Old days vs Today

What fond memories. I was at Smith Road in 75 for my first race on a brand new 75 RM 125. I think I finished around 5th that day. My brother was on a 73 Elsinore and was right behind me. I was at the 77 Ohio State Championship on a 77 RM 125 riding for Suzuki Sports Center in Oberlin owned by the Gerber family. I had a very fast bike by that time. Prepped by Penton Imports. They had Pat Richter's Moto X Suzuki's there servicing them while he practiced locally for the USGP at Mid Ohio. So my friend took the porting specs from his cylinder and ported mine and put a motoplat ignition on it. That thing would fly and rev to the moon. Wish I could have road to it's potential. At the State championship race, there were so many 125's they had two gates full. You had to finish in the top half to make it to the next moto. I finished 13th. The second moto I was knocked down and used for traction. Those guys are wild I thought. I will try and add some photo's soon. Great Thread. Yes that forward falling gate was easy to jump. George used to have races at least twice a month and attract some fast riders. The pro classes were so much fun to watch. Harold R., Jerry Sales on Honda's in the back of a stake bed truck, Jon Leak was my favorite. He was doing what we called "cross ups before most local riders. Up the ski jump hill he would lay his 76 Penton over on it's side, very stylish. That era was so much fun. Like the one guy said, Ohio had it going on on many fronts. Plus I was under 20 and having the time of my life. I was 16 and my Dad had a pickup with a tall cap. We would load as many as 5 bikes in it and go racing all over the state. Yes those were the days. Tracks have become better prepped. A lot of dust problems back then.
 
ahrma479 said:
OP depends on what you classify as "Old Days"

BITD 1974 era we only had these classes:
Mini
100
125
175~200
250
500
Ltwt ~Hvywt Pro

That's it ! no: a, b, c super, vet, novice, big wheel, 30, 40 senior, etc etc etc.

NO SANDBAGGERS either, plus we ran longer motos and never got our second motos cut short because you have 16 million mini classes.
The track prep at Smith Road in 1974 is the exact same as it is today. In fact I have pictures of multi berms so BIG at Mid-Ohio State Championships in 1977 that you wouldn't know how to ride them.
We never shed tears when the rain clouds opened, well maybe those riders bikes with POINTS IGNITIONS did weep a little, we rode no matter the conditions because riding is what we lived for.
Also, the BIG THING was getting you name in the results page in Cycle News or the local Ohio Cycle which were papers we got back then.

We also had to deal with unreliability, 4 inches of travel in back and 7 in front and air cooling. We learned how to work on our bikes just to keep them running long enough to finish a moto without things falling off the bike. Not to mention Green Box Wiseco Pistons.
We were always tinkering with the bikes to make them reliable, something you do not have to do today. Adding better suspension, fork damper rod kits, different radial heads, and on some bikes adding reed valves.

My first race was in1975 at Smith Road Yamaha DT100 enduro I got from Breyley Yamaha. I was just a trail rider back then and had zero racing experience. I stripped off all the lights, went to Cleveland Dirt Bike ( in Lakewood ) and got pegs, bars, levers, and good o'l Peston Petty fenders. I did not get a front knobby because of the odd size, I ran a trials tire (stupid kid).

I got 13th out of 17, and was the ONLY enduro bike on the line that day. In 75 the Suzuki TM's were the ticket.
Gotta LOVE that duckbill !!!!
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I was probably there that day. We went to Smith Road every time they raced, ( every other Sunday and twice on holidays). Raced CR125 and CR250, then YZ400, then TT500 then 79 XR500, long before 4 strokes were cool.
Agree on all the above.
Mike Hawkins
 
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Smith Road, George would let me run the TT in the old timers class, which then was 40 and over, I wouldn't take any trophies, won every time. George got the biggest kick out of it, he would give me a t shirt each time.
Mike Hawkins
 
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This is me and some buddies at Mid Ohio watching the GP races. Don't remember for sure, but think the main class was the 125's this day, with Hannah running just for show, as he was running the 250 class for points that year. That's me flipping off whoever took the pic.
Mike Hawkins
 
1980 Smith Road Raceway in Medina Ohio was a hotbed for racing, (still is today) we drew allot of hotshoes from all over the area.

I was the Holeshot Ace, my Photographer friend George Swagulak was an instigator I was snookered into a bet with the owner Ben Lewis (RIP) of back then engine hop up shop RPM in Toledo, my Hoosk was also an RPM bike.
Bens son Joe was riding some super hot sick engine big ass Montessa, yeah that's what I thought a MONTESSA????? I was on my RPM 1980 390 Hoosk....and my friend George BET the RPM crew that their bike would be SECOND to the first turn......the bet was on.

The RPM crew was confident on the line blabbing out remarks about my Hoosk and everyone else was looking cross eyed at that montessa....

My friend George gave me an atta boy pat on the back and lugged his photo gear to the fastest part of the start just before the "real" first turn


The starter raised hos arm to point to everyone down the line to see if we were ready.
He lifted the 30 second board...motors all rasied to that nice two stroke WFO hum....blue smoke filled the starting line.....
As the starter looked to his right (like he always did which was my queue to go, that and staying a bit back from the forward falling start gate and just loft the front weheel over it if it didnt fall fast enough) he turned the sign and "clank" the gate dropped, I was off....

The mighty Hoosk motored down the start straight like she was on rails, WFO to the Castrol sign, round the uphill turn and not a bike to be seen I was crankin it in that turn, back down the hill and onto the start straight again....still no one....now WFO down the straight to the first turn......still no one.....
Well, the picture tells the whole story of the day the mighty RPM tuned Montessa ate RPM tuned Hoosk dirt......

smithroad2.jpg
 
How much were a pair of new Hi point boots back then? How about a top of the line bell? Bike? Sharcs van?
 
I'd say High Point boots were around one hundred bucks in the late 70's. Man the 100 class was about as competitive as the 125. Great pictures. Helmets were over a hundred.
 
Hi Point boots were about $75 in the 70's. Here is what I paid for my scott boots in 1981 And yes I have the box and both pairs.
 

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