Dirt Bike History 101

[nachtflug]

Originally Posted by earling

My friend Jerry and I used to sleep overnight at the tracks in his Volvo in the reclining seats, which, at my present age, would literally kill me--let alone let me race two motos the next day. Youth. Unreal.

so true. great post, great insights.

[nachtflug]

Originally Posted by earling

privateers with funky vans, just the smell of Penzoil and Castrol wafting through the trees, sunny summer days, Maicos, CZs, Zundapps, Montesas, TMs, Elsinores...
Heaven, man.

again so true. I remember seeing the yellow tank CZ's for the first time at races. Husky's and Bultaco's we knew cos they were sold locally. But seeing real pits back then with the smorgasboard of euro bikes mixed in with the japanese along with the odd psycho on a SL or Sprint or even a Rokon. the smell. I like todays races when the expert class rolls by a lot of them are running race fuel and you can smell it but the smell of the bean oil back then. the sounds. the get off's. todays riders start younger and develop skills so the truly spectacular wipe outs we all were so good at are few and far between today. gloves? didn't need them. nothing like the sight of a yamaha enduro converted to MX duty going over a jump and the seat flopping up in the air on the hinges and slapping back down. would it kill todays riders to break a frame every now and then? I went to Unadilla's first VMX this year and got to rub elbows with Weinert, Lackey, Hansen, Stanton, Barnett, Guy Cooper, Gary and DeWayne Jones, Lechein who even made me like him after years of not. Great stuff...

[Rusty Rocket]

Originally Posted by nachtflug

the smell of the bean oil back then.

nothing brings back the 70's clearer than that smell today. Ahhhh. Castrol R.

I used to burn it and drive in circles just to get whiff.

[ecubed]

Originally Posted by Rusty Rocket

nothing brings back the 70's clearer than that smell today. Ahhhh. Castrol R.

I used to burn it and drive in circles just to get whiff.

I drip the bean oil on my lightbulbs in the livingroom.....ahhhhh, aroma therapy...
I also do this with Hoppies #9.....

[nachtflug]

Originally Posted by Rusty Rocket

nothing brings back the 70's clearer than that smell today. Ahhhh. Castrol R.

I used to burn it and drive in circles just to get whiff.

[snooter]

bought my first bike in 1974 for $25...whopping 3 horse tecumsah minibike (i think a former monkey ward brand) that came home in a couple of boxes which we rebuilt..been all down-hill since,,1st run in with the damn cops was shortly there after,,mucking with me on a damn minibike..eventually got so bad dad would just laugh when i came up the drive pushing my bike with the mucking cop following....any how here is a couple pics of my many old skol dirt bikes





building this one when i have time


i am building my rig right now (old IH scout) as i wanted old skol kewl for the street as i hate mucking street bikes..picked up too many damn dead bodies on the side of the road over the course of my job..oh well it is what it is

[KansasBob]

Originally Posted by KansasBob

This fiberglass air box came with a group of parts I bought from an old dirt bike dealer in 2007 and I have never been able to match it up with a bike. I would Give it to someone who owns the bike it fits, and would love to know what it came off of.

FOUND IT!

[Rusty Rocket]

Originally Posted by KansasBob

FOUND IT!

Good work! Now, find out who campaigned the #73 Carabela.

Seeing that Carabela, made me remember the bike I lusted after in '72.


ended up with a Puch instead

mine had lights.

[Strong Bad]

Originally Posted by Rusty Rocket

Good work! Now, find out who campaigned the #73 Carabela.

Here in the US there were 4 of us who had "Factory" Carabela rides: Tommy & Cordis Brooks in D-37 Desert, and Bob Brooks (no relation) and myself in So Cal MX. I raced like 3 races and gave the bike back. My only full sponsored ride ever and I just couldn't do it on one of those POS.

[Rusty Rocket]

^^ ^^

There were a ton of oddball brands coming into the U.S. in those days.

A dealer in the next town from me started selling Cooper motorcycles. They had a Mexican (I believe) engine, Moto Islo. ( we called is Motor IS SLOW).

Dealer was demonstrating a 250 in his parking lot and the engine blew up.

I don't think he ever sold one.

[GalacticGS]

Billy Grossi on a Carabella

[Tech23]

Originally Posted by Rusty Rocket

^^ ^^

There were a ton of oddball brands coming into the U.S. in those days.

A dealer in the next town from me started selling Cooper motorcycles. They had a Mexican (I believe) engine, Moto Islo. ( we called is Motor IS SLOW).

Dealer was demonstrating a 250 in his parking lot and the engine blew up.

I don't think he ever sold one.

And those were the days too. When I was a kid my local dealer was a Suzuki, Rickman, Ossa, Hodaka, Triumph, Royal Enfield, Indian, Ital Jet, Greeves dealer. This was a small town Mom and Pop shop too. I miss shops like that.

Tech23

[Rusty Rocket]

Originally Posted by Tech23

And those were the days too. When I was a kid my local dealer was a Suzuki, Rickman, Ossa, Hodaka, Triumph, Royal Enfield, dealer. This was a small town Mom and Pop shop too. I miss shops like that.

Tech23

Yes! I miss them too. I worked at a Suzuki-Kawasaki-Maico-Hodaka-DKW-Puch-CanAm- Steen Allsport Dealer.

With SkiDoo, MotoSki, ArcticCat for the bad season.

And that was before computer inventories. You looked up the part in the book, looked up the bin location in another list, then looked up the price in another book. Wrote out the sales slip, totaled the price, figured the tax. After the sale you went to a card file and logged off the part from inventory. If you hit the minimum quantity, you turned the card bottom side up and the cards had a corner cut off at the top, so parts that needed re-order had a little corner sticking out. Then at the end of the week, you went back to the card file and ordered, by hand, all the parts you needed. Then you called the manufacturer and dictated your order. When the parts came in, you logged them on the card and flipped it back over and the process repeats.

But hey, I was working at a motorcycle dealer and getting a discount on my race parts and accessories.

[dorkpunch]

Originally Posted by GalacticGS

Billy Grossi on a Carabella

Looks suspiciously '78 CR250- ish?

[Motoduc1]

Originally Posted by Rusty Rocket

Yes! I miss them too. I worked at a Suzuki-Kawasaki-Maico-Hodaka-DKW-Puch-CanAm- Steen Allsport Dealer.

With SkiDoo, MotoSki, ArcticCat for the bad season.

And that was before computer inventories. You looked up the part in the book, looked up the bin location in another list, then looked up the price in another book. Wrote out the sales slip, totaled the price, figured the tax. After the sale you went to a card file and logged off the part from inventory. If you hit the minimum quantity, you turned the card bottom side up and the cards had a corner cut off at the top, so parts that needed re-order had a little corner sticking out. Then at the end of the week, you went back to the card file and ordered, by hand, all the parts you needed. Then you called the manufacturer and dictated your order. When the parts came in, you logged them on the card and flipped it back over and the process repeats.

But hey, I was working at a motorcycle dealer and getting a discount on my race parts and accessories.

I love this story! No wonder it took so long to get a part...lots of time spent standing at the parts counter!

Keep sharing those memories! More stories!