HOW IT ALL STARTED
How did Geoff get the dirtbike bug?
He was studying architecture at uni and I was already riding a bit with some mates, just paddock bashing. He came out to watch us one day riding through piles of sawdust at an old timber yard and decided it looked like fun and that he should have a go. After all, if his little brother could do it how hard could it be? So in 1971 he bought himself a Honda SL100 to ride to uni and do some trailriding. We both joined Hawkesbury MCC and, using that bike, we rode our first club motocross at Bilpin. We not only shared the bike but also the same pair of army boots, gloves and helmet, there were some tight budgets in those days. We didn’t realise at the time that all the best riders were at a bigger meeting elsewhere so when we got a podium finish we were feeling pretty good about ourselves, we thought we were aces. The bike bug had Geoff by then. He was still riding the SL100 to uni and stripping the lights off on weekends to go trailriding or motocross. We entered an open meeting at Mt Kembla, him on the SL in the 125 class and me on a CL175 Honda in the 250 class, I don’t think either of us finished a race that day.
What followed the SL Honda, a more suitable bike presumably?
Well in those
