And the personalities. Looks like there will never be another Bob Hannah. Everyone's so PC and media savvy. They all try to be nice and polite. It could use a little WWE in the sport.
Yes it was👍 Just imagine if two-stroke engine development had continued, riders would have engines producing the most power v. Weight with less moving parts and rotating mass. The costs of operation are lower, the simplicity of maintenance is greater... there is a very good reason two strokes were being used in motocross racing when decisions were made not on politics. CC for CC, the two stroke is a much superior power plant when weight and size is a factor. If as much effort in developing them had continued as has been put into the lawn mower engines, the bikes today would have been spectacular!
May I say, I think a lot of it has to do with the tracks. Look at Unadilla in this film - THAT is a motocross track! Has anyone been to Unadilla lately? I went there for the first time several years ago and I was kind of disappointed. I had been looking at photos of races there since my teens, seeing film off and on. It was quite different than my fertile imagination had remembered! It is an incredible area to lay out a track in, and what I saw was a good track layout but it was Supercross-ized. I'm sorry, I just don't dig it. I am of the opinion that Supercross has ruined American motocross. I've thought that for a while now
Memories are good..Do you remember when you taught me to do the stand on the front wheel balancing act at your home..some odd guy from Seattle?? You were still on Greeves and so was I but by time you came up in spring 1970 and kicked a lotta ass I was on 250 Husqvarna... By the end of 1970 I had moved to Sweden (first the first time) with some help from good ol' Dave Bickers and a very young Roger D... Hey Gary, you're an old guy but still paying attnetion to the sport, me I wandered off and got into rally type silliness (cars on gravel roads) after 30...Its my impression that the tracks in the 4 stroke era ARE in fact all manicured and prepped and 'purdy-fied' (which is kinda ironic when the frames and suspension is so much better) ..Is it just a case of "things wuz always better-er back when I was riding" or are the tracks --in your experienced opinion--all groomed to hell? Hope ya see this, John from Sleezattle.
Thanks Gary, great memories! not only for the MX old days, but also of your Lake Sugar Tree MX park in Axton VA. I was lucky enough to attend twice on '86 and '87 (from Chile)
You will NEVER see a winners circle podium like this again🎉! Pure GOLD! What a video, from watching RJ perform magic to seeing HANNAH pound his way forward…just magic! Thank you again Mr. Bailey.
I'm fifty two years old and I STILL get goosebumps when I watch this. My first year at Unadilla was in 1986 when Johnny O ran out of gas on the last half a lap. I thought the race was fixed to let Hannah win, but I soon learned that manufacturers don't gift other manufacturers wins just for the fans. Unfortunately I had to quit going to the 'Dilla in 2005 due to a spinal injury (guess how) but those are some of my fondest memories in life. I remember being on the far side of the track just under the pizza stand (those who went will know where I'm talking about) and seeing the first qualifier of the day and spotting Ricky Ryan's day-glow green chest protector through the heavy fog as he worked his way around the lone tree on the track. These are the moments that I felt most alive in my life and I wouldn't trade these memories for any amount of money. Hannah ended up winning by default when Johnny O's tank went dry and the first thing he said when the mic was put in his face was "I won, but I don't like it" referring to being handed the win and not earning it "the old-fashioned" way. These days of riders banging bars as if their lives depended on it - and sometimes it was because they NEEDED that position money just to get to the next race - are long gone, replaced with riders who are more than happy to settle into their positions then put it on cruise control just so they can cash their paychecks. Even the insane partying that used to go on up in the hills of Unadilla are over as it feels like church now.
Your memory is awesome, great story, myself I went to Dilla many times, I lived in Watkins Glen, DILLA WAS 1 awesome place. And the bikes got me many times, I rode 500r they ere were awesome to ride, but unforgiving, when you got out of shape on the 500 there was no coming back most of the time
Thanks for the memories, Gary - especially the victory podium celebration. That's some of the best footage I've ever seen of my former wife, Miss Coors (Yvonne Baumann) in action when she was at the top of her game touring the Pro Motocross circuit as Miss Coors Supercross and Miss Moto USA between 1987 and 1989 before going on to becoming a promoter herself in 1990 when she, and I, and Roger formed a partnership to bring the 500cc USGP to Glen Helen.
That was the Unadilla i remember....all natural, and rougher than hell. They smoothed this track out too much, its just not the same. I miss the good old days, like watching Gerrit Wolsink make out with Miss Hang Ten at the Carlsbad USGP after clinching another win.....it doesnt get better than that!
I went to this and quite a few races here beginning in the 80's ('87 MX De Nations was EPIC!) and it always amazed me when the 1st rider just started ripping around on a grass "field" with course markers & tape up. 30 minutes later it was one rough-ass track, not nearly as smooth as it is today. Brings back a lot of fond memories, thanks for posting this Gary.
Hey Gary thanks for posting this video.Brings back some great memories,my brother and I drove down from Canada to see this race.We stayed for the weekend and had the time of our lives.We never seen anybody ride like this.The riders were wild,the track was wild and the fans were the wildest. Still riding dirt bikes, 30 years later.
Thanx for sharing, great footage, great racing this is Unadilla, it’s a dam shame what they have turned that track into today, they have wrecked it, this was MX at it’s greatest, it’s the real Unadilla not the fake rubbish they have made today, even after the second moto they’re was still grass in places, now they have man made features, they literally plough the track before they race, which is a disgrace and if it rains it’s a mess. Great to see Bob still going for it and being one of the best Still even when semi retired amazing rider esp at Unadilla, the crowd even though behind RJ, were roaring for Hannah. never see a track like that again or 2 riders like that again, I’m not talking just skill, determination, toughness, personality here were true professionals.
I forgot what real motocross sounded like. No wonder I haven't attended a MX/SX race in 10 years. Thanks, AMA, for F-ing up a great sport with those potato farting 4 strokes. Nothing beats the exhilaration and raw sounds of 250 two strokes.
I think today's racers, (both amateur and professional), should watch USA involved international races from the 80's, so they can see that the USA was exceptional, the best in the world. If they did not learn that in our schools, (and they did not), they can learn it from 80's MX. Gary Bailey sir: I am sure I would have broken a few more bones if it were not for your "MX riding technique" book, that I still own. Thank you for everything you did in the sport. But I can only imagine how much nostalgia of American exceptionalism you have stored away on VCR in your library of greatness. :)
Ya bummer for sure, nothing stays the same. Of all the changes they could have left that in. And the grass for practice, and the rough up hill, and the roller section in the far back, and not plowing the whole track, and ???? Oh well is what it is :(
I hate to say this but you have a better shot at seeing it snow in hell than to see two strokes being manufactured again.i agreed 4 strokez destroyed the sport an I hate them but the epa will make sure that never happens. From what I hear they are developing an electric Motocross bike an that's going to be the future of Motocross.
I had a 86 250 that I jus used for practice to keep from wearing my new bike out i rode the shit out of it an finally the frame broke in half i had it to scrap yard about2yearz ago
F Khan till love the Hannah banner from early days, on the 8th day God made Bob Hannah! The stars of today have nothing on these guys, listen to the crowd during the racing and afterwards, RJ Hannah on the podium, no way would today’s kids be that cool relaxed having fun, Hannah was almost as famous for picking up the trophy girls, that doors girl was a real trooper too having fun with it. This is what the sport misses today it’s too wooden, too professionally disconnected from the fans that no no better.
i havent had those goosebumps from a 2stroke start line roar firo a couple decades....we have to find away to time machine or bring 2 strokes back to mx
I remember seeing you around Mr. Bailey with your large camera kit by today's standards. I had pit passes this year. Mostly watched from the top of the big hill. Always admired Micky Dymond's smooth form. Thank you for sharing!
need to bring this kind of tracks again in motocross, they are now like supercross, need to be like gp´s, no wonder eueros in mxdn are kicking their ass
As a 12 year old kid I rode my buddies 81 CR80R, I had only had 4 strokes prior. I literally fell in love! I was amazed with the sound,smell,powerband etc. I’ve never lost that love for the 2 stroke motorcycle! I can’t get into racing now, it’s never been the same to me even though I know today’s bikes are very nice I still hate them. I dream of a return of the 2 stroke to mx/sx the racing was better for sure and the cost of maintaining these 4 strokes is really expensive! Anyway I love these old videos and watch them daily. Thanks for the content!
Gary I can't thank you enough I get such a workout just watching these videos with my two year old Son bouncing on my knee through the whoops in the braking bumps and the jumps in between motos we're both panting🤣 thank you and God bless
JakeC 115 It used to only be raced or ridden on two weekends a year. The 500 national in the summer, and the trans-ama/usa in the fall. In 1978 they started doing the 250 usgp there. Good times....
One distinct memory I have was I think 1978 Trans-USA Tony Distefano was the first rider out and he had a new ( for the time) works Suzuki and he came down the first straight after the sweeping right-hand turn from the starting gate where the announcer's booth was and he rode through that grass and dug a trench with his rear tire the length of the straightaway. Needless to say that grass didn't last long.
What a find this was, thank you Gary Bailey! I was at this race, somewhere along the fence at the drop-in to gravity cavity. What a track , like nothing I have ever seen before. Great day, Johnson smoked 'em. Hannah's antics with the trophy girl on the podium second moto, priceless. Classic Hannah!
Have been there .. most say the most up notches spectators I ever witnessed at any Moto event . Never again it sure reflects the status of a country or region .
Miss Coors was so cool and knew how to have fun with those guys especially Hannah. Absolutely no way riders would do that or get away with what Bob did at trophy presentation. Love these old videos. Thanks Gary !
I was there that day (my first 'Dilla was in 1986 and I was RIGHT THERE when Johnny O' came to a sputtering halt) and watching both RJ and the Hurricane come through the pack was downright magical in every sense of the word. I'm fifty-three now, and I still get goosebumps watching these old races. As awesome as those days were, I couldn't help but think about how soft we've become as a country compared to those days. It genuinely hurts my heart knowing those days are gone forever replaced with people obsessed with political correctness and personal safety. At least I can go back in time for an hour thanks to you, sir, and for that, I can not express how thankful I am.
Tracks were sure rougher back then. I hate how they groom the tracks now. I miss the heavy green grass of 'dilla and that start that went down and then up.
Thanks for sharing! What's funny is look how all of them are running super low shock and fork springs with what looks like plush races! I remember riding a 88 cr 250 that bike was alot of fun and more solid in feel than all the other floaters!
Hello Maxx, glad you are enjoying the videos. Also good to here the school helped. The best part of teaching is always seeing a rider getting better. Safe and smart, God Bless
Thank you for posting this, I enjoy watching these races very much. The guys from the 80's were my heros even though they were my age or even younger. Im a SoCal guy and grew up at Ascot & Saddleback. I always rode red.
Thanks professor just wish I could've still been seeing David out there battling with the other real men. Do you possibly have any podium or straight up interviews with some of men of this era.
I got 2 friends who were there, 1 from Frankfurt ny , the other from Binghamton ny , I myself have been here many times, I was in Watkins Glen ny, for several years.
I love the Professor's videos...to me this is what motocross is all about; there's nothing in the world like the sound of two-strokes getting after it...
And too expensive, thanks to epa/government intervention at the FIM, (and other interventions, like the 1986 production rule for one example). We are man, and there is no reason why both engines can not compete. What ruined the sport the most, is a kid not being able to afford a new dirt bike. Speaking of the production rule of 1986 in the USA, I find it interesting that Europe had no such rule for a few more years, as if the rule was put in place,---to make it fair,--for the Europeans. It did not work. American exceptional individuals still kicked their butts, as they did in this race, soundly.
@@EarthSurferUSA It had nothing to do with taking on the Euro riders i was the Amount Honda (HRC) were spending on their bikes and Kaw./Yam/Suz wanted things to change and to stop Honda and their ultra trick bikes which were years ahead of the others but costs so much to make
@@krs5259 That would be Honda's business to invest in their products. So what if they were years ahead of their competition, (and they were not). But to show you that you are as wrong as can be,---the production rule only applied to the USA and not Europe, (who still to this day has works stuff we can't use). It had everything to do with competition with Europe, but we still beast their asses for the next 8 years of production based bikes. Also, 2 years before the production rule a new 250 costs about$1,400.00. In 1986 I paid $2,300 for a new YZ250. 2 years after the production rule, my new CR250 costs $3,200.00. Oh yea, the cost of making production bikes really went up after that rule. Now with the cost of 4-strokes, (forced on us also), the sport is almost dead---and Europe can't even fill their starting gates. Almost every bit of the decline of MX, is due to your favorite dictatorship government, the FIM!
Do you have any footage from the Road Atlanta infield course from around this time. Loved that track and watching the Masters ride it. Maggo Chandler, Hannah, Mike Bell. My dad carried me every year.
Wow Gary Bailey, im just living dream lol, David Bailey, Ron Lechien, jeff Ward,RickJohnson, Guy Cooper, Micky Diamond and the Motley Crew,im from the uk but even though we had great riders like Dave Thorpe, it was the Americans and supercross i idolized, managed to get autographs and meet Ron, Ricky and Jeff at the french mxdn in france in 1988 great weekend near the alps. When i was 14.
I will allwasy love MX. I like the racing of today - I also know the young fans will never have the experiences fans had in the '70s and '80s. The tracks were so much more accessible the racing was, well just - better. Believe it or not, the racers actually talked to the fans out in the fan areas. Emagine a C Class racer just having a conversation with the national champion while watching the race when he is "walking the track" as the heats are going on! Not going to happen today.
They don’t make anything like they use to. Including the competition. I can watch this all day everyday. Motocross now, not so much. I’ll watch it once and I’m good. Miss it...
Geez real motos, how strong was Ricky and Bob's first Moto as well as Mickey d's.... Ricky wasn't even puffing bloody hell and the track in sweet unadilla condition
@:20... if any of you have ever raced motocross, you already know this, right now your heart rate is at about 175 beats per minute, your wrenching the throttle waiting for the gate to drop ! Looking to your left, 20 racers ready to get it on, looking to your right, 19 more racers ready to get it on ! You can’t explain it ! It’s just something that the heavens have bestowed upon us !
