They Called Them Superbikes...

i had they honor to help in building this bike,had to add weight to make the spec
R.I.P. WOO

That was actually around turn 4 or 5, by the pond.

Nonetheless, great times.

S.C.

The scanner didn't do these photos justice


Pete Johnson not Ron aboard the Guzzi

the tall skinny to Manfred's left is dick

Awesome thread, thanks to all those who have contributed!
I grew up hanging around Sears Point and loved watching the superbike races, these bikes are some of my favorites of all time, along with the 500cc 2T GP bikes that is

Australia and New Zealand had some of the best. I can still watching Graham Grosby going across Skyline at the Easter races at Bathurst in 1976/7 not sure which. He was on the back wheel every time on a Z1. Now Bathurst won't mean much to those from places other than Australia and since there haven't been bike races there since the late 70's or 80's it won't be familar to some Australians either. There is a Youtube clip of a lap of the circuit somewhere. They ran the 750/700 Yamaha and 500 Suzuki's there too. Warren Willing is someone you yanks would know. Gregg Hansford was great on the Kawasaki.
Robbie Phillis still competes in races for 70 superbikes and he is faster now than he ever was. Great to watch at the MotoGP and Supers.
I had a neighbour, lovely bloke, Neil Robinson who raced Doohan in Australia and Doohan never beat him. He gave me a poster which I am going to try to post that you should like. It lives above my bike. Neal is on bike 12 at the front.

Have I posted this before?

http://www.race-uscra.com/Other/Loudon1980s/

Unga, who was this Kal-Gard lubricants team/rider? I remember them fairly well and want to say that they were the U.S. champs for like ten years straight. Anyone remember the names?

no idea, not my pictures. Heck, I was 10 when those were taken...

Great pics. The old Loudon was pretty scruffy. I like the knee sliders...

sorry if they're repeats










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This photo triggered a memory. I was at Loudon for a race around about 1989 or so. The scene in the camping area was, um, memorable. Out of control almost to the point that anyone not drunk out of his mind might be a bit worried about things. Crazy.

john woo was tragically killed at a private test at laguna seca on an hrc superbike.thats the chinaman in leathers.he was a gifted rider

A friend, (Pete Homan) racing the bike form the shop, BMW of Denver, back in the 80's at Second Creek in Colorado



Another BMW at the Steamboat races,


Grid at Adams County Fair Grounds in Colorado mid 70's



A 450 Desmo Ducati at the Fair Grounds, The rider was a friend who was the mechanic at one of the last real motorcycle shops in Colorado, Harry's Motors in Denver. Mike could sure turn a bike and ride that desmo.


Waiting to go,

That right there is a cool freakin' pic.

Head down WFO throttle.
It became an 8x10 on his wall at the shop.
Sometime around the summer of 1975.
A year later, I would pick up a 250 scrambler that was destined to have a 450 desmo top, and some other go faster parts bolted on.

Then some guy offered me way too much money for it within ear-shot of my wife the accountant.

Pfft! There went my dreams of roadracing glory.

Ah, well I sold the bike for $250 after paying $20 for it and spending just short of $4 fixing it. Broken throttle cable though the previous owner thought for sure the engine was blown.:huh

Doesn't look like a race bike here,

I had one back in the day just like it.

The first bike I ever had with enough power on the track to teach me what a highside was.......

I think I still hurt!

There is just soooo much history in this photo, it boggles my mind. I was shortly after this season that I bought my 83 Interceptor and got involved in WERA, mostly at Summit Point. Photos like these were always open on the coffee table.

I still remember the sound of the Lawson replica Kawasaki's coming down the straight. But it really only took that one 83 season to make them mostly obsolete. Of course the Interceptors didn't rein for long, as the Yamaha 5-valve arrived the next year and then following that the GSX.

Still have an original copy of Freddie on #43 up on my shop wall. It's falling apart but never fails to bring a smile to my face.

Wish I still had the 83 VF750

Didn't anyone ride a Triumph triple in some of these early "superbike" races?