Dirt Bike History 101

Back here again to this thread after along absence. Cool to see the thread still ringdinging along.

Back in my dirt racing days in the Sandy Eggo area - AMA District 38 c1969 to 1972 - I shot some 8mm home movies when finances allowed. Carlsbad Raceway, Encinitas, Miramar, the desert, Santee, and a few other spots. Also some footage from the 1971 Elsinore GP. In the '90s I had the movies copies to VHS and recently I copied them from VHS to digital so the quality isn't as good as it could be. If I were a fanatic I'd redo them direct from film to digital but I'm not that motivated at the moment.

Anyway, I've edited stuff as best as I can and uploaded it all to YouTube. I note that Earthroamer is an old D38 racer on a Sachs. Maybe you're in there somewhere hidden in the grainy film and fuzzies?

Here's the link to the stuff on YouTube.


Doug

Glad to see you back vintagemxr! Heard about the demise of vintagemxr on ktmtalk and was hoping that wasn't you! Thanks for taking the time to upload those videos too. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-comfficeffice" /><o></o>
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We're heading out to the AMA Vintage Days Thursday, so that should be an interesting and wet experience. Supposed to have rain the entire time we're there - awesome!!

There was another one of me around? I've been using the moniker since 1996, I guess I should have copyrighted it. Next thing you know MSR or Ralph Lauren will be bringing out a VINTAGEMXR line of race gear or underwear or something and I'll have once again missed my chance at fame and fortune.

Ah, I checked, KTMTalk, the other fellow spelled it slightly differently. On a serious note, I'm sorry to read about the other fellow's passing. Sounds like he was motorcycle guy through and through.

Doug

Hard to believe it's been 20 years now since the modern era MX-thumper revival started largely by this bike (YZF 400's came along years later) and followed by others. I remember how trick these seemed at the time. Also how expensive and cobby they were as well!

Reliability was a bit suspect in early years but they have come a long way!

Steen?

crapass gemini. a friend had one, the poor bastard.

Ah, yes. I knew a kid who an SST. Looked a lot like a Honda mini Trail. It was always puzzling to me; I knew almost all of the motorcycles as a kid, but this SST was baffling. No other markings.

I later learned it was a Gemini.

I think there were several little bikes, powered by the same engines, but sold as different brands. Maybe Gemini and Indians and another brand, I think...same powerplants?

they were chinese. and like the new ones, working on old honda patent motors. i remember the gemi mini. it was nearly identical to the trail fiddy.

my friend's had a gemini badge on the tank...

I rode an enduro in Louisiana one year and an entire checkpoint was run by women in Playboy bunny outfits. Next year they had a bunch of harry a$$ed Cajuns in dresses, men, not women, running one, not so good.

Had a lot of fun at the Vintage Days! Lots to see, but probably my favorites were the vintage harescrambles and the swap meet stuff. Took lots of pictures, but here are some that were especially interesting to me.


What in the heck is this?


These were interesting to see the progression of Penton/KTM









Took lots of pictures of the harescramble event, but our camera sucks and all were blurry except for this guy who pulled off to shake his hand out and regroup.

What? It rained at Mid-Ohio Vintage Days?

Saw this posted up on the POG site. Thought a few might find it interesting.

http://www.kavinov.com/gallery/

I wish I could read Russian!

It would've been a thrill to have seen those great Russian mx-'ers in their day. Kavinov, Moiseev, Ovchinnikov and others whose names I could probably misspell!

Kent
www.backtrackvideo.com

Suzuki SP370...I don't know what the front end is off though...

(pssst...DKW)

Nice!
<img src="https://www.advrider.com/advrider-photobucket-images/images/n/ninaudp_rideDualSport_can-am.jpg">

Just finished up this bad boy.Hope to race it in the vintage nationals next month.

Looks way to nice to race... Would fit right in Terry Good or Tom White's collection!