Is this the start of it all?

[VMX Andrew]

great story firko...i can still remember when geoff eldridge first passed away back in 93 riding that RMx250 in the nevada desert.first thought was oh no adb will die in the arse then we will have nothing to read about our great sport...but slowly and shorely it slowly trudged on without the great GE much to our amazement.i sometimes wonder what ge would be saying about the develpments.... from upstairs of course... in the sport like the thumper nats in the early nintes(which he started) and the vintage motocross scene ....we all miss him dearly...    

[Wombat]

What a great historical piece!
This story from Firko should reach a wider audience; it's sort of buried deep in this forum.
Perhaps it could be tweaked into a VMX magazine article/photos and shared with the wider International VMX community? 

[Nathan S]

Apparently the ad in 1981 didn't work? At the end of the 1987 article, which kinda paid-out on the old bikes (in a good natured way), GE added:

And before you go writing in to say that I don't appreciate old bikes - I do. In fact, I want either a DT-1 or a 1970 CZ360 or 250. Anyone out there got one?

Musta read that article a million times in the last 243 months...

[Phil]

When GE died, a bit of Firkos enthusiasm died with him. He slowly moved away from promoting and riding and gradually faded into the background. That's when a lot of wankers moved in on his initiatives, called them their own and started to wreck the good work GE, Firko and their crew had created. Luckily Ray Ryan managed to get the big bloke interested again and even though Ray's gone the same way as GE, Firkos still here, dicky knee and all keeping us all educated. Hang in there big guy. 

[suzuki27]

Reminded me of a few memories, being 45 now,I had recently moved from QLD due to family reasons.My closest relations were Uncle Ray Curtis's boys-my cousins.About the same age we embarked,under "SOME" influence from Uncle Ray, who was still racing a TZ700,converted to a right hand change-a legacy of his British bike career- by Leo Pretty (sic); 74 XR75,TY80 and DT125 ,all 74 models were the start. The No 9 at Condell Park, by the Airport, The Bankstown YMCA Minibike club, complete with greyhound "slipping"track, where we watched greyhounds blooded with cats etc.All b/w Bankstown Trots and the Airport.Menai,Kev's Oasis and the odd visit by both State and AFP. Mike Warner,now successfully building wheels and gathering a great VMX collection,had his first shop in Salems Parade in Revesby, and later a workshop in Queen st if memory serves well- good service then-and still I imagine.And Mike was QUICK at dirt track, often seeing him matching it in the the top class, while I had fun in a couple of C grade races at Nepean, I concentrated more on motocross.The very early days of BMX with Gary Wayne(Monk) winning the inaugural State Bmx title-covered in ADB near the back of a certain mag,I believe.Gary and a group of us would modify our Dragstars with wheels and straight forks to strenghten them pre-Mongoose days and go riding most nights after tea in the burbs-good memories.

[firko]

They were good times. Thanks for the nice words chaps. GE ended up with about six CZs in the end. He got a matching pair of very trick '74 models from Vintage Iron in the USA and raced a nice 360 side piper in pre 70. He also had a spare bike to back up the main ones and put his mates on board. He also had a very trick pair of YZ A models, also from Vintage Iron and a nice little Elsinore for the 125 class. On top of those he had a 75 KX250, a DT1 which is now my restored jobby and a few more I can't remember. He loved the vintage scene and really loved the vintage punters because they didn't have all of the precociousness the modern racers had. He had fun at the vintage races.

[AjayVMX]

And GE's 1976 KX250 was on display at CD4.... :'(

[pokey]

Well written firko and from the heart and i concur. There should be someplace accessable to all of how and where and why VMX exists in oz. Cant go forward if you dont know where you came from.

[DJRacing]

Great read Firko, I would assume that your story would read pretty much the same world wide in the vintage scene. "Like minded guys reminising over a few beers until the thought of racing old motocross bikes got the better of them and decided to do something about it". The early days of vmx would/must have been very exciting, and to be one of the front men of the sport would have made it even better. If it wasnt for hard working dedicated people like yourself and obviously GE, life as we know vmx to be could still just be a beer in the hand. The one thing I have found in vmx is that the people who restore/rebuild their bikes seem to be the ones who have their heart in the sport. Yes I know this is probably a bold statement, but most racers seem to come and go but it seems to be the lovers of the bikes that go the distance. Firko, as for being a long retired punter in vmx, I find that hard to believe. Is there such a thing? The helmet and leathers maybe hung up, but thats not just what vmx is all bout now is it. Putting a rider on one of the old girls and watching it perform, leaving oily finger prints on a can of beer while helping a friend with one of their bikes, looking at the next project and seeing something glorious in that pile of rusting old junk. Or even loaning your knowledge to us in here (like the story in this thread) says there is alot more to this vintage motocross thing than just riding bikes. Thanks for the enlightenment on the Australian VMX scene. It was a great read.

[maicomc490t]

Hey Mark - How come you never told me that yarn before?

Truly inspirational stuff and all you guys who got the ball rolling (yeah you too GE - we know you are watching on) should take a bow.

Without the efforts of individuals NOTHING happens but these guys as a collective have lead us to where we are now. The seventies may well have been our golden era (I loved the bikes but hated the disco music!) but what we are all enjoying now is GOLD!

See you at the Evo Challenge

Dave Mac

[Wombat]

I couldn't agree more maico 490 (I loved the bikes but hated the disco music!).
I took up surfing when I left MX in the 70's and painted 'Disco Sux' in huge red letters under the board...  

Anyways, the OZ VMX history piece has me wondering about the VMX scene in NZ; how did that all begin?
What about the Poms - any Brits on this forum who can shed some light on the sport in the UK?
And my favourite American 'maicojames'; how far back can you trace the sport in the land of the free?

I've just watched the 3 disc set of 'Ón any Sunday' so I'm feeling a little nostalgic...

[Maicojames]

In USa as far as I have been able to determine, it was the CZ nationals in 81 as indicated above, which went on until about 84 where some of the first vintage races were being run with some now defunct clubs, but I believe one of them is now the CALVMX or SVRG-I think T-Red would be more help on the California info as he is a California native. AHRMA was formed in 1984-then became a member owned group in 1987. The TVRC(Texas Vintage Racing Club) was formed in early 1988-running it's first race at Mosier Valley ( a historic NTexas track now closed), I saw my first vintage mx race in 91. Must have been a sight for the older guys(blokes?) as I was 23, pulled up in my 69 Camaro blaring Nirvana or Jane's Addiction on the radio-with a pony tail , baggy shorts, and hiking boots....but walked right up and identified several bikes-I rememeber a Yellow Penton(KTM) Hare Scrambler, a really trick Champion framed #135 250cc Pursang with red glass, and at least one Super Rat Hodie.

They must have crapped when I showed up the next month or so with my own Pursang.
I think I changed out of my Pearljam T-shirt at the first race LOL..but I was hooked at once just to know that anyone was racing these bikes nearby. Wow, that was a while back-i have to say if not for VMX in those days, I may not have lived to become the mere detriment to society I am today. We didn't just race the bikes, we worked on them at each others houses, bought sold traded, and BSed about them all the time.

I think the UK Pre-65 movement was much before the CZ nats, would really be interested to hear about it from someone in the UK.

[holeshot buddy]

i remember riding my first vmx meeting in victoria in 1986 on a farm in gippsland we had a good turnout  could have been about thirty riders with some good riders there trail and track did a story on it in one of there issues....does this mean i have been riding vmx for 21 years  shit :'(







it ran last time i started it 

[Hoony]

i remember riding my first vmx meeting in victoria in 1986 on a farm in gippsland we had a good turnout  could have been about thirty riders with some good riders there trail and track did a story on it in one of there issues....does this mean i have been riding vmx for 21 years  shit :'(

Are you sure it was that early? i remember going to a farm down near Leongatha ( i reckon it was John Boag's place) to watch but cannot remember the year exactly but i thought about 1988 or so. no racing just guys ripping around a grassy track.

[firko]

You're right Hoony and Holeshot , it was Boagy place. There wasn't any serious racing, more a get together of like minded souls rounded up by Peter Drakeford and Boagy. It was formulating at the same time we were getting our show off the ground here in Sydney. We got a proper race meeting up and running first but it wasn't long before a race took place in Victoria. Was it at Ravenswood? I can't remember. It just dawned on me that the guys who got things going in Victoria, Boagy,Drakeford and some others, and myself and a few others here in Sydney are still mostly involved. Cool