My Trail & Track covers, looking for more.

[John Orchard]

The Yam YZ250N was a great bike in '85; it had a lot more top-end but would still rip from low-down.

I think in the late 90's the government made all tax (GST) 10%, that pulled the price if bikes down a bit.

I remember a few years back new bikes were over $10K but they have come back down a bit now.

I just swapped my 2010 YZ250 2-stroke for a 2011 RMZ450, I'd swear neither of them handled or performed as good as my '82 RM250Z (except brakes).

If you could still get a brand new 20 year old bike, it would be just as good as todays bikes I reckon.

[John Orchard]

Yeh I was hoping for a big improvement in bikes, after 25 years away from dirtbikes I was expecting them to go by themselves lol, maybe me being 25 years older is the difference?!!  LOL

[John Orchard]

Thanks a lot GT, that's the first time I've seen those pages in 28 years  :-)

[John Orchard]

Boy I never realized how much work I use to put into testing bikes back then!  I'm surprised how much I thought I knew for a 24 year old LOL

[GMC]

I went an looked at brand new 250 mx a couple of years later, and the price was around double of that 85 KX! Thanks to the Gov taxing the hell out of imported vehicles I guess.
I think the "import tax" came in 1985?

Taxes didn’t change, 85 was when the bottom fell out of the dollar.
Overnight it went from high $0.80’s to mid $0.50’s
Bike and parts prices soared after that and so did fuel prices which made MX a rich mans sport.
Its only in the last couple of years that the dollar reached (and passed) the same levels of 84



Good scans BTW.

[John Orchard]

Wow GT, I had forgotten all about those issues  :-)  Thankyou so very much GT, if I can ever do anything for you please keep me in mind.

Are you in S.A. ?  I'm coaching at Mallala on Sunday Sept 2; are you nearby?

[John Orchard]

I'm not sure about the mx track out there but I instruct at Champions Ride Days (road).

Thanks, I'll buy you a beer or two when we catch up  :-)