TZ750 Dirt Tracker

[@ianw3294]

Great rider and person Steve Baker. Always thought he was very underrated.

[@GPgundude]

Baker was one of my idols!! Thanks for this great video!!

[@dansotelo228]

Every year like the Mission Swallows of Capistrano my friends and I would venture out to Laguna Seca to see the yearly M/C Road Race spectacle. Being a King Kenny fan my friends and I were blown away by Steve Baker's breaking abilities keeping his rear wheel about one inch off the ground when coming into the last corner before the straightaway. These were the days where you could park and camp anywhere on the track, the moment word got out Steve Baker was going to be at Laguna Seca we knew to be there 2 days ahead at that dusty dirt hill to camp out or miss out on all the Steve Baker braking circus.. Steve was a pioneer, which is now common. I always admired Steve Baker. Sincerely Dan

[@360Crank]

Thanks for the great story. Although I grew up near Mosport, I didn't have the sense to follow road racing; MX just seemed more accessible. But I knew Steve was something special (massive understatement) even then. At the Yamaha Motor Canada HQ in Toronto, I not only got to sit on one of his bikes, but I held a handful of titanium screws that Bob Work was going to install to replace the regular screws in the engine cases and elsewhere. At that time, titanium was only something you read about in magazines. As a neophyte mechanic, this seems like a big deal. Now they make mundane things like eyeglasses out of the stuff. thanks again for recounting your story. Great memories!

[@allensandven0]

Super cool , gives me goose bumps and I can smell two stroke race gas like it was right in my shop , just before your phone died I was imagining him coming out of a turn with the bike breaking loose and helmet tucked eye level with the bars and the front tire offset and off the pavement as if they had traction control back then ! Great stuff Thanks for sharing

[@billlupton3639]

You’re so lucky . We owned Hampton County Sport Center in SC. Yamaha Triumph BMW so I raced all my life. I became a flight attendant so I got to race all over the US. I even used my NY layovers to visit Team Obsolete and touch the guts of the 250 6. My best times were the vintage races and having to race with Dick Mann and Don Vesco. Vesco family gave me parts for my SC500 MX and Champion flat tracker. Billy 747

[@peterflaherty3473]

I used to watch him when he rode in transatlantic trophy in the late 70's Olton Park Raceway UK .A hero of mine when I was a kid.

[@manicminer8813]

I actually asked Giacomo Agostini (who was between me and Steve) to get Sreve Baker's autograph in a pub in Silverstone village. Steve Baker and King Kenny were my heroes in the late '70's very early '80's. Fantastic memories.

[@philliesfaninlyon]

Whoaw! Steve Baker! Thanks Dan!

[@jeffspicolli593]

While working for Canadian Honda, I briefly met Steve Baker circa 1977 when he was representing Yamaha Motor Canada at a dealer open house in Barrie, Ontario (Powersports, I think). I clearly remember him telling me that while doing tire testing in Daytona on his OW he bypassed the chicanes to keep his speed into the banked part of the track. He described how the G forces bottomed out the bike's suspension and caused him to lose his vision "very briefly." Steve by all accounts is a rather quiet guy, not prone to hyperbole or boasting so the memory of him sharing this experience with me remains almost a half-century later.

[@360Crank]

They say you should never meet your hero's but in Steve's case, I'd say they're wrong. The late Alex Mayes was our instructor at Yamaha Motor Canada in Downsview when I was a young Yamaha mechanic. He took us to see Steve's newly uncrated race bike, (I think it was a 250, though). I'm only 5'10", but my knees didn't fit in the cutaway in the tank. That bike was soooo cool! and we got to hold a handful of titanium screws that were to replace the steel ones. Even that was awesome. No-one in 1977 outside of aerospace or the racing world got anywhere near that material.

[@jeffspicolli593]

@@360Crank Nice!

[@Stone1108]

lovely memories and lovely story mate, good on you. 🤜

[@360Crank]

Thanks, I appreciate it.

[@cecilwilson5442]

Good to hear the story of your meeting with Steve and that he's a good guy and has time for a chat about the motorcycle past you shared a true champion still

[@bladerunnergonzalez]

My favorite rider... THE GREAT STEVE BAKER!!!! 💕💕💕🏆🏆🏆

[@colinmunro7337]

That first bit of cold idle is the 2nd toughest idles bar an AFD back when they ran 100%nitro.

[@peregrinemccauley5010]

Great rider .

[@danlove4270]

great video thank you

[@its_me_dave]

Never heard of him but he’s got lovely hand writing.

[@360Crank]

It's the least interesting thing about the man, but, nice to hear from the graphologists out there. ;-)

[@davidvanbrunt4233]

He was darn fast !!!

[@Grooty79]

Great story 😊

[@netharad4235]

Un dirt tryk,s'est mr Roberts le meilleur avec un w 45 Harley 💕💕💕🇮🇲🇮🇲🤩

[@wfomph1435]

i bought gloves from him november 2023 at mt.baker motorsports .he wants to be a regular guy but im still star sruck . he took time to sell me gloves .

[@brianjacobsen5762]

Bellingham wa. Bakers from. Robert's said it was the scariest thing he ever rode. Tz. 750 Dead last from the last corner to win the race.

[@360Crank]

Robert's commentary (and bravery) are legendary. No many know that Baker also rode the thing, though he didn't get that much seat time. That bike is so gorgeous!

[@brianjacobsen5762]

@@360Crank Dirt version rare. I remember motorcycle film called taking it to the limit. Saw it a movie theater.85. It showed a lap of Mike Hailwood on a tz 750 riding with old school bus sized camera his helmet was miked. He was talking as he's driving the course. He's going up the mountain. Fog so heavy barely see the shoulder stripes.cant see 10' in front of you. He's say. I know this part of the course very well I'm going around 150- 160 mph. Like a Sunday drive. Amazing.

[@360Crank]

@@brianjacobsen5762

[@stephenclemence5856]

He wasn't dead last in the last corner. Let's not make things up.

[@DuaneWilson-ro1pn]

If i remember correctly, Kenny was in third in last corner and out dragraced the 2 Harley riders to the line. He said they weren't aware he was that close to them. ​@stephenclemence5856

[@davidvanbrunt4233]

Baker was very fast....