Author Topic: Motocrossers from the past and the present. (Read 1207 times)

BullFrog · « **on:** August 31, 2018, 01:32:23 pm »

I spent most of my teens and early twenties taking part in Motocross for 1980-1986 - The Heydays of SA MX.

Started of on a 1979 RM 125, then a 1981 YZ 125, and the rest Honda's, Kawasaki's and on P.O.E.S. 1986 KTM 125.

Best years of my life!!!

Tell your story here....

DR BIG 750 · « **Reply #1 on:** September 01, 2018, 05:45:41 am »

started on the trails around jhb, on PE's and IT 175, did GP,s like the bapsfontein

, the headed for the track on bikes such as KTM 495 , brickor, tarlton, back of the moon, eventually after many years got a RM 125, much easier, then 40 yrs later still doing it some times on the same bikes

and up to a year or 2 back the same track. still enjoy it albeit more sedatly. Still fun firing up the 70s and 80s 2 smokes, will find some pics

Whethefakawe · « **Reply #2 on:** September 02, 2018, 12:39:50 am »

Your post got me nostalgic again, so I went and found an extensive post I did in 2015.
http://www.wilddog.za.net/forum/index.php?PHPSESSID=nmasee11lj3gkgp8bi5ndrpbr7&topic=175122.0

Funny how memory works (or don't). I don't know where I got some of the info from in that post - probably from the old programmes, plus things I remembered - but I also identified several mistakes I made, mostly regarding chronology.

I became a diehard Maico fanatic in 1983 and have four today, one is an esoteric project, a 1979 GS 440. As long as you have the frame, engine, forks and wheel hubs you can rebuild even this

Got a nice prezzie - well, two - for me biffday a few months ago.

1981 Maicos, the 250 has not been ridden since restoration, the 490 has. They're both going into the lounge this week as modern art

The1982 250 just like the one I had back in the day will be restored to this standard and joined its brothers on the shelf. Or maybe I'll ride that one just to listen to that distinctive Maico sound

DR BIG 750 · « **Reply #3 on:** September 02, 2018, 06:14:32 am »

Very naais Maicos

lets gets some pics on this fred. here are some of me in the last year or 3, some mods some old skool,

DR BIG 750 · « **Reply #4 on:** September 02, 2018, 06:17:01 am »

Brickor 81 or 82 KTM 495, Syringa just before it closed on a 78 RM 250 , Old TT on KXf 250

Dorsland · « **Reply #5 on:** September 02, 2018, 03:02:38 pm »

Those truly were the heydays of motorsport in general, brings back a lot of memories. 1981 was surely the best year of my life, newly klaared out of the army, earning R600 pm working at Main Yamaha in Johannesburg, owned an XJ650 and raced a TT500 in various enduro events.What a great year that was. Memories, memories.....

I often wonder what happened to all the friends, colleagues, heroes we had back in those days. The legends like Charlie Tissen, Kenny Skjoldthammer, Rex Staten, Grant Maben, Butch Hirsch, Russell Campbell, Grant McCleery (his sister married an ex friend of mine. Long juicy story behind that union

) and others whose names I cannot recall off the top of my head. @Wherethefakawe, you might know some of their whereabouts. Grant Maben I believe is/was living in the States. I heard he was in a wheelchair?

Pix below:

1. Start of the Bapsfontein race, 1981. I'm in there somewhere, I'm the one on the bike

Some serious oopsies at the narrow gate just after this pic was taken.

2. After the race, guy on the left is forgotten now, my brother at the back, me and my then girlfriend at right.

Dorsland · « **Reply #6 on:** September 02, 2018, 03:08:14 pm »

1. Rex Staten at Tarlton.
2. Camel MX championships, Corobrick, circa 1984. Think that is Rex Staten again.
3. ditto. Maybe you guys can ID some of the riders
4. And of course the groupies. Van julle jong latte sal vandag vir hulle moet sê "tannie"

Dorsland · « **Reply #7 on:** September 02, 2018, 03:10:09 pm »

Not MX but enduro was also big back in those days.

1. My friend Stuart Oliver in the parking lot at the Gaborone Holiday Inn where he, myself and Rod Lipchick from Main Yamaha rode the Toyota 1000 Desert Race. Have some great stories of that little jaunt. Stuart was killed at Durban Deep when practicing in around 1985, broke his neck when he fell

Stuart rode an SWM back then.

2. Yours truly making a bit of dust. Love the simplicity and "boer maak 'n plan" of those days. Check out my "headlight" so I could pass scrutiny.

BLK · « **Reply #8 on:** September 02, 2018, 03:44:16 pm »

Wonderful memories for sure.

Thks for sharing the pics.Reminds me of what a fantastic youth we had.Army camps were out biggest niggle to hassle about.

How things have changed.

gser · « **Reply #9 on:** September 03, 2018, 08:10:11 am »

Wow !
Nou gaan ek ook kyk, kom ouens en meisies, vertel en gooi fotos !

Clockwork Orange · « **Reply #10 on:** September 03, 2018, 12:23:35 pm »

Where it all started for me. The Pony Club track in Bloemfontein. My old man and I probably about 1976. Did most of my racing doing regional motocross races in Cape Town many years later at the Clay Brick, Killarney, Melkbos MX tracks. As well as a good few of the Cape endures. Best of times.

ChrisL - DUSTRIDERS · « **Reply #11 on:** September 03, 2018, 01:25:21 pm »

Dorsland hoe lank het daai TT 500s gehou as jy hulle hard gery/jaag het?

Dorsland · « **Reply #12 on:** September 03, 2018, 01:43:21 pm »

Chris daai enjins was eintlik kanniedood nie. Ek het daai hele jaar met hom gejaag (Toyota 1000 Desert Race, Bapsfontein 1981 en 1982, Barberspan 1981 en 1982 en 'n paar ander kleiner enduros) en toe nog Desember 1981 Natal suidkus af, Transkei deur tot in die Baai. Ek het wel vir hom 'n IT490 voorvurk op gesit asook Marzocchi skokbrekers agter. Verder net goed en gereeld gediens.

Maar ..... Om daai fiets 'n klompie keer in die Kalahari sand op te tel en aan die brand te skop was nie 'n man se maat gewees nie. Jy't al gesien hoe huil daai Dakar manne van uitputting hier op dag 5? Nou ja, ek was al amper daar gewees.

ChrisL - DUSTRIDERS · « **Reply #13 on:** September 03, 2018, 02:19:23 pm »

Maar ..... Om daai fiets 'n klompie keer in die Kalahari sand op te tel en aan die brand te skop was nie 'n man se maat gewees nie.

Dis mos hoeka skopkant se knieg van jou wat moertoe is of hoe?

Dirty Boy · « **Reply #14 on:** September 03, 2018, 03:29:15 pm »

Quote from: Dorsland on September 02, 2018, 03:02:38 pm

I often wonder what happened to all the friends, colleagues, heroes we had back in those days. The legends like Charlie Tissen, Kenny Skjoldthammer, Rex Staten, Grant Maben, Butch Hirsch, Russell Campbell, Grant McCleery (his sister married an ex friend of mine. Long juicy story behind that union ) and others whose names I cannot recall off the top of my head. @Wherethefakawe, you might know some of their whereabouts. Grant Maben I believe is/was living in the States. I heard he was in a wheelchair?

Sounds interesting, Cathy was at school with me. Cant remember if she was the same year but close enough.

Whethefakawe · « **Reply #15 on:** September 03, 2018, 03:40:52 pm »

This video will answer a few questions

https://youtu.be/Wc4899fUNOM

Looks like most of the big names from those days are still in SA. I know Tissen is in America, I bumped into him - literally - at San Diego SX some years ago, and my mate Jody is in regular contact with him, he lives in Northern California somewhere - or maybe Oregon? Up north out west, anyways.

So does Larry Wosick, he owns an old-school mX track called Honey Lake in Northern California. But then, he IS American, one of the top pros in SoCal the world MX HQ in those days. His wife is SA.

My old racing mate Graham lives in Fort Lauderdale, owns a big kite-surfing and windsurfing business.

Other than that, i know nuffink.

Dorsland · « **Reply #16 on:** September 03, 2018, 03:43:33 pm »

Bliksem DB, seriously?!

I wrote the story but thought better of posting it on the forum. Let me rather PM that to you. All true though.

Whethefakawe · « **Reply #17 on:** September 03, 2018, 03:51:52 pm »

BTW - I drove past Brickor ten days ago on my way to ORT, after a brief visit to SA to say goodbye to a dying family member. That whole area is high-density light industrial development, the only way to identify the old track area is by the ridgeline that ran along its south-eastern side and the powerlines that went right through the track area. Not a patch of dirt left big enough to dig a hole, never mind ride a dirtbike.

Dorsland · « **Reply #18 on:** September 03, 2018, 05:29:37 pm »

Some would call that progress. I call it a damn shame. When looking through my pix for those I posted, It was noticeable how many spectators there were at motorsports events. I looked through a few albums, F1 GP and 9-hour at Kyalami, MX, drags, enduros, round the houses; thousands of spectators, sometimes hundreds of thousands like at Kyalami. I am glad to say I was a part of the peak of motorcycling and motorsports in this country. Now, as with so many other facets, we are just a sorry-assed shell of what we were.

Dorsland · « **Reply #19 on:** September 03, 2018, 08:46:45 pm »

Quote from: ChrisL - DUSTRIDERS on September 03, 2018, 02:19:23 pm

Maar ..... Om daai fiets 'n klompie keer in die Kalahari sand op te tel en aan die brand te skop was nie 'n man se maat gewees nie.

Dis mos hoeka skopkant se knieg van jou wat moertoe is of hoe?

Regter knieg was die begin maar nou is dit beide knieë Chris