@Aero, did you race at Loudon/NHIS a lot? I went to the Penguin Road Racing school there in the late-80s and earned my competition license so I could run in the AMA CCS series. I used to go down to Bridgehampton Race Circuit in NY, and Daytona, too. Guys used to go up to Canada and buy RG500s, NS400Rs, and RZ500s and then bring them back to the States and switch the VIN with US-spec bikes of the same make and CCs. Back then a cop had to verify the VIN, but most had no idea that a RG500 was a 2-stroke and that the VIN plate belonged to a GS500 4-stroke. It was amazing how many salvage titled wrecked bikes were "reborn and rebuilt" in my town! Man, I loved those GP replicas!
I didn't go very often as our series was a full season up here. I would forego two rounds up here to do one at Loudon, the overall costs were a lot more for me to go there. I went from '86 to '89 always towards the end of the year. And it was the CCS. My last race there was a Nodoul round in Aug '89, it was to be my final race racing my modern GP bikes as I was stopping at this point. Finished the weekend with a win so I was pretty stoked.
All your's and Joe's talk about those bikes is great, I lusted after Bimota's so bad growing up. I even went so far as to send a letter to Bimota asking if there was any way I could do my Tool&Die apprenticeship there at their machine shop, I would even learn Italian quicker than anyone ever, lol. Never heard anything back
I'm just a big fan of Italian and British motorcycles. They are in my families blood, my father and his sister are both named after motorbikes, Norton and Arial respectively.
I raced an NSR400 once, that was such a fun bike to ride. I also had a racing buddy with an RZ500 and we did an endurance race on it once as well. Lots of power but I never really came to terms with it's handling, it was a strange package overall. I only ever rode a Gamma on the street, but I instantly felt at home on it. Although you didn't see these bikes that often, there were quite a lot of them running around those days, and lots on the grid.
Who among sportbike lovers didn't lust after that RC30 when it came out! Unobtainable for my pockets. Gutter, do you still have your Senna? That is a beautiful machine, especially in that colour scheme. If someone gave me a choice of a sportbike right now, I would have an MV F3!
T/R (used to /still do?) a ride each year at different dealer locations around the continent. They came up to our area, i'm thinking 2005 but I'm not sure, my buddy has a KTM dealership and dirtbike shop so was home base. Each dealer could bring a guest or two and T/R would have special guests. When Woody told me Malcom Smith was coming, I literally begged him to have me as a guest so I could say I rode with him, but there were more important VIP that got the spots. However, I helped Woody set up for the event and did get to meet Malcom and have a chat, so that was way cool. In the dirt bike world that ranked right up there with meeting Bob Hannah and Roger DeCoster!
Oddly enough that bike was super comfortable. Comstar wheels were cool and the gang. I most regret selling my mint 86 VFR750F. Sold it to get the first 900RR to hit our dealer. Loved it but the VFR was a rare bird and a great bike.
