The classic bad ass motorcycle racer thread

Miguel and Yvon

The Duhamel's were both bad ass! I had to add a little more from this post

Yvon ended up in the AMA HOF

And so did his fast and capable son Miguel

Miguel's Smoken' Joe's livery was pretty classic.

I saw the "Wheelie King" at Sandhill at a national when I was like 14. They had a huge banzai jump that everyone was lined up for. In Magoo fashion he jumped about 40 feet early and flew over the crowd and down the hill. Finally he flew so far he landed about 2/3 the way down and exploded on impact and was carted away on a stretcher. He was one of the sickest. A true showman.

Damn great photos! Keep it up. So many memories.

Reggie Pridmore is in his mid seventies and still teaching and riding at his schools. Tough guy.

budman said:

As I recall Gardner broke his leg in that crash. Great memory John... finding your post!

Click to expand...

My old pics landing in the Best of Barf section is the hi-light of my barf-life! :thumbup

Johndicezx9 said:

My old pics landing in the Best of Barf section is the hi-light of my barf-life! :thumbup

Click to expand...

What I remember most about Magee's crash was that spectators (who felt he was at fault for Shobert's cool-down lap crash the previous year) actually cheered when he went down. That was sickening.

SuperMike said:

What I remember most about Magee's crash was that spectators (who felt he was at fault for Shobert's cool-down lap crash the previous year) actually cheered when he went down. That was sickening.

Click to expand...

Me, Ratpick, and another friend were standing on the inside of 6, where I took the photo, but I didn't, or couldn't hear anything like that. When Gardner went down he moved, rolled, and got up limping to bales immediately. We knew he was "relatively" okay.

When MaGee went down, nothing. No movement. Some other bikes came though, and the track workers were desperately trying to let riders know to slow down. After the racers went through and saw red flags, the track workers focused on Magee, surrounding him with hay bales so medical staff could work on him before putting him into the ambulance.

I have some more pics in the sequence of him with his leathers cut off and going into the ambulance, but I didn't feel right scanning them to post. If he had died, I never would not have scanned that one and posted it.

Luckily, he's still here!

The GOAT - Ricky Carmichal

Ricky Carmichael dominated MX and is in the AMA Hall of Fame.

He is the only rider in AMA Motocross with an undefeated season at the sport's top level, a feat he accomplished an astounding three times, in 2002, 2004, and 2005. He was the AMA Pro Racing Athlete of the Year five times: 2001, 2002, 2004, 2005, 2006.

RC was the man. :thumbup

He had a few challengers that I will get to, but none could match his speed and consistency. They might get one of the other, but not both.

It was an amazing run :hail

Bob Hannah -- The Hurricane

Another AMA Hall of Fame racer Bob Hannah has to be included when you’re talking about bad ass racers. The Hurricane road like a Wildman similar to Magoo, but would hold just enough back to not be expected to crash. Bob had seven AMA national championships to his credit, and was one of only two riders in the history of AMA racing to win championships in 125cc motocross, 250cc motocross and Supercross.

Hannah was extremely versatile. During his 15-year racing career, Hannah won Nationals in the 125cc, 250cc and 500cc categories as well as Supercross and Trans-AMA. When he retired from racing, Hannah held the record for the most career wins in both AMA Supercross and AMA 250cc National motocross.

He made the lightening bolt a cool thing to have.. stickers and clothing.
He was also on the MX Des Nations American team.
Here is a full list of all the racers who repped the USA

I got to see him a few times... and it was always a treat.

Amazing racer. :applause

Can hardly mention Carmichael without mentioning McGrath

I love the classic ad of the 1979 Yamaha team greatness.... :thumbup

Blankpage said:

Can hardly mention Carmichael without mentioning McGrath

Click to expand...

He is on my list to do... sometimes I have to work. :laughing

I have a long list.. and need to get back to the road racers and flat trackers... I think there are a couple of Trials riding, Enduro riding, desert racing bad asses to be added as well. I should be done by Xmas. :teeth

youtu.be/7XVTmQwkd2A

arty

https://i.pinimg.com/564x/e1/99/f8/e199f8355f005181faa5c4aee107231e--motorcycle-racers-classic-motorcycle.jpg





Bad ass? Nobody even compares to Mamola. If it wasn't for KR being a complete dick and kicking him off the Lucky Strike Team he would have easily nailed a championship. I've been watching GP racing since the mid 80's and nobody has ever been as fun to watch as Mamola. #1 racer of ALL TIME.

Randy is bad ass. The local kid had one hell of a career.

Barely missing out 3 times on the #1 plate. He is the best ever to never win the Cship.

A member of the AMA Hall of Fame Randy started here in the Bay Area as a flat tracker. I remember seeing him at Baylands Raceway when we were both lads, but he was racing and I was dreaming of it.

I spent some time with Jim Doyle his manager and from the stories those guys had some good times. After growing up in Santa Clara success landed him in Woodside. One thing I always remember is how cool it was for him to come home and be an average guy. Success abroad meant hoards of fans surrounding him and the Bay Area allowed him to chill and enjoy.

Johndicezx9 said:

That happens when you slide on your helmet at whatever speed he was going...

http://bayarearidersforum.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1642583&postcount=56

MaGee's was worse... I remember we were thinking he wasn't gonna make it.

http://bayarearidersforum.com/forums/showpost.php?p=1642604&postcount=57

Glad we were wrong.

Click to expand...

yup:thumbup

Rick Johnson

RJ was an American motocross superstar. He was the cutthroat and a crowd-pleasing battler with charisma. He possessed the sheer speed needed to be at the front constantly.

Rick is a member of the AMA HOF and has an impressive resume.

Rick Johnson, no doubt was one of the great AMA motocross and Supercross racers of all-time. During the 1980s, he won seven AMA national championships and was part of four winning U.S. Motocross des Nations teams. In all, Johnson tallied an amazing 61 AMA national wins and earned championships in AMA Supercross and both 250cc and 500cc motocross. He retired as the all-time AMA Supercross wins leader in 1991 (his record was later broken by Jeremy McGrath). Johnson would likely have had even more impressive numbers had injuries not forced him into retirement when he was only 26.

Kent Howerton

Kent Howerton was one of the most versatile motocross racers of the 1970s and early 1980s. An AMA HOF member the Texan, nicknamed the "Rhinestone Cowboy," won three AMA National Motocross Championships and two Trans-USA titles during his 15-year professional racing career.

Howerton won 32 career AMA nationals and when he retired in the mid-1980s, he was second on the all-time AMA 250cc Motocross win list. In addition, Howerton was the 1980 AMA Pro Athlete of the Year; a two-time winner of the 250cc United States Grand Prix; a two-time member of the American Motocross des Nations team and twice winner of the groundbreaking ABC Wide World of Sports Superbikers competition.

In the Superbiker photo, which the bikes look like and acted like SuperMoto's he is followed by Rick Johnson.

Jeff Stanton

Jeff Stanton

Jeff Stanton was a six-time AMA Motocross and Supercross Champion of the 1980s and 1990s. He tallied 37 national wins combining victories in AMA Supercross as well as AMA 250cc and 500cc motocross. He won both AMA 250cc Motocross Championships and AMA Supercross Series titles in 1989, 1990 and 1992. MX of Nations Champ for Team USA :flag

He became a racing legend overseas by way of his outstanding performances in the Motocross des Nations. He also won the 250cc U.S. Grand Prix of Motocross three years in a row. In just eight seasons, Stanton tallied enough victories to be ranked in the top 10 on the all-time wins list in each of the AMA Supercross, AMA 250cc Motocross and AMA 500cc Motocross categories.

Jeff is a also a member of the AMA HOF.

Jeremy McGrath - Showtime

Jeremy McGrath had to be the most popular motorcycle racer of the 1990s. A seven-time AMA Supercross and AMA 250 National Motocross champion. He started by racing BMX and not motorcycles, switching at age 15.

Jeremy, AKA “Showtime” starred in national television ads for a popular long distance telephone service, appeared on network television shows such as NBC’s Tonight Show with Jay Leno, and was in a ton of newspaper and magazine articles. Of course the "King of Supercross" is the AMA HOF member.


youtu.be/-4R7kgbG_aU

In the youtube you can hear David Bailey doing color. :thumbup

I am sure some of you played video games featuring McGrath. :cool

He dominated AMA Supercross like no other rider before him and rewrote the record books. He did fan pleasing tricks, the most famous of which was called the Nac Nac. Sources think that spawned the new sport of Freestyle Motocross.

In addition to his eight AMA championships, McGrath was on the USA Motocross des Nations team winning both times in 1993 and 1996. McGrath also won the AMA Pro Athlete of the Year Award in 1996.

He is one for the record books.
250cc AMA Supercross Championships: 7 (1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2000)
125cc AMA Western Region SX Championships: 2 (1991 and 1992)
250cc AMA National Motocross Championships: 1 (1995)
FIM World SX Championships: 2
Member of Winning US Motocross des Nations Team: 2 (1993 and 1996)
Overall AMA Career Wins: 89

250cc AMA Supercross wins: 72
125cc Western Region SX wins: 13
250cc AMA National Motocross wins: 15
125cc AMA National Motocross wins: 2

Doug Chandler

Doug Chandler was one of the most versatile racers of the 1980s and ‘90s. Chandler is one of only four riders in AMA racing history to win the AMA Grand Slam, representing national wins at a mile, half-mile, short track, TT and road race.

James Douglas Chandler was born in Salinas and started with flat track racing. He went roadracing eventually where he really made his mark.

Chandler went further and won an AMA Supermoto Championship race late in his career. He became a three-time AMA Superbike Champion during the 1990s and was also a leading competitor in the 500cc Grand Prix World Championships (now called MotoGP). Doug is also a member of the AMA HOF.

He finished a best 5th in his 5 year GP stint on a Suzuki and Kevin Scwantz’s teammate.

Back the USA meant a short stint with Harley and then back home to Rob Muzzy. I was lucky to race with him in one AMA event at then Sears point. He won and I finished 16th, but will always remember him wheeling by me while I was in a full tuck with the throttle whacked. The Muzzy bike kicked ass just like Doug.