Supercross Classics 1989 - Seattle

Before Carmichael and McGrath, there were the supercross legends of the past: Bob Hannah, Johnny O'Mara, Mike Bell, David Bailey, Ricky Johnson, Jeff Ward, Ron Lechien, Jeff Stanton and more. Now is your chance to catch a rare glimpse of how, over twenty years ago, these hisotric riders battled on the racetracks of yesterday to pioneer the sport of supercross and turn it into one of the most popular motor sports in the world today.
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[@jeffro503]

Gawd I miss these days so bad. The younger generation has no idea how cool the 80's , 90's and early 2000's were in this sport.

[@alexsaylor6277]

Early 2000s were probably the best times in life

[@alexsaucedo8032]

To me. It was the 80s. From 1986. To 1989. . Best years of racing. I wish they would put these on DVD. . Love me some old school supercross

[@EarthSurferUSA]

@Craig Willis I think the best was the 70's and 80's. #1 It was more free market, not the EPA telling us what to ride or make. #2 The evolution of the bikes was so fast in those days, it made today's SX races look boring. #3 A kid making $1.00/hr part time could afford a brand new bike every year and race as a new bike was only about $800.00, (before the FIM production rule in 1986). Everything the FIM has done since has raised the cost of the bike, causing less people to ride. 90% of all the tracks and trails we made though out the nation in our local rural area's are now all grown in. Compared to those days, this sport is on it's death bed.

[@EarthSurferUSA]

@Craig Willis Yea man, Permit, meaning "permission" from people who don't have the skill to sharpen a pencil. I wish I has been a 20 year old man in the 1920's in the USA. Did you know the USA has had thousands of auto makers, and now we only have 2,---and you can't have one. That was a lot of people going for their dreams. Must have been exciting.

[@EarthSurferUSA]

@Craig Willis Yes it is a crazy world, but I do understand how and why it got that way. The world is following poor philosophies, like communism and other kinds of government force,--and we are totally ignoring the philosophies of individual liberty that created man's freedom, and the prosperity of our free market in the first place. We are totally ignoring the philosophies that created the USA.

[@rex.d4810]

The best of times. Long live 2 strokes

[@mrmayhemtv]

lol it's really fun to see riders going straight through the jumps, no scrub, no style, no nothing, just fly and wait for the landing 😂

[@ShortBusEnduro]

The wind in their mustaches lol

[@ShepardOfficial]

You can't get anymore 80s than having your event sponsored by a cigarette company lol

[@EarthSurferUSA]

Beer companies too. We used to have more of a free market, but government is taking it from you. When it is gone, (accept for making pizzas), you will be living under communism.

[@N75911_]

@@EarthSurferUSA Maybe marketing cancer sticks to kiddos isn't a very good idear.

[@EarthSurferUSA]

@@N75911_ I could agree with that. But letting government get involved with our free market has definitely been a bad,---idear.

[@user93634]

That sound is just so much better.

[@EarthSurferUSA]

Crystal clear,---were the phones of the 70's. :)

[@reginaldredman6767]

Miss those day. RJ was my favorite. Johnny O'Mara, Jeff Ward, Micky Diamond, Broc Glover, Geoge Holland, Damon Bradshaw, Jeff Stanton (89 Supercross 🏆) Mike Kedrowaski, Mike Larrocco, Larry Ward and of course David Baily. I can't believe i forgot Guy Cooper. All were great.

[@jamespatagueule4599]

And you forgot the best of this era too........

[@BDBee81]

Fast Eddie Warren >8-D

[@Votedjt2024]

Jeff Smith

[@kjc9trader491]

..."over 20 years ago"...? this is now over 30 years ago!...lol... Notice how all the KX's still have right side up forks!! I had that bike - and the suspension was amazing!!!

[@maverick2242]

Back when the SX was in Supercross, now it’s full of robots on John Deere tractors, thank god we can watch KZbin and see the golden era of MX/SX.

[@s3uoq]

Not a single unnecessary sticker on any of the bikes 👍

[@jimmadonna1436]

I strongly dislike sticker happy people. It defames a beautiful bike!!

[@donaldcampbell7894]

Beer banners. Man this world has gone soft. I miss the good times.

[@Joelontugs]

The stickers add 1 horsepower that was the difference between factory machines and stock ones

[@big_mike_nyc]

The only decals they needed was the factory stamp!! HONDA KAWASAKI SUZUKI YAMAHA!!! 🤟🤟🤟

[@21nixonme6]

Hard to see a cigarette company sponsored event after all these years too!

[@tomwilliams4885]

Johnson was an undercover badass. The best I've seen.

[@worldwide_wes]

Sick race! Beautiful 2 stroke sounds

[@zirconiumarthiritis7409]

Rick Johnson was my Fav rider til Jeremy came along, seen Johnson so many times go from last to 1st dude was amazing!!!

[@scottyoz2460]

RJ was the best. I was a Yamaha man but he would of ridden the phone book to 1st place. His energy and smoothness was amazing

[@scottpeters5260]

Rick Johnson on a Honda was unbeatable back then, my favorite rider of all time. Plus Roger DeCoster The Man.! On his Suzuki.

[@michaelharris4651]

Yeah , it was a great era guy cooper , lachine , wardie , Omara , Bailey just to name a few and as for Rick Johnson he will always be my favourite US moto cross rider of all time . Cheers from down under ! 🇦🇺

[@rickwaldren3633]

Your right on scott What the new generations have no clue about when your running a supper cross 400 open class is a diferant world way faster way more agresion when Decoster was on the track if you ain't got the nutz Go home it the big dogs.now slot.of rider are good to day but only a small.hand full end up.there👍

[@rickwaldren3633]

The super cross was the ultimate test

[@jamespatagueule4599]

Bayle just arrived...

[@justinbligh]

Today’s best 85cc riders can probably beat these guys.

[@tornado1078]

Haiden Deegan would definitely

[@dustin0133]

first bike i bought myself was an 89 cr250. big heavy beast.

[@davidatwood2619]

I need one of those Camel Supercross hats....races like this are what caused me to race in the first place.

[@Sacapuntas69]

I just love seeing the bikes with no sponsors plastered all over it.

[@user-zy8zs6jt5s]

リック･ジョンソン　ジョニー･オマラ　ジェフ･ワード　ロン･ラシーン　懐かしすぎるな❗1986の後楽園、初のジャパンスーパークロス見に行った世代としては

[@neiljohnson9686]

Absolutely everything about this era was better than the crap we have today… The bikes the announcers the riders you name it

[@texasted73]

The GOAT Ricky Johnson👍👍👍

[@davidkohler9685]

I mis racing my dirt bike !!!! The good old days !!!! 😎

[@ryanbarker4422]

Always a Cooper fan.

[@VlogEpicness]

The good old days before Ralph Sheheen.

[@ridered7262]

I thought it was Ralph at the beginning. Lol

[@guitarscadillacs5049]

I'm a subscriber to you

[@murk1352]

If i had a dime for everytime i said Ricky Johnson's name when i was a kid I'd be a multi millionaire....👍🏻😂

[@8931888]

Such a pity Bailey’s career cut short. Would have been great to see him continue he’s battles with RJ. Johnson’s intensity would have only escalated Bailey’s too. Career over way too soon 🙁 and so to RJ after wrist fusion

[@mjones2305]

LONG LIVE MX MULLETS

[@barneybetelgeuse6273]

Good racing awsome bikes and genuine people 🙂👍

[@seanhumphreys1991]

Rick is the GOAT.

[@jamespatagueule4599]

nope

[@andrewl1024]

Man! When I was a kid I was a big Ron Lechien fan, and just now I find out how to say his last name. LOL.

[@youcanbesmartaskhow3857]

No hint that his nickname was "The Machine"??!!

[@sburns2421]

O'Mara was known for his physical fitness, it is surprising that RJ was able to chase him down as their initial speed was about the same. Also it is sad to think just a few weeks later Johnson's career was basically ended with a severely broken wrist.

[@dusty7264]

Wow have supercross tracks changed

[@fmradio42]

Excellent close up video action. those are the best years when I first got hooked on Supercross. my first NJ SX RJ double pistol gesture over the triples. just no evidence Santa clause is coming to town. 1989 Then in '86 I was SX champ, and a year later 250 and 500 outdoor champion and '88 SX and 500 outdoor champ. Then in 1989 I broke my wrist and that was the start of the end. It was a pretty short race career really. Now I race off-road trucks!

[@Joelontugs]

The announcer was doing rails of cocaine to keep the leader board going single handedly lmao

[@gruntabro1]

Rockin the Bell Moto 6 helmets

[@chrismoly9063]

I think this track worked them out.

[@janetoss]

Johnson was clearly on another level. But those Hondas were also better than the other bikes.

[@EarthSurferUSA]

Have you ever noticed that anytime a bike, and riders, became the best, Roger DeCoster was working with that factory. Everything that man touched, turned to gold.

[@Votedjt2024]

Jeff Smith is the living legend the goats all time supercross

[@michaelleeman8372]

I can almost Smell it! Great Times!

[@jamesrobert7155]

Let's hire the guy that runs the carnival side show attractions to call the race!!

[@ronaldtartaglia4459]

I didn't know that Rick Johnson wore JT I always remember him wearing Fox gear. I did have that helmet though the Rick Johnson Moto 4 was awesome

[@maverick2242]

He started out in JT in his early Yamaha days, way before Fox, then Sinasalo, then Fox, back to JT, finished on Thor.

[@jinggoypaulino8735]

the years when i was riding a kmx125 😅

[@BigEightiesNewWave]

Go RJ !!!💜

[@MrKidkiller159]

I was there, that turned into a crazy night

[@johnbishop1911]

We'll never see Coors or Camel's in Supercross again.

[@mikeapplegate292]

John Bishop but we will see cbd and weedmaps as sponsors! 😎

[@bikerdude6119]

Look at the stadium lol its not as packed as it is nowdays

[@ridered7262]

@@bikerdude6119 It's definitely alot more known now compared to then but I have noticed stadiums not sold out now compared to years back.

[@bikerdude6119]

@@ridered7262 i went to A1 this year and the stadium was sold out!!!

[@EarthSurferUSA]

@@bikerdude6119 But none of those fans can afford a bike.

[@EarthSurferUSA]

I was thinking the other riders were just not in as good of shape as Johnson, but I was wrong. When Johnson is that tired on the top of the box, it was a brutal track. I don't remember RC ever being that tired with the 250's though. :)

[@davidcooper4385]

RICKY WAS SUPER FIT...

[@JCem8409]

It’s amazing how much the bikes and gear evolved look at 0:13 looks like he’s about to go to an mma fight right after his race!!

[@bobbysmoke6.4dzl94]

The absolute best part of this video is where Rick gives the glory to Jesus Christ!!👍🏻🙏🇺🇸

[@mototoad1242]

GAAYYY

[@EarthSurferUSA]

@@mototoad1242 Freedom of speech.

[@EarthSurferUSA]

I am noticing that some racers who had thanked God on the podium, like Cooper Webb, Chase Sexton and some others, have not done that all year so far. I wonder of the communistic FIM told them they can't mention God anymore, because it might offend some Muslim in Turkey?

[@BrianPeters110]

@@EarthSurferUSA that’s as stupid as the non war on Xmas. Nobody gives a shit if they give credit to your magical sky wizard bro. Do you have even one original thought? Just all McCarthyism and Faux noise and OAN propaganda? “WAP IS COMMUNISM!!! Reeeee!!!” Give it a break bro ffs

[@propbraker]

Damn, I kinda want to smoke Camels now?

[@mickharryharris6866]

Yeah , how good was Rick Johnson !

[@scottsperling523]

Larry Ward was the man in Seattle

[@tonycerino9645]

When Motocross was cool...

[@steelshotproductions]

Maybe it's the configuration of the track, but these guys (as cool as they are) seem much slower than current riders.

[@jacobsherry941]

The kids in the school boy classes are faster than these guys

[@yamahakid450f]

It was a different time, they were at the firfront of the beginning of supercross as we know it, they were some of the first bikes able to survive hitting rhythms and triples, it puts so much strain on the chassis. They were still shitty heavy bikes compared too today (some people are going to be pissed at that), horrible forks and shock, if the shock got hot it was like a pogo stick ready to send you over the bars. They had little to no proper technique on the bike... look at how they did a start, legs behind the pegs and away from the bike. You want your legs infeont of the pegs gripping with your knees, neutral body positiong with head directly above the bar pad (not head over the bars) while in second gear. There's so much wrong with their technique I can't even list it all... from the riders technique, training, diet, unbelievable bikes, peaked out faces that look like a wall with ruts, huhe rythmes and whoops that are 3-4 deep and just as wide. it's another world these days and that new generation of tracks came in the early 2000's and just got more and more technical in the lroceeding years. Yeah the tracks these days are cookie cutter, but they're insanely technical and makes you ride that razors edge with zero room for lapse of concentration. People say its boring but the guys these days are true athletes, they make the most technical of things look effortless and can hit their lines lap after lap with no hiccups. If you could see the way (most people cant) they do the small technical things on a bike like how they're weighting the pegs, sliding their rear wheel up the face, standing on the balls of their feet through a corner without ever dabbing a foot, seat bouncing a quad right out of a corner or switching lines mid air, you wouldnt call it boring. Most people cant see it for multippe of reasons, one they cant do it so they were never tought it, they dont know what theyre looking at even if they saw it, they probablt came from an era of no technique, and theyre just weekend warriors who wanna have a couple beers and watch people bang bars in an intense battle, but i love technique and im always looking for the smallest details that sets them apart from everyone else... I used to ride supercross, I grew up around trey, Bogle, cue etc.. I didn't race it, but I loved riding it and I could hit everything and skim a big set of whoops. Most likely could of qualified into a night show if I would of gotten my pro license so I know what I'm looking at. With all that said though, if it wasn't for the previous generations/eras we wouldn't be where wr are today so I respect everyone who raced at the highest level, there's just no comparing 1989 to 2022. Just go watch Jerry Robin rip a 86 CR (clapped out and definitely not s WORKS bike lol) against modern bikes with correct technique applied to it, he would of dominated everyone with a time machine. The guys today are many levels above them.. but thats just progression in any sport, 20 years from now we'll probably being say how far they've come in technology and skill.

[@kellybrown6988]

@@jacobsherry941 yeah I’m sure 30 years from now, some young kid will say the same thing when they watch a video of tomac and roczen race.

[@cmarkfrey5551]

Hell yea

[@Chrispbacon99]

Love Larry Maiers.

[@zoomerzoomer-jn7rf]

anyone else notice bayle last at the start out the gate?

[@husq48]

How did the 89 RM-250 do overall in both super and motocross?

[@GearheadRob319]

it was hard to beat a honda cr back then..

[@stephenmr2]

I wonder any of those guys are using blendzall it removes power robbing friction!!

[@juniorarj9459]

Old School Mx!!!!!

[@EarthSurferUSA]

You have to recognize the greatness of "old school", or greatness can never happen again.

[@dns1235]

The podium girl had a lot of clothes on! Ha

[@mrmayhemtv]

I thought the same lmao

[@stevenleslie8557]

Well, his number plate does say number 1 after all.

[@jasonolinger7585]

literally 1/3 the speed of todays riders.

[@ziggybammurphy1645]

How good would smell-o-vision be....not a single cam, rocker arm, pushrod in the house.....just raw 2 stroke power

[@ScottSmith-mw6lo]

The track looked rough

[@user-vo6qy9sl9q]

Мне кажется отличается тот мотокросс от современного

[@BigEightiesNewWave]

Crap...I'm switching from Marlboro to Camel now !

[@ridered7262]

Holy crap is that Ralph Sheheen at the beginning.....

[@EarthSurferUSA]

No. Ralph had nothing to do with SX/MX until about 2007. The commentator in those days was a guy named Larry Huffman.

[@danyonestone]

Mantappp

[@megaboomnetwork9383]

Is this the kingdome in Seattle

[@g.8222]

昔、ジョニーオマラに背中にサインを書いてもらいました😘

[@laurentpoupin334]

And JMB (Bad Bayle) n°111 the futur champion sx us 91 and mx 91 250 500....🇫🇷 🇺🇸 👍🏻

[@EarthSurferUSA]

Yep, he was a talented man on a MX bike for sure. But he was racist against Americans, retired, went to Europe and got smoked on road bikes. Bummer, I would have liked to see he retire here in the USA and admire all that great talent, but he hated Americans.

[@jamespatagueule4599]

@@EarthSurferUSA "he was racist against americans" what are you talking about ? bullshit... He is very humble, gentle and hard worker He came out of nowhere and destroy the competition. the best of this era. There is a before and an after Bayle, just like Mcgrath

[@leeroykelly781]

@@EarthSurferUSA*prejudiced, American isn’t a race.

[@mike300406]

what size are these bikes 250 5's

[@HooligansMx]

Wow it definitely shows how much mc and rc got the sport to be alot more aggressive

[@EarthSurferUSA]

How is that? MC was in the party decade, and RC made them put their drinks down. RC would not have had 15 championships against the likes of RJ, Bailey and Bayle, (but I would bet RC would still be the MX goat.). Lets not forget when USA was the best in the world, because the USA racers today can't cut that.

[@tjordulf]

I often wonder, if you placed, Ken Roczen, Webb, and Bubba, all at their peak, on their works bikes from their peak, in this race, would the difference be slight, non existent or just plain embarrassing. Please discuss!

[@scottyd2262]

Ergos, handling & suspension have increased 10fold since the late 80's

[@tjordulf]

@@scottyd2262 absolutely agree with you!!

[@alexsaucedo8032]

I wish either guy cooper or micky diamond would of won this race

[@Thundarr995]

I miss the Kingdome. Yes it was kinda ugly but they had alot of really cool events there. When they imploded it,you could see the smoke and dust from Seatac airport.

[@static-remission27]

this sport started in 1976 first monoshocks

[@crispincurtis8585]

Quite low on the Graphics count lolol

[@easilyscan]

Why didn't they run some of these old races on ESPN & other sports channels during corona instead of stuff like 'classic tennis' from 2019 ! Nothing against the other riders of this era like Jeff Ward & Ron Lechian, but they just didn't have the same determination that RJ did.

[@EarthSurferUSA]

Jeff Ward did. Him and RJ swapped championships for 4 years.

[@AnthonyLee223MX]

Saw Seattle 1989, automatically thought Metallica... anybody else?

[@mrmayhemtv]

dam right man

[@volksquadman]

Spot on Anthony, Metallica is stuck in my head when i think of these times, 89 CR and Nothing else mattered!

[@Stealth164]

Weird as fuck ..

[@richardkey4289]

Heh heh, I've been watching that smoking show now & then . Saw em.in the Kingdome in 92 , playing w/ G n R, that was a party . Awful acoustics in that dome, though

[@bobbydale1938]

Really rough tracks, what has happened ? ??????? ((((

[@EarthSurferUSA]

The socialist FIM took over our racing, both indoors and out. Now the tracks are made to keep everybody the same speed and do not separate the talent. "Nobody should be able to achieve more than their brothers". Yea, that is what communism says.

[@ozwardvillegas5271]

Como que eran muy lentos no? Creo

[@juanmanuelmarquez521]

0:52 was a bike with 4 numbers?

[@EarthSurferUSA]

The rhythm sections of today's SX races keep everybody the same speed, and they don't get tired like these guys are after this race. Today, the tracks don't let a racer be better than the others, with like .1 seconds difference between them for their lap times. That is why you will never see a "great" racer come out of the USA again, who could come from even last and win. Making the tracks so the slower guys can keep up to the faster guys, (and the faster guys can't get faster), is not racing. It is a fast parade with a bunch of racers who are going a fast average. We will never be the best again unless we deport the FIM. They took over our sport in the USA, and they need to go.

[@volksquadman]

Makes 22 yrs disappear in a milisecond every time i watch this, I had Doggers Mullet, R.Js gloves, an 89 bike and All of my teeth! and every local track in the UK had double & whoops copied direct from MX Action Magazine!

[@richardkey4289]

How rare / difficult was it to have u.s. MX gear over there at the time ? I'm in w.Canada, we could order anything but it was costly with the dollar exchange . I used to have tons of Fox & Answer gear, I have a billion orphan MX gloves , some old 80s jerseys . I really should have kept each helmet , but where does it end, eh ?

[@volksquadman]

@@richardkey4289 Hiya Richard, it's sun up time here in Portugal, I'm at an unused world mx track called 'Cotovelho'- with an '89 CR250 this morning, your reply made me think- U.S. gear was quite cheap ' cos of the exchange rate in UK favour, I remeber having a job sponsor to move to Canada at the time, got my passport sorted and blew the money on an Mx bike I couldn't resist in 1984, so it's took me almost 40 yrs to escape the sh1t weather in the UK- still got my old Maico shirt tho 😀!

[@volksquadman]

Oh and still have 'Orphaned' gloves - lol!

[@richardkey4289]

@@volksquadman there must be a long lost missing glove site to post pics, maybe get these gloves back out there riding

[@richardkey4289]

@@volksquadman ha ha, cool. I just scored a husaberg jersey at a thrift store, I'm always looking for old moto.gear . I have maybe 20 jerseys now

[@SPENJERE]

RJ !!!!!

[@megadawg342]

Brian Luniss. He was Damon Bradshaws mechanic when Stanton and Bayle were on team HONDA and Bradshaw rode for YAMAHA. The championship came down to the last race of the season,... and it was at DAYTONA. It was a weird track inside a small stadium, sand sections, strange rhythm sections. Bradshaw couldn't find the flow and choked. Stanton won for HONDA. Luniss was throwing wrenches and really pissed off that Bradshaw lost. Huge bonus lost I'm sure. It was caught on camera though. I never thought the same of him.

[@EarthSurferUSA]

Luniss was on 'The whiskey throttle show", (check out that great channel), and he was a bit of a jerk, throwing some big names under the buss, with little objective reason communicated to do so. He did talk about that incident, (which I can understand), but the way he bad mouthed a few guys dropped my opinion of him a few notches. He was bad mouthing DeCoster, and Roger did a heck of a lot more for USA MX than Luniss ever did, including help bring the sport to our shores.

[@crissrock4402]

Whewwss

[@brianbooher7318]

Its such a shame rickets carreee was cut short in its prime.mskes ys wonder what he could done.he was running away with the 891super cross

[@truckdriver402]

I was and am always a Ron Lechien fan. Rick Johnson was second.

[@fredgarvinMP]

And Ron Lechien was third.

[@ghpjerry]

Why does the announcer @ 6:00 say this is in Anaheim?? Wrong race MES???

[@MrTarzanes]

rick johnson drinks gatorade (9:10)

[@PokeyCottons]

Glass bottle

[@rickwaldren3633]

The 2 strokes are comeing Back stronger and faster than ever in the long run the so.called experts are finding Out the truth there hafe th weight twice as fast and a Hole lot cheaper to fix And also way more fun to drive

[@EarthSurferUSA]

Not happening. A dictatorship forced the 4-stroke on the industry, and it will not change it's mind. It was a huge mistake, not rejecting the dictatorship.

[@edwardanstett2297]

I don't know if its the camera, but compared to the likes of Roczen and Tomac, they appear to be traveling at 3/4 speed. Are the new bikes/riders that much faster?

[@tedpaszko8274]

Y The 450 is double the engine size of a 250 And they build the tracks longer And yes the 450 is faster than a 250

[@chadanderson2486]

The tracks are designed different. Designed for smooth fourstroke power. The old two stroke days, the tracks were choppy and brutal. Supercross was so tight with whoops and moguls. It's like cocaine compared to redbull.

[@christofferbrandel6491]

Yeah it used to be much slower. The track wasn't layed out like it is today. Today they make it "smooth" with fast rhytms. Back then it wasn' t like that. They just smacked some bumps up and raced :P.

[@tedpaszko8274]

The modern 4 strokes are double the engine size and more power And have bigger tracks along with the jumps

[@PokeyCottons]

@@tedpaszko8274 The 450 four stroke engine has nearly twice the displacement, however, the two stroke makes power twice as often. The bigger difference in overall performance is more about suspension.

[@EarthSurferUSA]

I am not religious myself, but it sure has been a long time since I heard a podium finisher thank Jesus Christ as RJ did here. I suspect NBC cuts them out.

[@abcdecghijklmn]

"God lord jesus"😀

[@truckdriver402]

This redubbed announcing sucks. Larry Maiers did it best.

[@davidwodaszewski5105]

PEPSID AD...

[@abcdecghijklmn]

omg moto-5 was such a bad quality helmet😣

[@robzplace4747]

I forgot how bad the tracks were back then. Terrible flow.