The Hodaka Club Forum

I just purchased the book Pioneer To Professor by Gary Bailey. It covers a motocross race in 1968 held at Spokane Washington that Harry and I had reminisced about. The race was my first motocross race I had ever seen or raced. It was advertised as a international race with a $1500.00 purse, very uncommon for the day. Harry did not remember the race at first and then he said ya know what he beat me too. In the 125 class I was on my Hodaka 90 Harry on a ace 100 modified and Bailey on a 125 Sachs plus about ten other riders. I was the first one to the inside corner and the last one coming out of the curve. Harrys Ace threw dirt kike a 250, Bailey won the 125 Class on the Sachs, he also won the 250 class on a Greeves and the 500 class on a Greeves. Garys brother Bob and another California friend came in second in their classes. They headed back home with $1200 of the money. Gary in his career also raced Hodaka along with other makes. Later in life Gary taught Motocross school. Meeting people like Harry Taylor and Gary Bailey the good memories never go away. I purchased the book on Ebay hoping Gary had reflected on the Spokane Washington motocross and he did. Many of you probably know Gary and respect him as much as I do. It is a very good book reflecting on the journey of Motocross.--------- Clarence

Good stuff there Clarence! Thanks for sharing.

Great story! I'd like to hear more about what transpired in that first turn! (Mostly because I'm quite familiar with being the last one out of the turn . . . )
Ed

Well I am sure that things have changed since 1968. I hit that inside sharp corner slowed to take on the sharp turn. Bailey Harry and the boys or some of them, hit the curve in the line they would use in the middle of the race, in other words they kept their speed up or were picking up speed throwing dirt everywhere. I think I learned that coming out of the corner first is better than getting to the turn first. So in a sharp right curve I needed to start about 3/4 of the line on the left. If I was pinched off by a rider in the tight turn, I would really be behind following others in the slow line. I did not win that day, but I was in the pack and in the hunt. I am sure that Baileys motocross schools taught many good winning tricks. If there was a area of the track I felt slow in, I would watch better riders and follow the line they used in my next moto. Leading motocross was easy, lapping beginners was dangerous because they were tired and their bike didn't know where it was headed next. ------------------------- Clarence

Clarence,

Thanks for the second installment on the story! I figured it would contain a "teachable moment" - and it did.

Stay well.

Ed

I myself have seen many riders passed on the right while taking a quick left side look behind them to see how far ahead they are/were, focus on the track and the checkered flag. The four things you need (on) in a race, the helmet, the gas, the throttle or the brake. Check simple things, motor mount bolts, exhaust and double tie the shoes. Do not race a motorcycle that has not been jetted especially the main jet. It is sad to see a good running bike in a race and know it will not make the finishline, oh it was running good until engine failure. -------------Clarence

Hey, this is a good time to throw this into the mix. Why is it that I can throw a dirt bike into a hard left corner with (w)reckless abandon and it feels just awesome - position on the bike, countersteering - it feels like being one with the bike. Not so of righty-tightys. I practice on RH turns, and do fine, but it never feels great like a lefty-loocy. Even as a kid, I'd always power-skid my bike, then dirt bike, to the left. I've never been a flat tracker so the "turn left and go fast" thing is not a part of my pedigree. What gives?

Hmmmm. You like riding the slide with your right hand on top and not with your left hand on top? Just a guess? Victor

Matt could it be that like a toilet bowl draining... in the northern hemisphere we naturally circle to the left and in the southern hemisphere we would turn to the right? I once had an old-timer tell me that the Indians turned more naturally to the right because the throttle was on the left side. I look forward to hearing some good theories here.

And yes before someone jumps all over me I know that water drains clockwise in the northern hemisphere. It was a joke

Excellent Pop I'm not sure Victor. I've been thinking that in counter steering, you end up with the throttle twist grip in your hand like a screw driver. As a righty, that is more comfortable for me. Thinking...

I'm thinkin' almost everyone likes turning left best (don't know why) . . . and that's why Flat Trackers (and NASCAR) turn left.

Ed

Check this out Captain. I think I've figured it out. When I was a kid, my bike had coaster brakes which were activated by pedaling backward. This was, as I recall, a right leg operation so laying it down to the left allowed posting with the left leg as I brought it around. Same thing with a dirt bike where the right leg operates the rear brake. Maybe?

Actually, that was my very first thought on the topic. Somehow, knowing I can get to the rear brake when laid over as far as humanly possible (at least for this human) makes me more comfortable in turns to the left. Buuuut . . . I just had to go for the easy giggle.

Hey, then how do flat trackers like to unwind after a race?

matt glascock wrote: ↑Thu Oct 15, 2020 6:27 pm Check this out Captain. I think I've figured it out. When I was a kid, my bike had coaster brakes which were activated by pedaling backward. This was, as I recall, a right leg operation so laying it down to the left allowed posting with the left leg as I brought it around. Same thing with a dirt bike where the right leg operates the rear brake. Maybe?

You could pedal back with the left just as easily, so you're right leg dominant. Most of us are. I learned to ski about the same time as bike, and skiing forces you to be ambifootstrous - lower ski dominant - and that transferred to surfing for me. I could surf right or goofy foot - both poorly - which was handy on different breaks.

There was an article/poll on footedness in mountain biking that showed right foot back being the preference. I've found myself switching over in steep linked switchbacks because the outside foot is halfway down already if you need to foot on the inside; I can bicycle either way.

A lot of why we stick the inside leg out is to balance the F/R weight balance. Some bikes, notably early Husqvarnas really needed the inside foot out beside the front wheel whereas CZs were more neutral. Hodakas were light in front which is one reason why two inches more swing arm helps pretty much everything.

I love flat track and sliding the bike. It's great training and running the track 'backwards' is a sobering experience for many. A TT track with a right/left chicane on the back straight is my favorite layout.

Ivan- "And yes before someone jumps all over me I know that water drains clockwise in the northern hemisphere. It was a joke"
The answer is not always does the water drain clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere. Let us go to dinner and discuss this sooner than later. We are only fourteen miles apart but have to travel hours sometimes to visit. I can arrange to dinner with Gary Bailey and Fred Guidi but we would be in deep trouble.....
peace my friend!

Interesting JPark. I never thought of "footedness" before. How the heck are you, Paul? When I think about throwing the bike into a fast left turn, the right leg is responsible for weighting the outside peg so that right leg dominance follows. Hmm...then why when I ride a slalom ski, my right foot is always forward? On a ski, it is the hind foot that does the heavy lifting. I never liked the water ski version of goofy foot - left foot forward. I agree with everything you said about leg and swinging arm extension and my sad attempts to look like I was turning a few hot laps on a flat track resulted in my name being forcefully changed to Alice for about a year.

Goofy foot surfing is left forward; at least that was how I understood it. I think snowboards are the same. The left foot is the fulcrum and the right does the steering. But on a sailboard you switch every time you tack. I never really thought about it on a sailboard; I just never looked down and tried to keep it all together, mostly looking at the sail.

I think I'm much better at crashing on left turns. It could be from practice, thinking I'm invincible turning left and then getting vinced.

Paul I feel like we should set aside a whole evening for discussion of the Coriolis Effect on moving objects relative to the surface of the Earth, such as hurricane systems and toilet drains. I wish we didn't live so far away from each other.

Just found out that you are friends with Glenn Dunn (Mountain Pond Inn - Wells VT). He and I have not seen each other since elementary school. Sounds like we need to have a fun night out with our gals too.
We can discuss anything that you like Billy Burns will be the moderator...