Dirt bikes / ORV / snowmobiles

[slim67 2,730]

On 11/25/2020 at 7:34 PM, cschannuth said:

That’s me on the CT70 on the left about 45 years ago. My little brother is on the 50 in the middle. One time I was riding that thing at the river with only a pair of shorts and tennis shoes on jumping water brakes and I came down on a large rock that caused the front tire to go out from underneath me and it threw me into a barbed wire fence. I ended up with 114 stitches. Everybody was furious with me because I didn’t have on any clothes or a helmet. Lucky for me dad grew up on motorcycles and loved  them so as soon as the stitches were out I was right back on it.  That’s him on his Indian on the left about 75 years ago.   I’ve had several different used motorcycles throughout the years off and on. The last one was the Honda XR650L which was a ton of fun. Our poor mans UTV is our 2002 EZ GO that I put a lift kit on.  I also replaced the 9 HP Subaru with a 20 HP Honda. Like a dune buggy, it will go anywhere  

The CT70 seems like the minibike at least one kid had in the neighborhood. Indestructible and sized right. Also I was into carts like yours but got away from it.

Edited November 28, 2020 by slim67
add

[SylvanLakeWH 24,139]

48 minutes ago, tom2p said:

You had two RM100s - if one was a 76 RM100 you can probably relate :

 

many struggled to ride one - or to get it to move without continually stalling it    lol

 

the 77 and later models were case reed - so even though they also had no bottom end they would still run down low somewhat 

 

but the 76 was straight piston port - no low end and they could be a handful just to get moving ... needed to be good with the clutch and liberal amount of throttle or it would be a stall fest ...  lol  ...

 

and if the bike was dropped - forget about it ... had to turn petcock to off position and engine would blubber and then finally begin to run clean just before the float bowl emptied 

 

My RM 100’s were 1978 and 1980... so both were pretty good through the whole range...

[lynnmor 6,779]

6 hours ago, tom2p said:

incredible view - where is this ?

 

Perce Rock, Quebec

[Digger 66 3,476]

My old XL500R scared me more than a few times .

07 Can Am Outlander 400 ( in the back of my favorite pickup ) .

07 Ski-Doo 600 SDI 

Current : Can Am Renegade 500 .

 

[tom2p 2,393]

On 11/27/2020 at 12:45 PM, JCM said:

If we could only turn back time it sounds like the 3 of us would be racing again. I was fortunate to have raced once in Southwick Mass in 1976 and once in Pepperell Mass. Southwick is where they ran Nationals for many years, super nice sand track. Pepperell was loam with a lot of rocks hitting your chest protector, made you tough. This DR-Z 400 is all that's left but still a lot of fun even at 62. Me on the left.

I recall reading about Southwick in the magazines ... Dirt Bike ... Cycle World ... etc.  I believe they still run a National there now.  That's cool you ran on that course.

 

The National close to my area is High Point / Mt Morris - south west end of PA near Morgantown WV. We attended a number of races there - but I never did race there.  
 

Got a chance to see the top riders including Glover, Bailey, Hannah, Howerton, Ward, Barnett, O'Mara, Chandler,   Lechien, Johnson, Stanton etc - and then in more recent years saw the top riders on the big four strokes including Carmichael etc.  Saw Roger DeCoster in the pits - that was cool.

 

One year Ron Lechien had a liquid cooled twin cylinder 125 Yamaha - this was at the height of the high dollar prototype factory bikes.  Also saw the early liquid cooled factory Suzuki RMs.

Also attended Supercross events in Pittsburgh and Buffalo - and one Grand Prix - 125 Grand Prix at Mid Ohio in the early 80's.  Mark Barnett absolutely dominated the entire field on that rain soaked course - he lapped almost every rider on a liquid cooled RM125.

picture of my little guys at High Point in 2003 (ages 3 and 7 at the time)

 

Edited November 28, 2020 by tom2p

[midpack 804]

30 minutes ago, tom2p said:

30 minutes ago, tom2p said:

recall reading about Southwick in the magazines ... Dirt Bike ... Cycle World ... etc.  I believe they still run a National there now.

Southwick is still there. New owners call it "The Wick"

Still hold Nationals yearly, except this year. 

I can see the main entrance from my fence in the back yard. 

Make some pretty good coin parking cars for the National's

Got a pretty good supply of track banners hanging in my garage too

Edited November 28, 2020 by midpack

[JCM 8,651]

I still have some memorabilia from those times. In 1975 made the trip to Unadilla in New York, quite an eye opener for sure. Still have a few tee shirts from the Nationals in Southwick. Enjoyed camping at these events also. And still have my Hi-Point MX boots and racing shirts I wore. Roger DeCoster was my all time favorite and by watching him learned how to do those mid air cross ups over those big jumps, nothing compared to what they do now. CRAZY.

[tom2p 2,393]

17 hours ago, slim67 said:

The CT70 seems like the minibike at least one kid had in the neighborhood. Indestructible and sized right. Also I was into carts like yours but got away from it.

Yepper 

 

I can recall one time meeting a bunch of kids on the trails from other neighborhoods and there might have been 3 or 4 CT70s - and those things took a heavy licken and kept on ticken!

 

one thing I can recall was the CT70 (and SL70) had a lot of engine breaking - I was accustomed to my mini enduro (2 stroke) that had very little engine breaking 

 

we had a lot of hills in our area - and that engine breaking was a real asset for young / inexperienced riders as they were just learning to brake properly (especially front brake)

 

Edited November 28, 2020 by tom2p

[JCM 8,651]

If you guy's have a minute check out under Non- tractor related...... Daytona 200 winner in 1962

[tom2p 2,393]

11 minutes ago, JCM said:

I still have some memorabilia from those times. In 1975 made the trip to Unadilla in New York, quite an eye opener for sure. Still have a few tee shirts from the Nationals in Southwick. Enjoyed camping at these events also. And still have my Hi-Point MX boots and racing shirts I wore. Roger DeCoster was my all time favorite and by watching him learned how to do those mid air cross ups over those big jumps, nothing compared to what they do now. CRAZY.

yes - recall reading about Unadilla ... I think that was the track that was only used for that National ... (near Woodstock area ?)

 

I sold my original High Point boots w/metal shields - but I still have a pair of early Alpine Stars w/metal shields 

 

also have a pair of padded leather pants that my older neighbor used in the early 70's 

 

and have my early JT chest protectors / shoulder pads - and HRP Flak Jak 

sold my Bell Moto 3 - but still have a Moto 4 ... somewhere lol ... the padding is crumbling on the Arai helmet I last used when riding the KDX200 

I just recently found the original OEM pipe for the KDX when I was digging out a vintage Stanley mitre box to post a pic in a recent Tools thread  ... (installed a Pro Circuit pipe on the KDX)

 

[tom2p 2,393]

36 minutes ago, JCM said:

Roger DeCoster was my all time favorite and by watching him learned how to do those mid air cross ups over those big jumps, nothing compared to what they do now. CRAZY.

fortunately - I got out just before the double jump thing 

 

few years later we would often run at a local track on Wednesday evening open practices  (Rocky Ridge McDonald PA) and there I did get a chance to hit some double jumps ... but not my fav thing - and I could barely take one hand off for a second   lol

at High Point in the early 80s they had a monster set of jumps in one area - only two riders were able to triple them :  Glover and Bailey open class bikes 

there was another area at the back end of a long straight with jumps - one year a few riders were tripling or maybe quadrupling (?) that area  of jumps ... the track owner / promoter (Dave Coombs I believe) then removed the one jump with a bull dozer to put a stop to that 

 

Edited November 28, 2020 by tom2p

[JCM 8,651]

Found a picture of Patti when I gave her this for a Birthday present, bartered a Boiler replacement job labor only for this Polaris with 17 hours on it , complete with winch and plow.

[JCM 8,651]

Dragging the trail system. This will be the first Winter in over 30 + years with no more snowmobiles. 2 things that I won't have to maintain anymore, and I'm ok with that, I must be getting old.

[tom2p 2,393]

On 11/28/2020 at 1:45 AM, lynnmor said:

Perce Rock, Quebec

I've heard Canada is the place to go - but have not snowmobiled there 

 

most of my snowmobiling was done in the laurel mountains of PA (near seven springs / hidden valley) and the PA national forest (near marienville)

was a PSSA member for years - at one point we planned to get out to potter county  / PA Grand Canyon area but never did 

 

[tom2p 2,393]

2 hours ago, JCM said:

Dragging the trail system. This will be the first Winter in over 30 + years with no more snowmobiles. 2 things that I won't have to maintain anymore, and I'm ok with that, I must be getting old.

you still ride bikes and quads - so you're still good to go !

some of my friends are still snowmobiling - and riding bikes ; pics of one friend below 

most of my riding, racing, snowmobiling was done with him

 

he was an amazing racer - moved up levels quickly in 125 class and would get 1st after 1st ... he was the holeshot master ... he later ran 250 ... ran master class when he was older 

 

and he was probably a better woods racer than motocross racer 

 

he ran a 100 mile buddy race one time alone - on a 125 - and ran at / near the front ... finished top 20 or maybe even top 10 overall ... ? ... something like that ... (can't recall exactly) ... at one point he ran lap for lap with a nationally ranked multiple time GNCC champ who was on a 250

 

 

 

Edited December 4, 2020 by tom2p

[tom2p 2,393]

On 11/27/2020 at 12:45 PM, JCM said:

If we could only turn back time it sounds like the 3 of us would be racing again. I was fortunate to have raced once in Southwick Mass in 1976 and once in Pepperell Mass. Southwick is where they ran Nationals for many years, super nice sand track. Pepperell was loam with a lot of rocks hitting your chest protector, made you tough. This DR-Z 400 is all that's left but still a lot of fun even at 62. Me on the left.

holy smokes - that guy beside you - Don - former Daytona 200 winner - is 86 years old ... 

 

still twisting throttles ... 

 

he could pass for 46 - outstanding !

 

[lynnmor 6,779]

5 hours ago, tom2p said:

I've heard Canada is the place to go - but have not snowmobiled there 

 

most of my snowmobiling was done in the laurel mountains of PA (near seven springs / hidden valley) and the PA national forest (near marienville)

was a PSSA member for years - at one point we planned to get out to potter county  / PA Grand Canyon area but never did 

 

Canada has super trails but it is very expensive.  That photo was taken on a trip around Gaspe Peninsula where we dropped down off the mountains and stayed in a village each night.

 

I rode the Laurel Mountains a few times, rode the entire Allegheny Loop and all of the north central PA trails.   We had a camp in Potter County till just a few years ago.  I rode almost all of the northern states from Washington to Maine.

 

Here I am leading a small group near the Washington-Idaho border.  Loved those lightweight Phazers.

[JCM 8,651]

4 hours ago, tom2p said:

holy smokes - that guy beside you - Don - former Daytona 200 winner - is 86 years old ... 

 

still twisting throttles ... 

 

he could pass for 46 - outstanding !     Trying to keep up with him in the tight woods is near impossible. Don has a crouch position I call it and uses his legs as shock absorbers and is in total control all the time. Myself being Moto cross oriented and not as much in the tight woods he is really something to admire. In the first pic he is watching me getting ready, he is already ready, I may have been a bit nervous.  LOL

 

 

[tom2p 2,393]

4 hours ago, lynnmor said:

Canada has super trails but it is very expensive.  That photo was taken on a trip around Gaspe Peninsula where we dropped down off the mountains and stayed in a village each night.

 

I rode the Laurel Mountains a few times, rode the entire Allegheny Loop and all of the north central PA trails.   We had a camp in Potter County till just a few years ago.  I rode almost all of the northern states from Washington to Maine.

 

Here I am leading a small group near the Washington-Idaho border.  Loved those lightweight Phazers.

wow - great pic 

you have done much more sledding than I did for sure

 

yes - those Phazers were great trail sleds - but of course nothing like the current sleds 

 

many in our group had a Phazer or Phazer II ; I started with an Enticer 340 and then got a Phazer II (still have it)

The Laurel mountains was an interesting and scenic place to ride - but a turnoff to many because many of the trails were often 'whooped' and therefore a lot of rough riding

 

the long climb next near the one end of Seven Springs ski slopes could be a challenge to ascend when it turned to ice  

we found our way to Meyersdale a couple of times and near Johnstown (I believe) from the snowmobile parking area (at top of the one mountain)

 

PA National Forest trails were a blast to ride - although it was typically more high speed fire road riding than I prefer 

 

one time we rode the entire PA National Forest trail #1 loop - from Marienville clockwise up into Allegany State Park in NY (and back) and back to Marienville 

 

the trip was 308 miles - we departed early morning around 7 or 8 am and returned around 3 or 4 am 

 

we did this during a 24" blizzard that made it even more challenging - and burned more fuel in the process (and yes - at one point 2 of 3 sleds ran out of fuel ... just one of the few issues we encountered)

 

I was so beat I was almost in tears when we finished the ride and returned to our hotel room on RT 66 in Marienville

 

Edited December 4, 2020 by tom2p

[tom2p 2,393]

3 hours ago, JCM said:

 

now you have me itching to get on a bike again ... sorta / kinda 

 

[Pullstart 59,727]

Here’s a few I got from my aunt...

 

Me up north... I have no idea who’s dog but we were at a property that was 9 miles by 9 miles and we were fencing it in to build “Deer Tracks” hunting preserve in Kalkaska, MI.  You can buy your buck there!

 

On the ice in front of Grandma and Grandpa’s, my cousin in the carhardts, brother in the yellow helmet, me the little guy starting Big Red and my mom.  Funny thing about the picture of us 4, is directly behind my cousin’s head is the house we ended up buying a few years later.  Maybe 4 years ago now, while my brother was buying it from Ma’, it caught fire.  They rebuilt, sold and purchased the house just left of the picture,  it that boat house is my brother’s now.

[JCM 8,651]

A few more of my favorites. 1971 Bonanza mini-bike, the one that started it all. Cut lawns for 2 years to save up to be able to buy this, Dad said you want one, start working to pay for it. 1979 Suzuki PE-175, 1988 Honda XR-250 R. Snowmobiles  1980 Ski-Doo Blizzard 9500   1985 Ski-Doo Formula Plus,  Daughter with a 1986 Ski-Doo Safari  377 Teaching her how to ride.

Edited December 5, 2020 by JCM

[Digger 66 3,476]

6 hours ago, JCM said:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Always loved Blizzards 

[tom2p 2,393]

pic of a friends 1981 RM125 

 

this was the first liquid cooled RM - and also the first RM to use the single shock 'full floater' rear suspension system 

 

his bike was an early production unit and one of the first to be shipped to our area - it actually lacked the drain plug for the cooling system 

 

at the time - this bike was over the top good - one of the best dirt bikes produced (of all time)

 

[briankd 816]

these some pics of my travels in the U.P. of Michigan and northern Ontario they are my dad who was around 70 yrs young at the time and my brother we all 3 would go ride snomachine but over the years my brother and i got married 20 years ago he sold his but i kept  my 2 machines they are 96 polaris indy trail and 1999 polaris xc 700 . we put a lot of miles on over the years my 96 machine has 16,000 miles and the other 99 has 9500 . also had a pair of Kawasaki  snomachines one of them also made the trip north they were 1979 models my dad rode one of them .  these  are from the late 90's and early 2000's

 

 

this is my dad miss trail and got stuck 

 

Edited February 21, 2021 by briankd