Absolutely a great history lesson on motocross! I had goosebumps from seeing and hearing the names of my childhood heroes. I was eleven years old in 1970 and couldn’t get enough of this stuff. I’m 62 now and still ride my two Yamaha WR’s, a 400 and a 450 regularly on the gnarly trails up here in North Eastern Ontario Canada. Cheers! And thanks again!
Jim Pomeroy was from my home town and had a huge effect on the local riding scene. Anyone growing up in that time always spoke of Pomeroy when ever motocross was discussed. Did a lot for this little valley. He’s definitely missed.
Yes, we were "schooled". I was at Pepperell in '67, rode the support 250cc class on a new but unrefined 238cc Kawasaki F21M. Watching the Europeans was a sight to behold, unimaginable.
I was there! Saddleback Park, 1967, I saw the Europeans and motocross for the first time at the InterAm race. Three years later I raced the Trans AM race 7-4-70 at Saddleback!
This vid is awesome. I've watched 10x plus. Theres not a lot out there on the history of the sport. Please do more on the early years /70s and 80s. Great work.
Very informative video! I learned alot about some things I didn't know went on. Nice to see some of my old heroes of motorcross from the 1970s. Thanks for sharing.
Yup, I came back to this video again. Thanks, Tony, for the excellent upload and the right-on evaluations of cause and effect concerning motocross development in the USA. I was thinking the other day and realized the hard work it takes by you and the extensive research you do that I have not given you enough credit for when I watch these. I'll be looking at these in a much different light than in the past. Again, thanks. P.S. Thanks for the even-handed evaluation you gave to Jean-Michael Bayle. I spent a bit of time in France and got somewhat used to the French and their culture. I'm got tired of hearing what a jerk JMB was in many articles in magazines when very few Americans understand the culture and attitudes of the French people. I personally found the French warm and welcoming once you got to know them and their cooking is sure a hell of a lot better than the Brits!
Great upload... I loved every minute of it !! I never knew that Yamaha were behind abolishing works bikes in the states.. I'd love to see a video on all of the works bikes over time. I wanted one more than anything else in my life when l was younger.
great job! loved the video. made me want to rebuild the home track and ride with my 2 year old grandson. I'm thinking a 75 yz 250 will work for me. PW50 with training wheels for him or maybe the training wheels for me. Either way we are gonna have fun
@The Motocross Vault One thing you didn't include or forgot about was the introduction of Hondas CR125 in late 1973. It was by far the most most influential bike to ever be produced.. The influence of the CR250 was miniscule compared to the CR125. It allowed Moto Cross to explode because it was cheap ($749) ultra reliable, ultra light and the best bike in class by leaps and bounds. It therefore allowed a huge amount of people to get into Moto Cross. In no time almost every bike in class were CR125s. It also allowed the aftermarket to explode which turned them into Rocket Ships. Personally I jumped from the dominant bike at the time a Penton 125 to a CR125 buying the first one my local dealership in San Diego got in and the difference was night and day. I raced at Carlsbad and Saddleback from 71 till 75. After that I was Marty Moates mechanic riding a 1975 CR125 for about a year until he got picked up by Suzuki with a light sponsorship. Loved this Documentary.
This is Absolute and Truly what I needed to See TODAY! Thank You So Much for the Pictures of those mid 70's bikes that I rode! Your Commentation is Also One of the Best with Knowledge and Candor of those That Rode Wrenched Called and Bled for The Mind of BRAAAAAPPPPPPPP!
What a great video ! While not a fan of ur old bike reviews, THIS is very well done. Also enjoyed ur pre-race '5 questions' and ur post race reviews. Keep stuff like this coming
Tony, This piece should be considered the preeminent resource of how the sport evolved, and the reference for the current status of the sport. You really leave no stone unturned and I am astonished at your depth and expanse of knowledge. Thank you for educating us all and please continue your outstanding work.
Buddy this is the most informative piece of work I have ever read even though I watched Thursday night thunder as a child and raced for ten years starting in 95, this is amazing we’ll done and congratulations sorry I’m so late to get my hands on this video I love this information
@@TheMotocrossVault man it’s incredible how much knowledge you have on this sport and the particular situation about the Thompson family even though you refrained from going on and on about it, this was the beginning of our modern SX to bad things are not like they use to be keep up the hard work I always enjoy history buffs 😊
Tony that was awesome . As a kid enjoying racing in the 80s it was just fun with your buddies competing and living and breathing motocross. Never really thought bout the behind the scenes of promoters and scheduling events . Very enlightening. Thanks again for your hard work this was an awesome documentary of how motocross in the USA came about ! Keep up the awesome work ! I look forward to ever new video notification!
TY for acknowledging JMB's huge contribution ! Just a note on that : his shift towards MotoGP racing in 93 was not because of the often disgusting attitude of the US public towards him in 90 and 91 - although it didn't help any - but was programmed from the start of his career : he wanted to prove himself to be as good as the US riders and capture at least one SX title and gave himself 3 seasons to achieve this goal. He came very short of it in 90 but for Bradshaw who ejected him behind the peristyle at the Coliseum (coincidentally the only place not covered by any camera), but this only strengtened his resolve for 91. He hadn't really planned on snatching the 3 titles in a row, but since he was there and it seemed relatively easy to him he went for it, and beat them all ! :) His main challenge having been conquered, in 92 his motivation was to finish his contract with Honda without injuring himself. An arm surgery that took time to heal before the seasons start and delays in figuring out the optimum settings for the radically different 92 CR prevented him from snatching a second title, but at that point it diddn't matter much to him anymore. I've seen comments of yanks calling him an arrogant prick, but keep in mind that few people were friendly towards him back then. And he had to learn to speak english on the side, while I still have to see a US rider trying to make the effort of speaking French when giving an interview after a win at Bercy :) By and large, he gave as good as he got. You can read about his career on jeanmichelbayle.fr (use the "translate to english" feature after right-clicking on the page).
I was at the 97 Vegas Supercross where Doug Henry dominated the night on the YZ 400. There was an electric feel in the air during practice with Shawn Kalos and Guy Cooper on big Husaberg thumpers. I was surprised to learn recently that the YZ 400’s first AMA race was actually the 97 Gainesville national where Doug had a good ride but didn’t win.
Great writing! Learned some very interesting stuff like JMB racing his last GP year under an American license and the Mickey Thompson murder which I hadn't thought about in years. Keep up the great work!
I remember Yamaha making a Motocross bike called the "MX", (I think it was white), before they came out with the "YZ". I remember it as well as it's roost hitting me in the face. :)
Your photos are so great, I have to rewind all the time to hear what you said. Reliving a lot of memories here. You are gold to us frontier USA dirt bike riders/racers sir. :)
Not from the USA, but I have to agree with you on the photos. The #3 honda with the Fox air shox at 13.20 is one of my all time favorites. Can't remember if the rider is Marty though.
I guess I'm an old timer but I don't think I'll ever be in the 4-stroke camp. I know that they are now superior to the two-strokes due to all the design moneys going into them, but I still enjoy riding a two-stroke much more. I've got a 4-stroke and I ride it and enjoy it when I'm really lazy....maybe I'm just an old guy. Mike Goodwin was a maggot......even if he helped motocross out. I think that the money that is in motocross today is helping a few guys and hurting a lot of others.....just my opinion.
They are not. They have to run a 450 against a 250 and a 250 against a 125. I wouldn't call that superior. Depending on who is racing who the 2 strokes can still win. I watched Bubba Stewart give RC all he could handle riding a KX 250 at buds creek.
It's not just you. We all enjoy nostalgia. I used to dream of 4-strokes with real race ready suspension! I even made a couple hybrid play bikes. I say play bikes, because my Suzuki SP200 engine was far from being competitive. But it was WAY more fun when I put it in my 1978 KX125 roller! My more recent hybrid was an e-start 150 Marshin in an RM125 (edit: 1979 RM100) frame. It was just what I had around that would fit together. I love my CRF450R, but the reason I used to dream of 4-stroke hybrids was for cheap, reliable, low-maintenance fun. New 4-strokes are fast and fun, but far from cheap or low-maintenance, and without putting all the maintenance and dollars into them, they won't even be reliable. What fun is that? So after having a few of them, I decided to build a KX500 :-) (1 year later, KX500 is ripping up the trails! I'm having just as much fun as I have on my CRF450r! Maybe more 😎👍 The CRF is no longer running, and in need or an expensive and time consuming rebuild, despite the hyper-vigilant maintenance schedule I was on 😭)
chris henry, it's true, the powers that be 'class' them as you mentioned. But a 250F has put down faster laps than the 450's, on many occasions, and they are allowed in the 450 class. I assure you, those lap times would be slightly slower if the same rider rode a 250T. But they are very close in power and weight, now (per same displacement), and should really be classed together, again. We've kind of come full circle, back to the big bikes being the premiere class, like it was in the early days of the 500's. Only back then, there were 2-strokes and 4-strokes of the same displacement, racing in the same class. Heck, Honda didn't even want to build a 2-stroke when they entered the MX market. Then, in 1973 they released the best showroom motocrosser the world had ever received, called the Elsinore! Then, after some not so great years (as far as consumers were concerned), they did it again in 1985. By this time, the 250(t) class was considered the premiere class, and today, claims are that Honda has no interest in them, once again. Lol. As a race fan, nothing is better than the classic 'seesaw battle', and history is full of them! The battles rage on!
Guy Cooper stated on The Whiskey Throttle Show, that he enjoyed play riding/jumping with Bayle, and stated Bayle was amazing. What a bummer there is no video of those guys out playing.
My Dad was racing Moto in and around southwestern PA around 67-69. He calls Moto, scrambles. It wasn't hare scrambles though, it was a closed moto course, usually set up on a farmer's land. He raced a 2-stroke Suzuki in 68/69 on a local shop sponsorship. He said nobody knew what a 2stroke was and he won every race on it except one. He still remembers the turn before a big hill that he took it easy on , on the last lap and got passed. Was applying for his AMA pro and got drafted. Who knows what would have happened. I think his Suzuki was the one they were first developing from in Europe.
Love the old pics. 33:09 cover of MXA, a guy with duct tape around his knee-------on the cover of 1974 MXA. :) Is that John DeSoto, the flying Hawaiian?
I am an old timer, to start with the begining of this you show a montesa as like everybodys motocross bike in 1969-1972 when you should have shown a Husky, And in 1973 the 125 class was the biggest draw for motocross and it was the 1973 Suzuki TM125 that took the motocross world by storm, that is as far as i got with this video, and so far you need to do your home work :)
The picture of the Montessa was meant to be illustrative of European Bikes of the time in general it was not a specific nod to an individual model. As to the TM I was three years old in 1973 so yes I do not have contemporary knowledge of the situation but I have read and own the magazines of the time and the Elsinore certainly gets the credit from the people of the era for changing the face of the sport at the time. I have read many articles and never has the TM125 been held up in that regard anywhere that I’ve seen.
Very good documentary! Love the two-stroke sound at the end. I was a desert racer in the early 90's. The main thing about the move to 4-strokes that was not mentioned, or I missed it, was the "lower emission" issue. This has always wreaked as over-blown. As industries spew out tons of "emissions", a comparatively minuscule number of dirt bikes are causing significant harm to the environment and causing further "global-warming." As a result, what used to cost ~$4000 now is $8000 to $12,000! WTF!
You were absolutely right I don’t think I got into that but it did play a major role in it and you’re correct the omissions from the motocross bike or nothing compared to what a commercial jet boats out every second
I feel like emissions with dirtbikes is less about what pollutant levels they put out but instead what range of sound and noise they put out if you are nearer to other people who may not be as big a fan.
To start with California has not banned 2stroke engines for competition use. Two stroke race bikes are still sold and raced in California . Two stroke bikes still dominate the youth classes and the 125 class is still as popular as ever. 4 Stroke engine development basically caught up to 2 stroke technology and it was more the manufactures decision to focus r & d budgets on 4 stroke because two stroke technology had really reached its peak and the potential of the single cylinder four stroke had more to offer in future achievements. Professional racing organizers moved to to 4 stroked because that's what the manufactures we're focusing development on .
I'll never be convinced a 4 stroke is the best. If you take politics and business out of it they could make a two stroke insanely better. So much lighter and so much technology available.
The 4-stroke may have a better power delivery on the ground in most cases, but at what cost? It was EPA organizations who pushed the 4-stroke on the industry to try to get rid of 2-stroke engines, to save the planet and all. It was not something the factories would do alone because of the cost, and losing market share because of it,----which is what happened.
@@EarthSurferUSA The EPA had very little to do with the switch to 4 stroke technology. The switch came about by decision of the manufactures to focus there r&d money on 4 strokes because 2 stroke technology had reached its peak . For the most part the EPA excludes competition models from emission requirements. Two stroke race bikes are not banned in California , most youth classes are still using two stroke engines. Pro level racing organizers changed to 4 stroke classes because that what the manufactures wanted and that's what they are going to continue development on.
14:56 Hahahahahahahahahahahha Look at the duct tape holding on the gas cap of Brad lackey's works Husky in an international race. That!----is nostalgia man.
I always used castor oil in my Cagiva 500's. In 1988-92 I went into multiple supply stores in the Greater San Jose CA area. I couldn't find it and would ask....."What's castor bean oil....." Swear to God, most people had no idea. Road Riders was a big store...."huh....?" Today I have a 1973 250 Elsinor just like we see here
But ... yet in 1984 Ricky Johnson wins the AMA Super Cross Title on a near bone stock YZ 250 !!! Yes the bike has a lot to do with it , but the rider can play an even bigger part as we seen in 84 . @ 22:50
Weren't those early tracks (40's and such), called "TT racing"? I remember that racing a bit in the USA later, a man made track with a few turns and one jump, and even raced with Harley's. It seems like a evolutionary link between flat track and motocross, then to SX----which was invented in the USA. :)
Marty Smith was the lightning in a bottle. The industry game-changer. Right man, right time. Marty probably sold $10M in motorcycles and another $40M in apparel & lubricants. Mr. Honda flew him to Japan to stay at his house as his guest and gave him a very expensive piece of artwork before his departure back to California as a personal thank you. It is impossible to overstate the impact of his racing career and riding style on all motocross that has happened since. RIP Marty & Nancy Smith
@36:40 wrong, you could watch it on ESPN 12am central standard time from 1989-1991 as my father used to let me sleep on the couch and watch it, I would set my Casio watch to go off and get up to switch on the TV (maybe 3am in California, but that's not what is claimed...I assume nothing) and it wasn't 2 months, it was 2 weeks, also vividly remember because I went to Dallas Supercross twice.1990-1991...and all I could think of is watching to see if I could see myself in the crowd...
This was the best video on motocross I have ever seen. From its beginnings, through the trials, tribulations and evolution. Excellent.
Very glad we have guys like you to share the history of our sport
This is a very impressive summary of key events in MX/SX history. You are a very informed and talented historian of our sport. thank youi
Glad you enjoyed it!
Absolutely a great history lesson on motocross! I had goosebumps from seeing and hearing the names of my childhood heroes. I was eleven years old in 1970 and couldn’t get enough of this stuff. I’m 62 now and still ride my two Yamaha WR’s, a 400 and a 450 regularly on the gnarly trails up here in North Eastern Ontario Canada. Cheers! And thanks again!
The first Honda Elsinore was one of the most beautiful motocross machines ever made.
Jim Pomeroy was from my home town and had a huge effect on the local riding scene. Anyone growing up in that time always spoke of Pomeroy when ever motocross was discussed. Did a lot for this little valley. He’s definitely missed.
Bimbo
Yes I remember him well... goood time in the 70's and grateful to have been a part of it.
My childhood hero.
One of the best documentaries ever 👍 Thank you Tony Blazier 💯🏁
Man, I love the pictures that sparks my memory from about 40 years ago. Something about it just makes me feel so good. :)
Yes, we were "schooled". I was at Pepperell in '67, rode the support 250cc class on a new but unrefined 238cc Kawasaki F21M. Watching the Europeans was a sight to behold, unimaginable.
I was there! Saddleback Park, 1967, I saw the Europeans and motocross for the first time at the InterAm race. Three years later I raced the Trans AM race 7-4-70 at Saddleback!
Camel cigarettes and Coors beer and Miller sure helped us out.... go figure. Thank you for this informative history!
Coors Keg cans only drank 900000of them living in Denver
Yes. They were taken from the sport because it was alcohol and smokes. So, since then we have been puritans until pot became legal. lol
Wow. Very nicely done. I enjoyed the presentation, and education.
Your videos are never too long. Thanks for giving all of us something good to watch and learn from.keep them coming. Thanks!
Thank you
Another great presentation. Thanks again, Tony!
This vid is awesome. I've watched 10x plus. Theres not a lot out there on the history of the sport. Please do more on the early years /70s and 80s. Great work.
Thank you!
I would really like to see and hear more about XR75’ racing and 100cc air cooled racing
Thanks Tony, really appreciate you putting together all the key steps in US mx history. Please keep 'em coming
My first bike was a '71 Penton 125. My step dad had a Husky 360 with the shifter on the right side. It was a beast! Great Video!
Very informative video! I learned alot about some things I didn't know went on. Nice to see some of my old heroes of motorcross from the 1970s. Thanks for sharing.
Glad you enjoyed it!
I remember in the mid70s at Saddleback if you had a DG or a FMF pipe you felt You almost had a factory bike
Saddleback Saturday MX. Two 45 minute motos or high school MX at the end of O.C.I.R. drag strip. 76,77,78. 76 yz 125 and 77 yz 250.
Yup, I came back to this video again. Thanks, Tony, for the excellent upload and the right-on evaluations of cause and effect concerning motocross development in the USA. I was thinking the other day and realized the hard work it takes by you and the extensive research you do that I have not given you enough credit for when I watch these. I'll be looking at these in a much different light than in the past. Again, thanks. P.S. Thanks for the even-handed evaluation you gave to Jean-Michael Bayle. I spent a bit of time in France and got somewhat used to the French and their culture. I'm got tired of hearing what a jerk JMB was in many articles in magazines when very few Americans understand the culture and attitudes of the French people. I personally found the French warm and welcoming once you got to know them and their cooking is sure a hell of a lot better than the Brits!
Very well done, full of great information that many of us are not usually privileged to recieve.
Great upload... I loved every minute of it !!
I never knew that Yamaha were behind abolishing works bikes in the states..
I'd love to see a video on all of the works bikes over time. I wanted one more than anything else in my life when l was younger.
great job! loved the video. made me want to rebuild the home track and ride with my 2 year old grandson. I'm thinking a 75 yz 250 will work for me. PW50 with training wheels for him or maybe the training wheels for me. Either way we are gonna have fun
@The Motocross Vault One thing you didn't include or forgot about was the introduction of Hondas CR125 in late 1973. It was by far the most most influential bike to ever be produced.. The influence of the CR250 was miniscule compared to the CR125. It allowed Moto Cross to explode because it was cheap ($749) ultra reliable, ultra light and the best bike in class by leaps and bounds. It therefore allowed a huge amount of people to get into Moto Cross. In no time almost every bike in class were CR125s. It also allowed the aftermarket to explode which turned them into Rocket Ships. Personally I jumped from the dominant bike at the time a Penton 125 to a CR125 buying the first one my local dealership in San Diego got in and the difference was night and day. I raced at Carlsbad and Saddleback from 71 till 75. After that I was Marty Moates mechanic riding a 1975 CR125 for about a year until he got picked up by Suzuki with a light sponsorship. Loved this Documentary.
This is Absolute and Truly what I needed to See TODAY! Thank You So Much for the Pictures of those mid 70's bikes that I rode! Your Commentation is Also One of the Best with Knowledge and Candor of those That Rode Wrenched Called and Bled for The Mind of BRAAAAAPPPPPPPP!
Thanks
@@TheMotocrossVault Do you want all my old magazines and MX stuff? Ill give it to you. You pay shipping, ill box it up. its 98% 1979-1991
This is amazing man, thanks for all the hard work.
What a great video !
While not a fan of ur old bike reviews, THIS is very well done.
Also enjoyed ur pre-race '5 questions' and ur post race reviews.
Keep stuff like this coming
Tony,
This piece should be considered the preeminent resource of how the sport evolved, and the reference for the current status of the sport. You really leave no stone unturned and I am astonished at your depth and expanse of knowledge. Thank you for educating us all and please continue your outstanding work.
Thank you so much for the kind words
Great video, watched it all the way through! Thanks Tony!
Thank you for watching
Buddy this is the most informative piece of work I have ever read even though I watched Thursday night thunder as a child and raced for ten years starting in 95, this is amazing we’ll done and congratulations sorry I’m so late to get my hands on this video I love this information
Thank you!
@@TheMotocrossVault man it’s incredible how much knowledge you have on this sport and the particular situation about the Thompson family even though you refrained from going on and on about it, this was the beginning of our modern SX to bad things are not like they use to be keep up the hard work I always enjoy history buffs 😊
Tony that was awesome . As a kid enjoying racing in the 80s it was just fun with your buddies competing and living and breathing motocross. Never really thought bout the behind the scenes of promoters and scheduling events . Very enlightening. Thanks again for your hard work this was an awesome documentary of how motocross in the USA came about ! Keep up the awesome work ! I look forward to ever new video notification!
Thank you for the kind words.
JMB might be the most talented motorcycle racer to date. Don't forget he went Grad Prix Road Racing after MX.
Nope... Carmichael is the GOAT for a reason, look at his amazing stats
Can't forget, it was covered in the video.
Awesome job on this film ✅✅✅✅✅✅✅✅
Very well done. And you're right...you didn't say it explicitly, but virtual MX is the future.
Virtual MX? I see no future there. Sounds like a video game.
very kool; thanks! good job. we are richer for knowing all that you presented in a sport we love....thanks!
TY for acknowledging JMB's huge contribution !
Just a note on that : his shift towards MotoGP racing in 93 was not because of the often disgusting attitude of the US public towards him in 90 and 91 - although it didn't help any - but was programmed from the start of his career : he wanted to prove himself to be as good as the US riders and capture at least one SX title and gave himself 3 seasons to achieve this goal. He came very short of it in 90 but for Bradshaw who ejected him behind the peristyle at the Coliseum (coincidentally the only place not covered by any camera), but this only strengtened his resolve for 91. He hadn't really planned on snatching the 3 titles in a row, but since he was there and it seemed relatively easy to him he went for it, and beat them all ! :)
His main challenge having been conquered, in 92 his motivation was to finish his contract with Honda without injuring himself. An arm surgery that took time to heal before the seasons start and delays in figuring out the optimum settings for the radically different 92 CR prevented him from snatching a second title, but at that point it diddn't matter much to him anymore.
I've seen comments of yanks calling him an arrogant prick, but keep in mind that few people were friendly towards him back then. And he had to learn to speak english on the side, while I still have to see a US rider trying to make the effort of speaking French when giving an interview after a win at Bercy :) By and large, he gave as good as he got.
You can read about his career on jeanmichelbayle.fr (use the "translate to english" feature after right-clicking on the page).
I was at the 97 Vegas Supercross where Doug Henry dominated the night on the YZ 400. There was an electric feel in the air during practice with Shawn Kalos and Guy Cooper on big Husaberg thumpers. I was surprised to learn recently that the YZ 400’s first AMA race was actually the 97 Gainesville national where Doug had a good ride but didn’t win.
Everyone thinks the Yamaha 400 was the first 4 stroke to race Super Cross, not true. The first 4 stroke to race Super Cross was a tricked out KTM 620.
🇬🇧👍really appreciated,thanks
Husaberg was lite around 220. And if you changed the oil lasted a hole season. Great video thanks
Thanks 👍
"hole" being the operative word?
No one who remembers how we got to where we are today has ever forgot Edison Dye...
I never forgot about this, because MXA and Dirt Bike Mag never forgot!
Bravo Great work man. Your becoming underrated.
Thank you
Great vid, miss the two smokes. I can’t ride a thumper like I can a ring ding but gotta love the sport.
So much tuned in 😎👍
Well done Sir, that was entertaining and educational.
Great writing! Learned some very interesting stuff like JMB racing his last GP year under an American license and the Mickey Thompson murder which I hadn't thought about in years. Keep up the great work!
Thank you very much for watching.
I remember Yamaha making a Motocross bike called the "MX", (I think it was white), before they came out with the "YZ". I remember it as well as it's roost hitting me in the face. :)
My first motorcycle was a 1978mx 175
My first motorcycle was a 1978 mx175
I bought a 1972 Yamaha MX 250 silver tank with red stripes came out in Late November 1971 same bike as Mart Tripes race before he sign with Yamaha
I encourage all to watch Fonseca on the YZ250f vs Pastrana on the RM125 outdoors
Love these videos so much
Your photos are so great, I have to rewind all the time to hear what you said. Reliving a lot of memories here. You are gold to us frontier USA dirt bike riders/racers sir. :)
Not from the USA, but I have to agree with you on the photos. The #3 honda with the Fox air shox at 13.20 is one of my all time favorites. Can't remember if the rider is Marty though.
Tony blazer is a true motorcycle historian and ambassador.
What a great show !
Thank you for this awesome video about our great sport, it really helped to clarify some of the past for me! Also thanks for all you do for the sport
Thank you I appreciate the kind words
I thoroughly enjoyed the show thanks bud
Glad you enjoyed it
Hell Yeah T-Blaze, this was extremely well done!
Thanks
Well that was fun!!! Thanks I enjoyed that.
Thank you for watching
Great job. Very informative from an old guy!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Man, I start watching your vids but even now I know that you done great job!
I appreciate that!
Extemporaneous, great word. Really enjoyed this!
Glad you liked it!
Absolutely fantastic video!
Thank you.
Excellent job!
Thank you very much!
Saw Edison Dye and Roger Decoster at race at Angel Stadium Supercross years ago.
Thank you, a lot of history knowledge and as I look back through the years it all makes sense.
Glad you enjoyed it
Great Work TB.
Outstanding retrospective!
I guess I'm an old timer but I don't think I'll ever be in the 4-stroke camp. I know that they are now superior to the two-strokes due to all the design moneys going into them, but I still enjoy riding a two-stroke much more. I've got a 4-stroke and I ride it and enjoy it when I'm really lazy....maybe I'm just an old guy. Mike Goodwin was a maggot......even if he helped motocross out. I think that the money that is in motocross today is helping a few guys and hurting a lot of others.....just my opinion.
They are not. They have to run a 450 against a 250 and a 250 against a 125. I wouldn't call that superior. Depending on who is racing who the 2 strokes can still win. I watched Bubba Stewart give RC all he could handle riding a KX 250 at buds creek.
It's not just you. We all enjoy nostalgia. I used to dream of 4-strokes with real race ready suspension! I even made a couple hybrid play bikes. I say play bikes, because my Suzuki SP200 engine was far from being competitive. But it was WAY more fun when I put it in my 1978 KX125 roller!
My more recent hybrid was an e-start 150 Marshin in an RM125 (edit: 1979 RM100) frame. It was just what I had around that would fit together. I love my CRF450R, but the reason I used to dream of 4-stroke hybrids was for cheap, reliable, low-maintenance fun. New 4-strokes are fast and fun, but far from cheap or low-maintenance, and without putting all the maintenance and dollars into them, they won't even be reliable. What fun is that? So after having a few of them, I decided to build a KX500 :-)
(1 year later, KX500 is ripping up the trails! I'm having just as much fun as I have on my CRF450r!
Maybe more 😎👍
The CRF is no longer running, and in need or an expensive and time consuming rebuild, despite the hyper-vigilant maintenance schedule I was on 😭)
chris henry, it's true, the powers that be 'class' them as you mentioned. But a 250F has put down faster laps than the 450's, on many occasions, and they are allowed in the 450 class. I assure you, those lap times would be slightly slower if the same rider rode a 250T. But they are very close in power and weight, now (per same displacement), and should really be classed together, again.
We've kind of come full circle, back to the big bikes being the premiere class, like it was in the early days of the 500's. Only back then, there were 2-strokes and 4-strokes of the same displacement, racing in the same class. Heck, Honda didn't even want to build a 2-stroke when they entered the MX market. Then, in 1973 they released the best showroom motocrosser the world had ever received, called the Elsinore! Then, after some not so great years (as far as consumers were concerned), they did it again in 1985. By this time, the 250(t) class was considered the premiere class, and today, claims are that Honda has no interest in them, once again. Lol.
As a race fan, nothing is better than the classic 'seesaw battle', and history is full of them!
The battles rage on!
@@dirtbikedave Very good analysis and right on the money.
@@dirtbikedave Now you're talking.
Great Video Tony! Thanks
Thanks
Very interesting you did a great job
Thank you!
Great stuff, thanks Blaze!
Great video, thanks
One of the worst developments in motocross is the modern four stroke. It makes the sport more expensive for the average owner/rider.
Pluse easier to ride fast which is not necessarily a good thing!
The production rule seems like a positive to me. I wish they would tighten it up even more, or have some Full stock races
Guy Cooper stated on The Whiskey Throttle Show, that he enjoyed play riding/jumping with Bayle, and stated Bayle was amazing.
What a bummer there is no video of those guys out playing.
Loved yhe content very much! Thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it!
For a kid you almost got it. Good work. You would not know because you weren't there. Further research. Old guys. Again great job.
Can hardly wait to get my 1976 Rm250A up and running.
My Dad was racing Moto in and around southwestern PA around 67-69. He calls Moto, scrambles. It wasn't hare scrambles though, it was a closed moto course, usually set up on a farmer's land. He raced a 2-stroke Suzuki in 68/69 on a local shop sponsorship. He said nobody knew what a 2stroke was and he won every race on it except one. He still remembers the turn before a big hill that he took it easy on , on the last lap and got passed. Was applying for his AMA pro and got drafted. Who knows what would have happened. I think his Suzuki was the one they were first developing from in Europe.
Love the old pics. 33:09 cover of MXA, a guy with duct tape around his knee-------on the cover of 1974 MXA. :) Is that John DeSoto, the flying Hawaiian?
Awsome video!!! I watched it twice
Excellent video!
I am an old timer, to start with the begining of this you show a montesa as like everybodys motocross bike in 1969-1972 when you should have shown a Husky, And in 1973 the 125 class was the biggest draw for motocross and it was the 1973 Suzuki TM125 that took the motocross world by storm, that is as far as i got with this video, and so far you need to do your home work :)
The picture of the Montessa was meant to be illustrative of European Bikes of the time in general it was not a specific nod to an individual model. As to the TM I was three years old in 1973 so yes I do not have contemporary knowledge of the situation but I have read and own the magazines of the time and the Elsinore certainly gets the credit from the people of the era for changing the face of the sport at the time. I have read many articles and never has the TM125 been held up in that regard anywhere that I’ve seen.
Min 3:35. There is Bard Lackey in 1983, with out a ride. :(
Very good documentary! Love the two-stroke sound at the end. I was a desert racer in the early 90's. The main thing about the move to 4-strokes that was not mentioned, or I missed it, was the "lower emission" issue. This has always wreaked as over-blown. As industries spew out tons of "emissions", a comparatively minuscule number of dirt bikes are causing significant harm to the environment and causing further "global-warming." As a result, what used to cost ~$4000 now is $8000 to $12,000! WTF!
You were absolutely right I don’t think I got into that but it did play a major role in it and you’re correct the omissions from the motocross bike or nothing compared to what a commercial jet boats out every second
I feel like emissions with dirtbikes is less about what pollutant levels they put out but instead what range of sound and noise they put out if you are nearer to other people who may not be as big a fan.
If my memory serves me correctly, the 'idea' of 4-stroke production bikes was due exclusively to California's state ban on 2-stroke engines.
To start with California has not banned 2stroke engines for competition use. Two stroke race bikes are still sold and raced in California . Two stroke bikes still dominate the youth classes and the 125 class is still as popular as ever. 4 Stroke engine development basically caught up to 2 stroke technology and it was more the manufactures decision to focus r & d budgets on 4 stroke because two stroke technology had really reached its peak and the potential of the single cylinder four stroke had more to offer in future achievements. Professional racing organizers moved to to 4 stroked because that's what the manufactures we're focusing development on .
I'll never be convinced a 4 stroke is the best. If you take politics and business out of it they could make a two stroke insanely better. So much lighter and so much technology available.
The 4-stroke may have a better power delivery on the ground in most cases, but at what cost? It was EPA organizations who pushed the 4-stroke on the industry to try to get rid of 2-stroke engines, to save the planet and all. It was not something the factories would do alone because of the cost, and losing market share because of it,----which is what happened.
@@EarthSurferUSA The EPA had very little to do with the switch to 4 stroke technology. The switch came about by decision of the manufactures to focus there r&d money on 4 strokes because 2 stroke technology had reached its peak . For the most part the EPA excludes competition models from emission requirements. Two stroke race bikes are not banned in California , most youth classes are still using two stroke engines. Pro level racing organizers changed to 4 stroke classes because that what the manufactures wanted and that's what they are going to continue development on.
Keep em coming brother! ❤
Rick Johnson"s "epic speech" should be included here. Without RJ the sport of MX could have become the sport of sand-baggers.
What speech ? Were can I find it? Thanks
14:56 Hahahahahahahahahahahha Look at the duct tape holding on the gas cap of Brad lackey's works Husky in an international race.
That!----is nostalgia man.
Impressive Tony 🙏
I always used castor oil in my Cagiva 500's. In 1988-92 I went into multiple supply stores in the Greater San Jose CA area. I couldn't find it and would ask....."What's castor bean oil....." Swear to God, most people had no idea. Road Riders was a big store...."huh....?"
Today I have a 1973 250 Elsinor just like we see here
Love you video, good job.
Thank you!
The first main stream riders to jump on the 4-sroke were; Doug Henry, Jimmy Button, Tim Ferry and Kevin Windham.
Your vids is excellent
Thanks
Brilliant Tony!!!!!!
Thank you
But ... yet in 1984 Ricky Johnson wins the AMA Super Cross Title on a near bone stock YZ 250 !!! Yes the bike has a lot to do with it , but the rider can play an even bigger part as we seen in 84 . @ 22:50
Copper in 91 sealed my love for motocross
Weren't those early tracks (40's and such), called "TT racing"? I remember that racing a bit in the USA later, a man made track with a few turns and one jump, and even raced with Harley's. It seems like a evolutionary link between flat track and motocross, then to SX----which was invented in the USA. :)
They never mentioned Marty Smith one of the greatest their ever was.
yer Marty Smith and the new CR125s were huge, every teenage kid wanted to be like Marty
RIP
Marty Smith was the lightning in a bottle. The industry game-changer. Right man, right time.
Marty probably sold $10M in motorcycles and another $40M in apparel & lubricants. Mr. Honda flew him to Japan to stay at his house as his guest and gave him a very expensive piece of artwork before his departure back to California as a personal thank you.
It is impossible to overstate the impact of his racing career and riding style on all motocross that has happened since.
RIP Marty & Nancy Smith
@36:40 wrong, you could watch it on ESPN 12am central standard time from 1989-1991 as my father used to let me sleep on the couch and watch it, I would set my Casio watch to go off and get up to switch on the TV (maybe 3am in California, but that's not what is claimed...I assume nothing)
and it wasn't 2 months, it was 2 weeks, also vividly remember because I went to Dallas Supercross twice.1990-1991...and all I could think of is watching to see if I could see myself in the crowd...
Dam good stuff.
THANK YOU SIR FOR THIS !!!
Most welcome!