When we were kids/teens

[Tony T]

This is just the best thread. Thanks for the memories fellas. Even though they aren't mine. 
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.............. 

[Doc]

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  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 


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!  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 

[firko]

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.

[Freakshow]

DOc and firko, thanks guys for sharing its great to here good stories.

[090]

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.



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!



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.

[jimson]

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  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  jimson

[VMX247]

good on ya jimson,you keep supporting/visiting ya dad, he'll appreciate it.

[Doc]

Brad..you were obviously Ponch cause John had the lighter coloured hair  solo 1!! something I never wanted to be was a policeman..a stuntman yeah..
 
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  plenty of revs alrighty, dad gave it everything and dumped it resulting in the fastest looping of a bike I'd ever seen  bro was in tears as his unmarked rear guard was now slighlty folded and torn  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  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 

 

[yzhilly]

Hah 090 ,that is priceless are they ya mums sunnys and what are you riding . How about a re enactment at CD5.

[Wombat]

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? 

[Maico31]

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.

[Wombat]

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?!

[mike1948]

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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[090]

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.

[Wombat]

Hey Brad, your Dad looks familiar too.
Was he in ADMCC; did he build in-ground pools?