Malcolm Smith

[loingrader]

So how frigging awesome was it to rub shoulders with a motorcycle icon?  It was a fun trip, great time and all, but seeing the man Malcolm Smith in podunk Nemo, SD was icing on the cake. 

On Saturday at around 5:30 pm or so when I was packing up all my stuff, everyone else was out riding.  He rode up on the KTM250 he was riding and shot the breeze with me for 20 minutes or so.  Asked me about my family, told me about his, talked motorcycles and other stuff, etc.  Pretty down to earth for a living legend.

To all you slackers who skipped out because of the weather or work or whatever, you missed out on great riding and a once in a lifetime chance to meet Mr. Malcolm Smith.

And Joni, when he rode over he was asking if you were still around.  I told him that you were a little injured and didn't want to take a chance of being further injured.  He said that he keeps getting hurt trying to keep up with the young guys so his new motto is "Ride your age." 

[plumber mike]

I can't believe I didn't know who he was

Snooker(Colorado Xcountry dude) sent me a few links on some of his accomplishments and........

Glad you could make it Brett, even if just for a day. I hope "Porkchop" and "Tenderloin" had fun as well

[loingrader]

go out and rent 2 movies.  Dust to Glory and On any Sunday.

[snooker]

Hi guys,  thanks for letting a Greenie from Colorado tag along on your rally, I had a blast!

(oh so it's Loin Grader, not Loin Grater like I thot you said...  I kept calling you Pork Shredder because I couldn't remember it exactly!  

I still can't get over Malcomb Smith being there, as you all saw I was pretty excited by the whole thing!   ...  but loingrader you got the best experience!  a normal conversation right in front of his loaner bike.      BTW when Jerry and I were talking to him in the restaurant Friday night he was interested in learning about JoniJo - the reason being I think he is interested in seeing women and kids getting into motorcycles.   He said something like "she sure is enthusiastic about it!".  

So drano-boy, err I mean Plumber Mike    hehe       as for movies...  I say save "Dust To Glory" for later (it's a modern day Baja racing movie)...  just go watch "On Any Sunday", and I think I can speak for several of use 50-somethings here when I say...

but first picture this...

It's 1971....  You are a teenager in a little po-dunk town before ADV forums, before the Internet, before PC's and YouTube and cable TV where you can watch Travis Pastrana doing back flips on a motorcycle...    hell you didn't even have a dirt bike dealer for 100 miles around.  But you did have a little motorized mini bike with a Briggs and Stratton or a POS dirt bike like in my case a Hodaka 100 Rat motor in a 90cc frame that had a Honda tank on it and fouled plugs every 2 hours and leaked fork oil...  

...then you see this miraculous movie!   You see guys riding across the desert in some mystical place in Mexico! ... and racing on motocross tracks!  ..and one apparently fast guy with sorta big ears and a goofy grin that not only can win races but can go up a hill 10 feet, stop, and without moving the bars then go backwards down it, then make a 90 degree turn and take off - all without taking his feet off the pegs!  What the ?!!?    It was all so fascinating and little did we know that this would start a gradual explosion of a new sport across the country...     We knew Malcomb was good but we (and especially our dates at the movie) were enamored with Steve McQueen too!  

Anyhow who knew at the time that Malcomb would become the legend that he now is, and it's all because of the kinda guy he was and still is.  A regular guy who loves motorcycles but has a natural talent for riding them FAST.   Enjoy the movie!

p.s. the little kid riding wheelies in the movie on a mini bike is Jeff Ward....

p.p.s.  the guy in the cafe on Sunday morning that I talked to was "Mad" Max Schweitzer, but I don't know that name and the spelling and can't find it by googling.  Jerry - help?  But he is a peer of Malcomb a couple of years older and finished 2nd to him too many times to count, back in the day...  desert racing mostly.  

more later, -matt

[David]

I have to chime in and say that getting to talk with Malcolm Smith was a pleasure. He was a really nice guy and had some interesting stories to share.

I believe the other riders name was Max Switzer. I wasn't able to find out much about him, but he is listed as a winner for the 1971 Mint 400.

[snooker]

Here's a picture of The One and Only...  Malcomb 

[snooker]

I just noticed I keep spelling it Malcomb when I know it's Malcom - duh.  I guess I'm still worn out from the weekend!

[JoniJo]

............actually...........It's Malcolm.................. Joni   

[snooker]

............actually...........It's Malcolm.................. Joni   

yeah I know I just said that above your post      I don't know how to edit posts so I can't change it now I guess, and my stupidity will be forever resident on some server in the sky...

[The Yeti]

............actually...........It's Malcolm.................. Joni   

yeah I know I just said that above your post      I don't know how to edit posts so I can't change it now I guess, and my stupidity will be forever resident on some server in the sky...

Just hit the "modify" button to the upper right of your post.