jaylael

Those "Ice Road Truckers" show amazing resourcefulness in the face of overwhelming adversity. That 25 year old trucker guy just reminded me of The Fracy bunch and a handful of other similar Cunucks I have had the pleasure to know. If you haven't seen the show yet, it is awesome! I could see the Canadian trials characters driving up that road just the same as the guys on the show. It is understandable why Zippy thought I was serious.

Yes. It was a lame attempt at humor. Sorry I guess it wasn't funny.

Wasn't that a Fracy with a sick daughter at home, living in yellow knife?

Hey, Bill. If you have been on Kodiak island since at least the '70s I wonder if you remember the Taurman family. (Pronounced Torman) Don Taurman was one of the fastest mx riders this side of haides and he raced on the island about 1973 or '74 I'm guessing. I would be surprised if he wasn't the champion of that part of the country. He became a motorcycle daredevil in Missoula Montana. I witnessed a "jump off" between Don and a guy called "Reckless Rex" in 1981, and these two guys jumped over some ridiculous number of Honda cars at the Missoula county fairgrounds. Don said the only mods done to the YZ 465 were a smaller rear sprocket and a speedometer. He told me that he would get the YZ doing exactly 90 mph and just line it up with the ramp. What balls that guy had! Rex won the jump off on accuracy after Don overjumped the ramps which were set at 190 feet and flat landed it at least twice at 90 mph. That was impressive I'll tell you! Don had two younger brothers who did golden gloves boxing and a little motocross. One was Montana state champ at boxing. They were nowhere near the riders Don was. Since there aren't many people on the island I thought it was worth a shot. Good luck with that TY and try bikebandit.com for nos Yamaha parts. Also Trail and Trials in UK have alot of great stuff for Yams. Just google them. JL

Our opinions on this bb are irrelevant in the real world to some extent. Here in the USA land use issues are becoming more and more difficult, although nowhere near the tangled mess they appear to be in England. Alot of it boils down to greed and wealth. Land owners are terrified of litigation, so much so that many of them have a pat statement when asked for use of the land for trials riding. They don't giv a hang what trials is or any of the good reasons why it is a wonderful pastime, keeping kids out of trouble etc is of no concern to them. As a youth I learned early that in most cases asking permission will get you an unceremonious NO! Surely there must be some sort of legal riding area you could go to. Trespassing on government land is a serious offense, yet I'll wager most of us have done it. I offer my sympathy to this lad, and advise him to appear for court on time, well groomed and with sincere repentance. The one thing judges hate is the unrepentant smart a$$ who "hasn't learned his lesson". Ask Paris Hilton about showing up late for a court date! For God's sake if you have any visible piercings take them out, and cover up any tattoos! Get a short haircut, wear a nice shirt, tie and dress pant if you have to borrow them, and apologize sincerely. Maybe if the judge determines you're of some value to society, he or she will have mercy. Getting proper council is also not a bad idea. Good luck and let us know how you get on, and for all our sakes don't do it again.

Thanks Andy for the fantastic photos from the Ladies world Championship. You have made this TC supporter very happy. Perhaps a bit of video too would be nice. You rule dude!

Oh, but it reminded me of a great story. I am usually confused anyway.

Oh, Man! You have had some tough knocks, I can see. Dang, that must'a hurt. Back in '78 or so I was working at a bike shop in Montana and this sort of Hawaiian looking dude came limping in carrying a CZ rear wheel with a conical hub and a ridged akront rim, which was horribly bent and multiple broken spokes sticking out everywhere. He said it was to a black frame 400 CZ he had bought brand new. One day he was trying to climb a really big hill and the throttle stuck wide open and it gobbled him into the back wheel and killed the motor on his leg with a sickening crunch. He was one of the lamest limpiest guys I ever saw. Now I am one of those guys to a certain extent. I wish I had a dollar for every time someone asked me what happened to my leg. It's been in various states of brokedness since 1976. I own crutches and inflateable splints custom made for my left foot and leg. I am in no hurry to use them, that's for sure. My x ray looks like the solar system, and it hurts a bit from day to day, but I'll bet I had it good compared to you lad. The worst part is probably not racing anymore. For that pain is sometimes harder to endure. ok I've blabbed enough, time for bed.

Yes it is a bit before my time. My first race was in 1975, and your video link is from 2006! My parents refused to allow me to participate in motocross because they said it was far too dangerous. I was told if I insisted on following this foolhardy path, they wouldn't be a part of it. That just spurred me on and I proceeded to hatch a plot to race my fist mx at age 16. After fettling a borrowed Hodaka 100B with a grafted on low pipe from a giant 340cc snowmobile, and porting the tiny cylinder via Hodaka's own hop up sheet, I was ready to do battle. (God it was loud) A friend's dad agreed to haul me and the poor old Hodaka out to the local mx track, Corvallis Montana's "Huls ranch" MX. For those not familiar with this long gone track, it was the site of many glorious races over the whoop infested grassy valley which was normally home to several hundred Holstien dairy cows. Foolishly I signed up in the 100cc expert class, because my only other option would have been the 125 beginner class, and I thought why try to beat 125s on a measly 100? Needless to say I got thouroughly smoked! The best part was just as I was lining up for the big race, the first moto of my life, who showed up at that exact moment but my parents! I thought surely my mother would drag me off the Hodaka and beat me senseless right there if front of everyone, but apparently she had seen the fire in my eye and decided to relent, allowing me to "race" at Corvallis. The following spring 1976, I returned with my own bought and paid for 1972 Maico square barrel 400, and proceeded to holeshot and win both "large ametuer" motos. I still have the trophy and more importantly, the memory. It was a muddy day and I was so excited I forgot to take off my ski jacket, so styling I definitely was not! Still winning became my primary objective after that, until after six wins I became an intermediate. That was a whole new ball game. It took another year before I could get top 3 in that class, and two more years before I graduated to the A class, starting in 1979. Then the whole process started over again, gradually getting better and smarter until I could run up front on days when luck was with me. By 1982 I was ready to go pro, garnering a Honda support ride through the local Honda dealer. One time I actually won the open pro class and got a check for $300.00 My racing friends and I had a beer drinking barbque and bs fest that night,. spending most of my first "pro" payback. I cooked the steaks for everyone and there was alot of smiling and laughing that night. In the end I think it really is about the memories and the friends you meet along the way. The rest is just the trappings of the sport.

Sounds like your Kawi has an air leak. Verify mag side crank seal isn't popped out. Also check compression with an automotive compression tester. Should be at least 120 psi. It could be simply worn out. If the basic engine is in good shape with no air leaks it becomes a carb. issue. Start with the basic pump. (the engine is just an air pump) Then expand to carb, and timing ck.

Paul. I'll take that as a compliment. I will never forget the Carlsbad USGP where G. Wolsink smashed into a dirt bank while winning the race at the finish line. I have been a fan of Willi Bauer ever since he won the usgp in 1973 on a Maico. He was an underdog and he won with authority! That was an awesome moment in mx history. Enclosed is a photo of me and Jubal Brown, who has been my apprentice for several years and he has been getting very good, winning a few races here and there. Jubal and I were embarrased in a Mcdonalds restaurant late one night when I was trying to pee with a badly broken foot, and he was trying help me from falling down. An unfortunate young guy came in and thought we were doing something else. I wrote a hilarious story about this which some of you may remember. There is an excellent DVD available called Suzuki GP. I got my copy on E bay. It shows works Suzuki bikes and riders from 1969 to 1974. There are scenes which show Sylvain Gebors, Joel Robert, etc... Jubal and I got to meet Roger at the Washougal national last year and I showed him pictures of me, posing as him. Not really sure what he thought about that. He was nice, but I was so awestruck that I couldn't form a coherent sentence, and I think it freaked him out. I hope to try again and maybe act more normally next time. He is definitely high on my list of heroes. When I told my buddy Jim Pomeroy about meeting Roger, he thought that was the funniest thing in the world. He was having a hard time not just cracking up, but was trying to be nice. He never had a hero worship complex for anybody he was figuring on beating.

Bigdamo: I used to have a nice TM 400 almost like a works bike, but had to sell it. It was a bit unfriendly anyway. The enclosed photo is the pattern from which I have molded this graven image of "the Man"

Yep. Hallman goatskin made by the same old ladies in sweden who made them originally, only nowadays it takes quite a bit longer and costs a bit more, but the quality is top notch. Got them from Vintage Iron USA. - Vintage Dirt Racing NW web site link Click on the above link to see alot more details of this fabulous event

Put an internal rotor pvl on a maico 250 and it worked ok and was easy to install. Had even less rotating mass than the stock Motoplat button mag. (not good) Not sure if they make one for external flywheel setups though, like trials bikes. Do they?

Pacific Northwest motocross has been a very colorful scene for many years, and a central part of the motocross season has been the AMA national motocross at Washougal mx park. This pastoral setting has been the scene of many an epic battle featuring dozens of spectacular characters from the early days around 1973, to present day riders such as Ricky Carmichael, Kevin Windham etc. bellowing around on huge four stroke machines, but just recently the hallowed hills of Washougal MX park heralded the return of vintage racing on it's dark brown earth and loamy berms. Saturday May 19th the track was set up expecially for the older machines with most of the whoops and jumps smoothed out so saner (older) folks could get around without breaking their necks. I raced the open evolution expert class and the over 40 evolution expert class on my trusty 1979 Suzuki RM 400. In my first race, Just the slightest bit of hesitation from me to let the clutch out resulted in me being mired in the mid pack at the first corner, where I was subsequently boxed in on both sides and had my front wheel cleaned right out from under me at 30 mph. I was lucky I wasn't hit as I was thrown through the air and landing squarely on my head and getting stunned pretty badly. When I tried to stand it became apparent that I had also sprained my left knee, although I wasn't really sure how badly. The big problem at that moment was getting my bike un stuck from within the back wheel and swingarm of a nice 1981 YZ 465. My left handlebar was jammed right down through the guys swingarm in such a way that it were a bit like a puzzle. After several minutes we got them untangled, and set off after the long gone pack. That moto I was 11th place and not too happy. I sat in my van with an ice pack on my knee and tried to make a rational decision. I really had nothing to prove to anyone, but I really did want to ride on that awesome track! After gobbling down 3 ibuprofen, which made my stomach burn like hell, I saddled up and raced with a sprained left knee. In the end I guess really it's cheapness that won out. I had spent plenty enough money just getting to that point, that I wouldn't have wanted to miss the riding. I raced three more motos that day, so ended up with 11/5 for ninth place in open evo expert. There were twelve guys in the class. Here are two good photos from that race.

Cost is why I do it this way. I am no machinist, so making special parts is an expensive job. This costs me an afternoon and some serious sweat. For me it is therapy and fun, so it's kind of a win win situation. Copemench, that is a '73 Hodaka Wombat.

Rake is measured with an angle finder which can be placed on the fork tube as per the attached photo. Angle finders are available a most hardware stores for reasonably cheap. A typical measurement on a trials bike is 24 to 26 degrees. Anything steeper than 24 degrees will likely be oversteep which is dangerous to the rider. (ask me how I know) Many old school mx bikes from the '70's run about 28 degrees rake. In the enclosed pic I am adjusting the rake angle to 24 degrees on a project trials bike.

In 1977 on a trip back east to ride nationals, my friend Jack B. and I stopped for gas along I 90 and the gas station was also a dealer for these. He had one setup and on display. It was peculiar enough to warrant our curiousity, and the guy even let us ride the bike. I found it was ear splittingly loud, seemed to run rich and sluggish, and felt very front heavy. Despite repeated attempts I could not really even get it to wheelie more than six inches off the ground before the leaden front end came smashing back to earth. In the end it seemed the bike was best left unridden as a show piece. ANY other trials bike would be better to ride. Still I think they are pretty bikes and undeniably very rare.

Our friend David ,otherwise known as hop blip and jump, has sent me these pics of his fine Garelli trials machine. I thought I would share them with you all. Jay

Martin, that Red SWM is pure sex! I wanted one so bad in 1978, but my deal with the US importer was reneged on by John Taylor at the last minute in a sneaky underhanded move that gave my bike to Californian, Jeff Fish at the last minute. I was so upset that I quit trials riding for six months then bought a nice 1971 Bultaco Model 49, which I rode in several big events at that time. I suspect if you showed up with one of those Red SWM's at an AHRMA event now, someone would pitch a fit. Unfortunately I will not be at Mid Ohio this year. Last year was a one time deal paid for by Strictly Hodaka. I was brought in as a ringer. It would have been embarrassing to not win, given the circumstances. I was very relieved to go home the winner with my reputation intact. Since then my living situation has changed and I have even less money to finance my motorcycle pursuits. Go kick some butt with that Greeves! Let us know how you do, ok?

SWM's are not AHRMA legal because they are newer than the cutoff date, which is 1979 or older. AHRMA also rejects Can-Am, Italjet, Garelli Honda Reflex etc all on the same grounds. Recently it came up for a vote and the board rejected changing it to "or like design". These newer bikes would render TY 250's etc obsolete, as they did back when they were introduced. AHRMA also rejected a motion to have an "evolution class" for these bikes because they said it would make building challenging sections too difficult. They are trying to keep vintage trials vintage, especially for old British machines such as BSA etc. The organizers of AHRMA had a vision they are trying to stick to, which I find admirable. Dick Mann has gotten alot of criticism for his unbending pursuit of his dream, showing us younger folks what motorcycle sport was like in the earlier days. It is his vision we are all experiencing. When his day is passed, we will begin to see someone else's vision of what it should be. Until that time it's best to just play the game.

Geoff's finish is not representative of what he is capable of. I believe he suffered somewhat due to the lack of Dennis Sweeten. Originally as I understand it was to be sort of a team effort, but just a week before they were due to fly to Scotland, Dennis suffered a pretty bad crash while riding his TLR 250, and subsequently was forced to sit out the Scottish this year with a cracked sternum. As has been stated here in the past many times, it takes alot of experience to learn just what to do for good results in the Scottish Six Days. This is something Dennis may have been able to help with, providing insight and a bit of guidance to Geoff as he rode his first SSDT. Being thrown to the wolves at the last minute was not part of the plan. I'm sure it was quite an eye opener for Geoff to say the least. I for one am proud of our lads, Geoff and Ishy who did us proud just by being there.

One of the differences between UK and USA trials riding is the swear words we use. I am so amazed the anti swearing software dots out the word B*****ks, and not the word ass. My english friends have a wholly different albeit colorful vernacular. Another thing I notice is that since there are alot more englishmen riding trials, they seem a bit more low key about 'blowing their own horn" For example a trials result sheet in UK has no first names. It reads T Smith, B Jones, R Johnson etc, whereas in America we use the entire name and hopefully the bike brand, number of cleans, points per loop mothers' maiden name etc... Just something I notice.

Huntmaster, ride the Beezer! Riding vintage bikes is more rewarding. Clive, winning the Terra nova is only possible if you have some idea how to keep time in kilometres. Burning checks as badly as possible for sport was my way of dealing with the fact that winning was just not in the cards. I got into multiple cat and mouse games with Stan Backgaard when he was riding a Yamaha IT 200. We raced through as much of the island as we could at breakneck speed. I remember being so sick from drinking proper canadian beer that I couldn't stop dry heaving while riding cable hill. It is a very very steep long hill with about a one onch steel cable running lengthwise up the hill, sometimes semi buried in the earth and about a foot above the ground in other places. I barfed all the way to the lunch check where Maureen Williams was asking me what was wrong, while I couldn't seem to stop heaving long enough to eat my lunch. Ah the lost days of miss-spent youth.

In 1984 my good friends Jay Terry, Brad Skreen, Tom Young plus several others rode Terra Nova on Vancouver Island. Jay told a story about riding his IT Yamaha into a water hole in Jordan Meadows that was so deep he could not touch bottom. Luckily his ultra humongous gas tank was almost dry at the time, thus his bike was bouyant, and he was able to swim with it! I suspect it was a wet year. Steve, the guy who rode Terra Nova with Clive's dad was probably Ken Burnigham, another British Expat who rode the scottish way back in the early sixties, on a Greeves. He's a heck of a nice guy and rides vintage trials and MX in AHRMA.