Motocross Stories
40 years of motocross adventures and many more to come!
Traction eRag
What is the Traction eRag?
Irreverent, authentic, the dirtbike magazine you’ve always wanted. Either you get it, or you don’t.
What’s an eRag? It’s electronic and it’s a rag, you know, a shitty magazine. Inside you’ll find strange characters, ridiculous rides, brutally honest reviews and questio...
The Death of My 450
The Death of My 450. Looking back now, I really should have named this "The Crushing of My Soul" as my spirit was hurt a lot more than the bike was. I suppose the best way to explain why it was so soul crushing, is to write about what I went through to get that bike.
Summer of 2012 is when the cru...
So many reasons not to ride
I just spent a winter restoring a bike and the results are fantastic. Why not ride it?
On Tuesday I put new rubber on the wheels. This was the last stage and my plan was to come home, put the mounted wheels in the basement and then when I get back from my trip I will drag the bike outside and pu...
The first ride of the 1984 RM250 VintageMoto.ca Bike
Well, here is something a little different... perhaps a little nerdy.
I bought a Mac a while ago and started using iMovie. I am getting the hang of using it. I put this video together to document the occasion. The song I used is by Charles de Lint from his Old Blue Truck record. Thanks for the...
A new pair of shoes - Metzler knobby shoes
An exciting day today in the restoration of the 1984 RM-250 that I have been talking about non-stop . I acquired a set of Metzler MX5 tires and went and visted my friend Mark Hurst to install them.
When I think about Mark Hurst, I realize that he has been a very bad influence on me. He has cost m...
Power Puke Wheelie - Pat's Take
Ah, yes alcohol-per-dollar... what a brilliant plan for a couple young guys that spend nearly every nickel on motocross and getting to the races. In fact we had a way to get our Mom and Dad to help out on gas for these adventures. Our parents owned a tourist trap on the side of the highway that taug...
Excellent choice for the levers
I am quite pleased with how this turned out.
It is difficult to find a decent front brake lever for an old bike with drum brakes. Since 1984 almost every bike made has come with front disk brakes which means there is a master cylinder instead of a cable perch. To compromise, I put a clutch lever o...
Number 81 Rides Again
Today the graphics went on and I am number eighty one again.
I don't know what it is, but I just get so excited about this old bike. I didn't get this excited when I bought my last new one - maybe I did, I just forget.
Today I got the graphics and installed them. I decided that since this is a...
Time for the top-end
It is time for the top-end
Finally the piston ring has arrived, it was the last piece that I needed in order to assemble the bike. As you can see in the picture above, the bike is pretty close to completion.
I ordered most of the parts from Wheelsport in Ottawa. They are one of the Suzuki deal...
1984 Dirt Bike Magazine 250 Shootout
Here is something pretty awesome... I found this article on the web but I did purchase and read this issue in 1984.
I read every word several times over. Honda was the big deal for me back in those days- they could do no wrong. The Suzuki was picked as the winner for this shootout. I remember
...Pat's take on Mike's favourite photo
Being Mike's brother and close to his age, we were in separable growing up. That being said I was there for nearly every event that occurred around him in those days.
The following is my account of the days surrounding the "My Favorite Photo" story.
Mike's recollection and telling of the sto...
The alcohol-per-dollar ratio
No, we never did drink and ride but we did occasionally drink.
After a long cold Northwestern Ontario winter, when the sun comes close enough to the planet to melt the snow and ice and warm the ground, people of all ages tend to celebrate.
We grew up in an isolated part of Ontario, but it was al...
Assembly of my first project
Today I drove my brother Pat to the train station at fallowfield and now for the first time in more than a week I am alone with time to reflect on a fantastic week of Motocross, Music and Family. Today is also my 23rd wedding anniversary. Mrs. Vintage Moto is at work today even though it is Sunday...
Motocross Dreams from the Riding Stable
Photo credit: https://transmoto.com.au/throwdown-no-74-the-pass/
An English riding stable is not a typical breeding ground for a motocrosser. My parents parents wanted me to be a part of their dream of owning and operating a farm dedicated to their horses, however I showed no interest. A deal was...
Everything is a project
There are so many things that need to change to make room for a new hobby.
As mentioned before, I gradually but impulsively became a Vintage Motocross Racer. Well how hard can it be for a man with my background to get back into motocross? My early mid-life re-entry into the moto world in 2002 see...