Talking to your heroes

[shorelinemc]

i concur with dave ,i met barry sheene a few times- i used make tranzac exhausts.anyway barry came up we rrepaired and repainted exhaust systems on his that he was restoring normal bloke,easy  to talk to ,no hey i m a legend and you should do this for free great bloke r.i.p.

[yamaico]

I raced in the last round of the west coast VMX nationals in the states four years in a row in the nineties. The meeting was at a really good track in the Hollister Hills (Hollister was where "The Wild One" was set). The first year I raced there we went to a party on the Saturday night in a town called Gilroy, not far from the track. There was a video playing "On Any Sunday" (favourite film, of course) and the cool part was that the guests at the party included Dick Mann, Dave Aldana, Gene Romero, Jim Rice, John Desoto and a few others I can't remember. All great guys and happy to talk about anything and everything. Great memory.

[EML]

Talking about normal folk in race suits, one of the most obvious to me is Steve Gall. I caught up with Steve at Echo Valley a few years back and joked with him about an old magazine I had that carried a story from early days and they had asked him what he was going to do after motocross ( a question we all might have asked ourselves back then).
The joke was that here we were some 30yrs on and he was still into motocross up to his elbows. He asked if he could have a copy and as I was/am computer stupid I sent him the whole mag. He was very greatful that I went to the trouble and we still catch up and have a joke from time to time.
A really nice FAST guy, like most of them at the top.

[holeshot buddy]

probably when i met georges jobe at farleigh
he was my GP idol of the eighties
got him to sign my kawasaki m robert jersey
he was great to talk to and down to earth
with some great stories

the other was brad lackey he was great
and boy has he got some stories

[JohnnyO]

Over the years i've spent a bit of time with Barry Sheene, Mick Doohan, Darryl Beattie, Kevin Magee and Jason Crump. They're all good friendly down to earth guys happy to talk to anyone and very approachable.

[JC]

Some great & endearing stories here guys. The only one I met was Joel Robert (briefly) & he was a real gentleman too.

[Doggy Digger]

Here's something that links two names above, a generation apart.

Gary Flood told me that when he and Ivan Miller were working at - and riding for - UK Comerfords
in the early 70s, Dave Thorpe's dad was involved with bikes and would visit the shop.  He'd
sometimes bring his quite young son in with him, and Gary got to know him pretty well.  I guess David would
have been 11 or 12 at the time.

By the way, does anyone know what has become of Barry Sheene's home museum of bikes please?

[211kawasaki]

I think Stefanie his wife has sold a lot off as I have seen some that appear to be in other people's hands. Cant blame her if she has life goes on and she probably needed to flick them.

On that point we only are custodians of what we own anyway, when I had my 25 Velocette it had the original owners name and address engraved in the cover of the maggy. I tracked him down and he had passed away 50 years before buy was still known in the town he lived - we are only lease holders; everything eventually gets passed on.

211

[vmx42]

On that point we only are custodians of what we own anyway, when I had my 25 Velocette it had the original owners name and address engraved in the cover of the maggy. I tracked him down and he had passed away 50 years before buy was still known in the town he lived - we are only lease holders; everything eventually gets passed on.

Geez Dave,
That's a bit deep for OzVMX. But it does make me feel sorry for the poor sod that ends up as the next custodian of my crap.  I hope they have more storage space than I do… 
VMX42

[oldmxracer]

Here in the States I've had the fortune of rubbing elbows with Brad Lackey, Jim Pomeroy, Dick Mann, Jeff Smith, Billy Liles, Tony D., Marty Tripes and the most laid back "hero" ever- Chuck Sun. All easy to chat with and yes they are just like us only faster.

Of course I'm always starstruck in DeCoster's presence at the SX races though....

[JohnnyO]

All Barry Sheene's bikes are still in his house on display. I talk to his son freddie regularly and there were'nt any plans to sell them as far as i know.

[Rossvickicampbell]

have had cause to write to both Brad Lackey and Marty Smith of late - have been absolutely amazed at how "down to earth" the guys have been when replying - you could of knocked me over this morning when Marty replied to my latest email and then sked me if I was going that way to let him know so we could go for a ride.  Now this may have been just being very polite but Marty was my childhood hero and I was gobsmacked 

[bazza]

ROGER DEcOSTER, jOEL ROBERTS, Harry Everts,Gaston rahier,jeff Smith,Sammy Miller,Jim Pomeroy,Bad Brad,Super Hunky,Ivan Miller, Geoff Eldridge and Firko

[vmx42]

ROGER DEcOSTER, jOEL ROBERTS, Harry Everts,Gaston rahier,jeff Smith,Sammy Miller,Jim Pomeroy,Bad Brad,Super Hunky,Ivan Miller, Geoff Eldridge and Firko

I've heard that Firko character can be a bit of a prima donna. Or maybe I just caught him on a bad day? 

[firko]

I've heard that Firko character can be a bit of a prima donna

I prefer to call it my artistic temperment. The chicks dig it.