Textbook Bob 'Hurricane' Hannah circa 1977
Before Tomac and Ned, before LeMond and Big Mig, there was Bob Hannah. For a young lad obsessed with motorcycles as well as bicycles, the ‘Hurricane’ was the epitome of style on a bike. His bright yellow Yamaha YZs and matching head-to-toe kit set the bar and inspired me to emulate not only his style on the bike, but off it too. If only I could sport those long, flowing blonde locks now…
Motocross in the 70s and 80s was somewhat how mountain biking in the 90s was. The technology stepped up rapidly, with suspension travel and shock design developments allowing the bikes to corner as well as go like a bat out of hell on the straights. From my first bike, a YZ80B (yellow of course) with its twin coil shocks, drum brakes and steel frame tank to my last one, a Kawasaki KDX250 with Uni-Trak suspension, alloy frame and disc brakes, the difference in performance was more night and day than the 10 or 15 years it actually was. The same could even be said with road bike technology from as recently as the late 90s/early 2000s.
Just as Tomac brought style, flair and function to mountain biking with his fast and flowy riding, skin suits, disc wheels and custom painted helmets, so too did Hannah with plastic boots, body armour and his own range of kit and products. And like Tomac, he could back it up on the track. Every photo in every mag I saw, he just looked fantastic; head always in the perfect position, leg extended in the berms, a bit of turn bar over the jumps. I’d try and ride my YZ and my 20″ Dragster the same way.
Today, there’s a lot of crossover between moto athletes and mountain biking and BMX. The moto helps develop confidence at speed and in the air for most of the top downhillers, and the fitness that comes from pedalling is embraced by many motocross stars. My formative years on two wheels were shaped by a healthy mix of the two, and while I haven’t kicked over a two-stroke for a long time, the skills learned and the parallels between infernal combustion power and legs and lungs still resonates. But mainly it’s just cool to look back at photos of a golden era.
How many here have a moto background, or still ride?
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For unknowable reasons my father bought a family vespa when I was about fourteen. Needless to say I rode the shiet out of it, crashed it in every sandy corner around. I did some road riding on some nasty 2 cycle rice and oil burner, not enough. I have had the need of a BMW R-series forever but I'm afraid if I ever start on it, I'll stop pedaling.
Too much of a pussy to get into motocross, again, dead in the first lap.
@Gianni
Isle of Man 160kph is warm up speed, the lap record went this year, I think he averaged over 200kph for the lap!!
@Gianni
It was a boarding school in Scotland. The bike thing was part of the CCF - Combined Cadet Corps. Most schools with a CCF just had Army, Navy and Airforce but we also had the Royal Marines, a pipe band and the motorcycle section. No idea why but I couldn't turn down the chance of sanctioned wanton destruction of school property.
Hello, Chrissy? Knock knock?
We have a very active motorcycle track rider in our midst, but I guess she hasn't logged on to see this article yet. I rode a sad old EX500 with some fun mods on the road for a while. Figured I learn on it and then get a real sportbike and do track days. Didn't work out that way, but it was fun.
I suspect there's a lot more overlap between MX and MTB than there is between sportbikes and road bikes.
I have done a little bit of Moto, and own a motorbike (which is currently off the road).
Every time a car "doesn't see me" on my bike I think about investigating if they would respect me more on something like a KTM Duke. I love the MX/Street look they have, and the noise is hard to miss.
Yup. Schoolboy class in the 70's. Honda SL 100 4 banger battling it out with the Suzukis and Yammies. Ended up banging myself up real good--twice! The last time on a Honda Elsinore. Remember those? Fast. Cracked it in half--along with my right fib and tib. Bought a trials bike after that. Wheelies for miles.
I rode motocross as an adolescent and teenager from the late 70s through mid 80s, same time I was getting serious about road and track cycling. YZ80, YZ125 and finally an IT250 for enduro and cross country. In winter there was ice racing on a frozen lake. Lots of crashes on the motorbikes, but few injuries: dirt's softer than pavement.
@Chris
Re the CCF I remember the fear that the film "If" created in the Public Schools (which for those who don't know the UK are actually private schools). We were banned from watching it! It is amazing to think of what was stored in the Armoury of most Public Schools in those days with little security. We used to run around the Quantocks, Dartmoor and Exmoor with fully functional rifles and a bag of blanks.
@Chris
Had a couple of Road bikes and have similar little voices. However, it is the one thing that is a firm and absolute no no with the VMW.
Alas, no background nor current engagement, but it sure does look cool. Off road on a track that is. Any other form is either prohibited or downright (even more that usual) suicidal taking average motorists into account. Still, the combination of rig control and physical accomplishment that comes from pedaling a bike can't be matched.
On a complete side note: is there any chance the rss feed can be looked at? It has been broken for a while and I like not having to scour the internets in search of updates.