I haven’t made many vintage motocross races these last few years. Turnout has been really poor....and During the last 4 years we had a house fire, moved twice, and I changed jobs after 24 years. Also, a lot of my friends stopped riding vintage or all together.
I’ve tried to hit a couple of the mx tracks on open practice days but even on my most modern bike, an 81 Yamaha, it beats me up after a few laps. Vintage cross country is doing well, and I tried a couple of those but my bikes are not built for that. My 465 stalled on an off camber hill and it’s sooo tall I could not get it started again...usually at an mx race I lean it up against my van.
If I could manage it, I’d have a modern 4 stroke, but that’s just not in the picture.
I’ve been thinking for a long time now that I wanted to just ride for fun, like when I was a kid. I had even entertained the idea of scraping some money together for a play bike. But the weird thing about me is I have trouble making things like that happen for myself especially if it’s a solo endeavor. If I fell in the woods alone would I make a sound?
I have 5 sons, none of them really got into riding though. My oldest who is 30 up and decided he wanted to ride. He lives with us, in the garage suite. ( it’s actually very nice and he pays rent)
It’s a long story there, he was living in a townhouse and let the lease go because he was supposed to move in with his girlfriend but she broke up with him right before.He came home to lick his wounds and regroup. It’s been a year, and we’re not in a hurry for him to leave.. it’s very nice having him there.
He went and bought a ttr125 and he bought a bunch of gear and a hitch carrier. We put heavy duty springs on the ttr.
At the same time, my youngest who is 18, and the only son still at home, also had to deal with the end of a relationship just recently. He expressed an interest as well so I dug out the old KD80 and went thru it. We’ve gone out to the practice days a couple time and I’m working with them on the mini track there. There was a moment that it started to rain hard, and the van was across the lot... I got completely soaked, and I looked over and my sons were picking their way around the track in the rain, and I just broke out in laughter. It was just this utter joy, something I haven’t felt enough of lately.
They have a ways to go but we are talking about trips to coal country to do some trail riding. So now I’m excited again about riding. One of my other sons who rides street says he’s love to go with us. I just hope we can actually make this happen!!
As for me, I set out looking for a bike that would be more suited for riding for fun. Something I could hit the trails with, and take around a track if I wanted to. I also had the cross country thing in mind. For the money I had, the only modern 4 strokes to be had were blown up 250s that needed more money in parts than the purchase price. I went on a craigslist/ marketplace binge for a few weeks and found a sweet deal on a 94 kdx 200. I was watching it for a few weeks and it had been well out of my price range at first, but he kept dropping the price. He made one more big cut and I jumped on it.Short of ripping up the sellers yard, I haven’t rode it yet but I think it’s the perfect bike to do what I want. I’m done with trying to ride bikes that have way more power than I can use. I swear I’d do a faster lap around a track on my sons ttr than my yz.
I am also working on the 465 ,, so it will make a better trail bike itself.. going to try and lower it, add a head gasket, and I’ve made a home made flywheel weight for it. That way I’d have some options if we actually do make it to the trails. The point is, there’s a fire in the furnace again. !!
And also I have my S2 frame stripped and ready to paint soon!! Engines ready to drop in!
My new addition:
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