Time to hang up the boots

[mike1948]

After a year of health queries, coupled with the loss of a very good friend, I think it's time to make a change.  I have lost a lot of the enthusiasm I had for competition, which kept me going for the last decade - and what great fun I had!
I'll still fiddle around with old bikes, but it's time to sell the The Beast, my very rare HJH scrambler, to finance the next project.  Or maybe convert it to road/trail - don't know.
I'll still check the forum, and may attend the big meetings - though I've never been a good spectator.
Cheers, Mike

[Hoony]

sorry to hear this.

what is a HJH scrambler, do you have any pics?

[80-85 husky]

hard decision to make but once made, its time to small the roses...

[skypig]

When I’m too old to race motorbikes, I’m looking at Karts. Or euthanasia.

[cemotobull]

#dirttrack

[skypig]

I actually enjoy road racing my Supermoto.
Speeds aren’t super high, and it’s less physically demanding than MX.
Limited opportunities though - popular class in NZ club racing when I visited there.

Actual Supermoto (with dirt/jumps) is less physically demanding than MX as well.

In fact, everything else in the world is less physically demanding than MX!! 

[80-85 husky]

considering mx is no 2 in the "wear you out" list im not surprised...

[allan hughes]

Don Newell raced until he was 80
ive still got 24 years left

[Mick D]

considering mx is no 2 in the "wear you out" list im not surprised...

Mx is #2 to wear you out
I am interested to know how you arrived at that?

[Hoony]

i seem to remember that many years ago its been reported that soccer is most physically demanding, then MX.

don't know how they came to that conclusion. i think in this era there is many sports that would be high on demanding

[dont]

i seem to remember that many years ago its been reported that soccer is most physically demanding, then MX.

don't know how they came to that conclusion. i think in this era there is many sports that would be high on demanding

I remember reading that probably over30 year ago.

[Mick D]

Bullshit!, You guys are reminiscing over the quote in the movie "On any Sunday" about being the second most physically demanding sport after Soccer,,

"Worn out" does not happen from being Physically fit!





 

[Mick D]

And Mike 1948, not meaning to hijack your thread, great career, from the years I have followed you on here.

One life, do it for you!

Would love to see and hear the story about this HJH Scrambler,, It sounds like a legend as well. Good luck Mike.

[Wasp]

Over the last 12 months I had both knees done , both elbows reconstructed , the nerves moved around the elbows  and both carpal tunnels fixed , basically a full rebuild after 40 years of pounding . Thats enough . Had some good times racing ( mainly in the earlier years ) . Today , just thinking of the bureaucracy obtaining a licence or putting in a entry to put up with it all  , puts me off enough . So much easier to swing your leg across a restored classic ( in my case a triple or XS ) and choose a nice day to go for a cruise . Go where you like , with whom you like  and go home when you like . And all that for $90 Rego per year . No aggro ,no protests, no disappointments .  I should have started doing this 20 years earlier . Mike there is a life after racing and its a good life .

[pokey]

HjH. Now thats a nice thing.

 Keep your bike and ride when you feel like it. Regrets are for lounge lizards who woulda coulda then roll over snore and fart.

 Im on the downhill slide of the 50s and love my job, I get to legally thrash the daylights out of someone elses bike on your front lawn every weekday for 5 hours and get paid for it. almost heaven. Im also one of the quicker and a hell of a lot fatter riders but I dont whinge about a few bones that dont work like they did when I was 16. Gotta die of something  and Im going to have a smile.

On the weekends I take my 955 Strumpet out for a play and its just as quick as the young guys. The ancient(according to my son) dirt stuff gets a rare blat in the forest when i find time. So what if my knees are shot and I cant do jumps as good as I once could, so what If I have to butter my wrist and lower back with Voltarin. Im still in the game and bikes still excite me. There are no rules that say you have to do it every weekend but its good knowing you can if you feel like it.

Keep that damn nice HJH as you wont get a chance to get another and regrets are for accountants  and  ex wives.... Nice bike that HJH