ahhh, the good ol days

[the Ferret]

wife found this pic in the closet today

November 19, 1972 Harrison Ohio 2 Man Hare Scrambles. I'm riding with my younger brother Randy (the dirty guy). We were 22 and and 20 then, and both working at a Yamaha/Moto Guzzi/ Norton shop (the same one I buy my bikes from today only now they are Honda/Yamaha.

He was going to ride the first leg. Of course it rained like crazy and the track was a quagmire. He made a few laps before my Yamaha 125 quit running after going thru a horrible mud puddle that became a bog after 100 bikes had run thru it. Our day was over.

Hard to believe it's been almost 1/2 of a century :dodgy:

 

[Stichill]

Looks like a sloppy, wet, muddy good time ferret! That's a classic scene!

 

[tommymck]

That's just uber cool....

 

[emptysea]

I keep looking for Steve McQueen in the background. Such a great photo..

Two questions: Is that your Pontiac in the background? If so, did you just strap the 125 onto the trunk lid?

 

[Gone in 60]

What's with the straps on the roof of the LeMans?

Was the bike strapped to the trunk or something like that?

Edit: Ha! Empty and I were thinking the same thing at the same time, apparently....

 

[emptysea]

LOL, GI60 - I'm thinking: Front tire in trunk, rear tire on ground, straps over the top of the trunk holding the bike upright.

 

[GoldOxide_imp]

Are those dress shoes?

Great use of the cage: "Side stand". (and no RLET, but of course it is a Yamaha)

 

[Rocky_imp]

It's great to have those old pictures

 

[the Ferret]

I keep looking for Steve McQueen in the background. Such a great photo..

Two questions: Is that your Pontiac in the background? If so, did you just strap the 125 onto the trunk lid?

I had what they called Motorcycle Bumper Carriers. Metal ovals that slid in behind the bumper, you put one wheel in each carrier and strapped it down.

Vintage Bumper Mount Rack/Carrier for Motorcycle/Moped/Bicycle | #1862897319

Yep, 1968 Pontiac LeMan's. That was a nice car for the times. But I ended up trading it in on a Chevy Van which I carried the bike inside to the races.

Found a bunch of more photos I'll post up later, some of you might get a kick out of them

 

[Gone in 60]

Wow, that bumper rack reminds me of a display we have in the museum, showing a variety of child car seats that were being manufactured before safety was a concern...

 

[Stichill]

It's amazing how we all used to think it was nothing to just brutalize a car bumper with bumper jacks, tow bars, bumper hitches, etc. I'm sure it all left marks and dents, but back then nobody seemed to care.

 

[Cormanus]

Great photo, Ferret.

You know, Stichill, had there been Internet forums back then, I bet thread after thread would have been devoted to the rear fender dilemma.

 

[the Ferret]

ok ready for some more? Here some pics of me racing Motocross

My first race August of 1972. LT 100MX Yamaha. We raced 3 motos back then. I got 7th in the first moto, 6th in the second and 5th in the 3rd moto for 5th overall.

This is 1973 and I was racing the 125cc class on a Yamaha

1974 I had left the Yamaha shop and had picked up a Suzuki sponsor. I'm # 11

 

[Cormanus]

Mickey the mud man! What great memories.

 

[suhawk305]

Great pictures of the early early days of motorcycling, err I mean your early days of motorcycling. Thanks for sharing

 

[Stichill]

Man, ferret, you look like the guy all the other guys want to be and the one all the girls want to be with!

Great pictures of the early early days of motorcycling, err I mean your early days of motorcycling. Thanks for sharing

:rofl:

 

[tommymck]

Super pictures. I had a similar Yamaha ('72 100 LT2 Enduro, with the same green tank). Saved up my lawn cutting and paper route money and bought it in '76 at the age of 12. I was so proud of that thing, but it was a hunk of junk by the time I got hold of it. The guy who sold it to me said that it was used as a "farm bike" as if that explained everything. No money to fix that thing, so it taught a bunch about how to keep a bike going.

 

[GoldOxide_imp]

The flashbacks seizes the viewer. There is a disturbing hold that can make one yearn to go back, if only for a smell.

We are so addicted to time.

 

[the Ferret]

Tomorrow I'll post up some old street photos

 

[the Ferret]

1968 on my 67 CL77 305 Scrambler

jumping said 305 scrambler lol ..after this the motocross bikes 4 years later were a piece of cake to jump

1972 my younger brother Randy and I on his Moto Guzzi Eldorado headed on our first out of state trip to Smoky Mts National Park in Tennessee

MY 1974 Suzuki GT 750

Giving the kids a ride in the neighborhood on my 76 Honda CB 750

My 81 Suzuki GS850G again back at the Smoky Mts

And with my brother Randy on his 78 KZ 1000

you've seen this one before..my wife and I on our 77 Kawasaki KZ 1000

and on our way to Florida

83 Suzuki GS 1100E

which I gave to my son after I picked up this 1985 Honda VF1100S

2000 Honda Nighthawk 750

2003 Triumph Bonneville Centennial Edition

My Parents He's riding a small Moto Guzzi 125 Stornello and she riding a 72 Yamaha U7e which we still have