1978 Castrol Six Hour Production Bike Race - Amaroo Park - Pt1

[@natasnatas9581]

These races aired on NZ tv when i was a kid.They gave me my lifelong love of bikes,especially the big jap fours.still ride today.k100rs 1991 bmw.and a 1999 yamaha xjr1300 in my stable!!!

[@maurodigiovanni1082]

Solo motore ! Con il posteriore 4,00x18" e 100 cv. Fantastico che fegato ! Le moto erano delle baracche, ma i motori sprigionavano 🐴 🐴 e i piloti erano coraggiosi ! Bellissimo tuffo in un passato che torna presente. Grazie da Roma Vallelunga !

[@Dallas-Nyberg]

Ah, those were the days.... absolutely loved the 6 hour - bikes, basically, off the showroom floor.... it was sad when it came to an end... fond memories of my misspent youth - lol

[@acotrel1]

Thanks for that ! Good to see people like you uploading stuff about our road racing history, it is important. Keep up the good work.

[@xjrsommsi]

Real Heroes!!!!! I had an XS 1100 back in the days- can´t believe that lean angles and corner speeds like these Masters are doing would be possible with the old bus. Top blokes, that!

[@kramrollin69]

Great series and racing, certainly the manufacturers didnt expect their bikes to be ridden like this when they made them. This racing was carefully watched by manufacturers. Amazing how these big bangers were quite a big faster than the so called sports bikes like Ducati 900ss etc. Sadly Greg Pretty (XS1100) died in a motorcycle accident on the road, 5 years ago in the Adelaide hills. He went a bit wide on a corner and hit a car apparently. RIP GP.

[@fluffybilly]

Really good stuff, THANKS! What I miss about the 70's apart from the bikes is that girls wore T-shirts, tight T-shirts, ah memories.

[@aidanB.]

Watched this in the theatre in Douglas IOM in 1979. TT week of course. Happy days.

[@robertharrold4214]

We went fucking mental one tt in that same building. i should document it probably for future generations.

[@xjrsommsi]

AWESOME STUFF, Mate!! I had a XS1100, ´79 vintage, many years back...neverever thought anything near like this footage could have been done with the old dinosaur. Especially with the tyres back in these days. 101% ridden by the heros- 200% respect from me!! Thanks for uploading, great stuff!!

[@f3aok]

I had a CBX back in 81. Cant imagine doing anything like that on it though !

[@asd36f]

Riding one of those behemoths for 6 hours around Amaroo Park would be like running two 26 mile marathons in your backyard!

[@BaffledApe]

This is great! Thanks for posting :) All my dream bikes of that era, stock. Amazing! And real old school riders with balls! No 6 axis ABS on those monsters ;)

[@jonnyslide8794]

Great race Ron, Jonny Pace and i got 3rd in 750 class & 7th or 8th outright :))

[@leesmartin]

So good to watch this racing again. Greg Pretty was my hero back then, and met him only a few years ago by chance at a friends party (who I think is in this race, John Inkster). RIP Greg

[@petergrundy8081]

Geeezuss the bikes are just look like a huge lump of metal on wheels great racing

[@williamschroeder3070]

A treat to see the big bore bikes from back in the day; but I was hoping I see a little RD mixing it up with these guys :)

[@alancotterell9207]

Very pleasant. It is as if it was yesterday.

[@benjaminknight1045]

👍

[@lucatimer20khz]

Fantastic race...😍😍

[@catzepplin]

I had a'78 GS1000 brand new in '78. All my buddies with their KZ1000's and CB900's and other brands got their asses kicked in the corners when we were street racing.

[@samueladams1775]

I had one as well. Best handling bike of 1978 in the 1 liter class. I would beat the kamikaze and hondawgs every time.

[@billmago7991]

Thank you ABC

[@stevegriffiths5364]

Great days...Fantastic bikes. My dream has always been a Kawasaki Z1 900. But it will never happen now....memories

[@Stu-SB]

One can be yours for 25 grand plus 😂👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

[@stevegriffiths5364]

@@Stu-SB 😂🤣😂

[@vmaxmadness]

1.1 was a great bike. In the 70's and 80 Rod Gray kicked ass with a chain conversion model here is South Africa. Heaven knows how they got it to handle.

[@kurtmartin2580]

I had a 1978 gs750 with a kerker header.She was a good old girl.My brother own's it now.He also has a katana 1100.I have 3-Fz 750's and a 1970 custome chopper

[@kenharris8743]

Those seats on those bikes were so big it look like you're right there living room sofas around !

[@philipcooper8297]

Great footage...

[@stevedriver1476]

I remember when 750,s were the fastest bikes in the 6 hour, these big late 70,s bikes are next level, Its a shame bikes from this era dont get restored like the cars of the same era do. You still see these bikes in wrecking yards in pieces, Imagine seing a GTHO in a wrecking yeard or an XU-1 torana in 2024 being wrecked out and cut up.

[@Australian_Made]

👍

[@pachma405]

I used to have an XS1100, it wobbled all over the road. I never imagined, even in my wildest dreams, that anyone would take one onto a race track. Amazing.

[@aaronbauer9127]

Got one now, cafe style. Gutted to the basics. 1978. I have always feared my bikes. I have never been scared of one. This one I am. Fastest thing I ever put between my legs.

[@joeyflett8675]

I've got a '79 XS1100 and I find the weight makes her much more stable than the liter bikes now. She doesn't have ABS or any of that sort of thing but I respect her power and she's good to me.

[@brucekirk5386]

Because ur a puss lol

[@fredblogsmac.5697]

i had one too , i used to rush from one g,friend to another at top speed lol

[@gcrain464]

I had the 750 little brother when I was 18. It was rock solid and very quick.

[@peteraustin370]

Far as I recall...a Suzuki 350 won this race on at least one occasion...!!!!!

[@dos9167]

I'm a yank rider who just lives (over in Castle Hill) a few miles from Amaroo. Been here since '99 and it seems I missed this great Aussie track's heyday...such a same. Great superbike racing here. XS, CBXs I assume the Kawasakis were Z or maybe even KZs.

[@Bluepilled-c5t]

Amaroo was decent track for being only 1.9 km. Feels longer than that because it had an interesting layout.

[@C_71]

And I thought I was crazy for trying to ride like this every time I've ridden a bike like this!

[@BMC1100]

Fantastic. Thanks for posting.

[@andrewshore262]

Wow bikes I remember so well, I owned a 750kz back then the first Honda twin cam 16v 750 but I always lusted after the CBX 1000 for a short time it was the machine until it was eclipsed by Suzuki and Kawasaki

[@keithmckeith]

Back when motor sport was entertaining! The big Yamaha mauls the duc900ss and cbx Honda!

[@AuMechanic]

Great days- good old Amaroo, raced there 350 imp tourer LC in about 83 - remember it like yesterday, I was from Vic so didn't know the track - off the bat a "push start" instead of "clutch start", mine started on a dime so I was off in the lead bunch of about 30 starters, up the hill right kink then then cant see over the horizon, suddenly everyone tips if left and we go around the cutting then frig me they all tip it right and we go downhill, I was all over the place like a mad shit and lucky I didn't get clipped - so settle down on the back straight , right kink and then arrive at right hander ok and downhill, oh gee that's steep, braking late not an option and then down along the lake we settle down again - a wall there, oh frig there's a dip before the wall, back end is way light into the right hander and its two wheel drift toward the wall, oh frig me - a short straight to cough my tongue back up and then through the zig zag hazard and on the straight again - never forget that first lap of Amaroo, and its all gone now for houses, sad.

[@marshallman1au]

AuMechanic A nice little track .... LOVED watching it on TV .... It was my favourite of all time .... :'(

[@vincentbeijing6926]

Great story!😊

[@tonypate9174]

JUST WOW !! LOVE IT

[@boidavey1]

Great viewing brings back some good memories would you know where I could purchase a dvd or video of the 6 hour racers. cheers

[@fw1421]

I had no idea anybody raced a CBX. It was so wide and pencil thin fork tubes.

[@thomaselliott573]

Great footage. I would never have suspected this existed. Christopher Modiano is a fool.

[@wotri]

thx a lot for this great vid

[@bolderiks]

People in the 70's were just as no nonsense as their bikes were. What was your pre-race plan? Greg Pretty with the heaviest bike in the race: to run as fast as we can!

[@marklyons287]

I wonder if there's any kettles running in the 750cc class

[@Meridean_]

That CBX sound it's just " oh god, that's so orgasmic ".

[@deborahchesser7375]

I had an H2 scare the shit outta me LOL. Those CBXs ,what a bike. I can’t imagine man handling that XS1100 Yamaha, wow

[@spillarge]

Great to see these bikes being raced

[@johncavar2914]

Beasts 👍🏼

[@spartacusthebringerofrain3007]

The only thing more surprising than how superbikes looked is how slow they are running compared to 90s era racing

[@pauledmonds3249]

Imagine doing that on CBX 1000? Utter heros the lot of them. Skinny tyres, shit suspension, bikini fairing. lol. Lunacy.

[@brucekirk5386]

Paul Edmonds you forget the most important thing... GIANT BALLLZZZ

[@hudsonhawk0016]

My friend had a CBX and I agree. I rode his bike when I had my 86 VFR and it was pretty much a sled. They must have shaved a lot of weight off that thing to make it corner like that.

[@alanlee8018]

Most with NO fairing; just a number square. And no runoff areas. Takes a legend to win on a touring barge.

[@mySelf-yx4hw]

Australians are strong people, take an Yamaha XS1100 and go and race it ?? you have to be a very brave man with a very big pair :-)

[@donsblignalt3704]

Rod Gray in SA formula1 class in 80s ran 280k/h under the Dunlop bridge old Kyalami on a modified chaindriven 1.1 Yamaha

[@raleeuw]

In sevetees ,in The Netherlands we have standard races ,look the same great video 👍👌(The 17 tumbs down are car drivers😜👎👋

[@teamsp21]

Exellent !

[@marklyons287]

F**k knows how old matey's throwing that Yamaha XS1100 about like he is my uncle had one about 20 years ago & it was massive like a bleeding whale with 2 wheels. Love the Suzuki GS1000.....

[@norbertpecheq3427]

It must be a big adventure to race on those big,heavy,thirsty bikes with weak frames and poor brakes...Hut down ,tough boys!!

[@petty4433]

トニー・ハットンとマイク・コールの両名にお目にかかれたのは幸せ。

[@fortj3]

1:47 That burnout. :)

[@Buelligan88]

Not a burnout. Looks like an engine ate some oil.

[@KATHLEENANNETOD]

thanks

[@agylub]

How Croz approached every track - “ which way do you go round and what’s the lap record?”

[@CJModiano]

Seriously? Something tells me Valentino Rossi wouldn't be afraid of one of these things.

[@secretaryharpsoctas4950]

You're right. He was in the habit of taking a fast blast on a Yamaha XJR 1300 because it was powerful, heavy and had no rider aids.

[@racebends]

Is that leading bike a 6 cylinder?

[@Biggus63]

Yep, Honda CBX 1000. He was leading until near the end when a pit stop to change a brake pad went on a long time. Watched it live on telly.

[@fredblogsmac.5697]

i had a Yamaha X.S 1,100 some machine

[@captainkaos1770]

I had a look at a katana 1100 the other day while my cbr1000 f was having a tyre fitted the thing was mint but my god those tyres looked like they were stolen of a child's pram. these guys had BALLS racing these old girls

[@AuMechanic]

+Captain Kaos Sure did, the bike in my icon was my Katana Superbike built by Mick Hone and had Akront laced rims to take wide slicks.

[@leesmartin]

I owned a 1000 Katana with the Akront rims (have owned a few 1100 Katana's), yet sold it years ago, only to find out much later on that it was one of the Suzuki factory racebikes. Gutted! Was also told that the new owner crashed it, then converted it to single shock and GSXR front end. I'd love to find it again

[@AuMechanic]

Mine was a 1000cc, sleeved down from 1100 due to max capacity regs back then at 1000cc 4 stroke.

[@brucekirk5386]

Captain Kaos it's TIRE

[@mrfahrenheit3867]

Croz you beauty mate

[@AuMechanic]

XS 1100 we called the Excess Elephant.

[@lr882027]

Brilliant - never heard that one before!

[@keithmoore5224]

I had a xs 1100 back in 79 rode it to its hard 1000 miles pr back tyer rode it all over europe had one custom built side car outfit 250 ooo thousend miles never let me down made a very long swedish style chop got best in show faro now retierd thailand ( yammie uk biker)

[@jimmyjackass1805]

Where is all the Kawasaki's.

[@larryduvall9475]

you could go fast on these old bikes the xs1100 was very fast

[@jordanjoestar8839]

I just bought one and yes, it is extremely powerful

[@archiebeech5427]

freaking TRUCKS. Sheezus...

[@glennw.4570]

That's when men were men.

[@BornAgainCynic0086]

I still have a Willoughby MCC Sweatshirt

[@benjaminknight1045]

👍

[@brucekirk5386]

Great race great bikes..but why do I hear folk flutes in the background lol

[@clarkm4200]

I worked in Suzuki, Yamaha and Honda dealerships. The XS1100 and XS750 were the worst thing going round. Unbreakable but just pigs. The GS1000 was as solid as a rock..the CBX was the quickest and coolest but a bit fragile engine wise. Id have a CBX all day long though.

[@queenslander954]

Yea sure mate , if the XS1100’s were pigs they must have been pretty amazing Pigs to win so many production races in the 1970’s as well as the biggest race in the Castrol 6 hour , especially around such a tight circuit as Amaroo Park

[@superbikebox]

Super Geil

[@stevepercival4774]

Feel the power at 12.42

[@TheHandymanQld]

What, no GL1000 Leadwing? ... I used to own one ('75) and would scrape the foot pegs every chance I got.

[@fhp2b]

Only 6 hours? Bah, that ain't endurance. Guess they had to modify it so the non Japanese built entries could survive.

[@glennw.4570]

Let me see you wrestle one of those beasts for that long.

[@triffidgrower]

You're right, but you don't know it. It was a six hour sprint and taken very seriously by manufacturers due to the extremely high standard of scrutineering. No doubt that events such as the Six Hour raised manufacturing standards and development of both the bikes and tyres. For a club run event it gained prestige all over the world. Well, everywhere that mattered.

[@johncavar2914]

Those were the days ..big bore ..most carburettor except the BMW ? .. Kawasaki 900 Mad Max movie 🎥 machines .

[@irvhh143]

Thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours in prep. Run 2 or 3 laps and park it. That's racing alright.

[@stephenwalsh8184]

🏍👍

[@jarnosaarinen4583]

Bitupave Hill and Honda thats two left handers!

[@sebastianm.8383]

at these times tuners like british Rickman or swiss Egli made these bikes driveable on a race track....

[@ともゆきこうきょう]

ＣＢＸでレースしてるの初めて見た！

[@johnpiggins4288]

That Honda 6 looks awkward now, doesn't it?

[@hudsonhawk0016]

My friend had one, I think it was a 1980 model. It was silver, box stock CBX with no bags or any of the other bullshit they started bolting on them. It was a beautiful machine.

[@stevewalters7645]

Where Z1?

[@peterfallows6802]

I don't think the R was about ❗❕

[@amuktadir1991]

U donn’t get that transmission.

[@mercoid]

Not sure what the rules dictated but wouldn't it be advantageous to have stripped all nonessentials from the bikes to lighten them? Reduced tire wear, less rider fatigue, better fuel economy... etc.

[@MartinHone]

mercoid Had to be showroom stock !

[@robertharrold4214]

akin to racing horses home drunk in earlier times possibly.

[@stuarth43]

amazingly poor commentary, compared with today. my first bike last of the Norton 650ss, last bike k1200gt bmw, this lot, snails

[@peterkoning21]

In my youf, I so wanted an XS1100 Yamaha but a shit, arrogant salesman, slagging of a youngster(me)forced me to buy a Kawasaki 100ST ....which I never regretted !! Good days !!

[@BlkEkEx]

@4:28

[@Thouveninpascal]

La gueule du circuit, une chute = hosto ou cimetière.

[@MrSmegfish]

Heavy metal.....you could take 40.50 kg off these bikes

[@masugatabenkei]

スピードメーターが生きてるくらいだから保安部品外しただけのノーマルバイクで競争してるのね。面白いね。

[@TICKFORDNZ]

www.thbunker.com Great vid.

[@grahamneale9228]

1'47 - that's probably a z900 smoking

[@kasperkjrsgaard1447]

graham neale Actually it was the Yamaha that had been overfilled with oil.

[@apachecatcat3495]

Why they were attempting to ride the Honda CBX and Yamaha XS1100 shaft is mind boggling. All KZ900, KZ1000 or Suzuki GS a much better choice. Not sure on their rules but on this track an RD350 Yamaha or TT500 Yamaha would have been better against those big turds