Who remembers..where is...???

[Edbear]

I have this fear the thread will rapidly turn into one of those "the older I get the faster I was" ravings which will haunt us forever so I'm not saying much.

Well, it's true! I didn't have "chicken strips" on the T500, but I do on the 'F' despite getting my toes on the road. After pulling my feet back on the pegs I didn't quite mange to scrape them last time out, but the Coro is beckoning again for another try, and I say I's very trying...


Used to follow Cros, Freeth, etc. Reckon they were up there with Sheen et al, too.

[Maha]

http://www.kiwibiker.co.nz/forums/at...5&d=1145685092

[ajturbo]

He's still in Tauranga, retired from racing (crashing!!) and struggling to keep some sort of business going (one only gets to pull so many dirty deals before the reputation catches up...). He sure was entertaining around Bay Park, though!

i thought i recognised the name when i was up there... did he used to have a bike shop near the vets ? down by greaton way?

[MSTRS:Me]

You trying to say that your old RD250 couldn't crack 150mph????

They all could back then...these youngsters have no idea....

[beyond]

Yep, I'm getting old alright.
But I suppose getting old is way better than the alternative eh?

The old bikes felt real fast than cos they ran on old suspension systems, crappy tyres that lasted for ever and well, they were old.

My Yam RD350 was the fastest bike you could buy back then and with the helmet on the dials down the Takanini straight, you could just hit 112mph which for you young fellas is 180kmh. Now that felt real fast but my 1400 is idling at that speed and at 240kmh feels slower than the RD350. Go figure?

Bikes and gear have come such a long way since then. My riding jacket was a Line 7 plastic fantastic, that was freezing but kept you dry. I had some massive accidents, but my three inch belt and Line 7 jacket, held me together everytime. Canned a few Levi's though

Had to watch you didn't get the bell bottoms in the chain.

[Crisis management]

The old bikes felt real fast than cos they ran on old suspension systems, crappy tyres that lasted for ever and well, they were old.
(

Now that brings back memories! I once had the misfortune to own a Kawasaki H1 that took up both sides of the road trying to get around corners, unfortunately this is not an exageration, it wove so much at any decent speed that it needed the full width of the road...
I sold that thing as fast as possible and haven't owned a kawasaki since

[Krayy]

...Robert Holden...

I remember watching a race at Manfield in the late 80's and Robert Holden came off on one of the corners out the back (I think they were doing the full circuit), and he slid off the track right into a Holden sign Oh, the irony.

BTW, one of my faves from the old days was Freddie Merkel (again at Manfield) winning the Superbike championship on wet tyres that were throwing off lumps of rubber every lap as he came onto the front straight as the track had dried and he hadnt changed his treads as a lot of others had. And he chucked in a HUGE wheelie all the way down the straight to finish. Legend.

[Edbear]

Yep, I'm getting old alright.
But I suppose getting old is way better than the alternative eh?

The old bikes felt real fast than cos they ran on old suspension systems, crappy tyres that lasted for ever and well, they were old.

My Yam RD350 was the fastest bike you could buy back then and with the helmet on the dials down the Takanini straight, you could just hit 112mph which for you young fellas is 180kmh. Now that felt real fast but my 1400 is idling at that speed and at 240kmh feels slower than the RD350. Go figure?

Bikes and gear have come such a long way since then. My riding jacket was a Line 7 plastic fantastic, that was freezing but kept you dry. I had some massive accidents, but my three inch belt and Line 7 jacket, held me together everytime. Canned a few Levi's though

Had to watch you didn't get the bell bottoms in the chain.

LOL!!! You're so right, 'cept I wore Western flares and used my sister's army Greatcoat when it rained! The RD350 had the same top speed as the T500 and now even my "old" 'F' has about twice the power and a 220km/h top speed, (or so I believe).

Those racer's back then had guts to wrestle the old bikes around a track, for sure!

[MSTRS:Me]

LOL!!! You're so right, 'cept I wore Western flares and used my sister's army Greatcoat when it rained! The RD350 had the same top speed as the T500 ...

Cheapskate! I had my own greatcoat (olive drab, tarnished brass buttons an'all). I was that soldier on the T500 and yeah 110-112mph (only in 4th tho, 5th was a huge overdrive and not enough HP so the old bus'd drop back to around 102-105mph)

[kawa]

yeah, I remember all of them, Glenn Willams and Robert Holden bashing handle bars down the front straight of Puke, Croz hanging onto his bike as he exits the roudabout at Wanganui, one hand on the bars(throttle) of course and one leg gripping the remains of the seat and some how wriggling back on and instantly pulling a wheelie while passing someone, never have I seen such riding before or since. I'm sure it was Croz who really started the hang off the the big 4 stroke. Croz and Woody Kitney at Puke in the days of Auckland Motorcyle Club racing, when the fields used to have 20 plus riders. What ever happened to all that, these days the fields are tiny and the classes are screwed. Still all that aside the MotoGP last night was a blast, real heart in the mouth stuff. Does anyone have any old pics etc?

[Edbear]

Cheapskate! I had my own greatcoat (olive drab, tarnished brass buttons an'all). I was that soldier on the T500 and yeah 110-112mph (only in 4th tho, 5th was a huge overdrive and not enough HP so the old bus'd drop back to around 102-105mph)

Musta had da same bike! Yep, 105 was all in 5th. Some owners dropped the countershaft sprocket a tooth to bring 5th into play, but I was gettin' married and had to sell the bike before I could do that. You didn't buy a '73 T500 in '76 did you? Got a pic of it here.

[MSTRS:Me]

You didn't buy a '73 T500 in '76 did you? Got a pic of it here.

Nope. I bought a '72 in '74. In purple and white. Big jump from the TS125. Mucho fun tho on the 'takas

[Edbear]

Oh, okay, mine was a '73. Hey, notice how the tyre is scrubbed right to the egde of the tread...!?

[What?]

i thought i recognised the name when i was up there... did he used to have a bike shop near the vets ? down by greaton way?

Nope - don't know who that was. Didn't last long...
Robbie was for years on Cameron, Tauranga South just south of 11th Ave. Then he moved to Marsh St. Then he moved again, but I don't know (or care) where.

[Mom]

... I suppose getting old is way better than the alternative eh?
My riding jacket was a Line 7 plastic fantastic, that was freezing but kept you dry.

There is no better alternative than reaching the age that you can embarass your kids!!
As for Line 7 gear, mine was the full suit number, very effective wet riding gear, and such a good look as well

[QUOTE=kawa;750540]... in the days of Auckland Motorcyle Club racing....

I remember AMC club nights at ?? (Mt Eden Rd) and many weekends at Pukekohe...strictly spectator, but heaps of fun all the same