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