Anybody remember when ?

[eel125]

1). A new motorcycle came with a tool kit , at least a spark plug wrench and some open end wrenches , speaking of spark plugs ,see # 2
2). You can change a spark plug on the trail in a matter of minutes without disassembling half the bike
3). The front forks weren't upside down
4). The gas tank was in front of the seat

Can you tell I'm bored waiting for my new slip on exhaust and ECU to get reflashed... Feel free to add to the list at any time... Ride safe....

 

[OlderHuskyRider]

I remember when I use to set my ignition timing with a piece of cigarette pack cellophane, put it in between the closed points, then rotate the crankshaft while gentlly pulling on the cellophane, and when the timing marks crossed, thats when the cellophane would pull out from in between the points.

 

[Motosportz]

I remember when a crash could end up in a bent rear shock.
I remember when you feared puddles and creek crossings because you had drum brakes.
I remember when tires would last several years not weeks.
When levis and garden gloves were acceptable riding gear.
when bike maintenance was checking to see if the tires had air and it had a fresh spark plug.
when preparation was making sure you had another sparkplug in your pocket and a crescent wrench.
when I could ride across the street in the field for hours in pure bliss.

the good old days.

 

[dartyppyt]

I remember when all of us were not in nursing homes.

 

[Nordic]

...when a huge number of sheds and garages across the country had cruddy dirt bikes (often cobbled togetherr or halfway disassembled) owned by teenagers and ridden scraps of land here, there and everywhere. These were usually overgrown knarly vacant lands near RR tracks or highways whose owners were typically unknown. Imagine doing that now: just finding some out of the way field and deciding to to create your own mx track and riding there with all of your buddies. Riding for many of us then was like skateborading, free and improvised, a bit rebelious, and certainly not fancy or branded. Parents were generally not involved and we were more free to make and fix our mistakes.

 

[Huskynoobee]

I remember when you had lots of choices where to ride and what to ride. When we all had green stickers before California started the dreaded ” red sticker” program that all but banned two strokes for anything other than closed course and a few months of the year in the wide open. You didn't need a GPS, just a good friend who knew where the trail went. Being youthful and only worrying about making sure the nuts and bolts were tight, the chain was lubed and Dad had gas money for the weekend. Beer checks on family poker runs, though I was to young to imbibe... um yeah.

 

[hansolo]

...when competition with any kind racing vehicle was the highlight of the community and everyone where on the spot to see the action and the "heroes". No matter if the racing route was on the city recreation area or even on the school yard etc. and no one even had a tought that this must be something bad to the environment...The Good Old Days...

 

[Motosportz]

Beer checks on family poker runs, though I was to young to imbibe... um yeah.

the good old days are still alive and well in Idaho. Did the Idaho City ISDE Qualifier a few months ago. I had an issue with my coil wire coming loose. Lost time and was riding pissed to get back on my minute. At the end of a long special test there was a chick there yelling all happy and holding out a fresh beer. WTF? OK, slammed it with my helmet still on and took off for 60 more miles of race. FUN! Took a 2nd place finish that day so it must have worked!!! there is an event up in northern washington where one of the club members owned a strip club. The checks have strippers, also fun. Still a bit of the wild west happening here if you look for it.

 

[Dirtdame]

I remember when I could touch the ground on any displacement machine, and I could make any dirt bike I bought street legal with a headlight, tail light and a mirror. I remember when down pipes were the hot set up on MX bikes, when a Mikuni was the trickest carb you could have on a bike (not that I didn't leave the Bing, or Amal or Del Orto on my Euro bikes anyway). I remember when the tool kit that I carried on the trail was a sparkplug and plug wrench taped to the crossbar. I rememeber how cool Hooker pipes looked, and how silly Xducer silencers looked. I remember when nobody ran a spark arrestor, but no wild fires ever seemed to get started by a dirt bike anyway. I remember Koni, Girling, Curnutt, Betor, Ceriani for suspension, what there was of of it. I remember leather pants with padded knees, lace ups, Full Bores, Jofas, Carrera 98s and kidney belts. I remember three motos, the original Elsinore Grand Prix....a bunch of other stuff too.

 

[Motosportz]

I remember when 3rd generation hand me down foam gone open face helmets were fine.

 

[Kawagumby]

I remember when most of us didn't wear helmets. I remember when government had nothing to do with any riding areas around where I live. Now those areas are either run by the state or closed down by the feds.
I remember not needing a special license to ride a motorcycle.
I think I remember other things, but I'm not sure anymore.

 

[Motosportz]

Yeah, I remember when I could remember stuff too.

 

[oregonsage]

I remember wheel foam in Akronts.

I remember shifting a Pursang with my right foot.

I also remember riding out our back door for miles and miles with no one to bother...now there are McMansions there.

I remember loading up bikes and driving 5 miles to the track on public roads when I was 15 (no this was NOT legal)

I remember riding my SL100 14 miles partially on public roads to change sprinkler pipes so I could earn money to pay for my SL100 (this also was NOT legal, I was only 15)

 

[HuskyTaylor]

I'm to old to remember anything.

 

[oregonsage]

Looks like this belongs over in General instead of 4-Stroke, so I will move it.

 

[DTX915]

Remember when every kid road a Rupp.

 

[huskyfrk]

i remember friday nights at ascot, watching flat track, CMC motocross on wed nights. lions dragstrip motocross on fridays. indian dunes, saddleback park, carlsbad, osteens. god i feel old..

 

[Jersey Woods]

I remember my mom and dad getting me a brand new 1972 Yamaha mini enduro for my first bike... I was 12 years old

I remember having a paper route that earned me enough money every week to keep the gas tank full on my bike.

Riding in work boots and a hand me down helmet and shop safety goggles for eye protection.

Pushing my bike to a place in Middletown NJ called the Cow Pasture and riding all day long in the trails and hills and getting lunch at the Food Town store

My dad taking my brother and I to places like Forked River, Bamber Lake and a slew of other places in the Pine Barons on countless weekends of riding. And the cops never bothered us a bit.

My dad taking me out of school for bike week in Daytona and doing my home work on the drive down.


When Kenny Roberts was aboard a Yamaha with the # 1 plate in the AMA Camel Pro Series. He was my absolute hero growing up.


My brother getting a brad new Suzuki RM 125 and him being the stud in the neighborhood because of that bike.



Countless nights in the garage with my dad and brother working on our bikes for Sunday rides.



My dad being the only Bel Ray distributor in New Jersey with his motor cycle parts distributing business. I still have a few belt buckles and jackets from those days.



Yep times were simple growing up in those days with out any doubt.

 

[ray_ray]

Yep on Kenny Roberts ...He was a real racer guy to the bone

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In LA (lower AR), ~all the small towns had a 1/4 mile drag strip marked somewhere close, just outside the city limit sign in some desolate area of road ...We all had a hot-rod or moms car that we thought was a hot-rod ... we'd roll out there, have a few races, then roll back into town for more beer ... Maybe it was have a few, then go race ... then roll back ... We'd have a case iced down in the back seat with a pint, 1\2 pint maybe under the seat for a ~12AM kicker ... If not a case, we had a fifth of some rot-gut most likely ..

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Kind of weird to read all the postings on what sounds like the ~70s to me ... I'm ok with being stuck in the 70s ESP with the Huskies I ride now ... And the free downloads of 70s music...
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I'm to old to remember anything.

Here's how to say that: "I've forgot more about life than you know currently."

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And there was a day when ~only girls and pirates wore earrings ... This change has always baffled me ... I'll take this bafflement to the grave most likely.

 

[demi]

I remember when race results and bike information, etc. were only accessible via print magazines... how about results that were 3 months old by the time the issue hit the stand?!