This POGGER is practicing for next year's ISDT-RR. Can you guess who the rider is? [8D]
http://www.pentonusa.org/archive/homepage/2010/default_010710.htm
Hey, Sweet Bike... Is that Bill S.(Admin)???
Randy,
I wish that was me. It looks like I'm not the only one who rides an MC5 125.
Cool bike!:D
Britt Boyette
1976 125 MC5
I can't make out who the rider is, but it looks like Bill Smith's bike. So, my guess would be BILL SMITH.
Alan Buehner
Hey Bill.... Is that Karen riding your bike???
I say it's Steve McQueen.
72 six-day
Dan Pagel
G
72 six-day
Yes Randy, it is me, Karen! I am on Bill's bike. We were looking for a temporary home page photo and because of all the MC5 talk lately, thought this might be fun.
For several years now, Bill has been riding on the 80 acres in Jackson, MI that I inherited from my father. He had been wanting me to ride with him, so 2 years ago I rode this bike and dumped it within several yards (seemed too tall) and didn't want anything to do with it after that, even though in the 70's I did alot of riding on an 1973 AT3 125 Yamaha and 1974 185 Suzuki. I sold the Yamaha for the Suzuki (what a mistake that was). Boy, I wish I still had both bikes today! To show you how nuts I was back then, myself and a friend rode our Suzuki's 1500 miles on a 10 day trip to West Virginia and back, using all back roads and no expressways. Ah to be young again! :)
I did alot of competitive running and marathons in the 70's and 80's, when the sport was mainly for men. And if I wasn't running, I was dirt bike riding in northern Michigan with friends. I never knew about enduro racing. Had I known, I probably would have been an early "powder puffer". After attending this year's ISDT-RR with Bill, I got motivated to try it again (by seeing all the other women riding) and the rest it history! I am loving it!
(//%5BIMG%5Dhttp://www.pentonusa.org/forum_images/2009/2009_1029_Images0031.JPG)
Karen,
I just have to ask in the hope that a special retired Ford employee from Elyria reads this, what ever made you go to West Virginia? [:
Looks like a nice riding area.
Paul
PS Did Bill ever tell you that Pentons were not as tall as the KTM ? Nothing like a Jackpiner for Jackson..........
Great story, it's nice to meet the Admin's.
Thanks for all you do.
Dennis Jones
I sould have realized it was a trick question when I saw the dark googles, as I was sure it was Bill's bike. I know you'll have loads of enjoyment getting back in the saddle again. Thanks for all the work you do for POG.
Hey Paul, I thought that everyone wants to go to (Almost Heaven) at least once. Al
Looks like I got busted by big Al :)
Actually one of my favorite MX tracks was Bel Mesa Raceway in New Cumberland, WV. I remember that they had a heck of a drop off into a valley and then you shot straight back up the other side, one of those places where you pushed the Sachs pretty hard on the way down in the hope of making it up the other side in a higher gear than the other guys, at least that was the plan. That is the track where I first met Joe Barker on his Suzuki.
OK, I guess I answered my own question, obviously Karen and her girl friend traveled to WV from Michigan to see the MX races at Bel Mesa :D
I might have to try and find that old track someday and see what it looks like today, probably a mini-mall. I remember that there was a drive in theater pretty handy to the entry road.
Paul
Karen,
Great story of the trip to West Virginia. I wish I would have had the opportunity in my youth to make that kind of trip, but my Parents were (are) smart enough to not let me own a bike in my youth...probably would have went to West Texas and stayed.
Great that you have Family land to ride on....thanks for all you do for POG your help is greatly appreciated.
Merry CHRISTmas.
Ron Carbaugh
Hi Ron,
My parents were both dead set AGAINST me doing that trip but you know how we were in those youthful days--we thought we were invincible! I went against their wishes with the agreement that I would call home each night, which I did. I'm not sure it would be safe to do something like that in 2009.
Another couple of flashbacks I just had--of the 10 days we rode, most of the weather was stormy and rainy. (Why we didn't we stop and wait for the storm to pass us, I don't know.) Anyways, it was pouring rain and we were in the mountains somewhere, coming down a huge winding hill and came upon a small village tucked away in the mountainside. We saw a gas station with a mechanic garage opened up so rode our bikes right into the garage. The guys were real nice to us and started talking motorcycle talk to us. We took off our helmets and our long hair fell down to our shoulders--needless to say, the guys were quite surprised we were ladies! [8D]
After another soggy wet day, we stopped at a laundry mat to dry all our clothes. We were soaking wet, down to the skin, as well as our backpacks on our bike racks. Well, we took turns with this chore. One person stripped down to nothing and went and sat in a one stall unisex bathroom while the other dried all the clothes, etc. I remember sticking my money on the wall in the bathroom to dry out. Guess that would have been some picture back then. Too bad we didn't have cell phone cameras back then!
Ah, the crazy days of our youth...
Karen
Thanks Karen for sharing the stories. I had dreams of using a bike like the old Cowboys used their horses crossing massive 100 section Ranches. Back in the 1960's there was so much open private land in Texas that had no fences. It was a great dream....but you lived it. Merry CHRISTmas to you and your Family.
Ron Carbaugh
Paul,
Here are the turn-by-turn directions to Bel Mess Raceway. Dave and I were discussing old MX tracks back in January 2008 and I have aerial photographs of about 1/2 dozen in the area. The photos were taken in the mid '90s and many still have witness marks of the tracks on the terrain.
With regard to to 'Big Dipper', I recall one race where I stood and watched the starter for each moto before might pull the pin on the rubber band starting 'gate' at exactly five seconds. In my first moto by the time I made the left down into the abyss I must have had 10 bike lengths on the field. I was so excited I pinned it in third gear all the way down and back up the other side. Bob
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=d&source=s_d&saddr=Unknown+road&daddr=40.425519,-80.288773+to:Cranberry+Township,+PA&hl=en&geocode=FTWTagIdvPkx-w%3B%3BFaFIbQIdMnU5-ykPYQQrWn00iDHTHvd9YXlJfg&mra=dpe&mrcr=0&mrsp=1&sz=11&via=1&sll=40.511711,-80.362244&sspn=0.359162,0.617294&ie=UTF8&t=k&z=11
Bob,
I paid good money to attend the John DeSoto MX school the day before we raced in the Inter Am race at Honda Hills in 1970, your watching the starter tip is just as valuable as what John taught and he charged us all $ 7.00 each !! :D
I absolutely loved Bel Mesa, the "Big Dipper" was an E ticket ride as you surely know. There was a small step up with a ledge just after the big dipper, that is where my Bosch flywheel weld came un-welded and my engine pretty much died just as I hit the ledge, instead of powering up, I plowed in and over the bars. I remember getting up and wondering what in the heck had happened.
Thanks for the directions, I will have to head down that way just to see where it was. Maybe a will give you a call and we can make the trip together.
Paul