For us older guy's

Believe it or not, that actually does bring back memories, although my Big Wheel Ramp wasn't that radical. That boy is catching some serious air! We had no fear back then. I do remember having a jumping contest on my Yamaha YT 3 Wheeler ATV in the dirt trails by the Whitestone Bridge. We had a tape measure and all and I think my friend Richie won with a jump of 25 or 27 feet, I can't remember exactly. I came in second with a 22' jump. My friend Steve chickened out at the last minute. He may have been the smartest out of all of us because shortly after I crashed when one of the rear wheels hit a buried truck tire and probably threw me longer than the jump did. I hit the ground in tee shirt and jeans, no helmet, and no padding. The bike wound up landing on top of me, busting my right hip real good. Needless to say my riding days on that 3 wheeler was over that day and we hobbled it 4 miles back home with a flat right rear tire. AH Yes, those were the good ol days!!!
 
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This is what it looked like although mine wasn't in as good a shape. They soon after outlawed them and went to four wheeled ATVs.

Yamaha_YT175_Tri_Moto_1982.jpg
 
I so remember the big wheels! I always wanted a Green Machine, but never got one :( I still have some sadness on that one. I still have a hard time with bicycle helmets and gear. I'm a big supporter on motorcycles, but bicycles, I still just can't wrap my head around the need. I know it's there, but :beer:

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This was my jump machine... 1978 Yamaha DT 125 I did a superman and over the bars and I'm not sure what else (but I did wear an open face Bell helmet, goggles with mud guard and MX gloves). It was originally my brothers, but I got it later. He had a 1976 or 1977 green version, but it got stolen out of our garage one night. It was found in pieces. The yellow one was great. Love the 2 stroke!

10474_0_1_2_dt%20125%20e_Image%20credits%20-%20Freddy%20Londt.jpg

Yamaha-DT125-1978.jpg
 
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Oh yea I remember my brother and I making ramps to jump with our "Big Wheel". We also used to spin out on purpose and see who could the most 360s :D
 
Yup rings a bell, We were jumping our dirt bikes down in the SF Bay Area behind our school.
(Schwinn Stingrays) and a new kid From Boston with a 10 speed showed up and asked if he could try it. Well, he got going pretty fast with those big tires and caught some big air, Needless to say the landing was a real crash. He instantly became a member of the "in" crowd of course.
 
My kids had a couple of those big wheels in the seventies. That doesn't seem that long ago. They are in their mid thirties now though, so I guess that it was a while back.
 
I was lucky my dad had an excavating side business, so I always had the backhoe and equipment to make jumps. One year he decided to start digging a swiming pool in our back yard well once me and all the neighborhood kids started jumping out of it. He figured we had much more enjoyment out of the big "pit" in the back yard...lol

PS there was no "foam" pits back then either....lol
 
Big wheels and no safety gear happened in the 80's and 90's also :D we would do burnouts with our bigwheels and ended up ruining the front tire. Hard leason to learn when you are six that dad won't be buying new tires if you burn them off lol.
 
I wore out the wheels on one of those too. I also remember a small red plastic pedal sports car when I was around 5-6 yrs old. My cousin had one too. I remember the two of us racing on the road (we lived on a VERY rural road) and getting pulled over by the cops. I think the car was called a Road Runner but I cannot find a single image of one on Google.

We also made our own simple carts as kids... a couple 2x4's, a small piece of plywood, some wheels off old lawn mowers... We'd use a single bolt to make a swiveling T on the front and attach a rope to pull each side for steering. Only problem? No brakes! :eek5: :yes:
 
I had a green machine. It was much faster. ;). Of I recall I had something called whacky wheels that would spin in circles also.


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And now we have been so neutered that we can't even run on the playground or play dodgeball......too dangerous. And monkey bars.......fuggedaboutit. It's amazing we survived.
 
johnnyontherocks said:
Eric, I think I had the same car. Did the hood and trunk open? I think I might have a picture some where if I can dig it up.
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Just how old ARE you anyway? ;)

I think both lids opened but I can't recall. This was in 1970/71 when I was 5 and 6 yrs old... A lot of brain cells have died since then. :D If you do have a pic, I'll know right away!
 
Ouch

OneSizeFitsAll said:
I must be older than old, Big Wheels came out when I was a teenager. Now who used roller skates with metal wheels and a key?
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That'd be me. Also, I was an expert at attachting card-board (the size of playing cards) pieces to the frame to contact the spokes, for that "motor-ing" sound !! heh,heh
Now, , , that's OLD :smokin2:
 
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