1986 MXDN - when O'Show's CR125 trounced the 500s

[trevor saxe-coburg-gotha]

Apparently, 1986 saw a new format to the staging of the Motocross des Nations - which resulted in, amongst other developments, the second moto's grid consisting of two classes: 500s and 125s. NB the objective was not to pit the two classes against each other - the 125s' final placings would only count against other 125s. It was, rather, a time-saving organisational arrangement, rather than an intentionally David and Goliath set up...although one American rider treated it like the latter.

The obvious expectation was that the 125s would be at the back, with 500s dominating the front half of the pack. Which is pretty much what happened - apart from Johnny O'Mara's CR125.

O'Mara aka "O'Show" (number 3) rode his bollocks off round Italy's wildly undulating Maggiora circuit, and seemed to have forgotten he wasn't really supposed to be taking on the half litre big beasts. In fact, he was up against three 500cc world champions including the unassailable Dave Thorpe (UK, riding 42).

But O'Mara prevailed thanks to some outstanding work keeping the "tiddler" in its power band and launching it repeatedly and fearlessly down the "elevator shaft" and the numerous other of Maggiora's mad obstacles, ultimately gaining second place behind US team mate David Bailey*.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hK9QeLvnBxE#t=11m35s

Better quality footage but incomplete and sans commentary:

https://vimeo.com/85646053


*the brilliant Bailey would later suffer a terrible crash during a practice session at Lake Huron, CA, at the start of the '87 season, which left him paralysed. This, a year after the ace Danny 'Magoo' Chandler had crashed out in a heat race, breaking his neck and leaving him also paralysed.
____________________
"Life is a sexually transmitted disease and the mortality rate is one hundred percent."

Mobylette Type 50 ---> Raleigh Grifter ---> Neval Minsk 125

[TbirdX]

Fantastic.

It's still one of the greatest travesties that Thorpe, a now four time world champion and winning MX des Nations team manager hasn't been honoured.

Lets start a campaign
____________________
VFR800X - TTR250