1990 Honda CR125R

The year was 1991 and the bike is the 1990 Honda CR125R. This was a great little bike, but what else would you expect from a Honda. I was now 32 years old, Julie and I were working on building this blending family of ours into something we hoped would honor God. We were making changes that would alleviate some debt we were holding. We had downgraded our vehicles and I had traded my 1987 Suzuki RM250cc to a boy to paint an old 1979 Cadillac we had purchased along with some bodywork it needed. 

During this time I was not riding, however, after a while, I began to have the itch to ride again. Some things are just hard to let go of. In order to keep the investment at a minimum, we decided to buy a small bore bike. We found this little 125cc Honda at Creasy's Honda in Lexington and brought it home. I hit my old practice track with it and must say it was a blast. I had only raced a 125cc bike once before, after riding this one I wondered why. It felt so light and turnable you thought you could just do anything on it. It was very forgivable to any mistakes and I thought I was going to be able to ride it fast. I was beginning to gain some weight, but I was still in the 170-pound range which was passable on the small bikes. 

I had heard of a young man in Reagan named Jonathan Thompson who folks were saying was pretty fast. He had a practice track behind his house and I wanted to test my metal. We met and it was a good ride together, he was fast, and being able to ride with him gave me some needed confidence.

Providence would have it, the first race that came along was a holiday event in Burns Park Arkansas. It was a big event and a lot of competition. We drove down in my old 1966 Chevy pickup which had a broken front coil spring that gave it a limp on one side, it was hoot driving it down. I remember taking the little bike to the starting gate and looking up and down the line of riders. I remember taking notice I was the only one with a beard, I was perhaps the only one old enough to grow one. Until then it had never occurred to me that the 125cc class was going to be filled with fearless young boys wanting to prove something. I was reaching the age where I was beginning to want to avoid pain whenever I could. 

The gate dropped and I was the first man into the first turn, it felt good to be in front again. Unfortunately, I was only in front until the first whoop section, those young fearless boys started passing me like crazy. There was nothing I could do, I was already going so fast I was scaring myself. I finished the first moto somewhere around 20th place. I lost all confidence and my desire to ride was crushed. This boy felt like he couldn't run with the fast boys and needed to stay on the porch. I told Julie I was done, we loaded the truck and I never tried the second moto. It was the last race I would ever enter. This time I was done.

Had there been a local race, had I been able to move back into racing gradually increasing the competition, it might have lasted. But Providence would have it that I would be confronted with the reality that I was going nowhere. I would only be riding for fun, and for me, it was no longer fun if I couldn't win. 

The decisions we make in life are most complicated, enumerable circumstances take their toll on our will and set the course of our lives. All of these things are known to an infinite God who guides our path and takes us to our determined end.  (Act 15:18  Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world.) ( Pro 16:9  A man's heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.)

Why are we where we are today? Circumstances, pressures, tragedies, successes, and failures. All these things working together bring us to where we are. Time is continuing to pass, we are still moving from one season to another. We must know God has known our all from the beginning of time, we are not alone in whatever stage we are at in life. We may be in a victory, we may be in a devasting and painful defeat. Where ever we are the path is set, it may not be sure to us, but there is purpose in Him. We must trust Him to lead us to His ultimate end. All these things will either drive us to Him in faith and hope or in rejection of Him and into hopelessness.    (2Pe 1:10  Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure: for if ye do these things, ye shall never fall:) 

May God bless,

David

     

1987 Suzuki RM250cc

 

The 1987 Suzuki RM250cc was a great bike. For me, it was kind of the beginning of the end. After two terrible years on the Husky during the 85 & 86 Season, years of which was also emotionally devastating with the events occurring in my personal life, this bike was a return to familiar ground.

Beginning the Summer of 1987 I had been riding very little for several months. I had begun dating a young girl I knew from high school and we had decided on getting married in September of that year. With life beginning to have a brighter outlook, I was beginning to want to ride again. I had already qualified for the Amature Nationals on the 85 Husky in the Last Chance Qualifier at Muddy Creek raceway a few weeks earlier. It was during this time Julie and I made one of our first mutual decisions together and decided to purchase a new bike for me to ride. We made a trip together to Paris, TN, and brought home this 1987 Suzuki RM 250cc. 

Having ridden Suzuki for years, the bike had a very familiar feel. The suspension was great, the bike turned very well, and was very comfortable to ride. The little engine was strong with lots of torque. All of this translated into going faster immediately with a boost of confidence. Once again riding was pure joy and I would go faster and ride better on this bike than I ever had before or would ever ride again. Things were changing locally in motocross and Julie and I began traveling further to race and to larger and more competitive tracks. As a result, I didn't win as often as I had in previous years, but I did go faster and ride better. The tracks were larger and more demanding along with a larger class of riders to compete with. It was very challenging and a lot of fun. 

To the left here I am competing in the Amature Nationals at Loretta Lynn's in August 1987 on this bike. The overall results don't reflect it, but I did much better than before and had fun that year. The event was overwhelming for me in many ways, I rode stiff from anxiety and dealt with arm pump as a result. However, it was a great experience and a good memory.  

I would ride this bike for a few more years, the racing events getting further and further apart. I was transitioning from years of racing into a more family-oriented life. I know motocross is viewed as a family sport, it was just not the way we seemed to be heading. We kept motorcycles a part of our lives for a long time. We all had one, even our little ones. One even participated in a race on his Pee-Wee 50cc Yamaha. However, we were transitioning from the racing to just a trail riding event family. Just getting out together and riding as a family became our joy. 

This affords an opportunity to look again at the scriptures. As a Christian during those difficult years of 85 & 86, I was driven to take a more serious look at my walk with the Lord than I had previously had a desire to do. As I mentioned in a previous post, I had found myself in the most depressing situation. Times like that generally makes us stop and cry "Help!" 

In John Chapter 4, we find a woman who had been married 5 times, apparently having given up on marriage, she was now living with a man who was not her husband. She meets Jesus at the well and discovers Christ. If you were listening to most TV preachers today we would expect she would have a wonderful life from that time on as long as she followed Jesus. We are not told much about her life after that, but we can speculate on a few things. Following Christ does not fix things, it brings Grace and forgiveness and hope of the life to come. Sometimes things get better in our lives as a result, sometimes it's complicated even more. 

This woman will now have to go home and tell the man with whom she is living they can no longer live as they are. That simply could not be if she continued to follow Christ. We don't know what hardships that would have brought upon her life or the emotional strain that would weigh upon her. Following Christ does not fix our problems, it gives us the Grace to live life as He would have us live it. 

We have the idea today that we can just decide to follow Christ as if it is simply a changing of our minds to do better, something like a New Years' resolution. In John Chapter 3 Jesus told Nicodemus you must be born again. The Great Preacher George Whitfield cried, "You must be born again!" When asked by a young reporter why he always preached, "you must be born again" he replied, "because young man, you must be born again." 

God doesn't fix our problems, He fixes our hearts, the Apostle Paul said we become new creatures in Christ. We become something else than what we were before, therefore, many of our problems simply go away as a result. However, because we become something else we do in reality think differently, live differently, and desire differently, therefore we take on a whole different set of problems. 

2Ti 3:12  Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, 

2Ti 3:13  while evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. 

2Ti 3:14  But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it 

2Ti 3:15  and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.  (ESV)

God bless,

David

    

1985 Husqvarna 250cc CR

 

This bike carries memories that makes it the most difficult to write about. The bike itself is a beautiful bike as you can see. It was Husqvarna's first attempt at the new single shock design. It shared very little from its 1984 predecessor. It looked like it would be everything a bike should be. It hosted the new Single Shock, new forks, disk brakes, an all-new frame, and plastics. All and all it was a completely new design for Husqvarna and it looked very promising. Naturally, I had to have one, and these things carried a larger price tag than their Japanese counterparts. But I was running with Husky now and this one offered too much to pass up.

It turned out to be the worst bike I ever raced. I won't place all the blame on Husky, it was their first try with this new design and it did look great. They put the best components and hardware anyone could ask. It was probably a much better bike than I give it credit. However, as it was delivered in the crate, it didn't work very well. The little engine was way underpowered which translated into bad starts consistently. What power it did produce was delivered at the top end of the rpm range, making it very difficult to take advantage of. Every race much energy was spent working my way forward to place anywhere decent. It could have been beefed up I'm sure, I just didn't know how to do it. I liked riding them, not working on them.

Working my way forward was complicated by the horrible suspension, the rear wheel would skip under power and the bike would work you to death trying to go fast on it. Husqvarna had put very good suspension components on it, very high-quality stuff, so again it probably could have been made much better had I known how to set up a bike. Again, I liked riding them not testing them. I don't remember winning a single race on this bike.   

 

It would be the first bike I would qualify for the Amature Nationals on. I am pictured here in the 1986 Amature Nationals at Loretta Lynn's racing in the 25+ class. The results were disastrous, out of 3 motos's the bike would break creating a DNF for one and poor performance in riding and crashing would be the week of racing.

It would also be the bike I would finally move up to the A-class division on, but only in the GNCC series. The GNCC is generally a 100-mile race over a 10 or 11-mile track consisting of woods riding and cross country racing. Riders were lined up for a dead engine start and the 100 miles event would make a good start less critical.

A few races into the season had me doing quite well in the overall standings. I was very satisfied being within the top ten and my confidence was improving. Then in a race in Shreveport LA, I fell in a high-speed section after cross rutting and broke my collar bone. I tried to continue riding but the pain was more than I could stand. I waited till I returned to Tennessee to go to the doctor which made the whole event a very miserable experience. This would put me out of commission for a while and end the GNCC series for me, I would never return to run that series again. 

It would also be the bike I would go to my first motocross national event and ride amateur day. I would ride on the same track that David Bailey, Broc Glover, Jeff Ward, Bob Hannah, Micky Diamond, and all the other professionals rode the day before. It was at Six Flags in Atlanta, GA, and I again posted terrible results having a horrendous downhill crash. 

It was also during the 85 & 86 seasons of which I rode this bike that my personal life began to unravel. It would result in an 8-year marriage ending in divorce. I had reached a place where nothing was working very well and I had no idea how to fix it. I will spare you my efforts in trying to describe what these couple of years was like, for I know, many of you already know. We all have stories of disappointments, failures, and mistakes in life, and it usually doesn't take very long to run into them. They hurt to the core of our being and bring us many times to the brink of despair. If you haven't met one of these yet, it's coming. If you have, I assure you, another one is on the way, it's just the way things are here. I have mentioned a number of times Thomas Watson's comment concerning the mixture we have in this life. If God in His Grace didn't sweeten it with His kind Providences, life would be too bitter to drink. 

Rom 8:35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

Rom 8:36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

Rom 8:37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.

Rom 8:38 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

Rom 8:39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.     

It has also been said that the same Sun that melts the wax hardens the clay, it is in times like these we discover which we are. If we are wax, the heat of adversity melts us and makes us pliable in the hands of God. It opens the understanding to our need of a Saviour, the true state of our own heart. If we are the clay, it hardens us to life, drives us to our own self-sufficiency to make it in our own strength, as Elvis would sing, "I did it my way". As hardened clay, we are determined to make our life what we think it should be, many times at great cost to ourselves and others.

For those in Christ, life is but a journey through a fallen world. They understand the journey will sometimes be difficult, but rest will be at the end. Enjoy the kind Providences God gives you along the way and trust Him in the difficult ones. Find a good church and study his word, ask him in prayer to give you this understanding and perhaps He will reveal even this unto you.

God bless,

David   

1984 Husqvarna CR250cc

 

In this post, we will be talking about the 1984 Husqvarna CR250. I suppose we all do silly things from time to time and this was one of the silly things for me. As for the bike, it was a great bike, it really was, it did everything well. It was comfortable, turned well, great suspension, and the power delivery was on pace for the competition. I wouldn't say it had advantages over the competition, but it was equal to the task and you could win on it. It was all this and yet lacked many of the new innovations the Japanese bikes were using. The 1984 Husky still retained the old duel shock design mounted to an all-steel swing arm, as well as the old shoe brake system where most all had already gone to disk. However, these were proven designs and Husky made them work very well. The little engine had been upgraded to a water-cooled version and as mentioned before was capable of running with the competition. Add to that it carried quite an impressive look with its all-white plastics with blue and gold graphics. 

The mystery is why I ever purchased one? From the very beginning in racing I had ridden the big bikes, why I decided to drop down to the smaller 250s is difficult to say. I think it was a combination of things that swayed my opinion. As mentioned before, I had been entertaining the idea of moving into the expert or A class, I was struggling to get the confidence to make the trip. I had become convinced the better faster riders were in the 250cc class, which I think was a misconception on my part. Nevertheless, I thought it would be a good step to make before making a move to the A-class. Coupled with that, I had a dear friend, (two as a matter of fact) each of whom had a Husky dealership, I found myself buying one from each of them before that experience was over. An experience that had me moving to the 250cc class and on a Husqvarna at that.

I discovered the riders in the 250cc class were not better faster riders, it was just everything happened faster with more intensity than it did with the big bikes. I never enjoyed the 250's like I did the 500's. It would be a mistake I would regret even to this day, for riding was never the same after leaving the big bikes. It was a struggle adjusting to the smaller bikes, finding what fit, learning how to ride one, it was all so different. Instead of moving me forward, it was a step back that would take years to recover from. Years I didn't have, I would eventually make my way back to Suzuki, but I would never make it back to the big bikes or the fun I had with them.

Two races stand out in my memory with this bike, one a race in Ripley TN, at Alsbad motocross. The friend with the dealership I bought the bike from was with me that day. He and I were both on our 250cc Husky's and another guy whom we did not know was also there on a Husqvarna. It turned out to be a Husky sweep, I won 1^st place, my friend finished 2^nd and the other fellow finished 3^rd. We were all proud Husky riders that day, Husky all the way! The other was a race in Lebanon TN. It was a 60-mile winter hare scramble, I had a flat tire on the rear and finished probably the last 20 miles of the race with a flat. I totally destroyed a good rear tire ripping it apart at the wheel locks by the end of the race. Memories are made, some because it's a Husky sweep, others because it all went bad. I think some call that life, it comes both ways. I am thankful it comes with such a mixture, if it were all bad we could not cope, and if it were all good we could never grow beyond ourselves.

Sometimes it's hard to reconcile our bad decisions with the Sovereignty of God. If He is really in control of our lives, how can we make so many seemingly bad choices? I have heard in Christian circles many times the phrase, “I sure missed God making that decision”. The idea is God had something better, more pleasant, and profitable, but I missed his purpose. I must say I do not find such ideas in the scripture. I find a God there that is in control of our lives with absolute Sovereignty, Sovereign over our good decisions as well as our bad ones.

Judas being an extreme example, in his choosing to betray Jesus, after walking with him for years listening to His teachings. Yet we read, “Act 1:16 "Brothers and sisters, in the Scriptures the Holy Spirit said through David that something must happen. He was talking about Judas, one of our own group. Judas served together with us. The Spirit said that Judas would lead men to arrest Jesus." (ERV)

That was the supreme bad decision, yet it was no surprise to God, it fell within the reign of His Sovereign will and purpose. So it is with our lives, all is known to a Sovereign God, it all falls within the realm of His plans and purpose, yet in no way relieves us of our responsibility and accountability for those decisions. Judas had every opportunity to be faithful, or repent as the other disciples did. Yet, of his own will chose to go the other way and by doing so fulfilled the purpose of God. I assure you, God is too big to miss. If you have made a bad decision or a sourer choice, repent where necessary and then learn what you can from that experience. From that bad experience, your life can be richer and you can be wiser. You can serve God more fully and enjoy His Grace in a most wonderful way.

God bless,

David

1983 RM 500cc Suzuki

 

In 1983 a new motocross season was approaching and I was excited about a new year. I had high hopes for improvement this year and the idea of moving into the Pro-Class was beginning to occupy my mind. We called it a Pro-Class because the best local riders in the area competed in that division on the local tracks. Some of the larger local events called it the A-class. It is not to be confused with the true Pro-division sanctioned by the AMA which requires an AMA membership and licenses to be able to participate.

In 1983 Suzuki upgraded their RM 465cc bike to a 500cc machine. The true displacement went from 464cc to a full 492cc. Well, I wasn't about to ride a 465cc when the new 500cc was available. So for 1983, I purchased this RM 500cc Suzuki. It turned out to be the best Motocross bike I would ever own. I did go faster on this bike than on any of the others. I absolutely loved riding it, my style of riding and this bike was a perfect match.

The power deliver was awesome, there was plenty of power with the new bigger engine and the delivery was so smooth it made it very easy to ride and control. This was not true of all big bore bikes, the power on some was so explosive it took a well-experienced rider to control and make the most of it. The RM 500cc was very smooth and the wheel would hook up so well. The suspension was superb, and it turned very well. It felt firm and narrow, and with the low center of gravity, it had a very light feel to it. I'm not kidding, this was a really good bike. Even now I can remember the thrill of riding this machine. That year turned out to be another very good year. I think it was this year Steve Lemons and I went to a Loretta Lynn's Armature Motocross Qualifying event. I didn't qualify that year, I think I was one place out of qualifying. However, best I remember Steve did, he was probably the one who knocked me out of it (LOL). Nevertheless, it was a very fun and productive year.

In this picture, I'm coming over the tabletop jump in Culman Ala. I don't remember the name of the track, we just always called it Culman. This is my favorite bike on my favorite track, I loved racing at Culman. I never won on this track, very seldom even placed, but I loved the challenge, it was so demanding. After leaving the gate you would make a right 90-degree turn and go over the tabletop pictured here. You would then enter a slight drop into and 180 degrees turn to the left followed by a 180-degree turn to the right. That would take you in a rough sandy area full of sand whoops, jump, and braking bumps. That would lead you in a long right-hand sweeper that would bring all the way back almost to the start. You would then make a 90 degree turn to the left and immediately fall off into a 30-foot ravine then back up the other side to jump out and make another 90 degrees to the left. That would take you to the backside and bring you all the way back around through the ravine again multiple 180's, 90's, sweepers, and switchbacks till you found yourself back at this tabletop jump again. All of this was very sandy which allowed the whole track to develop large braking bumps and sand whoops. You were constantly up on the pegs and the bike bouncing everywhere. I simply never rode a more demanding track.

It was at this track I first saw Billy Liles ride, I had never seen anyone go that fast before. He was absolutely amazing. There was no one there who could touch him, it was as if he was in a class by himself. He rode so fast yet he was so smooth and made the track look so easy, it was amazing to watch. He would later move on the true Pro-ranks and I watched him on TV race the Supercross series. However, he didn't look so fast there, comparing him to the riders at Culman was very different than comparing him to the riders in the true Pro-ranks.

Here I'm at a track in Ripley, TN. I think the name was Alsbad Motocross, it was another demanding track. It was not sandy, usually very dry, hard-packed, and dusty. It too was filled with off-camber turns and drop-offs. There were some guys who rode the Pro-class there that were really fast, however, when I watched them ride at the Amateur Nationals it was a totally different story. Comparing them to the Alsbad riders and those at the Nationals was altogether different. 

The point I want to make is this, the Scripture says, (2Co 10:12 For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.) KJV.

Also, Isaiah, a man so devout he is considered one of the Major Prophets in the Bible, yet upon seeing God in a vision responds, Isa 6:1 In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a very high and wonderful throne. His long robe filled the Temple.

Isa 6:2 Seraph angels stood around him. Each angel had six wings. They used two wings to cover their faces, two wings to cover their bodies, and two wings to fly.

Isa 6:3 The angels were calling to each other, "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD All-Powerful. His Glory fills the whole earth."

Isa 6:4 The sound was so loud that it caused the frame around the door to shake, and the Temple was filled with smoke.

Isa 6:5 I was frightened and said, "Oh, no! I will be destroyed. I am not pure enough to speak to God, and I live among people who are not pure enough to speak to him. But I have seen the King, the LORD All-Powerful."

Isa 6:6 There was a fire on the altar. One of the Seraph angels used a pair of tongs to take a hot coal from the fire. Then the angel flew to me with it in his hand.

Isa 6:7 Then he touched my mouth with the hot coal and said, "When this hot coal touched your lips, your guilt was taken away, and your sins were erased."

Standing in the presence of God, Isaiah became mightly aware of his sinfulness. Many times we fall into the trap of comparing ourselves to others around us. When we do sometimes we can develop the idea we're doing pretty good. We can feed our self-righteousness and come to believe that we're good enough and God can accept us on our own merit. Surely God wouldn't condemn someone as good me! However, others are not the measuring stick, the measuring stick God uses to judge by is absolute perfection. Being judged by that standard is an absolute disaster for us, for there is not a single area of our lives that makes the mark. We are condemned by every thought and action, even our best deeds and kindest acts of mercy fall so short of perfection we don't even come close to pleasing God, yet only kindles his wrath against us.

We are recipients of great mercy if we have put our hope in Christ and trust only in His righteousness. Verse 7 in Isaiah 6 above is that hope, we are accepted only in him and him alone. All our good deeds and acts of kindness are only but works of faith which produce fruit in our lives, they add no merit to our hope of heaven. For the Christian, it is Christ and Christ alone!

God Bless,

David   

   

  

1981 & 1982 Suzuki RM 465cc

We'll call these two bikes the twins, except for a few minor changes they are the same bike. After getting a taste of motocross in 1980 on the Suzuki RM 400cc, I couldn't wait to begin the 81 season. Suzuki came out that year with this all-new Suzuki RM 465cc machine, it was a completely new design. Everything changed as well as the newly developed Full Floater single shock design Suzuki introduced that year. The need for more travel in the area of suspension had driven the manufactures to abandon the time-proven duel shock design of old and develop a working model using only one shock. This was accomplished by using various linkages with multiple pivoting points, each manufacture developed its own unique design. Yamaha was the first to deliver with their Monoshock, then Kawasaki had their Uni-Track, Suzuki their Full Floater, and finally Honda the Pro-Link.

For what was called the Open Bike division back then, 1981 was the first year for Suzuki's single shock design on the big bikes. I was now beginning to take this motocross racing pretty seriously. With all the changes to the new model, I had to have one of the new ones. At the skill level of which I was racing, my RM 400cc from the previous year would have been just fine, but I had plans for going faster, I needed this new bike. So I purchased this 1981 Suzuki RM 465cc for the 81 season. It really was a great bike, everything the old RM 400cc was and 65 times more. Their new single shock really did work very well, the larger displacement engine was horses ahead of the old one.

In 1982 Suzuki made some minor improvements for the new model, but for the most part, was the same bike. I certainly would have been just as well off with the 81 model. But I was getting even more serious now, still wanting to go faster, wanting to be better. Winning was becoming all-important and getting even a slight advantage was worth sacrifice. So for the option of having all new equipment as well as a mental advantage, I purchased this 1982 Suzuki RM 465cc for the 82 season. It was as good as the 81 and I have nothing but good to say about either of them. I loved riding them, I could win on them, and I probably did go faster in 82. I can't remember which year, but during either 1981 or 1982 I fell during practice at Bathsprings one evening and injured my right hand that required surgery. That took me out for a while, left me with a scare as well as a stiff thumb.

Bath Springs had begun having their own track championship by accumulating points during the season and awarding a championship at the end of the year. Winning had become so important to me, I continued to race at least one, maybe two events there with a cast on my arm and a portion of my right hand after the injury to maintain some championship points. Yea, I know, kind of foolish, letting a trophy become that important was the root of that foolishness. It did bear fruit though, I think I retained enough points to get 3^rd overall for the year.

I always felt pretty confident about winning, however, as Bathsprings began to become more popular, it became one of the most popular tracks around, more riders began showing up. Some of the names that come to mind concerning the big bikes are Steve Lemons from Dyersburg, TN. Jimmy Creasy from Henderson, TN. Bill Easter from Counce, TN, along with others that have escaped my memory. I wouldn't have admitted it then, but they were all faster than I was. We did have some good races though, and I did win numerous times having a home track advantage. We also began venturing out to other tracks, even if I didn't win, if I could be in the mix and feel like I could have won I was still stoked! It is good to have a healthy desire to improve, to achieve, and master a thing. There is a danger though in letting such things take priority in life, reaching a level that is destructive in character or hurtful to others.

Most sin in our lives comes not so much from an act but from the driving force of that act. Scripture does not say it is a sin for a man to look at a woman, but it does say it is a sin to look in a way that is driven by lust. The sin is not in the looking, it is in the lusting which drives the looking, which resides in the heart.

I remember during this time with these bikes when an important event involving family and friends could have possibly occurred at the same time as a racing event. They didn't coincide and I didn't have to make the decision but to have not attended this event would have hurt family, friends and been a bad reflection on my character. I wish I could say for certain I would have made the right decision, but I remember how uncertain I was in what I was going to do. My love of racing was quickly becoming a strong priority in my life. It was beginning to hold a place that wasn't healthy. I realize now it was only a temporal achievement I was seeking, yet in our youth, such things can hold so great a value in our lives.

That is why it is so important for us to study the Scriptures not only in our youth but throughout our lives. The Scriptures guide us, open our hearts to our inward motives and secret desires. They make it possible for us to see and understand ourselves as we otherwise would not be able to do. They strengthen the inward being that we might live and act as we should. Winning is great! However, one must examine oneself for the motive, for the motive can make a wonderful blessing a grievous sin.

Col 1:9 Since the day we heard these things about you, we have continued praying for you. This is what we pray: that God will make you completely sure of what he wants by giving you all the wisdom and spiritual understanding you need; (ERV)

Col 1:10 that this will help you live in a way that brings honor to the Lord and pleases him in every way; that your life will produce good works of every kind and that you will grow in your knowledge of God; (ERV)

2Ti 3:15 You have known the Holy Scriptures since you were a child. These Scriptures are able to make you wise. And that wisdom leads to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. (ERV)

2Ti 3:16 All Scripture is given by God. And all Scripture is useful for teaching and for showing people what is wrong in their lives. It is useful for correcting faults and teaching the right way to live. (ERV)

2Pe 1:3 Jesus has the power of God. And his power has given us everything we need to live a life devoted to God. We have these things because we know him [through the study of His Word]. Jesus chose us by his glory and goodness, (ERV)

May God bless,

David

1979 Suzuki RM 400

For this post, I want to go back and pick up where we left off a couple of bikes ago. After graduating in 1978, I married a girl from my class, tried my hands at a few different jobs for the next couple of years. I was now fixing to turn 21, was expecting the birth of my first Son. I had settled in on a fourth job that was providing some income, so I purchased this bike and it was the making of a very good year. It was 1980 and Bathsprings Raceway had started. I was trying to figure out what I needed to compete in this motocross thing. I found this 1979 Suzuki RM 400cc in a shop in Henderson, TN. This bike was awesome, the new job was great, marriage was good, and having one's first Son all in the same year. It was a very good year.

I had never ridden a bike this powerful, it felt wonderful and turned great. The suspension was so good I felt like I could go as fast as I wanted too, it was absolutely a beautiful bike. This all started there at the Bathsprings track, after winning a few races I discovered it was more exhilarating than climbing the Big Hill at Bruton's. Winning was it, it stroked the ego like nothing I had ever done before. People were coming just to watch you show out, this was perfect! If not winning, just being in the battle for the win was a thrill and a rush, I loved it! Out of Bathsprings a group kind of formed that traveled together and competed at other tracks. It grew into more than a group, more like an extended family. We raced together and cheered each other on. We would pit together and talk the race together, it was really something special that would last for several years. It's been 40 years ago now and we still talk at times and remember all the fun we had. And did we ever, the weekend and the race was everything, it was what we worked for during the week. It was just such a great time, most of us can relate to special times in our lives that brings us to certain joys we experienced.

We need to be thankful for such times, for we should be careful, not to expect too much out of this life. I mean that in the sense that we look to it to be our fulfillment. The Puritan Thomas Watson speaks of this life as a mixture. We do not experience this life without mixture, but it is mixed or mediated with good and bad experiences. The next life will be without mixture, Heaven will have no evil, and Hell will no good whatsoever. So such times that we enjoy are to be received with thanksgiving or at the least gratitude.

Too often our focus becomes entirely on this life, this morning on the way to church we met a man on a bicycle riding the main highway. He was dressed in the best bike gear and you could tell he knew his business. He was giving great detail to his health and well being, extending great effort to strengthen his body and lengthen his life. As we passed, I wondered how much effort he was putting into his spiritual life, the one he would meet at the end of this one.

This past week I watched a tribute to a great motocross hero from my era, I remember having his pictures posted on my wall as a boy at home. He and his wife were killed this year in an off-road riding accident. He was a multi-time champion and lived a great life. In the tribute, he was heard saying how much he was enjoying his retirement. He was enjoying his home, his family, his dogs, all was so good. He commented, “What else is there?” I can only hope he and his wife had not expected too much out of this life, for this one is now over for them, they are faced with the next one that will last for all eternity.

It is difficult, especially when we are young, not to grasp for all this life can offer. As one beer commercial use to say, “Go for Gusto!” The problem with what this life offers is, once grasped, it cannot be held on too. Regardless of our strength, we only find it slipping through our fingers in the end. I can recount numerous accounts of people I have come across who related to me how successful they had been in life. However, they were now alone and in some fashion or another had lost it and living from day to day waiting on a monthly check from the government. Even if they had retained it, for many have, in the end, it will slip away.

The man or woman who lives for God and takes whatever lot they are given in life with thanksgiving and purpose are in much greater peace. Their hope is in heaven, and the earthly joys are but gifts in this life from a wonderful heavenly Father. As they fade away there is no loss, for their eye is on heaven and hope of that which is to come.

(Mat 6:33) What you should want most is God's kingdom and doing what he wants you to do. Then he will give you all these other things you need. (ERV)

(Ecc 1:1) These are the words from the Teacher, a son of David and king of Jerusalem.

(Ecc 1:2) Everything is so meaningless. The Teacher says that it is all a waste of time!
(Ecc 1:3) Do people really gain anything from all the hard work they do in this life?
(Ecc 1:4) People live and people die, but the earth continues forever.
(Ecc 1:5) The sun rises and the sun goes down, and then it hurries to rise again in the same place.
(Ecc 1:6) The wind blows to the south, and the wind blows to the north. The wind blows around and around. Then it turns and blows back to the place it began.
(Ecc 1:7) All rivers flow again and again to the same place. They all flow to the sea, but the sea never becomes full.
(Ecc 1:8) Words cannot fully explain things, but people continue speaking. Words come again and again to our ears, but our ears don't become full. And our eyes don't become full of what we see.
(Ecc 1:9) All things continue the way they have been since the beginning. The same things will be done that have always been done. There is nothing new in this life.
(Ecc 1:10) Someone might say, "Look, this is new," but that thing has always been here. It was here before we were.
(Ecc 1:11) People don't remember what happened long ago. In the future, they will not remember what is happening now. And later, other people will not remember what the people before them did.
(Ecc 1:12) I, the Teacher, was king over Israel in Jerusalem.
(Ecc 1:13) I decided to study and to use my wisdom to learn about everything that is done in this life. I learned that it is a very hard thing that God has given us to do.
(Ecc 1:14) I looked at everything done on earth, and I saw that it is all a waste of time. It is like trying to catch the wind.
(Ecc 1:15) If something is crooked, you cannot say it is straight. And if something is missing, you cannot say it is there.
(Ecc 1:16) I said to myself, "I am very wise. I am wiser than all the kings who ruled Jerusalem before me. I know what wisdom and knowledge really are."
(Ecc 1:17) I decided to learn how wisdom and knowledge are better than thinking foolish thoughts. But I learned that trying to become wise is like trying to catch the wind.
(Ecc 1:18) With much wisdom comes frustration. The one who gains more wisdom also gains more sorrow. (ERV)

May God bless,

David

The Widow Maker

 

This week will be a continuation of last week's post and looking at the second bike in consideration. In so doing we will take a look at the Widow Maker as some have named it, we just called it the big hill back then. Folks said it was 300 feet to the top, probably not, but it made for good bragging rights. The year was 1978 and the bike was a 1977 Honda MR 250cc Elsinore.

First the Widow Maker hill, it was the main attraction in the Burton's Branch recreation area for those looking to prove their manhood, or perhaps for those who were slightly over-intoxicated. I suppose I would have found myself in the first category. I was a Senior in high school and was feeling an intense need to prove something. As a right-handed young man, I had two left hands when it came to doing anything in sports, especially if it involved handling a ball of some sort. My highest achievements with ball-playing were bench-warming and water boy. Kind of humiliating for a high school Senior. I had over the years acquired a certain amount of talent for this dirt bike thing. I had been asserting this ability in public displays (showing out) whenever possible.

Trying to draw attention to myself, I would pull stunts whenever I had an audience of one or more. Things like riding standing up on the seat while going down the road. Squatting down on one side of the bike like the cowboys when riding by. Riding with my feet and legs over the handlebars, riding wheelies, anything for attention. So you can imagine what a lure climbing this big hill would be to my ego. I had already attempted climbing it on several bikes, the Honda MT 250cc, CR 125cc, and the CanAm 125cc.

It would be the Honda MR 250cc Elsinore that would accomplish the job and put me over the top. My best friend and I had skipped school that day for the purpose of climbing that hill. It took several tries but the victory was finally mine. It put me in quite a unique group, however, to my surprise no one seemed to care. I had no pictures and no one seemed to know what a hill it really was. I tried to paint the picture as best as could, using lots of color, however, it never brought me up to the level I thought it would.

As to the bike, I didn't particularly like it. It felt too soft and you kind of settled down in it when sitting on it. The big metal fuel tank was awkward and in the way, one needed to be real careful in a certain tender area when riding it. However, it did have loads of torque in the little engine, I suppose that was the greatest advantage I had that day.

It was a new bike that never looked the same after that day. It was also the last bike my Dad would buy me, we had gone to Creasy's Honda in Lexington and traded in another bike I had. I have never really understood my Dad's generosity in buying me all those bikes. I never asked for them, it was always his idea, one of which I was very okay with. We had gone through some hard times with his drinking and this may have been away for him to kind of makeup for that. He and I never talked about that much, I just understood there were going to be times that the drinking was going to happen.

Looking back on that day I easily recognize the insignificance of it. Most things in life are that way, on the front side they seem so important, then when we achieve them and look at the back side, they are mostly disappointments. The Scripture speaks of it this way: 1Co 9:25 "All who compete in the games use strict training. They do this so that they can win a prize—one that doesn't last. But our prize is one that will last forever." 

1Co 9:26 So I run like someone who has a goal. I fight like a boxer who is hitting something, not just the air.

1Co 9:27 It is my own body I fight to make it do what I want. I do this so that I won't miss getting the prize myself after telling others about it. (ERV)

Proving ourselves to be men, testing ourselves seems to rest in most of us. Manhood and Womanhood are both to be sought after, yet we must look for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood. There is more to being a man or woman than a physical physique. It is the inner man that proves our character and who we are. The steel and fortitude of which we are made. Sense of duty, personal holiness, control, and restraint of our passions; these are the most difficult achievements to make.

Eph 3:16 I ask the Father with his great glory to give you the power to be strong in your spirits. He will give you that strength through his Spirit.

Eph 3:17 I pray that Christ will live in your hearts because of your faith. I pray that your life will be strong in love and be built on love.

Eph 3:18 And I pray that you and all God's holy people will have the power to understand the greatness of Christ's love—how wide, how long, how high, and how deep that love is.

Eph 3:19 Christ's love is greater than anyone can ever know, but I pray that you will be able to know that love. Then you can be filled with everything God has for you.

Eph 3:20 With God's power working in us, he can do much, much more than anything we can ask or think of.

Eph 3:21 To him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus for all time, forever and ever. Amen. (ERV)

The concept of the Gentleman and the Lady is almost lost to us. The lines between what it is to be a man and a woman and how we relate to each other are blurred. It was at one time just doing what is right and proper. As our culture has abandoned the Gospel our idea of just what is right and proper has been lost in the fog.

In 1978 I was looking to be a man and prove something, it needed to be more than a big hill to climb. I needed to look to my character, my own purity of life which was only to be found in Christ's righteousness and His Grace. Had I been looking to the Gospel it would have formed in me that Gentleman, I would have found my identity in Christ's righteousness and not in my own efforts. All that we seek in this life of any lasting value is found in Him. He has redeemed at the Cross our brokenness, our sin, and purchased true life and peace not only in this life but in the life to come.

What we need to prove has already been proven in Him, all we needed to achieve He has achieved. Put our trust in Him and Him alone and we will be real men and real women.

God Bless,

David

1976 Honda MT 250cc

Before we move on from last week's post into the motocross years, I want to talk about a couple of other bikes I have owned. The first one is this 1976 Honda MT 250cc Elisnore. These bikes were dual sport bikes and not intended for any serious competition. However, they were pretty good bikes and with a few modifications could be made into something that was quite formidable to reckon with. They had a good feel about them and carried motocross type handlebar grips. They could be ridden harder than they were really intended to be by design which made it possible to break them. I broke the frame on mine just below the engine case where the semi-double-cradle frame came together. I don't know what the steering rake was in degrees but it felt long when riding. They were durable and made great trials bikes.

There are a lot of memories that come along with this bike. Two things occurred on this bike that had profound effects on my life. I was around 17 years old and Don Buckingham invited me to go with him to Brutons Branch and ride one weekend. Back then one could ride all day on the trails at Bruton's and never cover the same one twice. Don was a little older than I was and already a seasoned rider and racing in competition events. I was thrilled that he would invite me to go riding with him, and it may have been my first of many trips to Brutons. I don't remember for sure what he was riding, I think it was a 125cc DKW which I hope to talk more about sometime. Whatever he was riding, we rode that day as I had never ridden before. At the end of the day, I was so tired when trying to load my bike, I fell off the trailer, bike and all. Don was kind enough to load it for me, I was really that exhausted.

This could have been partly due to a small malfunction I had with the bike. I had removed the lighting on the bike to make it more trail-worthy, however, I had left the wiring in place. Some of the electrical wiring going to the rear tail light came loose and became grounded to the bike's frame. When we came to water crossings and the bike became submerged, that electrical ground would give me a shock as the engine magneto charged with the engine rpm. It was so intent I began having leg cramps I couldn't understand, I finally realized what it was by noticing it was every time I would cross a creek. I got Don's attention and we removed the electrical ground, but not before some serious shocks to those leg muscles.

Two things followed, I realized that day I enjoyed riding to the extent that I was going to commit myself to it. And that commitment would create a conflict that would trouble me for nearly two decades. I had also committed my life to Christ at 13, I was now 17 and I was being challenged in my faithfulness. I remember when I told my Mom I was going riding that Sunday with Don, she questioned me, “David, what about Church”? I remember the prick I felt in my conscience, but this was so important to me. I had to choose that day what was most important to me. I did, and it bothered me. I was able to put it aside and forget about it pretty soon. However, after that day, I had to keep making that choice over and over again.

I understand going to church doesn't make anyone better than someone else, it is simply what Christians do. They enjoy being together especially on the Lord's day for worship.

"Act 2:46 The believers shared a common purpose, and every day they spent much of their time together in the Temple area. They also ate together in their homes. They were happy to share their food and ate with joyful hearts." (ERV)

It's not about being good, it's about the Lord's Day. It is called the Lord's Day, not David's Day. Our nation used to take this seriously, that is why there was a thing called the blue laws. As our heart grows cold, our devotions wane. Today Sunday is just another day for ourselves for the most part. Mow our lawn, play at river and party, and a hundred other ways to amuse ourselves. There are times our jobs and life, in general, keep us from Sunday Worship. But this was simply me desiring something more than my commitment to Christ and my local Church.

Over the years as I began racing, I would try to compromise and reconcile the two together. I tried attending Churches near the tracks where we raced. I would find whatever church was closet to the track regardless of the flavor and stop for the morning service and then out to the track. One of the churches started calling us their motorcycle friends. Sometimes I would have to miss practice depending on how far out the church was. This little bit of sacrifice helped pacify my conscience to some degree, but I knew I was not being faithful to my local church. Years later I would even try making gospel tracks and distributing them at the race. I suppose this may have looked pious to those who knew me, but it was only an effort to soothe my stinging conscience.

I discovered I was not the only one troubled with this conflict within the sport. Steve Wise was a professional racer who had won the Superbikes race on ABC's Wide World of Sports. He had become a Christian and started a ministry having Bible studies at races. One year he was at the Amateur Nationals and Julie and I attended his meeting. I asked about how we should deal with this issue of racing on Sunday and staying faithful to our local church. Several at the meeting expressed their concerns as well. He struggled with his answer for a few minutes, then finally conceded that it was very difficult to do.

It seemed he may have made an impact upon the sport, for a time a few stepped up to the plate and began having prayer and speaking a few words of exhortation on Sunday mornings before the race. I even notice now that the boys on TV are mentioning the Lord or the Man up Stairs in their interviews. Apparently, someone is trying to minister and provide some type of fellowship within the sport. The things of this world will continually test us in our commitments to Christ. I won many trophies over the years, only to finally haul most of them to the dump and throw them away. What I thought was so important at first, turned out to be nothing more than a trip to the dumpster in the end. I did keep a few, they are stored in the attic, guess I still couldn't let go of it completely.

The Lord was gracious to me during this time, though he pricked my conscience, yet he still used this time of my life to create life long friendships with people I would have never have met otherwise. I am grateful to Bathsprings Raceway for their effort to race on Saturday night. I remember one rider who had given up racing because he had become a Christian and did not want to miss being at his local church. But he would come and bring his family and race at Bathsprings Raceway. Bath springs gave him an opportunity to enjoy the sport he loved and gave me a chance to see someone faithful to their commitment.

Thanks for reading and hopefully you found something encouraging,

David

"1975 Husqvarna 360cc CR"

I had one of these Husqvarna's for a very brief time, I mention it because it was next in line and things were about to change. The year was 1980 and Bathsprings Raceway had begun. This was going to be the beginning of something that would place a mark in our memories and we would still be talking about it near forty years later.

Bath springs Raceway had run their first race, I had taken the Ossa and realized I was going to need a motocross bike. I found one of these locally, I think it was 1975 360cc CR.

I owned this bike for such a brief time my memory is quite foggy on the details. After talking with my Brother we remembered it had a problem. The bike's engine would seize up when it got hot. Apparently, the engine had been rebuilt and the cylinder bore tolerance was too close. I only remember racing it once, most likely it was the second race at Bath springs. The second one or later, it most certainly was Bath springs, for it was the first time I would meet a guy by the name Gene McKay. I was fixing to get a lesson in motocross, however, it would be a very brief lesson.

You need to understand, until now, as much as I loved riding, for the most part, my experience had been trails, gullies, and gravel pits. Like I mentioned above, things were about to change. I thought I could ride one of these things pretty well until this day. We lined up that day, I think it was perhaps a rubber band start, some of the older Motorcross guys will remember those. This guy Gene had been exposed to the larger world of Motorcross and had obtained skill and experience our local guys did not have. Gene made us look silly on the track lapping us during the race. I personally had never seen anyone ride like that before. Gene faded out of sight after a while and as we all progressed through the years, Gene's ability became something more to be strived for rather than amazed at, but for this time he was pretty amazing in our eyes.

I realized if I was going to do this, I was going to have to change. What I had been doing up until now had not prepared me for this. A halfway effort and an old bike was not going to get me where I wanted to be.

Lacking experience and exposure left me without really knowing what I needed, I just knew I needed something more than I had to be competitive at this. I found this old bike and it was Motorcross, I didn't understand yet how quickly these bikes and this sport was changing. I discovered after trying it I wasn't any better off than I was before. Excluding the engine problem it already had, Motorcross had advanced beyond what this bike was capable of being, it wasn't going to be competitive in the sport. Beyond that, I was in need of much personal improvement to be competitive on any kind of bike.

The suspension on this bike was way under par, along with the power and the general feel of the bike. I just couldn't get a grasp of it and feel comfortable with it all.

It is like that in our lives as God moves us along. In His Sovereignty, he governs the affairs of men. We stand back and wonder at times why certain things happen in our lives. Yet, each event is a link that leads to another that in the end brings us to His purpose. It has been said, “The same Sun that softens the butter, hardens the clay.” These events in our lives take us one way or the other. While one event may soften the heart of one, the same event hardens the heart of another. Would we not do well to check our hearts? Are the events in our lives leaving us hardened, or are they breaking us in humility? The answer we find may tell us the direction our life is going.

Exo 9:34 And when Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunders were ceased, he sinned yet more, and hardened his heart, he and his servants.

Gen 50:20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive.

Heb 3:15 While it is said, To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as in the provocation.

We are all passing through this life with our various experiences, for some of us, the trip is shorter than others. We do not know how long our path will be, so we must make the most of each moment we are given. For some of us, the path will seem harder than others, this may seem a bit unfair, that is only because we cannot see past our moment into the end game. This old Husqvarna really didn't seem to add anything to me, however, it was a place for my feet to stand for a brief moment while I got my bearing in this small world of Motorcross I was living at the time.

We need not think the insignificant places of our lives mean nothing. God in His Sovereignty is working all things for his purpose, it is for us to trust Him with who we are and where He has placed us. To be content with the life and lot He has given us. Let us not allow things in our lives to harden us, but rather soften us into the surrender of our lives to Him and the Grace of the Gospel He has offered.

Even if we losing everything here leads us to the gain of everything in Christ, then glory be God!

Rom 8:26 Also, the Spirit helps us. We are very weak, but the Spirit helps us with our weakness. We don't know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit himself speaks to God for us. He begs God for us, speaking to him with feelings too deep for words.

Rom 8:27 God already knows our deepest thoughts. And he understands what the Spirit is saying, because the Spirit speaks for his people in the way that agrees with what God wants.

Rom 8:28 We know that in everything God works for the good of those who love him. These are the people God chose, because that was his plan.

Rom 8:29 God knew them before he made the world. And he decided that they would be like his Son. Then Jesus would be the firstborn of many brothers and sisters.

Rom 8:30 God planned for them to be like his Son. He chose them and made them right with him. And after he made them right, he gave them his glory.

Php 4:11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content.

Php 4:12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.

Php 4:13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.

David

1975 Ossa 350cc Super Pioneer

If I could go back and get only one bike that I owned over the years, it would be the Ossa. Simply because it was so much fun to ride. It had a great feel, you would sit on top of it, much like the new motocross bikes today. I don't like a bike that saddles you in, I like to sit up on top of it. This was the most comfortable bike I ever rode, the suspension was awesome for the time. The frame was strong and the tank, fenders, and side panels were all fiberglass. Add to that aluminum rims, shifter, brake peddles, and levers, with a low center of gravity it felt very light. The white fiberglass and orange trim made it the sharpest bike I ever owned.

The Ossa engine was a tractor, power delivery was like truckloads of torque from bottom to mid-range. The top part of the RPM range was a flat as a 50's hair cut, however, because of the torque you could shift early and quick and go surprisingly fast on this bike. This power delivery made it easy to ride and very controllable. My memories on this bike are all good ones. It was the first bike I ever raced in competition. I rode it in my first and only enduro, which is a timekeeping type of racing where you try and complete sections of what usually is a 100-mile course in a specific amount of time. If you are early you get points deducted, if you are late you get points deducted, the target is to Zero the checkpoint.

I had wanted to race since that first disappointing evening that occurred with the Honda CR125cc Elsinore years earlier, so I hacked out a trail on our property and organized my own race. I was at a great advantage having designed the track myself which resulted in my winning one of my own trophies that day, hey, at least I had raced and now had a trophy, I think I still have it in the attic. This is the Ossa pictured, I am to the far right holding that infamous trophy. David Eason is next to the left, then Dennis Galbraith, and to the far left is Randy Dickson. David and Dennis are on Hercules 175cc's and Randy is on a CanAm 125cc.

A few years later Bath Springs Motocross would begin, as they had their opening race, this would be the bike I would take. I didn't have a motocross bike at the time so I took the Ossa. It was truly a wonderful bike. It did have one huge flaw, the clutch design used a worm gear to push the clutch plates apart. The gear device was located in front of the engine sprocket. Dirt and mud would get compressed into the worm gear and the already hard to pull clutch action would become almost impossible to pull in. You would just take both hands and pull it in, shift in first, after that you just shifted without the clutch.

If I were to relate anything about the Christian life to this bike, I suppose it would be the flaw. No matter how well we may attain in our walk in the Christian life, we are all flawed. I have come to realize when the worm gear is getting full of dirt and making life difficult, it takes work to keep it clean and working smoothly. The Christian life is not easy, it takes work to walk it. Sin clings to us like mud and can cause us to lose our race if we neglect so great a Salvation.

In working out that Salvation, we may contrive in our minds a great design we think will bring us to the winner's circle. However, flawed as we are, we can never make the mark. We are never able to bring any works to God that are good enough to bring us any merit whatsoever. In other words, we are never able to bring God into dept to us, meaning he owes us anything for the work we bring. The great news of the Gospel is that we come to Him empty-handed and trust only in His Mercy and work of Grace on our behalf through Christ offering on the Cross. I rode motorcycles and worked hard to improve my performance out of sheer love of riding. Our good works in this life must be of the same, done out of sheer love of Christ and the joy of serving Him.

(Wherefore, let us also, seeing we are compassed with so great a cloud of witnesses, cast away everything that presseth down, and the sin that hangeth so fast on: let us run with patience the race that is set before us.) Hebrews 12:1 (1599 GV) The worm gear will not clean itself, it takes Grace, Prayer, and a longing to walk with Him to keep it clean.

Php 2:12 Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

Php 2:13 For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

May God bless each of you,

David

1974 CanAm TNT 125cc

This is my 1974 CanAm TNT 125cc, it was completely different from the Honda Elsinore 125cc. I owned them both at the same time, the Honda was of a motocross design while the CanAm was designed for off-road woods and cross-country riding. Amazingly, the little CanAm produced power comparable to that of the Elsinore with it's Australian designed Bombardier engine. The Bombardier used a unique rotary valve design for fuel delivery supplied by a Bing carburetor. The plastics were of good quality, which included a plastic fuel tank.

It sported several innovations that were quite impressive for the time. The already mentioned rotary valve was one, but you also had quick-adjusting snail type chain adjustment, aluminum shift lever, and a unique fork mounting system that allowed you to change the steering rake which caused the chassis to turn better in the turns or increase its stability over high speeds.

It was a very comfortable bike to ride, though considerably heavier than the Elsinore by design. The tank and fender decals wore off quickly, so I took an SOS pad and removed what was left. The result was the all-white bike you see here.

The bike had a six-speed transmission and a very smooth clutch. The seat was plush and comfortable, which also nustled you up next to the tank and put you in a good riding position. The bars were steel and chromed, which were common for that era. It bosted steel footpegs and brake peddle, and shifter. The Bombardier engine was a two-stroke design with an oil injection system. It had a unique oil reserve for the two-stroke oil inside the frame tubing underneath the fuel tank. For some reason, CanAm decided to put a silencer on the end of the exhaust that was huge and shaped like a tea kettle. This bike was a blast to ride, carried a lot of unique features, and was just an overall excellent bike. I would put it in one of my favorite bike categories.

I suppose in our youth we are searching for an identity, motorcycles became mine. I posted their pictures all over my walls at home, put their brand patches on my denim jacket, and even had a biker doing a cross-up wheelie designed in my class ring. It was what I thought about, it was what I talked about. We see people like myself a bit eccentric about their earthly interest, yet, when we see someone take Christ for their identity in such a way that it's all they think about and talk about, many times we label them a religious fanatic. Must we not consider, how much more is Christ than any earthly pleasure? Motorcycles gave me a lot of pleasure, through them I met many wonderful people and developed many long-lasting friendships. I am very thankful for all they brought into my life.

However, there is much more to life than friendships and pleasure, life is not always kind to us. I have crossed some difficult bridges in life, though friends helped, they could not give me lasting peace and hope. I find that only in Christ. It is through the scriptures I have come to understand no matter the lot in life I have been given, there is hope in Christ. There is lasting peace here on earth and the hope of Heaven where all that evil and ugly about this world and myself will forever vanish. The light of the Lord and the Glory of God will shine forth forever.

2Co 5:13 For whether we be beside ourselves, it is to God: or whether we be sober, it is for your cause.

2Co 5:14 For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:

2Co 5:15 And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.

May God bless you all,

David