Rick Johnson The Big Interview Episode 1

[@deborahchesser7375]

Yet another example of why the 80’s were so great, I miss the riders, the bikes and the times in general terribly. 🐾✌️🇺🇸

[@rocket5106]

I remember when Unadilla was completely grass covered until the bikes hit the track and only had trackside banners to show the way,the bikes groomed the track back then 🇺🇸🏁😎

[@UseR459-z8x]

I remember those days as well. I wish they would go back to that track condition. Was a track for men.

[@darrencranford4061]

Yep. That was Awesome.

[@shanecade5942]

I remember 86 Washougal national jumping off the bridge into the Washougal River with Rick Johnson I was 13.

[@cbh148]

Rick Johnson’s my favorite rider, and I was born in ‘88. What a pro, and what a personality.

[@EarthSurferUSA]

He was the best in the world, no doubt. He looked great in Red, White and Blue. I was racing and 24 years old in 1988, and RH's personality won me over as a big fan too. But as I grew up and gained intellect, I find that Wardy was smarter. Boy, because of RJ's thinking, he sure got burned in the 1985 SX "world championship", (another failed FIM series) final race. His argument back then was, on a mic, that the new format should be tried to maybe use it for the rest of the racing---with the best in the world starting on the back row. Not very bright. I find mistakes in his thinking today. But he was the best in the world, and helped elevate the sport,--------------where a more wise Hannah left off. :)

[@teamflanneloutdoors5631]

I sure miss the 80's national scene, I could hang over the fence trackside and get roosted by R.J. Or Wardy as they battled at Red Bud. A national was like a homecoming for all the locals, you'd run into all the familiar faces you see at the big money amateur events. And the crowds and parking were much easier to deal with, and the track was not covered up in banners blocking views. That year of all 3 classes- 45 minute moto's- We never realized how good we had it.

[@EarthSurferUSA]

I raced there a few time, mostly the night track. Won a early grass race. I went there on national weekend during my riding and racing for over 22 years straight. Today, I can't stand the the EPA forced the 4-stroke on the industry, (no matter what the cost, which is plenty), and I protest the FIM taking over our racing, (started during the 2001 so called "promoters scandal"), and charging the track owners big bucks to operate a national, dictates how the track owners make the tracks, and control every dollar going though they like a communist nation would. $300.00 min for me to see the last national, 4 motos, with only a 4 hour drive? I guess I will never see a pro race again. I am not paying for this crap. Knock yourselves out kids. Doug in Michigan

[@DS-oi4wl]

Keep going with your involvement and with Swapmoto, Rick -- everything you can do to guide the sport is needed.

[@patd4u2]

I liked that interview, my dad lived in El Cajon from the mid-60s to the late 70s off Pepper Dr, on Wenatchee. There was a small hill they called Rattlesnake Mountain. He lived halfway up. We used to ride flexing fliers down that pothole old blacktop Road amazed we're not dead. I lived in Oceanside and my friends and I had old dirt bikes we would ride, went to a lot of CMC races at Carlsbad and saddleback and Arroyo Cycle Park, which is now a Glen Helen. First time I went to Carlsbad was back in 1971, my friend had a steel tank Penton that he raced in the 125 class, my single parent mom had no money so I just went and watched. first time I saw Marty Smith was when he was on the starting line on a monarch. Gary Jones came down one Sunday and all the kids were following him all around the track I was wondering how the heck can you take that. good memories.

[@EarthSurferUSA]

Nope. Great memories. :)

[@mauriciopapaleo4639]

Rick Johnson, The BEST. My hero , Maurício Papaléo #3 from Rio de Janeiro- Brasil

[@EarthSurferUSA]

3:14 What a great nostalgic picture of kids in the 70's getting into the fast growing sport of riding dirt bikes. Kids, we could afford it back then. That is not just a picture of a couple kids in So.Cal. That is a picture of all of rural USA. Dirt bikes to kids back then, was almost as popular as cell phones today. Man, that was a lot of opportunity. It all started with our freedom to do so, and a economy that can only be spurred by free enterprise, and not force. That pic is a pic of rural USA in the 70's.

[@carybobo]

I remember when I was 14 yrs old watching RJ win both nights in Seattle at the Kingdome. My buddy and I managed to sneak onto floor and hung out by the tunnel. Saw RJ there with his team personnel just a few feet away after the race. What an awesome experience to watch Hannah, Lechien, Ward, Holland, and others race that weekend. RJ and Lechien were the only 2 riders to do the triple. Awesome times!

[@joelatkinson2080]

Great video!!!

[@Pugman69420]

Cool interview and cool of Rick to do it

[@b.knutts2085]

Great interview, ,,my favorite rider. Oceanside to Otay Mesa. Chekkin in.

[@tonyengland9744]

For me HRC in 80's on proved to me Red Rules. Super Champion,HOF. thanks RJ.

[@chuckchambers9565]

Broc and Mark Glover were both incredible on a dirtbike.

[@EarthSurferUSA]

Are you suuuuuure? lol

[@EarthSurferUSA]

Oh, Broc had a brother named Mark, I now assume, before watching the vid. I thought you got Broc's name wrong. lol I guess I see to many kids posting stuff that they have no idea what they are saying. Sorry for my confusion. Now to watch the vid,--and there better be a Mark Glover in there! :)

[@Joe-pb3lx]

man, that was the fastest 14 minutes

[@Kawiboy]

Agreed 😉

[@offset24]

Loved Ricky! And also he’s the one I think that started the Bad Boy stuff and the cool clothes.

[@titsmcgee9610]

Parts 2 and 3 would be nice!

[@mrabrasive51]

For supercross the classes should be 200cc and 300cc..and make the tracks more technical instead of high speed groomers.

[@robertrishel3685]

Great ideas. Of course, it’s RJ for gods sake!! They should just bring back the traditional classes, 125, 250, Open. No handicap for two strokes, let them choose. Drop the big bikes from supercross, as RJ suggested, and run the 250’s with 125’s as the support class. Believe me, the factories will start building some very trick four stroke 125’s as a result. Or you could choose to run a two stroke, in any class. The top guys will still prefer the 250 four stroke over a two stroke, but let the choice remain, just as it always was traditionally. This is the way.

[@EarthSurferUSA]

I see today's "redundant" track designs for SX---the same as what we could do on a 2000 Motocross Madness video game track editor. Would love to interview one the the early track builders, who I believe started "Dirt Works", Mark Barnett, and hear what his opinion is.

[@richardaquino1640]

Tracks back then where more difficult and they where all on two strokes they spend a lot of time in the air today instead of pure racing that’s how they design tracks today motocross and supercross especially was way more technical.the longer motocross 40 minute motos would change a lot you had to be in great shape.

[@LongWeiner-x9y]

I think we should do 500 4s ....and do prototype series like motogp..just to see the crazy cool stuff they could create

[@EarthSurferUSA]

A good track design is a track that #1, separates the talent, (10 guys on the same second is not a separation of individual talent), and #2, design the track so both inside and outside lines in the corners, yield competitive lap times.

[@EarthSurferUSA]

The faster 4-stroke, (forced on the industry by a dictatorship called the EPA), did complicate those goals though. Because when you put a faster engine in a race machine, the tracks gets faster, and thus---smoother. To bad we think the EPA has the right to force what ever they want on an industry in the USA. Have you noticed, no EPA regulations are included for china as we gave communism our wealth making production that free people created in the first place? It is not about "saving the planet".

[@LeighDouglas-r1j]

I love 450 .. l love 250 and WTF 125 are sick as well but it's old school talking 250.. 2 stroke awesome 👌

[@sqd37l]

can't wait for the word "sick" to fall out of use. sounds idiotic

[@LeighDouglas-r1j]

Competition plus it was Huge .. today top 3 plus others pushing

[@sdb92]

I’m not really a 350cc 4T dude, but it’d be cool to have three classes: 250 (MX), 350 (MX and SX), and 450 (MX) like we used to in the ‘80s with 2Ts. I’m not sure l agree with the mid-race yellow flag, but like RJ says, one of them things AMA could try. Finally, yes, leave them racetracks alone! Especially, in MX. Like Wardy says “groom it the Monday prior to the Pro race and leave alone for the rest of the weekend.” And, when it comes to SX, yeah maybe groom as need it, like Ricky says. One thing’s for sure. Until our clueless AMA start making these changes them euros are gonna still be kicking our asses in our own backyard…Embarrassing!

[@ronaldtravis970]

RJ 🤘is still the Man 👍

[@davidciesielski8251]

Wow! holy bananas is that guy smart!!!

[@EarthSurferUSA]

Sometimes

[@adamtisch8358]

The mighty rj!!!! I remember when he had too hip stitched on the back of his jt moto pants and also that unemployed hat in between rides. Seems the riders back then had a lot more personality than they do today to be honest i find motocross today kinda boring and generic. Glad i grew up with the 2 stoke era.

[@Joe-pb3lx]

What? you dont like jetts donuts

[@adamtisch8358]

​@@Joe-pb3lxactually Jett is totally cool with a great sense of humor.

[@linzleard317]

He's right, you know...?

[@chrisbaker4370]

All thanks to mommy and daddy, right Rick???

[@1969cmp]

Ban paddle tyres.

[@Jesper-yj9ez]

Please remember to put a microphone on yourself

[@Craiglife777]

Too Hip!

[@chuckp3131]

Stupid yellow flag idea

[@jamespatterson2002]

no its brilliant

[@chuckp3131]

@jamespatterson2002 70s mx was 3 45min motos. When worked hard and pulled 10 seconds on the field that was up to rest of the pack to run you down. Not for some Nascar yellow flag to come out. For the fans close finish. I'm ashamed of Rick Johnson for even suggesting it

[@troyziegler1312]

Yellow flag idea is junk. If he was leading and forced to stop so 2nd place could catch up, the tears would be flooding the infield

[@lchope573]

I get giving a guys a chance but please don't do the NASCAR thing. It's called racing for a reason. Don't muddy it up!

[@bmotomo421]

Mandatory yellow? How lame is that...

[@LeighDouglas-r1j]

LA Coliseum RJ Yamaha days bagged all factory riders for sandbagging deliberately losing for better start on gate 🤷‍♂️ he wore surfing shorts over race pants cool he won his heats factory riders never liked what he said but he didn't care

[@LeighDouglas-r1j]

Competition plus it was Huge .. today top 3 plus others pushing