Did many here race when they were young?

[Bioflex]

One thing that I have always found interesting about the VMX movement is the various reasons why people are passionate about older bikes. For some it is the simplicity, others the fact an investment in classic metal is a wise one, while many it is to reminisce about the younger days when they'd race the bikes they now collect.

I don't know how many people are in the same boat as me, but coming from a single income family of 5 kids, while not exactly on poverty street, the thought of even getting a motorbike, not to mention getting a new bike and maintaining it for a season of racing with all the other costs involved was impossible.

My passion for 70's and 80's bikes now is much about being a kid drooling over magazines back then and now being in a position to obtain items which were of distant dreams once upon a time.

Perhaps once upon a time bikes were a bit cheaper relatively speaking, but I still find it hard to see how unless people came from families who were very well off, or there talent was exceptional (and this they picked up a lot of sponsors quickly) how they managed the financial stresses of racing.
Now a days, there does seem to be a lot more disposable income around and although the 4 stroke movement makes racing expensive, it does appear to be a bit more affordable.

I guess what I am wondering is, how many people here who grew up in the 70's, 80's and 90's (and even earlier if you dare) raced as youngsters, if so, how the hell did your families afford to pay for it?

I appreciate that some people got out there earned a living and may well have funded their own racing from an early age, these stories would be of interest too.

[SR 250]

I started racing in 1972 to 1977 had a break came back in 1979 for a few meetings got married,  then l came back in 1990 when the vintage first started, went to all the Melbourne and western centre meetings with my brothers when they where racing in the 60`s. My brothers bikes in early 60`s at where modified road bikes, later they bought proper factory produced scrambler, my first bike was a bantam 125,  then a HonVille, AT1 125, In 1972 I bought my first  motocrosser and that was a Montesa 125 cappra, I paid for it by mowing lawns and working after school as a  delivering boy for a chemist shop, in 1973 I was sponsored on Honda Elsinore, later Suzuki. I raced gippsland centre, South Australia, Calder Rally cross, western Districts meetings, Some Melbourne open meetings. Won the Junior title in 1973, Broke Mick Nicol Arm at Newtown Ballarat, Broke Kelvin Douglas Leg at Lake Gilier warranbool still to this l am sorry for that, but the is racing. Got 4th at Calder behind Karl Morlang cz 400, Gary Adams RH 400, Gary O`brien Cappra 360, I was my Husqvarna CR Mag 250. Brothers raced  Cotton, Trump, Matchless, Kawasaki f21M 250, Montesa La Cross 250, Montesa 380 Cappra, Montesa Cappra MX 250

[oldyzman]

I grew up in the 70's ..... similar position with affordability to race or have a new bike, we were lucky enough to have an indian 75 which dad swapped for a washing machine then a Z50a, and a BS 100. After several paper runs and other jobs i got an MX 80 and then a ts 100. I then purchased a ER185. soon enough i sold the ER to buy a car, then sold it to buy my first property at the age of 19. The next 11 years i concerntrated on property with not many luxuries. finally i freed up some $ and cahsed my passion with dirt bikes and road bikes. At 40 yeras old i did my first race at Nepean and the VMX addiction caught on from there. I have recently been selling a lot of my collection due to firstly having to demolish a large part of my house and also a sickness in my family, I must concerntrate on the kids and keeping myself able and healthy for  coming months. VMX is a great passion - keeps me off the street.
Brett

[cheapracer]

I guess what I am wondering is, how many people here who grew up in the 70's, 80's and 90's (and even earlier if you dare) raced as youngsters, if so, how the hell did your families afford to pay for it?

I appreciate that some people got out there earned a living and may well have funded their own racing from an early age, these stories would be of interest too.

Well I reckon myself and other country area people from the 70's are luckier because I rode my bikes to the track! Well to tell the truth you weren't allowed to by the clubs rules so we (other riders) pushed the last 500 meters! 

I worked service stations pumping fuel after school and weekends as well as worked for a family friend concretor on school holidays and got my first bike, an SL70, in my 13th year. I won my very first race not surprisingly against a couple of those lawnmower powered centrifical clutch bikes around at the time, a Kawasaki 75 and a Dax and it's been all downhill from there 

[Colin Jay]

I bought my first motorbike, a Kawasaki KT250 in late 1975. At that time I had almost completed the first year of my elecrical apprenticeship and was earning almost $100 a fortnight. I rode the KT for fun and started riding it in club events, both observed trials and enduros as well as trail riding it.

In 1977 I bought a Yamaha IT250D and got more serious with the enduros, having ridden my brothers RT1B Yamaha in a few club enduros. In 1977 I started riding open multi-day enduros, riding several events at Cessnock, Wagga, Bathurst etc(a long drive from Broken Hill), including the first 4-Day.

In 1978, I traded the IT250 in on a Husqvarna 390 AMX, which cost $2000, and was a lot of money for an apprentice. I continued riding enduros and started riding C grade MX in South Aust. I continued riding both enduros at the club and open level as well C grade MX into the early 1980's.  The final open enduro I rode was the 1981 4 Day (held in Broken Hill) on the 390 Auto. I then quite serious enduro riding and rode at club level for a few more years before driffting away from dirt bikes in the late 1980's when I joined the navy (not much opportunity to ride a dirt bike at sea).

During the period from 1977 to the mid 1980's I also rode observed trials, initially solo C grade on my brothers TY250B, then turned to sidecar trials on the KT250, before progressing to a 1979 (Model 199A) Bultaco 350 Sherpa (my 21st birthday present from my parents) with a sidecar. I rode the sidecars at state and national levels, picking up 2 B grade state titles and numerous top 10 places at the Aust titles, with a best result of 6th. In 1994, which serving at HMAS Cerberus, a navy base on the Mornighton Peninsular in VIC, I rode a season of sidecar trials on a 1978 (mod 199) Bultaco 350 sherpa in the VIC and Aust titles getting a 2nd (state) and 10th (national) placings.

I still own all the bike mentioned above, with the exception of the IT250 which I traded in at the local Yamaha dealers (although I know where the remains of it are).

After 17 years in the navy, I got back into dirt bikes after moving to Clare in SA and joining the local MC club. Since then I have been slowly pulling the various bike from the back off the shed and getting then back in running / racing condition. I have been ridding reliability trials for the past 4 years on a selection of Yamaha 500, and my 83 Tenere and the odd solo and sidecar trial on the Bultaco's with my daughter as passenger (yes, the things she has to do to keep her dad happy). I have resurected the 390 auto and all things going well will ride it at the titles at the Brook in September.

Over the years, the collection of bikes in the shed has grown, and now totals somewhere around 50, whith the vast majority being 1970 dirt / trail bikes.

CJ

[gettinold]

My family was not wealthy .My 1st bike was a yz80c.It was 2nd hand for $340.I only raced at the local minibike club.( from memory it was $2.40 to enter). Very Very little money was spent on this bike.My 2nd bike was a yz80G. Made up of the $350 I got for the yz80c and $100 I saved myself from working partime after school.I lived and breathed bikes.The yz80G cost $670. My parent and grand father put in the difference.I only raced it at the local mini bike club once again.2 years later it was a YZ125J.I bought it my self from saving saving saving.Next was a RM250D which I personal saved for again which was a little easier as I was now a 1st year apprentice.The end of 84 i began racing as a sidecar passenger as I could no longer afford to race by myself.The sidecars cost me little as it was a sponsored ride. I saw a lot of the country and met some great people in those next 6 years.

[TooFastTim]

Second generation. Started when I was 13 on my dads hand-me-down Cotton. When he retired I graduated to a Bulto Sherpa. Rode trials until I was 24. By then I needed a break so, on a whim, I bought a KDX200C1 and found I was quite good at enduros. Did enduros until 2000 then went back to trials.

In the middle of this I did a few MX events but they didn't really suit me. Too much adrenelin (trials and enduros you compete against yourself. Mx you compete against other riders).

[Rusty]

Big brother was a top road racer and did a little scrambles in NZ when I was in my early teens so I was around quite a few of the good guys in my formative years.  Banged around the farm on a converted AC50 that I pedalled hard enough to brass off a lot of guys on 125s and then a TS185 before heading stateside again.

Old man had a Suzuki shop there so of course gravitated to that brand even though we sold Bultaco, CZ & DKW.  Started racing the SoCal scene and quickly developed skills to let me run with the big dawgs.  Got some support from US Suzuki and rode the HS class at the 1975 Superbowl where I crashed out of the first moto, but won the second.  Lots of pre-production test riding for Suzuki with the first RM series and a lot of tire and pipe testing for different people.  Back to NZ I had to find a real job and never really rode too much except for a few national qualifiers where I was usually the first 250 in the A grade class before I had an industrial accident that retired me.
Back on a bike in my mid 30's I raced for a few years until a big crash in the support class at the nationals when I was 40 put me off work for a month or so. In my 50's now I have been mountainbiking for 8 years and looking to get back on a bike.  I figure something from my youth would not encourage me to do things the body can't handle   

[Doggy Digger]

Money was always a problem when we were school kids.
In school holidays, I got a job in Dandenong at a brick factory ... got an adult wage!  I was 15.
It included night shifts.  After a few weeks, your hair got thicker, and your nostrils went kinda chunky inside.
It was mindless, noisy work ... but it put you in the money!  
I bought a superceded RT2-MX.  They were going out the door for $740 brand-new in 73. 
(They had a bad reputation ... a bit like the Cyclones ... and Milledge didn't sell too many the year before.
I was probably lucky from the outset, in that mine had a leaky reed valve, and didn't run too hard.)
They SURE WERE PRETTY though!

Then did my first (ever) race on it ... at Dandy MCC club champs.

[Marc.com]

No money at our house, the old man was a big old school cop, whacking a few Maoris with his flashlight and living his own white version of Once Were Warriors 

I got given a stack of ADBs by a neighbour ( at the time Glenn Bell was on an Italjet 80)  and I was gagging for my first serious race bike .... so had after school job in a butchery at 13 making sausages and corned beef, hay making in the summer, pumping gas, which meant I could purchase a TS185..... First real MX bike was RM125S .... er with the TS185 motor in it, power and handling. race transport involved stuffing the bike in the back of an Austin 1800.

Finally like a lot of Kiwi's in the 80s, moving to Australia the land of milk and honey allowed me to race for real with Mitsi ute and YZ125, petrol was 22 cents a litre and a new bike was finally possible..... the lucky country

[lama]

always a dream of mine to swing on a sidecar did it last year then got the chance to have a ride and have not looked back. my first ride was a 84 wasp last year  never  had any money when i was younger but loved to go to the gps in uk now living my dream!!!!!!

[SUZUKI311]

Seems to be a common thread, i too came from a time when money was scarce. I only dreamed of having a bike from 75 onwards till i eventually saved up enough moola for a second hand RM80B ( half anyway, parents paid for the other half), which stayed around racing local minibike clubs until it gave up the ghost altogether. By then mum had gone back to work after raising 5 kids, and lent me the money for a new RM100T. From that day on i have kept up the racing (somewhat sposmadically) and riding just for the enjoyment. To this day i still enjoy racing and riding, and Bikes are still the best stress relief i know of. Had the chance to ride a local club day a couple of weeks ago for the first time in i dont know when, on my modern bike, and remembered why i started racing in the first place- I had an absolute blast. It really brought a smile to my face when my wife turned up- with my Dad, who is 86 years old next week, and is responsible for taking me to so many race meetings when i was a kid l lost count. My own kids came along too, and i have to say it was a great day having them all there. The kids loved seeing their old dad racing too.

[EML]

from a dairy farm in NZ, had lots of mx tracks but no bike. I can still design a track whilest driving past a paddock anywhere at any time( shit--look at that down hill off camber left hander*-that'll sort them out if it rains )
Did a deal with dad that if I raised the potty calves could I use the money for a rugby trip-trip fell through so I bought a bike
Used to buy Trail & Track and the adds in Oz all pissed me off as bikes were always cheaper there(less tax?)
Came to Oz with some race horses my dad sent over and got a job here (40.00 wk) and saved for a MX250a from local shop-hot as and was leading my 1st club race by miles when I had a peak back and overshot a corner-over the bars, lost footpeg and very sore foot at work next week.
Took that bike back to NZ and raced my 1st ACU race at Gordonton-got holeshot, overran 1st turn rejoined in 4 or 5th went around mudhole instead of thru it, lost l/h hand grip and went over the bars again. That bike was the holeshot king.
Back to oz to earn more bucks but after buying an RM250b realised I would never have the bucks to be competitive.
In '76 I was asked to swing at a club day on a 500/4 outfit that looked like it delivered milk in its other life. we finished last but i realised that I could do it and as passengers were in demand I decided to be good at it.
From there I have been to most Oz states to race and even to Europe wher I spent a yr with the then World Champion
Retired in '87 and then came back in 09-still love it to bis and shouild never have stopped.

[jerry]

No money at our joint either to speak of but we never went hungry I might add. Had a chance to buy a SL70 second hand for $260. Approached the old man who said you raise a $100 and I will chip in the rest. You should have seen mum's face (dad had told her she didn't have to worry about her son being injured because he would never save the money) when a few months later I had raised the cash and come to understand the concept of work for money. Cheers J

[allan hughes]

RACED FLAT TRACK NBJMCC
1974-1977
RACED CARS 1984-1992
FLAT TRACK 1996-PRESENT
VMX BMCC 2005-PRESENT