I have Bubba Shobert's signature .. and the 17 preceding AMA Grand National Champions, all on the same sheet of paper. It's legendary!!!.. and probably worth some money!
The reallly sad thing surrounding this wonderful video is that Harley Davidson did so little to make the XR1000 into the motorcycle it could have been - ad not ":just another Sportster". It's a crime. You really had to find the right guy/dealer to get the XR to run properly, but when it did it's amazing (I am an owner of one). I call it my "bad girlfriend" bike; when it's right, wow!; when it isn't, ah Jesus! Really?
Freddy was an amazing racer no doubt, he won in all disciplines, including Europe. In this race he was substantially faster in the infield sections, but that back straight/bank speed was beyond just rider talent, he blew past competitors like they were standing still - the fastest rider on an a faster bike. I'm not old enough to know, but if Wes and Freddy swapped bikes and pit crews for this race could it have been an epic photo finish? Very fun to watch.
undoubtedly one of the best - if not the best - video of the Ducati 750 circa1974 to be found anywhere. no words no hand on tool just the bike , its rider , its handling and \ music
Really enjoyed watching this race for the first time in 2023 while knowing what the leading riders would go on to achieve! What a race. Commentry was hideous though, verging on painful haha. I take it the script is read out and played over the recording afterwards. It would be difficult to sound any more like they are reading it...
Had to cringe listening to it, I have to agree. Wes Cooley had a very bizarre delivery which didn't help. Mega hero champion but not so great with the commentary.
It’s not true that only Johnson did the triple on Saturday night in ‘86. I was sitting there by the triple. The first time Bailey saw Johnson do the triple, he did it one time the following lap. After that, he returned to doubling.
Met Freddie in 1975-76 when we were both about 13-14 years old. It was in the parking lot of MidSouth Honda in Shreveport. My aunt introduced us. I also rode with her several times to pick up daily bank deposits from Freddie’s dad at his grocery store. Freddie and his dad had his bike trailered and were headed somewhere for the weekend to race. I remember Freddie was walking around the trailer and inspecting his bike in detail. It was clear that he was much more focused than the kids I rode with. His dad gave my aunt a can of Schlitz from his cooler.
I had a 900SS built by a Ducati guy in Seattle, I can't remember his name. Just like this but just a bit deeper throatier sound. Why the hell I ever sold that bike is beyond my current understanding. I think there were like, young children and building a house and things like that in the mix. I shoulda just found a garage and put it in there and left it, but I didn't know I would jones for the sound like I'm doing now. However, on the plus side, I AM still alive right now. Had I kept the bike, that would not really have been a given. So damn fast and absolute blast to ride. Anything below 50mph was sort of difficult to maintain, it just wanted to go fast.
Was at his house in Las Vegas in 2011 or so with a friend checking his pool pump and he came out for a bit, when we left the garage door was open and saw a Motorsports Hall of Fame poster on the wall. And there was a secondary hardened door of metal in there that was was pulled down.
Freddie is on a WORKS NSR factory spec GP Bike against production RS500's and TZ750'S with ATLEAST 15 to 20 more horsepower- he could have stopped, had a cheeseburger, fries and a coke and still won the race by a healthy margin
