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