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An old friend comes home after 35 YEARS!!! Race Inc inside 
#1 2019-06-29 8:48am
- beermanjoel
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An old friend comes home after 35 YEARS!!! Race Inc inside
I'll try not to make this to long of a story. Christmas 1980 I got a gold RA-7. Wasn't really a surprise because I got to pick out everything that went on it. I raced it New Years day 1980. Raced for a couple years after that but the bike was more of a means of transportation. Riding around town, to Jr. High and High school. Soccer practice and to the pool in Summer. Fall of 83 I turned 16. The next spring my parents let me cash in some savings and I got a 1967 Camaro. As the car became more road worthy the bike was left to sit in my room more and more. That summer, I sold it to a friends kid brother.
I joined the Museum in 2014, hoping to find another RA-7 to replace the one I had sold back in 1984. Never really tried to track down my old bike, just figured it was stolen or scrapped like a lot of others from back in the day. Then a couple years ago I was at the BMX track to race cruiser and a guy I raced with back in 1980 was there. Hadn't seen him in about 35 years either. So we got to talking about our old bikes and racing back then and agreed we should try to find out at least what happened to my bike. We tried to find the guy I had sold it to but weren't having any luck.
So a few more years go by and we had pretty much given up that it was still around or we'd ever see it again. I decided to just build one that looked like it when I got it back in 1980. Thanks to many awesome people here, a few want adds, several auctions won and lost, I had a pretty close replica of my bike. The day before the last parts were scheduled to show up, the pedals, my buddy calls me and says he got the phone number for the guy I had sold my first RA-7 to. Later that day as I'm driving home he calls again to talk about it. We were both like maybe we'll be able to at least find out what happened to it. As we were talking he says hold on I just got a text! It was the guy I'd sold the bike to! He still had it and it looked, according to him, the same as it did when I had sold it to him. Garage kept all these years. Said it was cool to contact him about the bike. I told him I just needed to see it after all these years! He sent me his address and the next day I drove over after work. After a few minutes of catching up and other small talk he asks if I'm ready to see it. Sure enough, it was pretty close to how I remembered. The original tires and grips had dried up and he had put some Kendas on it so his son could ride it. He couldn't remember what had happened to the MX1000's either. After talking for 15-20 minutes I casually asked if he'd be willing to sell it back. Not sure of what he wanted to do with it or what the value was, said he'd let me know in a couple days what he wanted to do.
Well, last night was 2 weeks since I went to see it.
Brought it home this morning!
Last edited by beermanjoel (2019-09-07 8:36am)
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#2 2019-06-29 9:13am
- beermanjoel
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Re: An old friend comes home after 35 YEARS!!! Race Inc inside
The bike had blue Maxy Cross cranks and gold KKT pedals like the one in the background until I was at a friends house and left it laying in the leaves beside the driveway. We were in the shop working on a go kart and his Dad came down in his F-250 to hook up to a trailer that was beside the shop. You can probably see where this is going. While maneuvering around, the right front tire ever so gently folded the drive side arm and pedal under.
He felt bad and offered to buy me a new set of pedals and cranks but my Mom wouldn't let him because "I shouldn't have left it laying on the ground". So a few weeks with no bike, I had made enough money to buy new parts! None of the 3 shops in town had blue Maxy's in stock! The last shop we were at, the guy talked me into the Mighty Tours that are still on it.
Last edited by beermanjoel (2019-07-01 1:27pm)
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#3 2019-06-29 9:13am
- mxfan69
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Re: An old friend comes home after 35 YEARS!!! Race Inc inside
WOW !!! Just saw this in the RI thread. That is so cool and your own time capsul. Super stoked you found if, and dibs on the fork
mmmm........loop tails.......
...and that's all I have to say about that...
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#4 2019-06-29 9:15am
- old_school_bmx_guy
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Re: An old friend comes home after 35 YEARS!!! Race Inc inside
great story and it's awesome you got your childhood bike back. A dream come true for most on here. Sweet bike too btw.
We're all gonna be three little Fonzies here and what's Fonzie like?
Come on Yolanda! What's Fonzie like?
Cool?
Correct-a-mundo! And that's what we're gonna be, cool.
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#5 2019-06-29 9:16am
- beermanjoel
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Re: An old friend comes home after 35 YEARS!!! Race Inc inside
mxfan69 wrote:
WOW !!! Just saw this in the RI thread. That is so cool and your own time capsul. Super stoked you found if, and dibs on the fork
Had a feeling you'd be one of the first to comment! Thank you for everything you did for me on the build!
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#6 2019-06-29 9:29am
- MattiThundrrr
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Re: An old friend comes home after 35 YEARS!!! Race Inc inside
The welds on the gusset makes me sick to my pants!
Projects: Low budget 26" Strand inspired cruiser, Klunker-esque early 90s Hardrock
Wants: Mid school Haro Master, Fatboy A1 or Hemi Pro 24, Weird old Canadian bikes, Bassett Star Cruiser, or just N+1...
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#7 2019-06-29 9:45am
- AlurencatBMX
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Re: An old friend comes home after 35 YEARS!!! Race Inc inside
Awesome
If you haven't seen the magical stars floating around whilst lying face down in the mud you ain't lived.
"If you asked me what era of BMX I preferred I would look at you blankly and say all of them. If you never stopped riding you wouldn't look back with fond memories you'd create them instead. I come from 'any school'"
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#8 2019-06-29 10:13am
- Kai
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Re: An old friend comes home after 35 YEARS!!! Race Inc inside
Cool story. Congratulations.
The Mongoo$e rides
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#9 2019-06-29 10:46am
- crj1968
- Pro MemberSlow Day 4 Me
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Re: An old friend comes home after 35 YEARS!!! Race Inc inside
Awesome bike and so cool you got it back! Wow....that's gotta be a great feeling.
Love the gold and blue together
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#10 2019-06-29 11:15am
- mxfan69
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Re: An old friend comes home after 35 YEARS!!! Race Inc inside
MattiThundrrr wrote:
The welds on the gusset makes me sick to my pants!
Naughty boy, change your pants
mmmm........loop tails.......
...and that's all I have to say about that...
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#11 2019-06-29 11:57am
- Minx20
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Re: An old friend comes home after 35 YEARS!!! Race Inc inside
Awesome
Not many get opportunity to get original bike back.
I'd like to see a pic of both your original plus the replica bike side by side.
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#12 2019-06-29 12:00pm
- Scraplord
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Re: An old friend comes home after 35 YEARS!!! Race Inc inside
Cool bike and story!
Still searching for my missing bikes from BITD. 1979 Blue Max serial: CI9 221346 and 1977 Webco serial: 42667. Both were last seen at Spoke and Sport Bicycles in Spokane, WA around 1984. $600 reward if found!!
"Have you ever noticed that other people`s stuff is shit and your shit is stuff?" - George Carlin
WANT TO BUY 26" COOK BROS 3 BAR CRUISER!!
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#13 2019-06-29 12:05pm
- Maiden DB fan
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Re: An old friend comes home after 35 YEARS!!! Race Inc inside
Right On! Congrats on Getting it Back(how Ya let it go No Less)!
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#14 2019-06-29 12:20pm
- Cw_guy
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Re: An old friend comes home after 35 YEARS!!! Race Inc inside
Nice know you have two
I paint bikes!!
50s and 60s cars 80s Bmx

Wtb 87 General hustler pro sprocket white with red general name on it and a pair of chrome fork and 85 Cw California freestyle forks
Looking for a 85 Haro Master f/f
And a beat up rl20ii thanks p.m
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#15 2019-06-29 1:00pm
- Darthvader
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Re: An old friend comes home after 35 YEARS!!! Race Inc inside
That’s a great story .!! Congrats on getting your rig back. .
BUILT NOT BOUGHT.
Up - up - down - down - left -right -left -right - B - A - START
*Support 81*
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#16 2019-06-29 1:15pm
- MD396
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Re: An old friend comes home after 35 YEARS!!! Race Inc inside
This homecoming of a childhood bike couldn't have happened to a better member. Can't believe it survived. It gives hope to never stop believing and looking for your first race bike.
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#17 2019-06-29 1:22pm
- BRIAN HAYS
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Re: An old friend comes home after 35 YEARS!!! Race Inc inside
Wow!! Unreal. Congrats. My first comment was gonna be about MXfan and the forks but he showed up here too early.
I live for Race Inc, SE Racing, GJS, Navajo, and Nomura!!
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#18 2019-06-29 1:28pm
- eric12
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Re: An old friend comes home after 35 YEARS!!! Race Inc inside
Like the others have said, this is pretty cool. CONGRATS!
Being an adult is the dumbest thing I've ever done.
A Redline, the fastest way between two points.
Give A Shift! Save the manual.
Try being smarter than what you are working with.
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#19 2019-06-29 3:58pm
- Haro-83
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Re: An old friend comes home after 35 YEARS!!! Race Inc inside
Build it, Ride it and Break it. That what it was made for.
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#20 2019-06-29 5:46pm
- bad attitude
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Re: An old friend comes home after 35 YEARS!!! Race Inc inside
great story and great bike-that thing held up well all these years!
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#21 2019-06-29 6:18pm
- Flip
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Re: An old friend comes home after 35 YEARS!!! Race Inc inside
Congrats
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#22 2019-06-29 8:10pm
- nnjrider
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Re: An old friend comes home after 35 YEARS!!! Race Inc inside
That is amazingly awesome. Congrats!!!
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#23 2019-06-29 8:34pm
- Hoopman
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Re: An old friend comes home after 35 YEARS!!! Race Inc inside
Very cool story indeed. Its crazy if you really stop to think about it, it was probably the guy you sold it to first real bike. Or In the least he was attached enough to have kept it all this time. Not to mention it might have been his kids first bike also. Maybe later down the road the guys kid might track you down to buy his dads and his old bike back.
Just because I'm to big to ride it doesn't mean I'm not going to build it or buy it.
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#24 2019-06-29 8:48pm
- chicago.al
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Re: An old friend comes home after 35 YEARS!!! Race Inc inside
Hand made...in THE USA! Look at that cratsmanship....back when kids bikes were built as good as aviation components!
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#25 2019-06-29 9:14pm
- Thetrooper
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Re: An old friend comes home after 35 YEARS!!! Race Inc inside
All around fantastic!
Looking for a 24" GT fork 87-89
Win TWINS!!!
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