Author Topic: Old MX pics (Read 79834 times)

firko · « **Reply #124 on:** December 10, 2011, 11:04:22 pm »

Quote

I just read in the Jan '78 ADB that Smythe rode a Husky for Col Evans in the last round of the '75 Mr MX series then got a ride with the Amco Kawasaki Eagles team for the '76 season with a 250 and 400 Works Kawasaki but had a mediocre year. He said the bikes were shithouse and the production bikes even worse!
For 1977 he joined the Blair Harley Maico team.

I think we've got some aged memory time cross overs here $:-\$ ......Frank's still pretty certain they started on production Kawasaki's in 75 but both Brian and John seem to be correct in the works bikes being used in 1976. The The team was together for around 18 months to two years before Kawasaki pulled the financial plug and they signed with Blair for 77. Frank doesn't recall the Husky ride in the final Mr Motocross round.
Kawasaki experts might be able to help by identifying the bike in the photo of the Amco Kawasaki team riders on page 29, issue 43 of VMX. It looks like a stock 75 KX to me but I'm a tad hazy on Kawasaki's.

Frank reckons the SR's were fast but fragile and the 250 was a far better bike than the 400. By the time they gave the bikes back to Kawasaki Frank had made totally new (stronger and better ratios) transmissions, clutch baskets and many other parts due to 1: Kawasaki's inability to supply parts and 2: the bikes being so fragile. Frank reckons the bikes were eventually way better and far more reliable than when they got them. Frank agrees that the stock KX was pretty ordinary compared to the competition.

Stan S · « **Reply #125 on:** December 10, 2011, 11:06:53 pm »

firko · « **Reply #126 on:** December 10, 2011, 11:41:48 pm »

Unknown Maico riders at Curroo

Geoff Eldridge's first meeting at Bilpin, circa 70/71

Roy East, Ray Fisher in the UK

Blair Harley and Per Klitland working on a Maico

motomaniac · « **Reply #127 on:** December 10, 2011, 11:54:40 pm »

Quote from: Stan S on December 10, 2011, 10:51:35 pm

Anton and maybe Robbie Gordon ? Xmas Hills

JohnnyO · « **Reply #128 on:** December 10, 2011, 11:58:23 pm »

Quote from: motomaniac on December 10, 2011, 11:54:40 pm

Quote from: Stan S on December 10, 2011, 10:51:35 pm

Anton and maybe Robbie Gordon ? Xmas Hills

Is that guy racing a TT500 against Anton Alers in an A grade race?

JohnnyO · « **Reply #129 on:** December 11, 2011, 12:00:33 am »

Quote from: Stan S on December 10, 2011, 10:30:57 pm

Cool shot of Trevor Flood on the RM, i recall him riding several different brands in the space of 12 months or so...

Davey Crocket · « **Reply #130 on:** December 11, 2011, 08:05:36 am »

Yea, I thought that was a TT500 aswell JohnnyO.....just shows how versatile they are....the TT nutters will love that.

motomaniac · « **Reply #131 on:** December 11, 2011, 10:42:44 am »

Quote from: JohnnyO on December 10, 2011, 11:58:23 pm

Quote from: motomaniac on December 10, 2011, 11:54:40 pm
Quote from: Stan S on December 10, 2011, 10:51:35 pm

Anton and maybe Robbie Gordon ? Xmas Hills
Is that guy racing a TT500 against Anton Alers in an A grade race?

Yes he did ,I think he's getting lapped .If it is Rob he came second to his longtime mate Keith Stacker in the Grand National one year.This is late in his racing career.He's probably the oldest guy out there.I think this is Xmas hills 77 Grand National

firko · « **Reply #132 on:** December 11, 2011, 11:09:50 am »

The legendary Roy East at an early Amaroo vintage meeting on his almost as famous Metisse that's now horribly over restored and living in the MA museum.

This is the same bike shown in the below photo taken in the UK 23 years earlier....

firko · « **Reply #133 on:** December 11, 2011, 11:31:45 am »

How about some Euro photos from the sixties.....
Most folks trace the origins of supercross back to 1972 and Mike Goodwins 'Superbowl of Motocross' at the LA Colliseum or even further back to 69/70 and the night motocross events held at Los Angeles' Ascot Speedway. In fact, stadium motocross events were occuring in Prague in the old Czechoslovakia in the 50's/ 60's in front of 100,000 screaming fans. The Iron Curtain was pretty high in those dark days so we in the western world didn't hear of these events until after the wall fell.