Random 1980s racing pictures

[onformula1]

nah those brakes are our own creation, we did not start working with Kelvin in till later that year and his stuff was never that far off the mark :P

So you were using Simons forks before Kelvin?

Who built the triples?

So, who came up with that set-up?

Yes, you can punch me someday for racking your brain so much!..LOL

How about getting George on here to help with the investigation?

[3WW Star-John_Neary]

Yeah my Dad was on to Simons forks from even before we got into three wheelers, he had a 500TT Yamaha with a pair of them and he knew Steve Simons from back in the late 1960s when he raced flat track on a BSA and Steve was a "pit gremmie" as my Dad put it.

But i think Kelvin was using them already before he meet us as well, i believe i can recall Jeff Jennings Franks dirt bikes having Simons forks.

Jeff at Saddleback, notice the Franks jersey

[barnett468]

Yeah my Dad was on to Simons forks from even before we got into three wheelers, he had a 500TT Yamaha with a pair of them and he knew Steve Simons from back in the late 1960s when he raced flat track on a BSA and Steve was a "pit gremmie" as my Dad put it.

But i think Kelvin was using them already before he meet us as well, i believe i can recall Jeff Jennings Franks dirt bikes having Simons forks.

Jeff at Saddleback, notice the Franks jersey

Wow John, another cool post . . Jeff Jennings, that's a name from the past . . I met him thru Norm Reeves Honda, Kawasaki, Bultaco in 1975 when I was parts manager there and we became friends . . He lived a few doors down from some other friends of mine at the time and they would go riding together . . Norm Reeves sponsored him on a Bultaco 125 and 250 and Gary Fishburn ported the cylinders and they had so many extra ports they looked like swiss cheese . . Larry Huffman did the commercials for Norm Reeves and would come over around once a month . . One day he parked the nose of his Ferrari right between the open doors of the shop and walked over the hood to get in.

Jeff rode the 125 class at the LA Coliseum race in 1975 on a 125 Taco for the shop . . He was really nice and really quiet and really thin just like like Chris White whom I also liked a lot.

Anyway, here he is on a Franks Honda with Maico lowers and BFI tubes.


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Here's a Franks CR125 Twin shock mono shock with what might be Cerriani or Betor forks and possibly Maico fenders seat.

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[3WW Star-John_Neary]

I never got to meet Jeff but there was photos of him all over Kelvin's shop. I was not really into motocross bikes at that point and do not remember details about the bikes, sadly.

[barnett468]

.
Yeah, Kelvin built a lot of cool MX stuff . . He was also part owner of CMC Motocross club which was the premier club that a lot of AMA guys would ride on occasion . . Jeff rode the Franks stuff after he started slowing down . . He rode the AMA races for Suzuki after he left Norm Reeves . . He did decent there, and at one 125 National in 1976, he had around a 20 second lead over Marty Smith and all the other top guys after around 15 minutes and then his chain broke or came off . . We were all bummed out for him . . I actually knew several of the MX guys from the 70's just from being at the races, but when I started racing trikes, I would try to park away from the other riders and mostly keep to myself.

[3WW Star-John_Neary]

George on the 495 at Saddleback



250 pro class start at Barona Oaks MX park in early 83, George is on the #26 KTM 250



You can see Mike Coe on the #23 staged for the start of the next race so these are likely the heat races. Number 13 is Dan Lamey on the 250R that Rob Selvy built for him with a custom frame, swing arm and suspension. You can see Rob in the yellow shirt and shades standing next to Dan. The kid standing next to Rob is wearing a early Selvy's jersey, SPS i believed stood for Selvys Performance Specialists.



George stalking Marty Hart at San Jose 83



Shot of our messy pit area, can see my 200x in the trailer and the blue bike thing that was like a unicycle had sex with a skateboard with a hand brake mounted under the seat with the unoriginal name of Skatebike ...it was surprisingly fun to ride. That is our friend Robin in the red and white jersey on the far right.



Its starting to get hard to remember what i have and have not posted in the last six months so please excuse any reposts.

[phantomtracer]

Great pictures!
And the bike looks awesome.

[3WW Star-John_Neary]

Yeah i love the gold wheels on the 495, they just scream 1980s awesomeness. I scored a NOS aluminum three bolt front wheel last week so i can now mount new rubber all the way around for after i get the motor freshened up i can pester George into breaking it in for me and i am thinking i want to get my second wheel set anodized gold.

Trying to restrain myself from buying a grooving iron...these new Carlisle tires need sum cuttin.

Air Franks

[onformula1]

Man that open face helmet gives me chills.

I snapped a Bell Moto 4 and limped away....Still have it hanging on the wall.

[3WW Star-John_Neary]

Yeah i smashed my face into my crossbar, i forget at what race, and had the cheesy Arai plastic bolt on face guard thing and it just flexed in and my nose got hit so hard i had nose bleed issues for years afterward and even got red flagged at a Mickey Thompson race in Houston because i had a nose bleed and a white jersey and it looked like i had been gun shot. Was so humid in Houston my nose would not stop bleeding once it started, it was weird and a little scary.

That pace truck is sweeeeeeeeet

[RUNMEDOWN]

Odysseys in the back waiting for their turn on the track, makes my back hurt just thinking about it.

[phantomtracer]

John, can you shed some light on the stadium pictures?
We're these events run before or after a supercross? Was it he same course?
How scary was that for the riders?

[3WW Star-John_Neary]

@phantomtracer - I would have to ask George for details as i did not ride that event. I believe it was at the LA Sports Arena and was invite only, Mickey and a bunch of other factory guys raced the event and our own Barnett468 was there on his Tecate (worlds fastest three wheeler!). The track was brutal for three wheelers and was covered in double jumps and three foot tall whoops in long sections.

George has a VHS tape of the event that i been slacking on getting covered over to digital and sent to Mickey's friend who runs a youtube channel that features classic three wheeler races.

[onformula1]

@phantomtracer - I would have to ask George for details as i did not ride that event. I believe it was at the LA Sports Arena and was invite only, Mickey and a bunch of other factory guys raced the event and our own Barnett468 was there on his Tecate (worlds fastest three wheeler!). The track was brutal for three wheelers and was covered in double jumps and three foot tall whoops in long sections.

George has a VHS tape of the event that i been slacking on getting covered over to digital and sent to Mickey's friend who runs a youtube channel that features classic three wheeler races.

That is the LA Sports Arena for sure, the Clippers played there for many years before switching to the Staples Center.

[bkm]

John, where have you been buddy? Hope all is well, and would love to hear and see some more stories and pictures from back in the day.