The 1984 AMA 125/250/500 National Motocross at Saddleback

The 1984 AMA 125/250/500 National Motocross at Saddleback Park in Irvine, California. Bailey, Glover, Ward, O'Mara, Lechien, Johnson, Barnett, Breker

[@shigotero1972]

Man!! The roaring sound of the 500s at the start/first turn! Too bad we'll never hear that again! For me this was the BEST era of motocross! Baily, Ward, Johnson, O'mara, Hannah, Barnett, Glover!

[@chrisanderson9664]

I was there that day. Ricky broke his rear wheel double jumping the back doubles. He was the only one doing it consistently. Ricky broke his rear wheel in Colorado that year too. Cost him the championship. I worked for Oakley and we had sponsored some legendary riders. Was super fun back in the 80’s.

[@BonnieDoll99]

The utility pole on the uphill levels in frame 2 and at 4:39-5:00 and at 7:15 is still there. And yes, Google Earth it - pretty cool. Cross streets are Santiago Cyn Road and 241/261 connector. The best part is that the land is undeveloped other than the toll roads. Also, the soap box derby track is faintly still there too but on other side of 241 near Irvine Park. The TT track unfortunately is gone. Good times and great memories. Keep posting your videos and pics!

[@gregmaggio5217]

I remember riding a more or less stock 84 KX 125 when it was new,, and wow!!..It was a really fast and hard pulling bike, so I can only imagine the punch JW's SR 125 must have had !

[@allensalisbury]

Gotta love Larry Huffman announcing. Good video.

[@allensalisbury]

(It wasn't in Irvine)

[@rocknrollheath]

I was not even born when this race happened but, I love learning about the history of the sport.

[@motored911]

thanks for putting this up. most of us east-coasters only got to enjoy saddleback through magazine pictures!. now RE-OPEN the damn place already!. doesn't california need some dollars!!

[@watreehuggers]

i love the smell of Bel-Ray burning in the morning

[@Zollstock85]

Yeah,nice Time with the best Moto Cross Driver at the 80. I`m missed too.

[@Dezryder]

Awesome video. The boys back then could smoke a track. I watched Omara and Ward battle, Bailey win, Danny Chandler crash and Johnson wrap up the championship in 1984 at Washougal. What a day and weekend that was. They were fast and Johnson seemed insane.

[@officialshanestanley]

I was there that day. I believe it was on April 1, 1984. It was a Sunday and the day Marvin Gaye was killed. I met my boy-hood hero Jeff Ward there. We spent most the day up at the Magoo Double Jump. Went to the flats during the 2nd 250 moto, Johnson & Lechien crashed around a blind corner, there were no flaggers, so my father ran out on the track and used his yellow Yamaha hat as a flag to warn oncoming bikes. Great times! Thanks for posting.

[@kjj0506]

Such great footage! Thanks for posting this and taking me back to when I was riding my XR80 as hard and fast as it would go while I pretended I was one of these motocross legends. Fun memories!

[@41hauls]

tremendous shots,very good,i remember watching the mini race of champions where my friend from Canada got 10th in 1980 . they raced a diff track at Saddleback)i saw the Magoo double Jump that day when the local pros were racing and ill never forget seeing a guy named Pete Snorteland rip it up. THANX!!

[@jmackenroth]

Thank you for sharing this video. I have read about this race for many years.

[@mikeandrews1899]

Whew....that is gnarly conditions. RJ looked smooth over suicide at the end 💪👍

[@lauritzen2]

this is so cool:) I love old footage of dirtbikes, I was one year old when this was filmed:)

[@pajamaha]

4:40 is this the infamous magoo double??? I have a production '84 yz250 w/ohlins rear shock like johnson is riding. It can hang with modern bikes on the track...Great suspension, plenty of power and the drum brakes work excellent...

[@xradrd]

No. The Magoo Double was at the far end of the track (way to the right). This jump here was called Suicide Mountain.

[@honda39]

Thanks for posting this video. It brought back some fond memories.

[@maverick2242]

Such an awesome track, those were the days. Just can’t get into today’s John Deere racing!

[@MAKEUSICK2]

Look how slick that track was! You had to know how to ride a bike back then. Throttle control with light switch motors.

[@ruymxsx7]

hola, bbbuuufffff thanks from spain i remenber the big jump in the hill in photos, this is the firts time i see in video and R.J. ¨bad-boy¨ very young with yamaha yellow, 5 stars. gracias

[@RC-Heli835]

That was awsome and thanks for sharing it. IMO these guys couldn't stay on the same lap as Ricky Charmichael on todays tracks. Its hard to find anything on saddleback. I couldn't tell if the guy did an endo on that big stepup or what.

[@MMACHMP]

I was at this race it was awesome and I was lucky to live so close to Saddleback as a kid and grow up racing at this place it was amazing. I was there in 1981 too and saw that epic Hannah VS Howerton. did you see the Cagiva with Ron Turner pull holeshot in 125 class? it was really a 200cc cheater bike

[@toxsickdog]

I was at this race, I spent most of the day at the big uphill double. the 83 race was better, & 81 better still, when Hannah showed Howerton how to ride. epic racing. hot days were dusty blue groove conditions & cloudy damp days had sticky adobe. busted a collar bone on that tough ass track.

[@Jasong9573]

These guys hauled ass back then. Man, the 80's were so great for MX. Works bikes! Plus, the bikes were changing so fast and all very different each year with suspension, looks, etc. Now, they are all the same...even the shock linkage!

[@holeshot413]

Awesome video. I grew up riding and racing there and to every nationl they had. Be cool if anyone could find a viedo of the Escape Country National that was on the grass track!!!

[@pressrolls]

Id give this vid 6 stars if I could.

[@coolbigrigs]

Thank you! THANK YOU!! T-H-A-N-K Y-O-U!!! Very appreciative for such fantastic video. Thanks for the smiles

[@Pik4Joel]

I built houses here in 1999. Very sad because I attended Russ Darnell MX school at Saddleback. Brock Glover used to give us helpful hints... The best was to follow entry road way beyond this area and hunker down in the bogs - light it up, steal a few beers from dad's cooler, and go on awesome trail rides. The TT track was way cool... Part of the reason I stopped ridin was because of the demise of places like this.

[@dprague]

2 stroke heaven!

[@MrSkippersam]

Where is the great Riggi starting gate? It was a fantastic way to keep bikes from jumping the start

[@johnrickey5631]

i watched this race on tv live back in the day,i went to my room and did bad things to myself.after the race.then i got on my huffy open road bicycle and jump all the curbs in the nighborhood.

[@kxmade]

Yah love whatchin the power of the 500cc im 140pnds,had two of them kxs long live big 2 strokes

[@SkeeboDa1]

@socafan22 yep, I might be wrong but I think they were the first manufacture of the big four to drop the open bike. The good ole days for sure...

[@chaltaro]

Wow,great 80s

[@41hauls]

hey look ,its the other GOAT......Breker!!

[@motokev]

man, what a great video

[@motopilot322]

NOTHING LIKE THE SOUND OF A PACK OF 500s CHARGING INTO THE FIRST TURN...

[@RLLongcrierMusic]

WOW those 500`s!!!!

[@zdburt996]

my dad used to race with bailey back in the 80s with my dads kx500

[@djn00nan]

the bikes werent half as advanced as todays, yet theyre jumps are still as narly, and their track doesnt look like its been bladed 50 times lol. i wish i had enough balls to ride the way these guys do

[@udubidub]

I remember we Laughed at the 4 strokes.

[@gregggiddens]

Cool stuff :)

[@heartfanjim01]

@ ILTSYC Put Bailey,Johnson or Glover on the same bike RC rides and they sure as hell would be as fast if not faster. Those guys rode tough fast tracks like Carlsbad. The Super Cross tracks back then were also tighter and more technical.

[@xradrd]

Right. The tracks now are nothing like this. Not even close.

[@quadGOD12953]

1:52...that dude launched of that step down

[@bslevin]

Hi there! Do you own this footage? I'd love to license it, if so!

[@toxsickdog]

Saddleback was a nasty track when it got sun baked, especially when the watertruck guy was slackin;. too much water was nasty too, sticky adobe, But when the conditions were just right, Oh boy what a Track It was.

[@Mexxx65]

6:08 Banzai Hill is it?

[@onefugowie]

@socafan22 they did have a RM 500 you can Google it and take a look at it..my brother was racing one in 85 i had a YZ 490

[@SkeeboDa1]

@onefugowie I feel you man.... bring back the 2 strokes!!!!

[@NicsElectronics]

Is it just me or does it seem like bikes were faster back then?

[@RahmanEleven]

i read bout this track @ a magazine too bad its no longer around...imagine the 450s jumping suicide mountain!

[@chevypower406]

all you see is a big dust cloud at the beginning

[@brianbooher7318]

Its a shame this track is no more .I would like to see it with these punks today an their 4stroke junk race here .I bet they'd all pitch a hissy fit .

[@spruland]

holy dusty airfilter batman!!

[@dh-flies]

Back before they invented water for the track....

[@Xy2kBloodX]

awesome riding, much more toupher rider back then with the ol 2 strokes than it is now, with all this 4 stroke bullshit taking over.-

[@fristytron]

i like this porn-movie background music

[@MMACHMP]

thats because his Cagiva 125 was really a 200cc cheater bike I raced against him a lot in Socal and ended his win streak at Ascot park I think he won like 100 races in a row there

[@krkabob]

Today's racers would not even know how to ride this track. They'd be in the Int. class at best.

[@onefugowie]

now...at 1:23 if that was a piece of shit four stroke..he would still be there kicking the shit out of it to get it to restart......two stroke's were the days..i cant stand to hear those Farting four strokes at races's

[@johnrickey5631]

larry huffman announcing