Back when I started riding......

[YZ250F49]

Bikes didn't have radiators.

Bikes had two (count em, 2) rear shocks.

Riding pants were made of REAL LEATHER (and lasted for decades).

Riding boots were "Lineman Boots" and took all morning to lace up!

The "Elsinore" was a thing of the future (c'mon, everybody knows Honda doesn't make 2 cycle racing bikes).

We carried our Webco Plug Wrench stuffed into the side of our Lineman Boots.

Your Turn........

[Wrfrk]

Headlights were round...

We had oil injected 2stroke enduro bikes..

[Mr Smith]

Open class two strokers rulled the desert

Bikes had drum brakes...not disks

Wait...When I really started riding is when the Elsinore was first coming out. ?

[TORTURECHAMBERS]

Back when I started riding......

I had a bike that shifted all down or was it all up? ?

Cutting off the silencer was cool...

I wanted a down pipe.....

Advanced face protection was a Jofa...

All my helmets had duct tape holding the visor on...

Bob Hannah wasn't famous yet...

A new company came out called Moto-X Fox and did suspension....

I wanted to lay down my shocks...

[TheGitch]

Jeremy McGrath was just coming onto the scene

Guy Cooper was still Airtime...

I rocked a Honda XR80...

And riding gear with pink in it was cool.

remember AXO Earthquakes?

[canadaler]

-you "tickled" your bike to cold start it

-the trick set up was to put foam in your Akront rims to prevent mud build up

-mounting a football helmet face guard to your open-faced Bell was cool

-my bike's shifter was on the right hand side

-Preston Petty was a major player in the off road accessories market

-bikes regularly "loaded up"

-Hodaka's were technologically advanced

-"Jap Crap" was reality

-Marty Smith rode a Monarch

-Bultaco, OSSA, Montesa, DKW, JAWA, Monarch, Sachs, M-Z, Hercules,Hodaka, Penton, Rickman, CZ, Harley, Can-Am, Greeves, BSA, CCM, Yankee and Rokon all made dirt bikes

[Xtreme1]

I remember when bikes had 2 rear shocks and no radiator, Seats were wide and pretty comfortable. I remember the first time i saw a mono shock bike i was amazed. Suspensions were named Pro Link, Full Floater and Uni Link. Yamaha made the first water cooled 80 and it was faster than any other 80 that year. The supercross series then was sponsored by Mr. Pibb. Fox racing, Then called Moto-X-Fox was getting very popular, Also remember the JT racing stuff. There roost protectors were the best. Bell moto helmets were the tops. And how about those Scott racing plastic boots that were red and blue. And i used nothing but bel ray premix. ?

[WRSTEVE]

Scotts riding boots were tops ?

Open faced helmet with a jofa ?

Yamaha's were yellow ?

And Fox shocks for my RM400 were ahead of there time ?

[1biglung]

Smog Pump?????

Red Sticker??????

Electric start on a dirt bike???? If you can't kick start it you shouldn't be riding it.

Bell Moto Helmet was the Shiznit!!!

Disc brakes on a dirt bike?????

[JohnnyOfast]

The two fastest bikes in the area were a 1974 Yamaha MX100 and a Penton GS100 (Richter & Chubby)

I had a Bill Wergess expansion chamber on my KH90 that my Dad bought me used for $200.

I had dreams of owning a pair of motocross boots some day.

I thought motocross was something only super humans with a death wish did and I would never be able to do that.

[HooliKen]

I had to start and stop at the picnic table because the RM250 was to tall!

I really really really dislike breaker points ignition!

Threewheelers were coming on the scene and were still amazingly SLOW!!

[Rokatt88]

Gary Bailey rode a Greeves with Micky Mouse ears taped to his helmet. Girling shocks were the 'Hot-Tip'. Husky's came with paper air filters. A 19" front rim with a 4.00 trials tire was the 'Hot-Tip' for desert riders. You had to move the shifter about 3 to 4 inches to actually change gears. Duct tape was manditory for...about everything! ?

[astrolounger]

I had Carrera goggles,a Jofa,gloves with weather stripping on the back and an AT1m that I loved.

[warrior86]

...the yz250f just came out and i was riding a yamaha warrior

...the warrior wasnt insanely oudated

...i had to to come home at a certain time when i went riding

....i was four years younger than i am now.. that wasnt very long ago at all. Sorry guys, no good stories. But keep em comin, i like hearing about the "glory days"

[ttr125smms120]

well...i have none, i just started riding last year. but i must say, those drums on my rt-100 were pretty sweet!

[Rokatt88]

I had Carrera goggles,a Jofa,gloves with weather stripping on the back and an AT1m that I loved.

Yeah, I still have my old Carrera's and Bell RT helmets with Hallman visors. The foam is about all but gone on all of them. Still have my Hallman chest protector, Viking leathers, and a few classic old jerseys. I have a K&N sweat shirt from the days when Malcolm Smith still had his Service shop/Husky dealership in between the sales and parts department at K&N Motorcycles off of La Cadena in Riverside. Oh Yeah, still have my Mark Charles bike stand. Anyone remember those?? They lifted the front of your bike and you had a rear lift/stand to allow you to have both wheels off the ground. I had that for my '77 Maico AW 400. It would probably fit my daughter's KX100 these days! ?

[jim-in-so-ore]

I (at a little later date) had a pair of riding boots that were hard, hard plastic and had a hinge on the side so the ankle would bend. I'm so old I can't remember the brand. They were made in either Spain or Italy. I rode an OSSA 250 SDR. It was a legal enduro bike. ?

Jim

[XRIowa]

Rick Johnson

David Bailey

Johnny O'Mara

Smoked the MXDN the best ever!!!

My 79 RM 125 was my rocket of choice!!!!

[Rokatt88]

I (at a little later date) had a pair of riding boots that were hard, hard plastic and had a hinge on the side so the ankle would bend. I'm so old I can't remember the brand. They were made in either Spain or Italy. I rode an OSSA 250 SDR. It was a legal enduro bike. ?

Jim

I believe they were called Heckle Boots! ?

[KLX_RAMBO]

Gas still had lead in it.

A gallon of premium was about 75 cents.

Two-smoke street bikes were legal.

Only the Yamaha factory racers had monoshock.

The only thumper I had was a lawnmower.