expense of having to get a full licence. Remember that this proposed Amaroo Park meeting was initially going to be a one off so it wasn't fair to expect retired racers to layout the big money for a full licence for a one off day. Many meetings with Wendy Corrigan from ACCA over a number of weeks eventually resulted in the creation of the original one day licence. That form of licencing had never been used before so I was pretty pleased with that win for the little guy over big bureaucracy. Another hurdle that was overcome was allowing interstate riders to ride at a club day, as long as they joined the promoting club for the day. Previously that had been a no no.
The next step was to approach Amaroo Park management and see if they were willing to prepare the old track again. It hadn't been used in quite a few years and it was overgrown with trees and bushes and most of the topsoil had been washed into the creek. The back section of the track was totally rutted out and unridable. Luckily, Ray Price liked the concept and told us he'd prep the track back to it's 1971 shape and bring in some dirt. Thankfully, they were just starting to redevelop adjacent suburb of Kellyville and the earthmovers were stoked to have the track to dump the excavated dirt. It was a win win situation for everybody. The only let down was that due to changes in enviromental law they couldn't oil the track any more.
The meeting was set down for April 1988 and GE pulled out all of the stops. He was putting as much vintage coverage in the mag as he could to drum up support. My phone number was given as the contact to get on the mailing list and boy did that phone ring off the hook! Even though I was the president of Penrith club, the club was almost broke so I paid all of the permits out of my own pocket and GE/ADB paid the track hire and program printing/layout. We ran the event as a Penrith club day but in effect it was a private Firkin & Eldridge promotion. The meeting was an outstanding success with over 150 entries, many of them late entries (nothing changes) with Victorias Ron Dinsdale being the hot shot on Bultacos ahead of my mate Chris Ellis, Ossa mounted Gary Hodge, Edgar Phipps on a Maico and Kevin Flood on a Maico. The free post race sausage sizzle and pissup was a great end to a magic day and it didn't take a genius to realise that we were on to a good thing. Amaroo Park were happy, ADB was happy, MA were happy and I was tired and happy. I had put so much effort into the event that the stress caused a simple cold to turn into pneumonia knocking me out for a month after the event.
It didn't matter though. Vintage motocross was up and running and we were pretty proud of what we'd built. These days, GE has sadly gone, Chris Ellis is out of the vintage scene although he's building an HL and may come back into the fold and I'm still here as an enthusiastic but long retired punter. We couldn't have done it without the contributions from Dick Mann (who came within a smidge of coming out for the first meeting but other committments got in the way), Wendy Corrigan at MANSW, Ray Price and Terry at Amaroo Park and most of all GE. His enthusiasm and ability to wind me up when I needed it as well as the much needed publicity and sponsorship will always be appreciated. He helped turn my dream into a reality more than any other person on the planet. He was a full on supporter of everything we did right up until the day he died. The night before his big crash he'd started negotiations on another bike, a Metisse of some sort. It was his original idea to call the Aussie Champs the Nats, thereby bypassing the big MA fees and making the whole structure simple. I miss him and his friendship still to this day.
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Eno....That CZ World Championships meeting was the start of vintage racing in the USA. I actually went to one (1983 maybe?) and it was a pretty loose experience. Some of the CZs were bizarre to say the least. I saw a near new single a shock KTM fitted with a CZ 400 engine and one bloke adapted a CZ400 top end to a Maico 440 bottom end and fitted the thing to a '79 Maico Magnum with a coffin CZ tank and CZ fenders. Beleieve it or not it flew and looked "right". The CZWC was a fun event that started the pissup/bbq picnic experience that is so prevalent at US meetings today.
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Thanks Firko really enjoyed that insight to the early VMX days, a great read.
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i just came in from the SHED and i think its a great story thanks firko ;D
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Firko
Great little story ......Grass root material
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Great to know how things started off. Cheers for that
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What a great yarn. Those were great days and I remember Firko calling the shots at those early meetings. Nobody has put his heart into this sport more than the big fella. When you look at all of the overnight sensations that came into the sport with a pocket full of ideas that have dropped out as quickly as they came in when it goot too hard you'd appreciate Firkos contributions even more. He's still shaking and stirring 20 years later.
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great story firko...i can still remember when geoff eldridge first passed away back in 93 riding that RMx250 in the nevada desert.first thought was oh no adb will die in the arse then we will have nothing to read about our great sport...but slowly and shorely it slowly trudged on without the great GE much to our amazement.i sometimes wonder what ge would be saying about the develpments.... from upstairs of course... in the sport like the thumper nats in the early nintes(which he started) and the vintage motocross scene ....we all miss him dearly...
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What a great historical piece!
This story from Firko should reach a wider audience; it's sort of buried deep in this forum.
Perhaps it could be tweaked into a VMX magazine article/photos and shared with the wider International VMX community? ;)
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Apparently the ad in 1981 didn't work? At the end of the 1987 article, which kinda paid-out on the old bikes (in a good natured way), GE added:
And before you go writing in to say that I don't appreciate old bikes - I do. In fact, I want either a DT-1 or a 1970 CZ360 or 250. Anyone out there got one?
Musta read that article a million times in the last 243 months... :)
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When GE died, a bit of Firkos enthusiasm died with him. He slowly moved away from promoting and riding and gradually faded into the background. That's when a lot of wankers moved in on his initiatives, called them their own and started to wreck the good work GE, Firko and their crew had created. Luckily Ray Ryan managed to get the big bloke interested again and even though Ray's gone the same way as GE, Firkos still here, dicky knee and all keeping us all educated. Hang in there big guy.
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Reminded me of a few memories, being 45 now,I had recently moved from QLD due to family reasons.My closest relations were Uncle Ray Curtis's boys-my cousins.About the same age we embarked,under "SOME" influence from Uncle Ray, who was still racing a TZ700,converted to a right hand change-a legacy of his British bike career- by Leo Pretty (sic); 74 XR75,TY80 and DT125 ,all 74 models were the start. The No 9 at Condell Park, by the Airport, The Bankstown YMCA Minibike club, complete with greyhound "slipping"track, where we watched greyhounds blooded with cats etc.All b/w Bankstown Trots and the Airport.Menai,Kev's Oasis and the odd visit by both State and AFP. Mike Warner,now successfully building wheels and gathering a great VMX collection,had his first shop in Salems Parade in Revesby, and later a workshop in Queen st if memory serves well- good service then-and still I imagine.And Mike was QUICK at dirt track, often seeing him matching it in the the top class, while I had fun in a couple of C grade races at Nepean, I concentrated more on motocross.The very early days of BMX with Gary Wayne(Monk) winning the inaugural State Bmx title-covered in ADB near the back of a certain mag,I believe.Gary and a group of us would modify our Dragstars with wheels and straight forks to strenghten them pre-Mongoose days and go riding most nights after tea in the burbs-good memories.
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They were good times. Thanks for the nice words chaps. GE ended up with about six CZs in the end. He got a matching pair of very trick '74 models from Vintage Iron in the USA and raced a nice 360 side piper in pre 70. He also had a spare bike to back up the main ones and put his mates on board. He also had a very trick pair of YZ A models, also from Vintage Iron and a nice little Elsinore for the 125 class. On top of those he had a 75 KX250, a DT1 which is now my restored jobby and a few more I can't remember. He loved the vintage scene and really loved the vintage punters because they didn't have all of the precociousness the modern racers had. He had fun at the vintage races.
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And GE's 1976 KX250 was on display at CD4.... :'(
(http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2005-7/1052255/kx250rhs_1.jpg)
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Well written firko and from the heart and i concur. There should be someplace accessable to all of how and where and why VMX exists in oz. Cant go forward if you dont know where you came from.
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Great read Firko, I would assume that your story would read pretty much the same world wide in the vintage scene. "Like minded guys reminising over a few beers until the thought of racing old motocross bikes got the better of them and decided to do something about it". The early days of vmx would/must have been very exciting, and to be one of the front men of the sport would have made it even better. If it wasnt for hard working dedicated people like yourself and obviously GE, life as we know vmx to be could still just be a beer in the hand. The one thing I have found in vmx is that the people who restore/rebuild their bikes seem to be the ones who have their heart in the sport. Yes I know this is probably a bold statement, but most racers seem to come and go but it seems to be the lovers of the bikes that go the distance. Firko, as for being a long retired punter in vmx, I find that hard to believe. Is there such a thing? The helmet and leathers maybe hung up, but thats not just what vmx is all bout now is it. Putting a rider on one of the old girls and watching it perform, leaving oily finger prints on a can of beer while helping a friend with one of their bikes, looking at the next project and seeing something glorious in that pile of rusting old junk. Or even loaning your knowledge to us in here (like the story in this thread) says there is alot more to this vintage motocross thing than just riding bikes. Thanks for the enlightenment on the Australian VMX scene. It was a great read.
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Hey Mark - How come you never told me that yarn before?
Truly inspirational stuff and all you guys who got the ball rolling (yeah you too GE - we know you are watching on) should take a bow.
Without the efforts of individuals NOTHING happens but these guys as a collective have lead us to where we are now. The seventies may well have been our golden era (I loved the bikes but hated the disco music!) but what we are all enjoying now is GOLD!
See you at the Evo Challenge
Dave Mac
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I couldn't agree more maico 490 (I loved the bikes but hated the disco music!).
I took up surfing when I left MX in the 70's and painted 'Disco Sux' in huge red letters under the board... ;D
Anyways, the OZ VMX history piece has me wondering about the VMX scene in NZ; how did that all begin?
What about the Poms - any Brits on this forum who can shed some light on the sport in the UK?
And my favourite American 'maicojames'; how far back can you trace the sport in the land of the free?
I've just watched the 3 disc set of 'Ón any Sunday' so I'm feeling a little nostalgic...
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In USa as far as I have been able to determine, it was the CZ nationals in 81 as indicated above, which went on until about 84 where some of the first vintage races were being run with some now defunct clubs, but I believe one of them is now the CALVMX or SVRG-I think T-Red would be more help on the California info as he is a California native. AHRMA was formed in 1984-then became a member owned group in 1987. The TVRC(Texas Vintage Racing Club) was formed in early 1988-running it's first race at Mosier Valley ( a historic NTexas track now closed), I saw my first vintage mx race in 91. Must have been a sight for the older guys(blokes?) as I was 23, pulled up in my 69 Camaro blaring Nirvana or Jane's Addiction on the radio-with a pony tail , baggy shorts, and hiking boots....but walked right up and identified several bikes-I rememeber a Yellow Penton(KTM) Hare Scrambler, a really trick Champion framed #135 250cc Pursang with red glass, and at least one Super Rat Hodie.
They must have crapped when I showed up the next month or so with my own Pursang.
I think I changed out of my Pearljam T-shirt at the first race LOL..but I was hooked at once just to know that anyone was racing these bikes nearby. Wow, that was a while back-i have to say if not for VMX in those days, I may not have lived to become the mere detriment to society I am today. We didn't just race the bikes, we worked on them at each others houses, bought sold traded, and BSed about them all the time.
I think the UK Pre-65 movement was much before the CZ nats, would really be interested to hear about it from someone in the UK.
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i remember riding my first vmx meeting in victoria in 1986 on a farm in gippsland we had a good turnout could have been about thirty riders with some good riders there trail and track did a story on it in one of there issues....does this mean i have been riding vmx for 21 years ??? shit :'(
it ran last time i started it ;D
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i remember riding my first vmx meeting in victoria in 1986 on a farm in gippsland we had a good turnout could have been about thirty riders with some good riders there trail and track did a story on it in one of there issues....does this mean i have been riding vmx for 21 years ??? shit :'(
Are you sure it was that early? i remember going to a farm down near Leongatha ( i reckon it was John Boag's place) to watch but cannot remember the year exactly but i thought about 1988 or so. no racing just guys ripping around a grassy track.
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You're right Hoony and Holeshot , it was Boagy place. There wasn't any serious racing, more a get together of like minded souls rounded up by Peter Drakeford and Boagy. It was formulating at the same time we were getting our show off the ground here in Sydney. We got a proper race meeting up and running first but it wasn't long before a race took place in Victoria. Was it at Ravenswood? I can't remember. It just dawned on me that the guys who got things going in Victoria, Boagy,Drakeford and some others, and myself and a few others here in Sydney are still mostly involved. Cool
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The Victorian Classic Club holds the last round of the series at Boagy's place every year. Last race for the season 4/11/2007. Entry forms on the Viper web site.
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i am pretty sure it was not boagys place it was between warrigal and noojee somewhere ron dinsdale rode watsons bultacos ,cris delarue was there on a kx450 and we sort of had races it was a grass paddock on the side of a hill i was riding my husky wr450 (which i still have ) and i remember getting taken out in one race in the first turn by the mad swede kel amberntson i am pretty sure it was 86 i will have to find the mag to check 8)
it ran last time i started it ;D
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sounds like it may be a different day to the day i went.
kel amberntson the ex Swede GP rider i remember racing against him early 80's when he rode a Can Am Sonic 500 in some 4 stroke Mx Races (this was 81 -85 era) he was a great rider, was he riding the sonic on that day you mentioned or something like a BSA B50MX?
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yeah hoony he was riding a 1977 husky 250 on the day if my fading memory serves me right and kel did have a can am. In the early eightys he had a very quick xl500 and before that a ccm loved his 4 strokes he was in our club mcrcv and used to ride all the club days i think he is living back in sweden now 8)
it ran last time i started it ;D