Anyone ever race enduros?

[Fox Mike]

I was digging around looking for something and found a old medallion from the 1966 Sandy Lane Enduro. It is the only time I ever raced that run. Concentration is the key to survival there. I was a wee bit younger then. Here is a 20 minute clip of some of the terrain you have to traverse. https://video.search.yahoo.com/search/video?fr=yfp-t-s&p=sandy+lane+enduro+2016#id=2&vid=664bf7b2389a2c1feec9b4f066ad86c1&action=view

 

[Rusty W]

I raced OCCRA for a couple years. Had a 95 DR 350, sent the engine to Thumper Racing for a big bore kit making it a 435cc and the suspension to Pro Action so a fat boy could ride it. Enjoyed passing those tricked out KTM's & screeming 2 smokers in the woods and sand. In 99 I bought a YZF 400 and rode that for a season. Then in 2000 I bought a house & 11 acres & finances/priorities changed...Good times.. I rode the Leroy Winters Memorial a few times on a 76 TT500..https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fssMKdifLN4. Not really competitive on the TT but sure was a lot of fun. I live about 5 miles from the Winters family and spent a lot of time around their shop bench racing.

 

[CGDustDevil]

Many many years ago... Late 60s to early 70s. I rode a Bultaco 250... The thing was an animal. I was never real competitive... I didn't have that 'crazy bone' on my shoulders that winners seem to have. But I sure loved it. Rattle the hell out of you.

For practice, I'd go out and ride the pipelines, through the woods, rock quarries, anywhere I could find.

It would kill me today, but 45+ years ago it was some kinda fun for me!!

Great videos!! Sure takes me back!

*sigh*

Best regards, Pete

 

[powder smoke]

My Brother had a Bultaco 250 fast bike, liked my Ossa Phatom 250 what
a rocket. Young and dumb, a group of us use to ride ever Sunday. Moe Simard
was the wheelie king. lol ps

http://owencollection.com/collection/bikes-from-the-70s/1974-2/1974-ossa-250-phantom/

 

[CGDustDevil]

My Brother had a Bultaco 250 fast bike, liked my Ossa Phatom 250 what
a rocket. Young and dumb, a group of us use to ride ever Sunday. Moe Simard
was the wheelie king. lol ps

http://owencollection.com/collection/bikes-from-the-70s/1974-2/1974-ossa-250-phantom/

Thanks for that PS!! I haven't seen an Ossa in YEARS! Never got to ride one, but they were very well regarded. Yeah, the Bultaco 250 was an animal... Not quite as agile as the Bultaco 175, but I was of the mind that more horsepower got ya there faster when you had the terrain to do it, and would make up for the lack of agility when you didn't.

I was proven incredibly wrong on MANY occasions! :mrgreen: :mrgreen:

Best regards, Pete

 

[bobski]

yep...and trials.
only 2 'cycle sports' i can call fun and challenging.
mx and road to me is .....ok.....what else can you do besides go fast. lol.

 

[bobski]

175 seemed to be the best class overall.
i actually enjoyed 125 class even more.

 

[CGDustDevil]

175 seemed to be the best class overall.
i actually enjoyed 125 class even more.

In hindsight, I have to agree. The 250 was an animal but hard to keep on the ground when you had a chance to go fast, and not nearly as easy to thread through and around stuff when you had to slow down.

Trials were incredibly interesting... A completely different kind of bike. I knew a couple brothers in the late 60s (Ronnie and David Wade) who rode trials. They were just indestructible. I had excellent balance and probably would have done pretty well in trials, although at the time (as a young whippersnapper) it wasn't quite as 'flashy' to me.

The ignorance of youth... lol

I also got quite interested in flat track when I moved out west to Orange County, Ca. in 72 or 73... Man could those guys ride!!

Best regards, Pete

 

[cruzerlou]

Yep, i raced 1979Huskey WR 390 in 79/80/81 and then went into road racing.
Seriously thinking about competing in them again with my 81 TT 500 in the over 50, vintage bike class, but your not really pushing the vintage bike or body too hard in those classes lol.
Lou
BTW, if you want to see how much more difficult the terrain is the top enduro riders cover today goggle "The Iron Gaint" that's in Ezgerg Austria and is the toughest course on man and machine in the world .
Also to see how different the riders train and attack the terrain goggle Gram Garvis Enduro Cross Trains video series.
Gram was a world champ trials rider who intergrates those skills into Enduro racing, this guy can make a bike do things that are just amazing.
He goes over or through technical terrain most riders look for ways around .

 

[Fox Mike]

Lou; that is INSANE! :shock: :shock: You could seriously tear up some equipment there. Of course the one I posted about has seen some broken stuff. I personally rounded a corner and found a two piece Harley. Front wheel and struts on place the rest of the bike and rider another. He hit a tree...REALLY hard.
I was riding a modified 160 Honda; my buddy had his 'one lung' Ducati.

 

[powder smoke]

175 seemed to be the best class overall.
i actually enjoyed 125 class even more.

I rode a 125 for a while a Yamaha good agile machine just did not have the "snap". Motocross bikes were fun no doubt. Bought a basket case when I was 18 it was a
175 Suzuki there all fun. ps

 

[radicalrod]

I still have my last "NEW" dirt bike in the barn....an 87 KX 500....soon to be 30 years old.....

Well one of our old time stalwarts son just won the AMA vintage MOTOCROSS championship at VINTAGE DAYS

Some of you might know Rich Machniac he was an old time AMA road racer and his son just was crowned with the AMA #1 vintage plate.....Rich was as proud as any dad I have ever seen....I was very happy for him and his son....very nice guys and Rich has an AWESOME RUGER COLLECTION....he won riding a 125 KX against 250 and open class bikes....quite a feat....I happened to sit with them at the ROCS banquet in Tulsa this weekend....RR

 

[bobski]

to this day...i still ride my 1970 sl125 honda around the farm. i call it my shuttle. i cant kill it.

 

[ndcowboy]

While I've never raced, I do have a 2000 KDX 200 that I ride the wheels off all summer long around here. Lot of fun offroading.

 

[opos]

My Grandson, Jack Edwards raced until he had a big crash and tore things up pretty good....he's back together and his long time hobby of photography is now paying big dividends...since he knows many of the racers well and really has a feel for the various forms of racing...he's been able to find a way to be part of the sports and earn a decent amount for his travels and involvement...his main thrust right now is the Stadium Monster series and also moto. I'm including a link to part of his work...thought some folks here might be interested in what he does...I'm "grandpa" so naturally proud but he is damn good...Monster, a couple of the manufacturers, etc and involved with his work as well...you can click the show more button at the bottom of his page and spend a good deal of time looking at racing pictures..

https://www.instagram.com/topstepphotography/

 

[RGRacing]

This post caught my Eye - Love Enduro Racing -
Started in the Service Okinawa on a TS 90 Suzuki - Once State side - Got a Used 175 Penton Jackpiner and entered my 1st enduro - That was it - Hooked. Next was a Used 76' 250 Penton, than a Used 78 KTM 250, then my 1st New 82 KTM 400, then the last New 420 KTM. My son started on a 200 XR and stayed on Honda's. Many I would ride after he was done with them. He was lucky enough to ride the 1994 Tulsa ISDE - Got a Bronze.

I finally gave my 1984 KTM 420 to a friend who is going to restore it. If it happens - I will ride it again. Life AMA Member - Nice to see so many here.

 

[Mega Twin]

That is really entertaining. The new arena cross does nothing for me.

 

[Fox Mike]

That is really entertaining. The new arena cross does nothing for me.

While I won't make light of the 'indoor' racing, I find that it is traveling over the same terrain time after time. With the races outside every bump, shake, dodge, slide, and stretch of the route is a NEW challenge .