Consider one of my heros, Gaston Rahier (5 foot 5 inches/ 1.65meter) 2 time world MX Champion and top tier offroad competitor from Europe to Africa to even Baja California. This guy was epic his ego was 10 feet tall as was ability to back it up. PS being sponsored by Penthouse magazine was fairly cool as well
Not taking anything away from him, but wasn't his "prime time" (such as the pic above) when seat heights were 4-6 inches lower than they are today?
I lowered my TE250. I feel much more in control. I only have a 27" inseam and ride primarily single track in Utah forest. I had to be able to dab in this type of terrain. I did this to my KTM 350 before I bought the Husky, so had it done before I ever rode it.
I lowered my TE250. I feel much more in control. I only have a 27" inseam and ride primarily single track in Utah forest. I had to be able to dab in this type of terrain. I did this to my KTM 350 before I bought the Husky, so had it done before I ever rode it.
I met Gaston at a 125 world championship round in 1977. I was 15 and about the same size, though I don't think he was even 5'5" It was at that event that I first saw this running in the 250 support class Nobody believed me about that rear suspension until years later when the internet came along and I was able to find pics and prove it Fortunately I got my growth spurt shortly after that year and shot up to the lanky 5'6" that I am today
Ha! I was at that same event, Mosport. I didn't meet Rahier, but I remember him in one section. Downhill, off-camber u-turn, back up. There was the barest rut/berm and he rode it perfectly lap after lap, both feet on the pegs like he was on rails. Made time on everyone there. Saw lots of heroes of the day for a few years in the seventies with Trans-AMA and GP events at Copetown, GPs at Mosport. Off topic, but my dad got a photo of Heikki Mikola crashing at Copetown. I sent it to Motocross Action and it ran in the March '76 issue. And I neglected to mention that I was just submitting, that it was Philip Eastman who should have had the photo credit. And the $10
Those were the days! I remember one crazy weekend when me and my Dad and two of my friends decided last minute to go to a world championship round in St. Gabriel de Brandon Quebec. I was 14 or 15 at the time and had to drive all the way back because everybody else was either too drunk, or still hung over. Got to see Roger DeCoster race that weekend. The club I (still) belong to put on those Copetown events and I ran some of them in the late 70's. Those tracks were incredible. Real motocross!
I saw Gaston up close and personal in 1985 at the Baja 1000. That was the first of 9 Baja 1000's I competed in and our team was in the same class as Gaston and Eddy Hau's BMW entry. Well, we were in the same class on paper,(riders over 30) but were not even close to the same class talent wise. Gaston and Eddy won Class 30 and were in the top 10 overall and only beat our team by about 12 hours. Yeah, it was a real dog fight of a race between us right up to the time the Starter dropped the green flag to go...
