Supercross Classics 1988 - Pontiac 

That YZ490 sure would deliver some broken bones. I can vouch for that. lol

1978, and no, you don't. A 15 year pro career, (retired after 1992. How is your math?), was really long back then though, maybe the longest to that point. But it is pretty common today, since the bikes and tracks are easier to ride, not as much talent needed for the kiddie generations. :) In 20 years, a MX bike will look like a lazy Boy recliner chair, and the new kids on the block will all be bragging about how much talent they have. lol

The shit he would say. . Lol. Ha. . He was soooo funny. . He sure did get excited. . Always liked Larry Huffman

Actually, we did get a taste of that a bit. Since 1997, (Doug Henry rides the first one in 97), it took 8 years for the starting line of a national to be all 4-strokes, (with RC and James the last to switch, and still winning). We saw during that time, at least 10 riders just out of the top 8, who were able to extend their careers further if they switched before the majority. The tracks are smoother and faster today because of the faster engines, and does take a "different talent", (squaring off a corner is not one of them), but it is already show to be true that a 4-stroke does not take as much talent to go fast on, (just much more money). Stick around. The bikes 20 years from now may be as easy to ride as a Lazy Boy recliner chair, and that generation will be bragging about how much talent they have. :)

"oh baby Hold On Jeez Louise" lol

@@fkhan577 Thanks!!

Those were the first USD forks, and the stock bike 88 was the last year for the traditional forks. Johnson liked them because he can hit things hard, but "smooth action" was poor, and that bike had a real steep head angle that was prone to head shake. So when he landed front wheel first and bottomed the travel, that bike would get real shaky even with his set up. Stiffer fork springs helped mine a lot. I have had that bike head shake from "stop to stop" when coming down from speed from a tall gear for a corner. Just a bit of a downhill and bumps with brakes would do it. I still find it hard to believe I did not lose grip on a bar and crash. "Stop to Stop" about 6 times in 1.26 seconds,--like it was trying to spit you off. :) That bike and the Suzuki were known for great cornering on the old technical tracks, but the Honda held the crown for head shake. That kind of head hake does not exist today on a new bike. It was a trip. :)

I will say from experience, the retail suspension was a lot of "hit and miss". I don't think there was a bike that ever had the best forks and shock on the same bike in the competent days of MXA bike tests. But not even the kids at MXA today know how to adjust what they have. They get away with it because the tracks are smoother (and faster), today. The bikes are also too tall today. Since the racing is geared to jumps pretty much today, (with pro complaints about bumps), you really don't need 12" of suspension travel anymore, and because corner speed still matters a bit, you will get thought them, with more line choices, better. It sure worked for RC. The first pro over 5'8" tall in the top 10 to lower their suspension to 11" approx., will set a new trend. He won't have to wait for a berm to turn well. But---I have a YZ 2-stroke now with those great forks,---and I never had really great forks before. :) Bummer not many people put their front wheel on right with the USD forks, (gotta use a tool to get them parallel), so they might as well have forks from the 90's. :)

It was (they tore it down a few years ago.), a big 85,000 seat stadium, and there were about 30,000 fans there, including me that weekend. I raced on the track after the pros were done (the amateur races), and the track was a lot more rutted up than what we see here by the time I got on the track. 1988 was in the beginning of the decline of the sport, (less sales means decline). it was 2 years after the 1986 FIM production rule, and bike prices went up fast, tripled in 5 years to about 5 grand for a 250. In 1984, a 250 2-stroke was about $1,500. 2 years later, I bought my CR250 for $3,200, and that is when a kid could no longer afford his own bike, causing the drop in sales. Also know, that Pontiac was a 2 race day event, (and for about a decade, hosted more SX races than any other stadium because of it.), and I am sure some of the fans only went for one show. That was never my case. :) They moved the SX race to the much smaller Ford Field, several years before the Silver Dome was demolished, and I only went to the first one. I like the riders and after markets efforts, but now, this sport is about dead to me, (because the state took it over, including manufacturing),---so I will just enjoy riding,---and older races when we owned the sport.

As expressed superbly with your writing talents. :) This is the era when retired racers, (like one of the first, David bailey), started replacing Meyers, Huffman, Eckman, and others who graced the microphones in the early days of TV coverage. They are "nostalgic", and you may realize later, when stuff you grew up as nostalgic for you, is bad mouthed by some kid who was not there. You will be sad he missed the experience too.