Listen everybody, I have been on and off motocross bikes since about 1978 or so. I have been in the sport and out of the sport, sold bikes, bought bikes, loved them and hated them. I have seen the sport of motocross go from a hippie, laid back, on any Sunday scene, to what it is today. And, I might add, everything in between. You have heard me say it many times, but I must say it again, "everything comes full circle.
When I was a 150 lb. pimple faced kid, motocross was owned and operated and dominated by the 2 stroke engine. Once you were at a certain height and weight, you had three choices. 125cc, 250cc, or an open class monster like a 465cc or something insane like that. All the pro classes were laid out that way as well. Outdoor nationals had heats in all cc classes. Many of the pros would win 125/250/Open classes in in the same season. Even the MotoGP world was running 2 stroke bikes. Then there was the 4 stroke.
The thumper class, the enduro bike with the lights taken off, the weird sounding bike, the weird looking dude, and the whole weird 4 stroke scene. Thats the way it was, I am telling you the truth. 4 strokes were plain weird when it came to the competative motocross world. Not saying the were slow, just weird. They also made a little weird race for themselves too. It was called the 4 stroke Nationals.
This race, or whatever it was, did get a little bit of coverage. Maybe somewhere towards the back of Motocross Action or Dirt Bike. Some pictures turned up of some strange looking moto machines and some names of guys we had never heard of.
Of course time marches on. Of course technology advances. MotoGP switched to 4 strokes and the motocross world has obviously done the same. I have owned one. I loved it. Great bike and fun to ride. Everybody is doing it now. Not funky anymore, not weird. Well....except for the sound. I don't care what you say. Those bikes will always sound weird. In my motocross hay day, it sounded a swarm of bees at the starting gate. Now its sounds like big farting contest. Anyway, 4 strokes are mainstream. In fact they are the main stream. Its a little rare to see a 2 stroke bike at a local event. They are there, just the minority. Just like 4 strokes used to be. Enter the 2 Stroke Nationals!
See what I mean? Full circle. Now the 2 stroke guys have their own weird thing going on.
Now here is the real point I wanted to make. I went riding this morning with a couple of friends. Them on there 4 stroke machines, me on my 2 stroke RM250. We got to talking about buying new bikes and what not and I was reminded of this years 2 Stroke National. The dude that won it, crushed the competition. On his 2002 CR 250! What? Yes, and old bike wins the event. Which is my point today. 2 stroke, 4 stroke, slow poke, broken spoke, whatever. Just get a bike and ride it. I am so over the "what kind of bike do you ride? 2 stroke huh? Man, you gotta get a 4 stroke" crap. Just load up a bike and go ride! Run what you 'brung!
Notes:
The bike below is what we used to think was trick. Like untouchable trick. Highly secretive factory stuff. Interesting that this bike was salvaged from a shed in Sweden and restored by a collector here in the US. It was once a prime machine, left to rust away in a barn. It was raced by Hakan Anderson in the first couple of races of the '73 Nationals (thats outdoor, kids). I will bet you this. If you are even a top riding kid in the local expert class, if Hakan was young and healthy, he could take this bike and smoke your ass. Like my dad used to say, "It 'aint the guitar." Im saying to you, "It 'aint the bike". Its you. So stop tweaking you gear and start riding your bike.
When I was a 150 lb. pimple faced kid, motocross was owned and operated and dominated by the 2 stroke engine. Once you were at a certain height and weight, you had three choices. 125cc, 250cc, or an open class monster like a 465cc or something insane like that. All the pro classes were laid out that way as well. Outdoor nationals had heats in all cc classes. Many of the pros would win 125/250/Open classes in in the same season. Even the MotoGP world was running 2 stroke bikes. Then there was the 4 stroke.
The thumper class, the enduro bike with the lights taken off, the weird sounding bike, the weird looking dude, and the whole weird 4 stroke scene. Thats the way it was, I am telling you the truth. 4 strokes were plain weird when it came to the competative motocross world. Not saying the were slow, just weird. They also made a little weird race for themselves too. It was called the 4 stroke Nationals.
This race, or whatever it was, did get a little bit of coverage. Maybe somewhere towards the back of Motocross Action or Dirt Bike. Some pictures turned up of some strange looking moto machines and some names of guys we had never heard of.
Of course time marches on. Of course technology advances. MotoGP switched to 4 strokes and the motocross world has obviously done the same. I have owned one. I loved it. Great bike and fun to ride. Everybody is doing it now. Not funky anymore, not weird. Well....except for the sound. I don't care what you say. Those bikes will always sound weird. In my motocross hay day, it sounded a swarm of bees at the starting gate. Now its sounds like big farting contest. Anyway, 4 strokes are mainstream. In fact they are the main stream. Its a little rare to see a 2 stroke bike at a local event. They are there, just the minority. Just like 4 strokes used to be. Enter the 2 Stroke Nationals!
See what I mean? Full circle. Now the 2 stroke guys have their own weird thing going on.
Now here is the real point I wanted to make. I went riding this morning with a couple of friends. Them on there 4 stroke machines, me on my 2 stroke RM250. We got to talking about buying new bikes and what not and I was reminded of this years 2 Stroke National. The dude that won it, crushed the competition. On his 2002 CR 250! What? Yes, and old bike wins the event. Which is my point today. 2 stroke, 4 stroke, slow poke, broken spoke, whatever. Just get a bike and ride it. I am so over the "what kind of bike do you ride? 2 stroke huh? Man, you gotta get a 4 stroke" crap. Just load up a bike and go ride! Run what you 'brung!
Notes:
The bike below is what we used to think was trick. Like untouchable trick. Highly secretive factory stuff. Interesting that this bike was salvaged from a shed in Sweden and restored by a collector here in the US. It was once a prime machine, left to rust away in a barn. It was raced by Hakan Anderson in the first couple of races of the '73 Nationals (thats outdoor, kids). I will bet you this. If you are even a top riding kid in the local expert class, if Hakan was young and healthy, he could take this bike and smoke your ass. Like my dad used to say, "It 'aint the guitar." Im saying to you, "It 'aint the bike". Its you. So stop tweaking you gear and start riding your bike.
