Five moments that changed motorcycle racing history
By Shawn McDonald
There are some moments in time that forever change the world that we live in today. In the history of modern societies you can name many inventions such as the light bulb, electricity, television, automobiles, refrigeration and many more things that define our present existence. What would I do with out driving to the local store to pick up a cold six-pack of beer so that I can go home, turn off the lights and watch Supercross on the TV? Since this is a racing publication we should look at five moments that have changed modern motorcycle racing into today’s current state.
1962 Honda supercub 50/Japanese Motorcycles
This was the bike that Honda launched on the American public in 1962 with its series of advertisements "You meet the nicest people on a Honda." This idea took motorcycles from the film world of outlaw bikers such as James Dean and Marlon Brando to the image of the young college student. Suddenly we were respectable, if we rode a Honda. The response was a Tsunami of sales for Honda. This had a trickle down effect of sales on other Japanese motorcycle companies such as Yamaha, Suzuki and Kawasaki. Every corner started popping up a new Japanese motorcycle shop. Honda first started racing internationally in 1959 at the Isle of Man with 125cc bikes. They continued their GP competition with a domination of the 1960’s with 20 World titles. Yamaha and Suzuki joined the GP competition with World titles of their own. The mechanics of these GP bikes were engineers who later became the top executives for these companies. These engineers and executives designed engines, frames and suspension using their racetrack experience to develop and improve designs for ultimate performance. Racetrack technology goes directly into the design and construction of every motorcycle made in Japan. My conservative estimate is that 90% of the race bikes today are manufactured in Japan. How many of you haven’t raced a Japanese motorcycle?
Yamaha 250cc DT-1
Introduced in 1968 as the first mass-produced dual purpose motorcycle, it quickly became the first dirt bike. The Japanese motorcycle companies had been refining, defining and increasing their production of motorcycles to fit the tastes of the U.S. and the world since the early 60’s. The west coast of the U.S. was an expanding and increasingly populated area with vast tracks of open land to be ridden on. The perfect recipe for a dirt bike. At that time the motorcycles being rode and raced were converted Triumph, BSA 500cc and 650cc 4-stroke street bikes. Otherwise known as desert sleds. They were extremely heavy with limited suspension and required a mechanics skill in modifying and to keep running. It took a real man to ride and wrench on these bikes. You could try to buy a European 2-stroke motocross bike if you could find one. The answer was always to call Europe and speak to someone in Swedish or Czechoslovakian. The west coast offices of Yamaha of U.S. saw a possible market for a dirt bike that matched the on-off road capabilities of the Triumphs with the lightweight and handling of the Husqvarna and CZ’s. They also had something else to throw into the pot in reliability, parts and a dealer network to support the rider. The new customers quickly ripped off the street gear and slapped on some number plates and went racing, and won. They won in Baja, at local scrambles and the beginning of the motocross races. Yamaha poured fuel onto the fire by introducing GYT kits for add on parts and tips to increase horsepower. Four years later in 1972 Yamaha introduced the first from the ground-up full bore motocrosser from a Japanese company in the YZ-250. Honda was quick to follow up with its Elsinore 250 and 125 in 1973. Suzuki and Kawasaki were right in line with their TM’s and KX’s brands. The DT-1 brought to America an affordable, reliable dirt bike that could be used for racing or trail riding. Think of today without going to your nearest dealer and ogling the newest Japanese motocrosser or enduro motorcycle on the showroom floor.
Rear suspension
Didn’t we always have rear suspension? No! Until the very early 50’s all AMA racing motorcycles had hard tail rear suspension. That means no rear suspension at all. The 1953 Norton 500, with its featherbed frame, introduced a breakthrough with rear swing arms and full rear shocks for its roadracer. Road racing and dirt bikes led the way in innovation with the immediate adoption of rear suspension in the early 1950’s. AMA National Class C flat track racing at this time was all hard tail, all the time. 2-time AMA National Champion Bart Markel rode hard tail flat track bikes until 1966. Even the traditional Class C racing could not deny the inevitable. The forward thinking teams and riders had switched over to shocks by the late 50’s. The next step would not take place for another 20 years after the Norton with the introduction of the 1973 Yamaha YZ250 Monocross ridden by 1973 world 250cc MX Champion Hakan Anderson. The Yamaha Monocross was the first single shock dirt bike. It had a triangulated swingarm to increase swingarm stability and a 17" single rear shock with nitrogen/oil dampening. It was an instant success at the track and showroom. The only bikes today with hard tails are choppers, and the only bikes with 2 shocks are retro street bikes.
Supercross
Supercross was introduced to the world at the 1972 L.A. Coliseum. Californian Marty Tripes on a factory Yamaha came in first followed by Yakima native Jim Pomeroy on a Bultaco. As Rugby was a European invention so was Motocross. America changed Rugby into Football and also changed Motocross into Supercross. American motocross in the early 70’s was popularized by the fall Trans-Am events starring European world champions. We came not to watch the Americans, but the Europeans and their factory bikes. Supercross fit the American lifestyle of sitting down in a nice chair with a beer in the hand and seeing the entire event without having to get out of the seat. Shades of Homer Simpson. It also starred American riders as winners over the Europeans. No longer did a spectator have to stand in cold mud up to their ankles as rain fell on their head to watch racing. I could actually bring the wife and kids to a race. I could bring all my friends. Supercross went beyond racing into a show and spectacle for the entire U.S. Sold out stadiums in 16 events with major network coverage make Supercross the most popular form of motorcycle racing. In fact it is bigger than all other motorcycle racing combined in regards to spectators and TV viewer ship. They even make multiple video games of the sport. Supercross has brought motorcycle racing from the state fairgrounds to the mainstream of America. Mention motorcycle racing to anyone on the street and they will say "Do you race Supercross?"
Kenny Roberts
This racer is not mentioned because of his numerous world and national championships, but because of his innovations in racing technique. When Kenny first started to roadrace in 1971 he just couldn’t catch on with the traditional style of roadracing by sitting straight on the seat and leaning the bike until the fairing rubbed the pavement. He was greatly helped by his roadracing mentor Kel Carruthers the 1969 250cc World Champion in being able to race on a roadrace course. He had watched the great Cal Rayborn set up his H-D roadracer to slide through corners like his flat track racing bike. He had also watched World Champion Jarno Saarinen, before his death, do something really different by hanging off the bike and sticking his knee out when cornering. Kenny tried it and liked it a whole lot. Then Kenny brought something totally new to the table in rear wheel steering. Remember that Kenny was a flat track racer and felt more comfortable with the rear wheel sliding and effectively doing the steering. Roberts combined different ideas from flat track racing, roadracing and his own experience to invent a whole new way to race a bike. Up to this point all roadracing was done with front wheel steering and knees in. Kenny changed the idea of how all roadracers not only ride but how they approach and exit corners. Road racers never use to put their knees on the ground when cornering where today they have replaceable plastic pucks they change every race because of the extreme wear.
By Shawn McDonald
There are some moments in time that forever change the world that we live in today. In the history of modern societies you can name many inventions such as the light bulb, electricity, television, automobiles, refrigeration and many more things that define our present existence. What would I do with out driving to the local store to pick up a cold six-pack of beer so that I can go home, turn off the lights and watch Supercross on the TV? Since this is a racing publication we should look at five moments that have changed modern motorcycle racing into today’s current state.
1962 Honda supercub 50/Japanese Motorcycles
This was the bike that Honda launched on the American public in 1962 with its series of advertisements "You meet the nicest people on a Honda." This idea took motorcycles from the film world of outlaw bikers such as James Dean and Marlon Brando to the image of the young college student. Suddenly we were respectable, if we rode a Honda. The response was a Tsunami of sales for Honda. This had a trickle down effect of sales on other Japanese motorcycle companies such as Yamaha, Suzuki and Kawasaki. Every corner started popping up a new Japanese motorcycle shop. Honda first started racing internationally in 1959 at the Isle of Man with 125cc bikes. They continued their GP competition with a domination of the 1960’s with 20 World titles. Yamaha and Suzuki joined the GP competition with World titles of their own. The mechanics of these GP bikes were engineers who later became the top executives for these companies. These engineers and executives designed engines, frames and suspension using their racetrack experience to develop and improve designs for ultimate performance. Racetrack technology goes directly into the design and construction of every motorcycle made in Japan. My conservative estimate is that 90% of the race bikes today are manufactured in Japan. How many of you haven’t raced a Japanese motorcycle?
Yamaha 250cc DT-1
Introduced in 1968 as the first mass-produced dual purpose motorcycle, it quickly became the first dirt bike. The Japanese motorcycle companies had been refining, defining and increasing their production of motorcycles to fit the tastes of the U.S. and the world since the early 60’s. The west coast of the U.S. was an expanding and increasingly populated area with vast tracks of open land to be ridden on. The perfect recipe for a dirt bike. At that time the motorcycles being rode and raced were converted Triumph, BSA 500cc and 650cc 4-stroke street bikes. Otherwise known as desert sleds. They were extremely heavy with limited suspension and required a mechanics skill in modifying and to keep running. It took a real man to ride and wrench on these bikes. You could try to buy a European 2-stroke motocross bike if you could find one. The answer was always to call Europe and speak to someone in Swedish or Czechoslovakian. The west coast offices of Yamaha of U.S. saw a possible market for a dirt bike that matched the on-off road capabilities of the Triumphs with the lightweight and handling of the Husqvarna and CZ’s. They also had something else to throw into the pot in reliability, parts and a dealer network to support the rider. The new customers quickly ripped off the street gear and slapped on some number plates and went racing, and won. They won in Baja, at local scrambles and the beginning of the motocross races. Yamaha poured fuel onto the fire by introducing GYT kits for add on parts and tips to increase horsepower. Four years later in 1972 Yamaha introduced the first from the ground-up full bore motocrosser from a Japanese company in the YZ-250. Honda was quick to follow up with its Elsinore 250 and 125 in 1973. Suzuki and Kawasaki were right in line with their TM’s and KX’s brands. The DT-1 brought to America an affordable, reliable dirt bike that could be used for racing or trail riding. Think of today without going to your nearest dealer and ogling the newest Japanese motocrosser or enduro motorcycle on the showroom floor.
Rear suspension
Didn’t we always have rear suspension? No! Until the very early 50’s all AMA racing motorcycles had hard tail rear suspension. That means no rear suspension at all. The 1953 Norton 500, with its featherbed frame, introduced a breakthrough with rear swing arms and full rear shocks for its roadracer. Road racing and dirt bikes led the way in innovation with the immediate adoption of rear suspension in the early 1950’s. AMA National Class C flat track racing at this time was all hard tail, all the time. 2-time AMA National Champion Bart Markel rode hard tail flat track bikes until 1966. Even the traditional Class C racing could not deny the inevitable. The forward thinking teams and riders had switched over to shocks by the late 50’s. The next step would not take place for another 20 years after the Norton with the introduction of the 1973 Yamaha YZ250 Monocross ridden by 1973 world 250cc MX Champion Hakan Anderson. The Yamaha Monocross was the first single shock dirt bike. It had a triangulated swingarm to increase swingarm stability and a 17" single rear shock with nitrogen/oil dampening. It was an instant success at the track and showroom. The only bikes today with hard tails are choppers, and the only bikes with 2 shocks are retro street bikes.
Supercross
Supercross was introduced to the world at the 1972 L.A. Coliseum. Californian Marty Tripes on a factory Yamaha came in first followed by Yakima native Jim Pomeroy on a Bultaco. As Rugby was a European invention so was Motocross. America changed Rugby into Football and also changed Motocross into Supercross. American motocross in the early 70’s was popularized by the fall Trans-Am events starring European world champions. We came not to watch the Americans, but the Europeans and their factory bikes. Supercross fit the American lifestyle of sitting down in a nice chair with a beer in the hand and seeing the entire event without having to get out of the seat. Shades of Homer Simpson. It also starred American riders as winners over the Europeans. No longer did a spectator have to stand in cold mud up to their ankles as rain fell on their head to watch racing. I could actually bring the wife and kids to a race. I could bring all my friends. Supercross went beyond racing into a show and spectacle for the entire U.S. Sold out stadiums in 16 events with major network coverage make Supercross the most popular form of motorcycle racing. In fact it is bigger than all other motorcycle racing combined in regards to spectators and TV viewer ship. They even make multiple video games of the sport. Supercross has brought motorcycle racing from the state fairgrounds to the mainstream of America. Mention motorcycle racing to anyone on the street and they will say "Do you race Supercross?"
Kenny Roberts
This racer is not mentioned because of his numerous world and national championships, but because of his innovations in racing technique. When Kenny first started to roadrace in 1971 he just couldn’t catch on with the traditional style of roadracing by sitting straight on the seat and leaning the bike until the fairing rubbed the pavement. He was greatly helped by his roadracing mentor Kel Carruthers the 1969 250cc World Champion in being able to race on a roadrace course. He had watched the great Cal Rayborn set up his H-D roadracer to slide through corners like his flat track racing bike. He had also watched World Champion Jarno Saarinen, before his death, do something really different by hanging off the bike and sticking his knee out when cornering. Kenny tried it and liked it a whole lot. Then Kenny brought something totally new to the table in rear wheel steering. Remember that Kenny was a flat track racer and felt more comfortable with the rear wheel sliding and effectively doing the steering. Roberts combined different ideas from flat track racing, roadracing and his own experience to invent a whole new way to race a bike. Up to this point all roadracing was done with front wheel steering and knees in. Kenny changed the idea of how all roadracers not only ride but how they approach and exit corners. Road racers never use to put their knees on the ground when cornering where today they have replaceable plastic pucks they change every race because of the extreme wear.
