Are pre75 wheehls turning quicker today ,then in 1975?

[YSS]

I just thought about this , when looking at some of those great shots from Connondale. Are todays Pre 75 (or 80 for that matter) going around the tracks quicker than when they where ridden by the best. Whats everyones thoughts on that ? Is there any proven evidence?

[lms6201]

 possibly as i think the tracks for these bike are set out easier and flatter than would have been then , although i,ve seen a bit of footage of the hurricane getting that yammy around a stadium track pretty  quick 

[VMX247]

This is a big one YSS,
Watching old National footage they where hootin along,was it just as fast as on a modern now.
Where the speed cameras set up then 

You can look at pre 75 now on a club level,but what was it like on a club level then.
 
I think it has evolved and not changed,,how do we know  as we where not there in the 20's,30's or 40's right thought to the 70/80's to see the differances and the standards of racing
Do you really remember this stuff when you where 10.
Anyone here 90 year old who is still riding.
cheers

[Graeme M]

I think the fast guys then were just as fast as the fast guys now on those bikes. Fast guys will always get their bikes to the outer edge. But I suspect the average level vintage rider is quicker than the average rider from back then, but probably only because they have a lot more experience...

I've seen plenty of video of guys on Pre 75 or Pre 80 bikes who are bloody fast!!

[Nathan S]

Modern tyres, brake materials, suspension, porting, pipes, ignitions, tuning methods... there's no doubt that the typical 1974 model bike in 2008 is a heap faster than it was in 1974.
Whether the best guys riding them in 2008 are as fast as the very best in 1974 is another question - I'd speculate that the answer is 'yes', although I'll also accept that I haven't seen a recent world champ on a pre-75 VMX bike.

[Tim754]

Umm to counter that,,, I was 18 years old 1975.... no amount of legal modification to a bike is going to make at least this nackered aging body faster .. what about yours???

[pokey]

I dont think so as much as id like to believe so.

30 years ago the factory guys were going hard and they has the factory tuning and for the time decent suspension .
  At conondale in pre 75 i seen a honda cr and a CZ killing the field and the both had nice aftermarket shocks ( YSS where are you ?). One was fox the other i dont rememeber but it proved the point.

Good suspension gives you good track position

[Tony T]

I don't reckon so either. Skills, or more importantly, rider confidence is waaaaay up on what it was in 1977.
Look at Doc's shot of the 'kid' on the '79 CR125 for example. I don't remember anyone riding like that in 1979.
e.g. the first doubles/quads I ever saw were at Colac in 1982. We all freaked out at what to do about them, but these days any 12 year old would clear them all with ease.   
So, rrally, i think it's as much to do with 'mental' ability as physical.

[Doc]

I honestly believe us older guys are definately no quicker than the gun 70's riders but what I am seeing is a newer riding style and techniques being applied to the older bikes by younger riders and it works superbly! I remember Tivoli in the 70's and they were awesomely fast no 2 ways about it. There are riders out there now who would have been big winners in the 70's but I also believe it is the newer riding styles moreso and not only current bike mods/technology that make these riders fast.

[Wombat]

Well, as we're sharing opinions I think the new blokes (Vintage MXers) are faster on those old bikes.
Mostly I think it's down to their experience on the 'modern' bikes they've grown up with and learned to ride on. They're putting the new skills and abilities onto the old machinery.

It's a bit like comparing the modern Wimbeldon Champions to those from the fifties and sixties.
More than anything, todays Champs would be fitter and faster around the court than their contempories, despite using the same racquets.
Same with the bikes, we've grown up on quicker better handling machines so it's easier to adapt.

I don't know if I've explained that very well, but it makes sense in my head anyways... 

[YSS]

Thats exactly what I thought too , Wombat.

[VMX247]

Yes the younger riders have the best of both worlds ,lucky hey 
Spoilt brats   

[NR555]

I honestly believe us older guys are definately no quicker than the gun 70's riders but what I am seeing is a newer riding style and techniques being applied to the older bikes by younger riders and it works superbly! I remember Tivoli in the 70's and they were awesomely fast no 2 ways about it. There are riders out there now who would have been big winners in the 70's but I also believe it is the newer riding styles moreso and not only current bike mods/technology that make these riders fast.

I'd say this is exactly what it is.  Your 'average' rider is a lot faster these days.  There's a method to riding a bike that has been refined a lot over the last 2 decades.  You can go pretty fast on an old bike on a reasonably smooth track when applying modern techniques.  Weight distribution & cornering techniques are definitely two areas that have improved.  That said, there's some stuff that doesn't apply.  You can't hang off the clutch in every corner on an old bike; it just fries it!

I personally have a lot of trouble switching between old & new, so I never race them both on the same day.  I end up revving the living daylights out of the CZ, and realising I've got 50% of the braking power when it's much too late.  Also spend a lot of time telling myself to change up earlier & to take my time using torque rather than revs.

Knowledge of bikes has also improved; I'd say 90% of racers are a lot more aware these days of the importance of suspension & handling.  Your average rider is a lot more likely to identify a problem with their handling and go after a fix for it than your club racer in the 70s.  The options available to them to find that fix are also infinitely better.

Also agree with the comments about the really fast guys.  Hannah, De Coster etc. were definitely getting the most out of the machinery available to them.

[Rossvickicampbell]

I have to agree with NR555's last comment - I can remember racing my bike just as it came from the shop - nothing changed at all - whereas now (mainly to look after the old body) I go for the better suspension setup, adjust tire pressures, set oil levels in the forks and tune the bike (cant beleive what I used not to do!!!).

 

Rossco

[Freakshow]

BAsed on this Vision i dont think so.........  http://ozvmx.com/community/index.php?topic=4046.new#new

And as far as turning a spanner i know too many kids that cant even pump up there own tyres.  Back then These guys were changing tyres, knee deep in the pits with a par of levers as a 4 spanner tool kit.   

Do you Rate ridding the arse off with what you have as faster ? ( as in the day) or are you saying with a more modern set ups and knowledge you can get faster lap times ?   they are two distinctly differant things