for those of us off road minded

[gay texan]

maybe this will help...

[yonder]

1. This long time bike nut has enjoyed this Bruce Brown movie

since it first came out some 50 years ago. Former Grand National Champion Mert Lawill is the uncle of an old racing buddy of mine.

Thanks

[Submariner]

2. I sold my Yamaha and switched to a Husky when this movie came out

I used to race when the New England Trail Riders Assoc sponsored enduros all over the northeast. The ISDT in the Berkshires in ‘73 was in my backyard with Husky racers Roger Decoster and Malcolm who were assisted by McQueen at checkpoint fuel stops.

Fun times in Amherst until I had to quit the race circuit and move away to go make a living. I would like to have continued, but showing up in work with a fractured wrist and later a fractured collarbone from crashing into trees that jumped out in front of me didn’t cut it in my new job.

[yonder]

3. Honda to an open class Maico for me. That was scary.

The Maico handled great but had too much power and it would break now and then (Maico breako). Then I learned I could usually go faster around the track on a 250 so ended that fun as an AMA junior on an Ossa and Bultaco. This was right at the time when suspension travel was increasing by leaps and bounds, or as they used to say: back when racing really was dangerous. DeCoster, Roberts and those other Europeans were gods to us mere mortals.

I never understood how you ISDT types could bust a tire down and fix a flat in just minutes. It was always a process for me - don't think I ever fixed one in less than half an hour.

[Submariner]

4. I never got a chance to ride one of those long travel single-shock bikes

When I watch the Supercross jumps and the air they get today, I can only imagine the spectacular spine crushing crashes I would have, if I came down from that high on my twin-shocks with about 4 measly inches of travel.

After 2 years as a novice C-rider, I made it to amateur B-rider status where I had to leave it. I knew I was not going to make it to expert A-rider, and fly across a muddy boulder field like Smith and the Europeans. My 250WR was more than enough power in the forests and mountain trails of Vermont and New Hampshire.

I tried motocross once at the local Southwick track. I was proud that even with my wide-ratio gear box, I had blown off most of the close-ratio gearbox bikes coming in 4th at the 1st turn. When I had a Laugh-in type flop over at the 5th turn, my wife and friends in the stands said the next 16 bikes used me and my Husky for traction coming out of that turn.

I noticed a couple of the European riders take partially inflated tire tubes and hang them over their shoulders, or around their waist, and wear their oil-skin enduro coats over them. Another rider told me it saved almost 2 minutes during the flat tire fix process, which as you know means everything in the time trials race.

[yonder]

6. "4 measly inches of travel". Ain't that the truth

Blasting through a bunch of whoops with the rear end trying to catch up to the front end while trying to hold on to the whole disaster-waiting-to-happen. Those were the days.

I have to laugh at your "next 16 bikes used me and my Husky for traction..." In one of my earlier novice races I had the inverse happen. I got an okay start, running mid pack with a Husky dogging me and pushing to pass. Well, I fell right in front of him in a corner and he used ME for traction. I got back on and finished but for the next year or so I had this great scar on my back of a Trelleborg knobby. I used to proudly show it off as a battle scar.

Once again, those WERE the days. I think this is called bench racing on a discussion board.

[Hotler]

5. A classic. I started on dirt with a KX500..

Then I laced up some 17" rims, spooned on a set of slicks and went roadracing at the club level. That bike was and, still is a hoot.
Love the smell of castor oil and race gas.

[yonder]

7. KX 500. Wow. And I thought the 400 Maico was scary.

Yes, there is something about bean oil and race gas. It brings back memories and I can almost smell it right now. In the pits on a Sunday morning, sights, sounds and smells - you might finish well, you might not, but you just know something is going to happen. Exciting times.