Remember ABC's Wild World of Sports Superbike races?

Old-Man
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9/9/2017 10:50pm Edited Date/Time 9/22/2017 7:02pm
This still is one of the better battles between Steve Wise And Danny Magoo Chandler.
I remember watching this like it was yesterday. No idea why the sport dropped off. Used to watch it regularly with Wardy and Henry going at it.


Enjoy

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steed 2.0
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9/9/2017 11:40pm
20min Well Spent... 'Thanks For The Memories' Smile
Mr. G
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9/9/2017 11:57pm
Oh yes. 500 2 strokes on street tires with Gods riding them. The motocrossers always dominated.
philG
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9/10/2017 1:43am
It dropped off because they tried to turn it into supercross and alienated the rider base... i rode the AMA in 2003 and had a deal for 2004 but when they pulled in the ex Pro SX guys, they killed it for everyone else.. waste of time being 2 secs faster on the tarmac than Ryan Hughes when he can pull 5 back on one jump. I spoke with Jurgen Kunzel last year about it, he won and said the tracks were getting daft, rhythmn sections and step ons and step offs are not for supermoto.. in europe there is no jump i wont do 15 years later, but i watched Langston almost finish himself in Vegas coming up short on Urbancross. I only just got lapped in a 20 min race in Laguna at the first round and it was a sub minute lap, by the time we got to Vegas all the regular guys were wasting their time and money even entering. At the last AMA in Trois Riveriers the reigning British Champion got lapped because he wouldnt do a 120 foot triple... was worth 5 seconds a lap... he wont be going back.
9/10/2017 6:04am
The Carlsbad track made the original Superbikers race what it was. Watching Graham and Springer hustle those heavy 750's around, was one of the highlights for me.









The Shop

ATKpilot99
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9/10/2017 9:35am
philG wrote:
It dropped off because they tried to turn it into supercross and alienated the rider base... i rode the AMA in 2003 and had a deal...
It dropped off because they tried to turn it into supercross and alienated the rider base... i rode the AMA in 2003 and had a deal for 2004 but when they pulled in the ex Pro SX guys, they killed it for everyone else.. waste of time being 2 secs faster on the tarmac than Ryan Hughes when he can pull 5 back on one jump. I spoke with Jurgen Kunzel last year about it, he won and said the tracks were getting daft, rhythmn sections and step ons and step offs are not for supermoto.. in europe there is no jump i wont do 15 years later, but i watched Langston almost finish himself in Vegas coming up short on Urbancross. I only just got lapped in a 20 min race in Laguna at the first round and it was a sub minute lap, by the time we got to Vegas all the regular guys were wasting their time and money even entering. At the last AMA in Trois Riveriers the reigning British Champion got lapped because he wouldnt do a 120 foot triple... was worth 5 seconds a lap... he wont be going back.
That is too bad . I don't know why they need to litter it with those kinds of obstacles . I tell you what though , I have great respect for the way you guys ride tarmac....backing it into a turn after going triple digits would scare me more than the jumps I think.
Moto Mofo
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9/10/2017 12:01pm
philG wrote:
It dropped off because they tried to turn it into supercross and alienated the rider base... i rode the AMA in 2003 and had a deal...
It dropped off because they tried to turn it into supercross and alienated the rider base... i rode the AMA in 2003 and had a deal for 2004 but when they pulled in the ex Pro SX guys, they killed it for everyone else.. waste of time being 2 secs faster on the tarmac than Ryan Hughes when he can pull 5 back on one jump. I spoke with Jurgen Kunzel last year about it, he won and said the tracks were getting daft, rhythmn sections and step ons and step offs are not for supermoto.. in europe there is no jump i wont do 15 years later, but i watched Langston almost finish himself in Vegas coming up short on Urbancross. I only just got lapped in a 20 min race in Laguna at the first round and it was a sub minute lap, by the time we got to Vegas all the regular guys were wasting their time and money even entering. At the last AMA in Trois Riveriers the reigning British Champion got lapped because he wouldnt do a 120 foot triple... was worth 5 seconds a lap... he wont be going back.
That sounds about right to me. I watched the race in downtown Dallas the first year that series started, and then a few years later (either the last year, or maybe next to last) spectated at another one in Galveston. It was absolutely amazing how much the sport of Supermoto had changed and evolved over that time frame. The Galveston race had a pretty massive rhythm section with a full on, SX size triple. The old moto guys looked great, but it gave others fits. The coolest part about those races when it all started, everyone battling it out came from different disciplines and had different techniques. MXers, road racers, flat trackers, European supermotard heros, offroad racers, etc etc... that was part of the appeal to me, it kinda brought everyone together to one type of event. Too bad it died off, I still believe Supermoto has a lot of potential, if the right hands got involved with promoting it.
endurox
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9/10/2017 12:15pm
We got to do a few amatuer races on the course along with the moto track and back country trails. Was a lot of fun.
philG
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9/10/2017 1:45pm
Moto Mofo wrote:
That sounds about right to me. I watched the race in downtown Dallas the first year that series started, and then a few years later (either...
That sounds about right to me. I watched the race in downtown Dallas the first year that series started, and then a few years later (either the last year, or maybe next to last) spectated at another one in Galveston. It was absolutely amazing how much the sport of Supermoto had changed and evolved over that time frame. The Galveston race had a pretty massive rhythm section with a full on, SX size triple. The old moto guys looked great, but it gave others fits. The coolest part about those races when it all started, everyone battling it out came from different disciplines and had different techniques. MXers, road racers, flat trackers, European supermotard heros, offroad racers, etc etc... that was part of the appeal to me, it kinda brought everyone together to one type of event. Too bad it died off, I still believe Supermoto has a lot of potential, if the right hands got involved with promoting it.
Well that was the whole point of the sport, bring all the disciplines together, Road Race, flat track , motocross , desert race etc, and give nobody an advantage, so you could root for your guy, and your sport.

The first AMA at Laguna was a decent track, in the space they had, off road was a two line turn, a bit of a stepped tabletop, and a wave section, followed by two flat turns, and back onto the asphalt, turn 1 was a turn onto dirt , but it was pretty grippy, i broke my foot the week before, but seeing as the flights were paid for and people were putting themselves out, i came over, qualified easily for the open main, and missed the 450 by 1 in the LCQ, on a Cycle News supplied CRF450 , there were 10 factory KTM riders some doing both classes , Doug Chandler Kurt Nicoll, Benny Carlson, Chris Carr, Chris Filmore , and a bunch of other guys, plus Wardy and Mcgrath on the TLD Honda's .. i was the only person there i never heard of, the racing was great, i made the mistake of moving over for Nicoll on the last lap, as i got blue flagged, and Carlson and Chandler passed me, i though it was a 3 way battle for the lead, cost me a top 10.

When they bought supermoto to X games, the guys who helped me out in the US were involved in sorting riders, most of the AMA guys were asked, and i was sounded out as an alternate, my guy said there was a bike available, and if there was a no-show or bail out in quali, i would be good to go, but it was a lot of money, the start was on an MX style gate , and it was going to be on TV, and i didnt want to be 'that guy' who everyone wonders why the hell he is out there... it was a good call. I think they got Kenny Bartram in for the spot.

For a regular Joe like me, i got to race bar to bar with Scott Russell, I passed Ryan Hughes ,straight up, and raced Ward. Mcgrath, Langston, Everts, Schwantz, Chandler, and the like , because thats what the sport was supposed to be about , and if you were fast enough , you got the chance.

This is the biggest race of the year , run at Mettet in Belgium , each october. this is from last year's 30th anniversary event, i rode it for the 15th time, and did the 8 hour Live Freecaster feed commentary for the main race day .

Supermoto is alive and well in mainland europe.


moore433
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9/10/2017 7:15pm
Old-Man wrote:
This still is one of the better battles between Steve Wise And Danny Magoo Chandler. I remember watching this like it was yesterday. No idea why...
This still is one of the better battles between Steve Wise And Danny Magoo Chandler.
I remember watching this like it was yesterday. No idea why the sport dropped off. Used to watch it regularly with Wardy and Henry going at it.


Enjoy

I use to love watching that on Wide World of Sports.. was cool to watch!!! I liked those races but never cared for super moto...
GuyB
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9/10/2017 8:25pm
It was actually Superbikers, not Superbike. Smile
jeffro503
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9/10/2017 8:41pm
Remember these very well. Still have them on vhs. Awesome!!
Johnny Depp
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9/11/2017 9:01am
These races were so awesome. One of the highlights each year. TV coverage was only so so, and it was kind of like X-games for the 70's, made for TV only. Thanks for the post.
Johnny Depp
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9/11/2017 9:07am
I was there in '82 in the Astrodome when Steve Wise won the TT on the Superbiker's derived bike.

If you want to talk about electric or 2t 4t not safe on the track with each other, you don't even want to think about how different it was with Steve on a modified MX bike against twin cylinder pigs from Harley, Triumph, Yamaha and more. Those were the days!

Chandler was awesome, but Steve was probably the king of Superbiker's. Kent Howerton is right in there.



anniebertmojo
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9/11/2017 9:50am
I was working for PC in 85 and I remember going to American Honda to pick up this CR500 for Magoo. Payton built this bike (I believe Dave Carter did the cone pipe to Payton's specs) and off we went. The 1st time we tested it the radiator wings were bending out like 180 degrees due to the air forcing them out lol, hence why they are cut down. Note to the cut-down XR500 front fender to improve the "aero' package. Fun times back then as a teenager.









motomike137
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9/11/2017 10:15am
It was one hell of a concept and really entertaining the first couple of years. I believe it was meant to be a 2 wheeled version of the old IROC series for cars. You could never make something like this happen in this day and age. And holy hell Magoo was born to ride that bike in that race. The move he puts on Wise when Wise looks over his left shoulder and Danny goes around him on the outside (right) is just gold! Honorable mention to Graham and Springsteen for putting up the fight that they did on their Harleys.
Alex.434
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9/11/2017 10:52am
Yeah PhilG nailed it with his posts. The 'Rebirth' in the USA during the 2000's went totally nutty with SX style sections that ultimately killed the sport.

One of my buddy's did the whole 2004 season and he was a top top roadracer (like show up on a club bike and top 10 a National) and a very good mx guy. No pro fast but like local track 'hey that guy goes pretty good' fast. He stopped doing supermoto because the jump sections were insane and dangerous.

I still watch European supermoto, which is going strong, and they haven't deviated from the base idea. Dirt sections that pretty much anyone can do! This allows for the cross-discipline guys to all be on more even footing and more importantly, allows weekend warrior racers to fill up the grid.

I'd be one of those weekend warrior guys. I could podium on my motard roadracing in Expert/Pro and in local MX get top 10 in C Vet. At first I was pumped when the Supermoto Nationals came to the area as I'd enter and 'give it a go'. Went to the track, saw the supercross sections that would be tricky on a damn MX bike and said 'yeah no'. And I was one of the better dirt guys within our roadracing supermoto club where we had 40 guys roadracing supermotos! I think out of our 40 or so motard guys only a couple entered the Supermoto National due to the crazy dirt sections.

Too bad. Still a good little scene in Socal for Supermoto (where I live now) but not like it was.
Johnny Depp
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9/11/2017 11:44am
It was hard to find a photo, but I remember the aluminum portable jumps they used with rubber on top for the AMA series. I'm assuming this is some of the sketchy stuff?

philG
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9/11/2017 1:23pm
Mike Metzger,Mettet 2002, who is returning to AMA Supermoto at Sturgis, on 'Wild Bill's' CR500 , that had its gearbox drain plug wedged in with a bit of wood.


Mcgrath and Ward at Fontana, last but one turn, Pro Main, March 2003, with me behind , lap down after a crash with Scott Russell and Jimmy Lewis. was about a 40 second lap, so i wasnt far off, think i was 9th when we went down.

10 minutes after this pic was taken , we were on the freeway to LAX to catch a 3.30 flight, the Main started at 1pm


KDXGarage
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9/11/2017 11:19pm
Thank you for posting that. That was great!
kzizok
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9/11/2017 11:54pm
Man those were so cool to watch on the Wide World of Sports! Although, I think it would still be cool to watch today's riders do s Superbiker race, Im glad that they didnt try to change it into something else and just stopped it all together.
Robgvx
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9/12/2017 1:20am
See, I've been telling you that Phil knows his stuff....
Bearuno
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9/12/2017 3:40am
I guess I'll cop heaps for this but:

I do wish, somehow, Supermoto could have retained the 19inch Flat Track wheels, instead of the 17s.

When I ride my mates Short Circuit set up bikes, with, generally, 19s, they seem so much better than Supermotos I've ridden with 17s. On the dirt, especially so, and when it gets rough / there's any jumping to be done. I've (fairly happily) ridden them on MX tracks, wheras you could not pay me enough to use 17s on them.

Yes - it's entirely logical for 17s to have become, long, long ago for Supermoto the standard. 'Superbikers' morphed into Supermoto through the Europeans / Brits really taking it on / re-birthing it. Plenty of 17" wheels / rims tyres available.

Yes, I know I'm being an old curmudgeon ......

The Euros kept Superbikers going, with the yearly Guidon D' Or (I know I mis- spelt it) where riders / champions of all types would have at it, and it spread from the success of it. First, they had the Flat Track sized wheels, but rapidly went to 17s for the 'logical' reasons I put above.

philG : I assume you've ridden at that Bulgarian / Romanian / Wherever it bloody is, Supermoto track that had the tar whoops, jumps and berms? The place looked incredible, but hell, the carnage when a few pranged on it was full on.
smezmx
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9/12/2017 3:52am
I got some pics
























ns503
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9/12/2017 3:58am
It was one hell of a concept and really entertaining the first couple of years. I believe it was meant to be a 2 wheeled version...
It was one hell of a concept and really entertaining the first couple of years. I believe it was meant to be a 2 wheeled version of the old IROC series for cars. You could never make something like this happen in this day and age. And holy hell Magoo was born to ride that bike in that race. The move he puts on Wise when Wise looks over his left shoulder and Danny goes around him on the outside (right) is just gold! Honorable mention to Graham and Springsteen for putting up the fight that they did on their Harleys.
Gold - yup. Also gold was the pass when he ran it right up along, and almost into the end of, the guardrail on the outside - frickin gnarly, he was absolutely flying.
Ted722
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9/12/2017 7:33am Edited Date/Time 9/12/2017 7:33am
If there was factory and energy drink support, who would be the riders that would perform the best today? The top flat trackers on the Indian 750? The moto guys on 450's? The road racers on who knows what? I still think back to Eddie Lawson and his win in '83? What a performance.
BobbyM
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9/12/2017 11:41am
Weren't the Bostrom bros kicking ass at one time doing this shit?
JBecker 72
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9/12/2017 12:21pm
This thread makes me miss my Husqvarna SM450R. I never did any racing, but did hit the local kart track until they shut it down to bikes. So instead of $40 track days, you had to pony up $150+ to ride one of the smaller tracks the sport bikes and cars run on. Then a lot of the track day groups started banning SM bikes due to "closing speed concerns" meanwhile nobody gave a shit about the noob doing his first trackday on a Ninja 250 who was 20 seconds a lap slower.

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