Bigwaveohs said:

My heart goes out to you. It's shocking and not believable I would think especially the day after. My best friend / cousin ...really more my brother actually passed away in bed from heart problems Aug. 15, 2011. On the day before we went riding and had a great time riding with friends and laughing and teasing. We had a blast and he was gone the next day. He was 47 and had no signs of a bad heart beforehand . I figured I had more risk with diabetes and a couple of stents. It's stunned me and I am still out of it a bit. We just have to appreciate it all because it can be gone in a second.

I guess I don't want to end this post with a downer . I am back to riding since riding and racing since I was 7 then taking a 10 yr break ..then coming back to riding in the late 90's..almost 52 now. I rode a few times in between but I don't think those count. I love riding and it's my therapy and love. I don't drink or gamble or fool with women or drugs...or anything else . Riding out into some hard trails and racing around is simple and is the only fix for me now. I'll hit some hare scrambles and enduro type stuff. I am off the mx track although I am tempted. I am lucky . I never considered myself an old timer but everyone else I ride with is younger than me so I've been voted in the position. We are all lucky to do what we do.:ride::thumbsup:

knudsen said:

Yep...Kadena....motorcycles were dirt cheap over there. I remember at one point my dad had a CB360 (street bike) that he ended up putting nobbie tires on it and taking off road on the beaches.

We lived there for about 4 years and then my dad got stationed state side where he eventually retired. Funny thing is both my sisters were born at Clark AFP Phillipeans.

hx35w said:

:thumbsup:

hawaiidirtrider said:

At least it happened the day after and not the day before. How are you going to remember him? Riding and laughing and having a good time. Sure beats wasting away to nothing, in my opinion.

Old timer? What?
I rode an sl-70 and yz-100 in the 70's. Now I ride mostly trails but
have done multiple 6 hour, 12 hour and 24 hour races in the Wa desert.
I love it more than EVER.

If you want to look back at some great adventures pick up a copy of Rick Sieman's book Monkey Butt! It's based on Dirt Bike Magazine's "From The Saddle" and it's hilarious...

Burnrider, on 16 November 2003 - 10:34 AM, said:

I also rode the sandpit and Halls many times. I was the parts manager at San Jose and Santa Clara Honda back in the 60's and early 70's. Rode a CB160 in the 200 class and a CB77 in the 350 class. I had a CB77 road racer for AFM events and a Honda CR110.

I had some great memories form Halls Ranch upper and lower tracks. Use to love watching little Philly ride the Bultaco and Kenny Dalla ride a Cl77 with a 350 kit in the 40 inch class. I raced a CB160 Honda in the 200 class (did pretty good too) rode a Honda because that's where I worked. I was parts manager for Santa Clara Honda out on Stevens Creek road. I also rode a CL 77 in the 2350 class at Fremont, Hayward and other tracks around the Bay Area.
Aloha
Jim Wulzen

Jim Wulzen, on 08 February 2012 - 11:54 AM, said:

Ken Dalla, Philly Cancilla and Allan Dye (Brook's Cycles) were a few years older than I was. Unreal to hear from guys who saw the first cut of "On Any Sunday" in a theater. The Bay area had a lot of track riding (as SoCal did) before it got built up. Serious racers trucked to Ascot for weekend racing. In old Almaden (Almaden and Curtner) we took off right out the house for the RR tracks to head south, or even toward Story Rd. Jim True was burning up a tire for hillclimbing with his Harley. Jim retired from the county and still rides last I heard. It was a fun place to grow up. Good to hear from you Jim. If you remember Pipelyne, Dino is still there manufacturing anything the Chinese have yet to copy.
They built on all the land- we didn't own it, but they can't take the great memories.

Quote

Rollie's a great rider. Makes it look easy, even on mountain trail systems. You have so many good years left to beat the hell out of old-timers it makes me sick.

Bigwaveohs, on 20 October 2011 - 03:52 PM, said:

Thanks for the tip... I'll check it out.

To answer the question "Where are all the old timers?", we're still out there, at least most of us. I responded SOMEWHERE in this thread long ago and one thing I remember suggesting....TAKE PICTURES of your events, your buddies, your activities. I was always so dang busy getting ready for races, or even long trail rides with the guys, I never thought of taking a camera. And it's soooo much easier now than years ago with digital cameras. I'd give anything now to have pictures of my buds out on the trails, taking a break, sitting BS'ing out in the middle of nowhere. So...

TAKE PICTURES TAKE PICTURES TAKE PICTURES.