I was born in 1968. Watching this video, and being a rider myself, gives me huge respect for these men and their machines. Absolutely fantastic video! Thank you for sharing!
When the movie starts and there is a shot from the air,and I looked and I am thinking “did they have drones back then. “ so funny , those shots are so easy and cheap to do today (2023)
My family was around desert racing starting in the early 70s. I raced as a kid starting in about 1980. What great memories I have of these times! Just recently I was trying to explain to a friend how awesome smoke-bomb starts were. The tense silence right before the flag drop followed by the roar of hundreds of bikes was like nothing else. And the chaos of trying to get to the smoke bomb when you were in the middle of the pack was both scary and thrilling at the same time. More than once I didn't make to the smoke bomb without tangling with another rider and ending up in the dirt. So much fun! Glad I was there to experience these days. This video brings it all back for me.
I raced district 37 desert in 1971 and 1972 on a 1970 250 Suzuki Savage enduro. An expansion chamber and 21" front rim and I was good to go. I was in high school and was having the time of my life. Watching this really brings back some great memories.
I had a 380 Greeves. 1970 brought it new in 71 in Colorado Springs. A lot of fun years riding in the mountains around Alamosa, Colorado. Just sold the bike 10 years back to a kid in Fort Meyers, Florida. Thanks for putting this up.
It's good to see so many enjoying this film and race. I purchased it many years ago and it's been great sharing it with my kids and grandblessings. I love seeing their faces when they see their Papa Buck out ahead of the rest of the pack at the start of the race but sad to see him have problems with his bike. Still it's a great film and brings back many memories of going out to the desert with my dad and watching him race. He's been gone since 1995, so it's good to see him alive and having so much fun. He lived/loved desert races. We sure miss him! Thank you for sharing this so that thousands of others can see how much fun these "dinosaur" desert racers had.
My family started racing in 1970. My dad started us riding in family enduro's. My sister and lil brother went on to race hare-n- hounds. 1973-1982. My sister was the fastest woman in desert racing. Trudy Beck. My lil brother Oren Beck Jr went on to race the Baja races. It was a blessing to grow up in the racing world. Watching J.N. Roberts and Larry Mitch Jim Cordis Tommy Bob Bryan Max Larkin was a blessing to watch. thank for sharing the video
orrie beck what's up. it's me, me and this girl sheila went to your house in like 77 for a party trudy was having, and sheila and trudy were pretty close, they were battling it out in the powder puff class, port paul was going out with sheila and the week before i got up the nerve to ask veronica (i think that was her name, she didn't race but was a cutie,) if she wanted to go with me to the party, she said yea, i think i had a blue ford van. so on the next wednesday, sheila and her friend trisha, pulled up in front of my parents house and so i go out and i'm sitting in the small datsun truck they drove up in and i had just bought a big sample of puruvian something, from george harvey buddy go, and it was really good. but so sheila says hey are you going to trudy's this weekend and i said yea im going with veronica, and sheila said "hey take me instead," i didn't even take a second's time to think about it, and said ok. i was such a dork i didn't even call veronica, so ended up at the party with sheila, and the rest was history, my son and i are going up to kennedy meadows to go riding up there on monday if the rain isn't too crazy. oh paul was kind of bummin, he got one of those little brown viles from me and he owed me a 100, he never paid it. i seem him all the time, his dad chris (lisa's dad) just died from a cut on his shin, went to the drs. and came home and a fews days later went back to the drs and he was dead ether that day or the next. he was healthy as anything. audrey and linda and paul are still there in the hills. anyway my brother you knew him too, i think in 75 was no1 heavyweight class, i stayed on a smaller bike but had a blast, finished out with bad brad henson in some score races and we did pretty good, and i never went back. but stayed riding this whole time, i don't know how much longer i get though. i'm falling apart fast it seems, as i can see it happening. anyway, nice to see you name. i'm buck wheat, it's as close as i can get. one more tidbit, my dad only clocked me 1 time in life, i got a ride from tony home from so cal or san gabriel turkey run in olancha. and we burnt a couple so when he dropped me off, my eyes shot. and so i let my dad down and it's how he dealt with it. those were the days. i gotta get back to bed, it's 4:20 am, too early to be up.
I remember JN Robert's, Malcolm Smith & Steve McQueen from the movie On Any Sunday. What a time to be alive in the 60's & 70's for motorcycle racing. Regular guy's could afford to buy a bike & go racing. California was the dessert racing Macca. How times have changed especially in California, it was the place to be for motorcycle's & hot rods. Now there outlawing them.
Damn, I'm 68 years old but that film makes me want to ride again!! Never got a chance to desert race coming from the Midwest but it sure looks like fun. R.I.P. all of the guys from the film who've departed, that includes Bruce Brown, what a great film maker! Dale
The king of the Moto's race out in Johnson Valley and Lucerne is still almost exactly just the same as this race. It's really neat to see how it all started and how it has not really changed just got old fashion fun! The husky two strokes are the big deal out there right now and they also run at night some of the motos which is also a sight to see when all of the hills are lit up with the pack. Thanks for the great video.
Epic....dudes that video this documentary are heros...Donald Weaver loves it..I'm a 1960 model..I remember some of this footage...live ..on wide world of sports...Keith Jackson would say the agony of defeat and the something else hell I can't remember I'm drinking Miller lite. loo
Really cool ! My first bike was an at1 that I put a 175 cylinder , carb , webco head from working after school pushing brooms at a cycle salvage and mowing lawns
❤ i was there with my dad in a old willys up on a hill, about 25 miles out in the middle of the desert. JN came by on his second lap, and about 15 minutes later the second place guy came by ❤
Was some of this footage used in the movie on any Sunday it sure seems familiar i raced a few times in the early 70s met some of these guys talked to Cycle News
Boy does this bring back memories for me about my Dad and uncles Greeves, BSA (I learned on a Victor 441), had an Indian My Dad traded off in Highschool and I found it in Highschool, same town...Thank You ALL for this.
i grew up in the 60's on mini bikes and then mini cycles then dirt bikes and finally motocross and road race in central Florida...we had an enduro hound/hare race in Titusville Florida on halloween called the Pumpkin run...a night hound hare in the extremely thick and swampy area of west titusville. It was a freaking nightmare but man was it fun,.
I helped setup a Spokebenders race in the mid '70's and its a lot of work, i road personally the first 50miles of two, three times marking it. i had a newpaper bag on my shoulders and on the seat and when I used up the lime bags I swapped around. there was a horrendous up hill that i did three times, on my 250CZ, one time I make it in one run but the others i used the crash as a place to get off and mark the course :) Between me, my wife and my kids these race weekends and some play riding weekends were our best memories. I still have finishing pins from Vikings, 100's, checkers; and I raced in the DRA a desert racing org. in the California city area, one time Calcity Grand pris. So about 8 races total, and most all hare and hound, 100 different miles.....one summer I did a euro scambles, two 10 or so mile races for 1 hour plus one mile. because so short in terms of a 'normal' race they would setup two courses and alternate bike class//sizes so you did two. It was soooooooooooo hot my mentor said bob just finish and you'll kick butt, I finished both and through up after the second and moved up several hundred levels and dropped my number plate... I was not a fast rider, but no one loved it more than me... Sorry folks but god bless two strokes and the desert. This was after USMC/Vietnam and going to college working full time; like was good
Thanks for posting, Bruce! These were fun, carefree years. I got into D-37 desert racing in '68, but soon got consumed by motocross. It was all good; as long as we could race in the dirt, we were happy.
My friends and I were having the time of our lives in San Diego county back in the 70s and 80s around Carlsbad, Glamis, Ocotillo Wells, too bad the fun stopped from riding restrictions! Guess we as riders can’t enjoy the way things were anymore, but the good memories will always be there! 😀
The old Barstow to Vegas; Miss that..... grew up in Las Vegas....and was 10...in 1970 ( for reference) I was so hooked and into Bikes and Cycles.... great 'time'...in our history ( 70's) for all that. AND...to do with 'pre-BLM' involvement.
One of my brothers friends had a sc500 . They told me if I could fill it with fuel ,start it I could ride it . See you later fools , enjoy the ham and beans in the kettle . See you later
Awesome time capsule, well done ❤ those where the days were everyone was respectful to each other in a race, this is real adventure to its fullest with simple bikes and the open desert. Thanks so much for sharing 🙏 hi from Holland everyone
I remember those old “knobbie tires” and reading about this race when I was a kid. We rode dirt bikes back in the 70’s in Escondido. You could ride all day through the hills and canyons. Nobody hassled you back then and most riders courteous. We used to ride at Kit Carson Park which is now a shopping center and off limits for dirt bikes. There are still lots of OHV trails in California that very few riders use.
Bruce Brown quote from "On Any Sunday" - For most people San Francisco to Columbus Ohio would take 4 days. For Mert and Jack 27 hours non-stop - How did they drive 2,437 miles in 27 hours? I think he meant to say 37 hours non-stop.
I being an old newer dog... Born in 59.... I rode a buddies BSA Goldstar... Very powerful... I think the Goldstar was 1970 Vintage.. It was almost new... Fricking clutch cable level took the force of god to pull in... Later unbunouced to Danny...when he applied for title or registration... Boom came back as stolen... That bike was siezed and impounded... Police went after the dude that Danny boight it from. I think he lost $500... Bike was yellow red tank... Maybe.. I cannot remember.. A 4 speed... It had a compression release lever on left grip...under that monster clutch lever... It was cool to jake brake it... Take some pressure of the shitty drum shoes... I liked the bike and wish i had the chance to ride it more.. I think i was 15. Even before...i rode lots of 2 stroke...
@@lw3918in 1995 I was going 90 mph on the pavement in the Elsinore GP when Dave Aldana passed me going well over 100. Do you seriously think whitey martino couldn’t hit 100 on a 650 triumph in a smooth sand wash? I know that I sure as hell have on Larkin Wight’s triumph when we set the 24 hour off road endurance world record in the vintage class.
@davidleonard8369 Sorry no I don't because I'm a current desert racer and I know how fast we're going. I've also raced the Baja 1000 and I know how fast we were going through on modern bikes.
@@lw3918 where do you normally race? I raced district 38 from 1987 to 1995. I’m 59 now and have leukemia and peripheral neuropathy so I can’t race off road anymore but I have a street and strip sportster I hit the drag strip on pretty regularly and last year I bought a new mt07 and it’s an absolute hoot to ride.
