Ah, those were the days.... absolutely loved the 6 hour - bikes, basically, off the showroom floor.... it was sad when it came to an end... fond memories of my misspent youth - lol
Solo motore ! Con il posteriore 4,00x18" e 100 cv. Fantastico che fegato ! Le moto erano delle baracche, ma i motori sprigionavano 🐴 🐴 e i piloti erano coraggiosi ! Bellissimo tuffo in un passato che torna presente. Grazie da Roma Vallelunga !
These races aired on NZ tv when i was a kid.They gave me my lifelong love of bikes,especially the big jap fours.still ride today.k100rs 1991 bmw.and a 1999 yamaha xjr1300 in my stable!!!
Great series and racing, certainly the manufacturers didnt expect their bikes to be ridden like this when they made them. This racing was carefully watched by manufacturers. Amazing how these big bangers were quite a big faster than the so called sports bikes like Ducati 900ss etc. Sadly Greg Pretty (XS1100) died in a motorcycle accident on the road, 5 years ago in the Adelaide hills. He went a bit wide on a corner and hit a car apparently. RIP GP.
Real Heroes!!!!! I had an XS 1100 back in the days- can´t believe that lean angles and corner speeds like these Masters are doing would be possible with the old bus. Top blokes, that!
So good to watch this racing again. Greg Pretty was my hero back then, and met him only a few years ago by chance at a friends party (who I think is in this race, John Inkster). RIP Greg
This is great! Thanks for posting :) All my dream bikes of that era, stock. Amazing! And real old school riders with balls! No 6 axis ABS on those monsters ;)
AWESOME STUFF, Mate!! I had a XS1100, ´79 vintage, many years back...neverever thought anything near like this footage could have been done with the old dinosaur. Especially with the tyres back in these days. 101% ridden by the heros- 200% respect from me!! Thanks for uploading, great stuff!!
1.1 was a great bike. In the 70's and 80 Rod Gray kicked ass with a chain conversion model here is South Africa. Heaven knows how they got it to handle.
I'm a yank rider who just lives (over in Castle Hill) a few miles from Amaroo. Been here since '99 and it seems I missed this great Aussie track's heyday...such a same. Great superbike racing here. XS, CBXs I assume the Kawasakis were Z or maybe even KZs.
I had a 1978 gs750 with a kerker header.She was a good old girl.My brother own's it now.He also has a katana 1100.I have 3-Fz 750's and a 1970 custome chopper
I used to have an XS1100, it wobbled all over the road. I never imagined, even in my wildest dreams, that anyone would take one onto a race track. Amazing.
Got one now, cafe style. Gutted to the basics. 1978. I have always feared my bikes. I have never been scared of one. This one I am. Fastest thing I ever put between my legs.
I've got a '79 XS1100 and I find the weight makes her much more stable than the liter bikes now. She doesn't have ABS or any of that sort of thing but I respect her power and she's good to me.
Great days- good old Amaroo, raced there 350 imp tourer LC in about 83 - remember it like yesterday, I was from Vic so didn't know the track - off the bat a "push start" instead of "clutch start", mine started on a dime so I was off in the lead bunch of about 30 starters, up the hill right kink then then cant see over the horizon, suddenly everyone tips if left and we go around the cutting then frig me they all tip it right and we go downhill, I was all over the place like a mad shit and lucky I didn't get clipped - so settle down on the back straight , right kink and then arrive at right hander ok and downhill, oh gee that's steep, braking late not an option and then down along the lake we settle down again - a wall there, oh frig there's a dip before the wall, back end is way light into the right hander and its two wheel drift toward the wall, oh frig me - a short straight to cough my tongue back up and then through the zig zag hazard and on the straight again - never forget that first lap of Amaroo, and its all gone now for houses, sad.
I had a'78 GS1000 brand new in '78. All my buddies with their KZ1000's and CB900's and other brands got their asses kicked in the corners when we were street racing.
Wow bikes I remember so well, I owned a 750kz back then the first Honda twin cam 16v 750 but I always lusted after the CBX 1000 for a short time it was the machine until it was eclipsed by Suzuki and Kawasaki
People in the 70's were just as no nonsense as their bikes were. What was your pre-race plan? Greg Pretty with the heaviest bike in the race: to run as fast as we can!
My friend had a CBX and I agree. I rode his bike when I had my 86 VFR and it was pretty much a sled. They must have shaved a lot of weight off that thing to make it corner like that.
I had a look at a katana 1100 the other day while my cbr1000 f was having a tyre fitted the thing was mint but my god those tyres looked like they were stolen of a child's pram. these guys had BALLS racing these old girls
I owned a 1000 Katana with the Akront rims (have owned a few 1100 Katana's), yet sold it years ago, only to find out much later on that it was one of the Suzuki factory racebikes. Gutted! Was also told that the new owner crashed it, then converted it to single shock and GSXR front end. I'd love to find it again
I had a xs 1100 back in 79 rode it to its hard 1000 miles pr back tyer rode it all over europe had one custom built side car outfit 250 ooo thousend miles never let me down made a very long swedish style chop got best in show faro now retierd thailand ( yammie uk biker)
F**k knows how old matey's throwing that Yamaha XS1100 about like he is my uncle had one about 20 years ago & it was massive like a bleeding whale with 2 wheels. Love the Suzuki GS1000.....
You're right, but you don't know it. It was a six hour sprint and taken very seriously by manufacturers due to the extremely high standard of scrutineering. No doubt that events such as the Six Hour raised manufacturing standards and development of both the bikes and tyres. For a club run event it gained prestige all over the world. Well, everywhere that mattered.
My friend had one, I think it was a 1980 model. It was silver, box stock CBX with no bags or any of the other bullshit they started bolting on them. It was a beautiful machine.
I worked in Suzuki, Yamaha and Honda dealerships. The XS1100 and XS750 were the worst thing going round. Unbreakable but just pigs. The GS1000 was as solid as a rock..the CBX was the quickest and coolest but a bit fragile engine wise. Id have a CBX all day long though.
Yea sure mate , if the XS1100’s were pigs they must have been pretty amazing Pigs to win so many production races in the 1970’s as well as the biggest race in the Castrol 6 hour , especially around such a tight circuit as Amaroo Park
Not sure what the rules dictated but wouldn't it be advantageous to have stripped all nonessentials from the bikes to lighten them? Reduced tire wear, less rider fatigue, better fuel economy... etc.
Yea mate so if the XS’s were pigs it must mean they were brilliant pigs to win the biggest production race in the world especially around a tight track like Amaroo .
In my youf, I so wanted an XS1100 Yamaha but a shit, arrogant salesman, slagging of a youngster(me)forced me to buy a Kawasaki 100ST ....which I never regretted !! Good days !!
Why they were attempting to ride the Honda CBX and Yamaha XS1100 shaft is mind boggling. All KZ900, KZ1000 or Suzuki GS a much better choice. Not sure on their rules but on this track an RD350 Yamaha or TT500 Yamaha would have been better against those big turds
