Hannah went fast...despite an aggressive fork rake angle

You really can't get enough of Bob Hannah...at least on the race track during my era as Cycle News East reporter in the early 1980's.  These tight side shots allow for a close inspection of the latest in factory prototypes for the era.  What strikes me is the overall size of Bob's YZ, in comparison to the motocross bikes we see today.  The retro bikes were relatively tiny in perspective to the rider; and that said, we know The Hurricane is not a large human being to begin with.

I also like to note the rake/fork angle on this bike...isn't it a bit chopper like? I'm not an engineer, but would have to assume the Yamaha designers were looking for an aggressive wheelbase.  And once again, the simplicity of the air-cooled engine made it possible for most anyone to grab a set of metrics and go to work.

Maybe overall, it wasn't better or worse, just different.  But I look back with fondness as the personalities and machinery of my time on the National MX circuit.

Fringe benefits in winner's circle

I can't remember all the details on this one, but I'm pretty sure this is Unadilla, Larry Maiers is commandeering winner's circle, and the trophy girl wanted to make sure Broc Glover felt welcome.

I sure loved Retro MX.  Maybe this was the precursor to Monster girls everywhere.

Barnett was almost perfect

I don't need to ham up every image with a lot of verbiage.

Here's Barnett getting it done.  Perfection. enjoy.

Lisa Akin hauled *$%

Women's motocross has always been on the radar and an important element of the sport.  Some may argue that females who know how to twist the throttle don't get enough cred...and that has been a debate for many years.

What I do know is that long before there was heavy promotion for women's racing, there were a few pioneers - and one Dynamic dynamo was none other that Lisa Akin.

There's no way I could judge the prowess this woman commanded on her YZ.  She might have been a fringe member of the Michigan Mafia, but was in no way the least.  Great rider, good form, and always appreciative of her role in racing.

I have to make a confession: I was less about the mechanics of motocross and more about the personalities. Let's not ever forget to tell the tales of those who made the sport great.

Lisa, thanks for adding your skill and expertise to the mix.

VMX is a very pretty motocross mag

I had the pleasure of engaging a couple of Skype conversations with Ken Smith, editor of the coffee-table-quality VMX magazine.

Ken deals in all things historical that are related to motocross.  VMX captures gorgeous images and in-depth features for those who love to go deep into the nuts and bolts detail of a restoration.

Ken would like to reach out to Retro Motocross readers and said, "As part of our 50th issue 'celebration' we're also running a subscription promo, where anyone who takes out a new subscription between now and the 10th of December goes into a draw(ing) to win all 50 issues of VMX Magazine (including freight of course, anywhere in the world).  That is a huge prize considering how many issues are now unobtainable and command big prices on eBay."

So for those of you who might want a big quarterly fix of motocross from yesteryear, check out the website for details. VMX is an Australian publication, you can learn more from clicking to http://www.vmxmag.com.au/.

With all that said, let's get back to the machinery...check out the pristine Maico on the latest cover of VMX. It's art in the making.  I had a radial head 250 and now wish it was never sold...and was still tucked safely away in my parent's shed in Wisconsin.

Guess I'll have to dust off my time machine to get it back.

"American Motocross in Photos" for Kindle and iPad

It's time to package up some of my best images with insightful captions and put it out for sale on Amazon.com, for Kindle and iPad download.

Working title: "American Motocross in Photos: 1979-1982, Volume 1"

I'm thinking something in the $2.99 - $3.99 range.  Reasonable cost, good value.

If you're feeling the love on this, post a comment or drop a "Like" on Facebook.

Jammer gets air in this great back shot

The motocross industry had a better idea regarding apparel in the retro days of MX.

Modern rider apparel is lines and circles and colors and design.  It's busy on every inch of rider pants, boots, jersey and helmet.

Note photo above. Two base colors. Weinert. Number 7. Jammin' Jimmy.

No need to draw attention away from the legend itself.  When this rider crested a jump, I knew who it was and why he mattered. The Jammer was the brand...he didn't compete with 40+ other sponsors embedded on a busy design.

Good memories from a great era.