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

1974 Honda Elsinore 125

This is a 1974 Honda Elsinore 125, I can't find a picture of my original, however, it was just like this one. It was my first introduction to a full out race bike. I was around 15 years old and my love of motorcycles had already grown to a more than healthy measure. I had found I was not very good at sports, at least anything that was played with a ball. Yet, I was discovering I kind of had a knack for this dirt bike thing.

I was close to my Dad and doing something that impressed him was important to me. Admittedly, I didn't mind demonstrating (ok, showing out) in front of anyone else either. Getting my hands on a bike like this went a long way in accomplishing both those goals. These things were fast for the time, lightweight with aluminum fuel tank and components and top-grade plastics. Aluminum rims were special then also. The power was awesome for a 125cc machine and was delivered at the top end of the rpm range with almost nothing from bottom to mid-range, which made it kind of hard for plain Joe to ride. Made me feel kind of special.

The feel of the bike was awesome, it set low and snuggled you up close to the tank. The bike was narrow and felt very light. The front forks were a bit small and could be damaged if pushed too hard, however, they were as much as one would expect for the era. The rear suspension worked very well for bikes of this era also, I busted both shocks on mine, but I pushed it pretty hard.

I could not get enough of riding it, every spare moment I had I devoted to it. I rode this thing to death! Dad built me a practice track at the house. It had a couple of sweeping turns in an old pasture with one large terrace I was able to go up and down. We had a friend with a tractor and blade come over and make a few small jumps in it. The rest was just switched back turns. One area was low and stayed wet most of the time. It became very rutted and so rough I bent the front forks on the bike hitting the ruts and holes so hard. During this time I became acquainted with Steve, he came to our school and had a passion for dirt bikes like myself. He had one of those treasured German DKWs! We became lifelong friends, I was riding with him in the Pine Co. (we weren't supposed to be on the Pine Co., but it was a good place to ride) and I completely destroyed the engine on this little bike.

There was a race track in Perryville TN, some of the older folks may remember it. My Dad took me down one Saturday and let me ride on the track. I absolutely love it! The jumps were awesome! The turns were banked and it just had a (real) feel to it. The guy at the track seem to be somewhat impressed and told us I would do pretty good. It was going to be my first experience with racing, and I was looking forward to testing myself against the other riders in the competition.

However, on the weekend of the race, my Dad came home drunk. He was a wonderful Dad, but he like the rest of us was far from perfect. He had a drinking problem that was an embarrassment to me. It was something he would struggle with for many years before coming to the Lord. After his conversion, he was certainly a different person, wonderful to see what the Lord did for him. He would continue to struggle with things as he grew in Christ, but the change in his life was indisputable.

However, this weekend was not going to go well. He still wanted to go, but I refused to go with him like he was. Some strong words were exchanged and he finally picked up my riding boots and helmet and said if I was too chicken (****) to go race he would do it. He loaded my bike in the truck and left. Of course, he didn't go race it, probably went back to the joint. He never mentioned it again, it kind of went like that with him. I don't know if he remembered the conflict his drinking caused in our family or was embarrassed to talk about what happened. That evening endeavor would put an end to my start at racing, it would be several years later before that opportunity would come again.

The struggles in our lives are real, they leave their memories and sometimes their scars. But they make us who we are, and if we yield them to God, we are the better for them. It is strange that the ones who love us the most often hurt us the most. It is the result of the fallen creatures we are, yet, as the struggles are real, so is the Grace of God even the more real to deliver us to His intended purpose for His own Glory. As I look back on this evening in my life, at the time it seemed to be a profound disappointment. But in the large scheme, it was just a difficult day that came and passed. The struggles my Dad had made the Grace of God even the more glorious when the time came that he would profess Christ. He was able to be a part of my racing years later when finally I did get a chance to test myself.

Hope you enjoyed the story and found something useful and perhaps a memory of your own surfaced.

God bless,

David

1973 Kawasaki 175cc

This is a 1973 Kawasaki 175cc, I had one of these around 1974 to 1975. It was the next ride in line after the 1972 Honda SL 100cc my Papa Bivens bought me. I remember the Big Feel it had as compared to the little 100cc Honda. It delivered much more power with the 175cc two-stroke engine than the little 4 stroke Honda did, which was a new thrill. However, I quickly discovered the Big Feel made it more difficult to ride. It was considerably heavier and the chassis was much wider, making it much harder to handle on trails and those old red clay gullies I had been riding. It was a lesson in the order of bigger is not always better, just enticing to the ego. Not being a quick learner, I purchased a Hooker header pipe that made it even wider and even less comfortable to sit on. I accomplished little more than making it louder.

What lesson can I learn from this little memory? I quickly discovered we all seem to have a natural tendency to become bored with everyday life. The old saying, “It always looks greener on the other side of the fence” has true meaning laced within it. Once you get over there you find little more satisfaction than you previously had. I changed bikes, however, in reality, I change very little in life. I only managed to make the things I was already doing more difficult.

We can do this as Christians, as our church or congregation become commonplace to us, it is easy for us to be attracted to a bigger church or a church that appears to have some exciting things going on or any number of other reasons. We begin to imagine how much better it would be if we were there, being we are just bored with our little church as it is. How many of us have changed churches only to find little has changed, perhaps we only accomplished making life a bit more difficult.

Change does come to us as Christians, but it need not come from emotional enticings. Change comes in our lives in the order of growth in our knowledge of God and His Providence, which moves us along His path to accomplish his purpose, not because the grass looks greener to us somewhere else. My eye for the moment became enticed by something other than the pure joy of riding. My desire for something bigger actually took a bit of the joy away. Beware of everything big and blue that comes your way in life, it may not be what you think it is.

David

Php 4:11  I am telling you this, but not because I need something. I have learned to be satisfied with what I have and with whatever happens. ERV

1972 Honda SL 100

This is my first real motorcycle, a 1972 Honda SL 100cc. After riding my 2.5 hp Hornet mini-bike for a couple of years I was dreaming of a real bike. I was already posting all the pictures I could find of motorcycles in my room and talking about them constantly.

One Saturday, Dad and my Papa Bivens and I went on an adventure. Papa had decided to buy me a motorcycle, Dad was going to help supervise the purchase. We first went to Parsons TN, to a small shop owned by Tony Medows that sold Hodaka motorcycles. If you don't know what those are, do a search, kind of interesting. I was ready to take one home, but Tony told my Dad if I had never ridden a real bike before I probably needed to start on something else, these were not for beginners. So we left with me hoping our adventure wasn't over yet.

I was thrilled to discover our next stop would be Woods Kawasaki in Lexington TN, I remember going in and seeing a big Red Kawasaki 100cc hanging from the ceiling, I was ready to cut it down and take it home. As we questioned about it, my Papa didn't like the idea that it was a gas oil mix two-stroke. So we left again and I was beginning to notice things were not going as I had hoped, I still didn't have a motorcycle!

We made one more stop on the way home, Creasy's Honda in Lexington. On the showroom floor was this green with Yellow emblem SL 100. Yep! I liked green! It didn't burn oil mix and my Papa knew Mr. Creasy somehow from their past. They were talking like old friends, the next thing I knew we were loading my dream into the truck.

I can still remember my first ride, how it felt to release the clutch, it took a couple of tries to get it rolling, Wow! It was every bit as exciting as I thought it would be! NO, it was more! I stopped at the end of the driveway and fell over trying to turn it around. My Papa had them put some crash bars on it, so the bike never really hit the ground. I made a track (path) in the field in front of our house and rode the wheels off it. Around and Around the circle I went and soon I was off the field and riding through the woods. I rode and rode and got better and better as I put what I was learning into practice.

I think our Christian life is like that, we are so excited when we first begin our journey, but many times we don't make it to the end of the driveway till we have fallen down. But as we get back up and keep putting into practice what we have learned, the walk becomes perhaps not easier, but more perfect. I rode because I loved to ride, the Christian continues to walk the Christian life because he loves Christ. If I constantly said I love motorcycles but never cared to ride one, I would be deceiving myself and others. It is the same with the Christian walk, to say we love Christ and care little about perfecting our walk, we are deceiving ourselves and others.