about David Lahey

[David Lahey]

I'm totally addicted to riding 1970s dirt bikes - especially Trials bikes.
Just as Maxwell Smart would say "Yes Chief, and loving it".

Sure the long hair has fallen out/gone grey but there's still nothing I like more than riding a 1970's off road bike. I grew up in Brisbane and my Dad started my addiction in about 1969 with a couple of bikes from Czechoslovakia and a Tiger Cub.

In 1974 a friend at high school (Mark Stephens)had an RL250 given to him by his Dad. My Dad and I went to have a look at a Trials Club of Queensland (I think) event at Biddadaba (near Canungra). That was it and I've been hooked on trials ever since. I also rode Enduros. Was strictly a finisher rather than a contender but greatly enjoyed the events with very rugged terrain. I stopped that in about 1998 due to getting too many bones broken.

My best friend and riding buddy George McKenzie married my sister Amanda in the early 1980s and my riding life has continued being rosy ever since.

The TY175B I still ride was the first trials bike I ever bought (and was second hand $450) and was the only one I could afford at the time. The local legends rode TY175s, TY250s, Sherpas, Kawasaki KTs, Cotas and OSSAs. Highest on the wanted list was a Cota 348 thanks to Peter Paice and Shane Grant.

I started finding the bikes I wanted in 1995 with a TY250A and am now very close to having my ideal selection of bikes ready to compete on.
Yes some are much easier to ride in competition but they are all utterly fantastic fun.

I've lived in Brisbane, Sydney, Townsville, even in a roof top tent on a 4WD for a year, now in Gladstone, had kids, broken many bones, all pretty typical for a 40-something years old off-road motorbike rider.

Wendy and I went to one of the Denman MCC events (a Twinshock and Classic only Trial like Stu was referring to) last year for a look and it was everything someone like me could hope for. I reckon it is a fantastic concept.

Theres more to say but it's too late already tonight.

[restoremaz]

good on ya David.bout time somebody made a post in this section, im gona do the same.