BACK IN THE DAY

Where the photos are blurry but the memories are clear!

Hello from Lexington, Ohio! Here’s a shot of me at Ohio International Raceway (Ravenna, Ohio) in 1975. This is a very rare race on my 1974 Kawasaki KX125, where I am in front of very fast local pro Jerry Sales! Those were the days, and all the tracks many of us raced weekly. I worked and rode out of Twin Falls Sportcycles in Munroe Falls, owned and operated by Dallas York and Harry Williams (die-hard Husky guys). The dealership sold Husky, Penton and Kawasaki, and sponsored a bunch of racers over the years, including Gary Semics. Here’s a team shot, circa 1974 (Dallas is the 4th guy from left). Dallas asked me to join the team in April ’73 after a first-place finish at Meadowview Trails on my new Penton 175 Jackpiner (proud day for a squid racing a converted Kaw F7 enduro!).

—Mark Bentley

I was almost surely at some of those same races, Mark. And yes, Jerry Sales was fast! Thanks for the snaps! —Ed.

I was 13 years old when I shot this glamour photo of my older sister posing on my Yamaha 1973 MX125 modified by Matt Johnson with a down pipe! Carburetor and Webco head, with moved up shocks. My first race ever was in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, an oval with a jump on the back straight. I finished 2nd place to a YZ100.

—Matt Johnson

My 1973 Honda CL350 bought brand new just out of high school. I rode that bike everywhere and had a blast! Traded it in for a 1975 CB750.

—Jeff Anderson

Early 1970s on my cherished Yamaha MX250 (soon to be replaced by a 250 Elsinore). You can see that I managed to dent the front rim. This was a field near my house in Lake Worth, Fla., which was soon to be surrendered to the ever-growing march of suburbia.

—Eric Diehl

At 12 years old, me riding the family 1951 Cushman Highlander. At 16, I traded it in on a 1964 Honda 150 Dream. Eleven motorcycles later and still riding at 74. Currently I’m on a 2018 Goldwing with over 40,000 miles on the clock. I am riding this wave all the way...

—Larry Stough

Me on my first bike — a 1982 Honda XR200 — in upstate New York. Saved up for a year with holiday, birthday and allowance money to buy my first bike at 13 years old.

—Vincent Bonavita

In 1949 my dad and I bought twin Indian Warriors, and used them to explore the wilds of Montana, South Dakota and Wyoming. The Warrior was my first of many motorcycles, and I’m still riding 73 years later.

—Randy Wagner

Although my dad went through a scooter phase (Lambretta/Vespa) he wasn’t too keen on me riding. But I found a non-running, pre-unit Triumph TR6 that had supposedly been crashed and convinced him to let me store it in our basement. He figured with no mechanical experience I wasn’t going to get it running (he was right), but I was able to customize it in the style popular in the 1960s — Bates saddle and headlamp, megaphone mufflers, peanut tank, etc. Rattle-canned it blue and found a local guy to get it running. Nearly 60 years later I’m still riding, though, like dad, a scooter could be in my future.

—Joel Parks

Full circle, Joel. It happens! —Ed.

My first mini in 1961, bought from my uncle in Long Beach, and this pic was taken at our house in San Jose, Calif. I’m 75 now, have loved two wheels ever since, and am still riding a couple times a week. Moved to New Mexico, near Colorado, for retirement near great mountains with my wife and our three track-ready streetbikes. Thanks to American Motorcyclist and the AMA.

—Don Collier