Don't know what got me to thinking...

[Dallara]

Don't know what got me to thinking about this guy today...


http://www.ahrma.org/mx_gallery/decoster_1975_ca500gp.jpg

http://www.ahrma.org/features/decoster.jpg

http://www.crhighperformance.com/images/Roger_DeCoster_on_CZ_1969.JPG

http://img.timeinc.net/mx/content/images/oct05/100505/MO0805_50g23.jpg

http://www.amamotocross.com/adm/upl/97yrzzxmcf_1056722435.jpg

http://www.cyclenews.com/classic/classic0403.jpg

http://www.czmadness.net/assorted/bikes/RogerDecoster.jpg

http://www.geocities.com/chapter11vintageracing/decoster74usgp2.jpg

http://www.decosterskids.com/images/ROGER3.jpg

http://www.motoxschool.com/images/rogerdecoster1.GIF

http://www.motorcyclemuseum.org/exhibits/MX/decoster.jpg

http://www.motosclassicas70.com.br/cross_campeao.jpg

http://www.motosclassicas70.com.br/decoster_CZ_1970.jpg

http://www.motosclassicas70.com.br/decoster_71.jpg

http://www.motosclassicas70.com.br/decoster_72.jpg

http://www.motosclassicas70.com.br/cross_decoster.jpg

http://www.motosclassicas70.com.br/Trofeu_decoster_2.jpg

http://www.motosclassicas70.com.br/decoarter_76.jpg

http://www.motosclassicas70.com.br/decoster_77.jpg

http://www.motosclassicas70.com.br/decoster_heikki.jpg

http://www.motosclassicas70.com.br/decoster_honda_80.jpg

http://www.motosclassicas70.com.br/de_coster_honda.jpg

http://www.motosclassicas70.com.br/decoster_78.jpg


Cheers!

Allan (Dallara - NACD)

[DJ Down Under]

I loved Roger De Costa....isn't he a famous doctor now?....:003:

I loved the way he could ride a burm with his inside foot on the peg.....:icon_eek:

Those old RM's...what great bikes they were..a friend had a 125 that went like stink...the last one that I rode was a 370...and was a great wheelie machine.

Geees I miss the old two strokes.

DJ

[supermotoC]

My first MX hero was Joel, but look at Roger's career from then until now! I just saw him on TV Tuesday night!!!
Sidi still makes those exact boots that Joel is wearing in the sig photo:


http://motonation.com/assets/500/00000251.jpg

[jamming]

Roger De Costa was a stud! I was a huge fan. Had to have a Suzuki shirt, pestered my parents endlessly. Had a Roger poster. Thanks for the memories Allan.
Roger

[Arby]

Roger was DE MAN.

I read that he said those CZs' had non folding foot pegs. They were consantly causing him injurys that still bother him.

I had '73 400 CZ that had folding pegs, so they did start using them at some point.

Thanks for the post.

Arby

[DJ Down Under]

I remember the first folding foot pegs just folded up...not up and back like they do now...so if you touched one at speed it still didn't fold.

Joel Roberts was also great...and I had those Sidi boots too...I don't remember that many buckles...my best friend had the ones with the chrome shin gard.

After them I got myself a pair of Heckles...plastic robot boots..anyone remember them..my friends used to stur me about them..mostly the color.

Arrr those were the days....:003:

DJ

[Arby]

I just read an interview with Tony D, a Suzuki rider for US Suzuki back in Roger's day.
In Tony's interveiw he said"Then in '76 the front ends were breaking off the Suzukis". Tony was the US national champ for Suzuki in '75 thru '77.

I recall Roger D racing at the infamous Carlsbad m/x track in So Calif. The front straightaway was known as the Carlsbad freeway. A high speed down hill affair, with drop off mid way. The race must have been the US M/X GP 500cc.

I don't know where Roger was placing, but one lap, as he landed from that high speed drop off, the front forks broke off his factory Suzuki and he did a face plant at probably 70 mph.

I don't recall the extent of his injurys. But I'm sure that he was visiting some doctors with skills similiar to our own DR Bones.

You'll notice that you never see or hear of Roger riding in any of the memory lane kind of rides. IE; vintage or past masters, etc.

I think once was enough for him.

Arby
(Bob)

[Bake]

I saw DeCoster race a couple times in the midwest, at St.Charles, Mssouri, near St.Louis. He had style to be sure, and I still remember how thrilled I was to see one of the big stars of outdoor motocross. He lost to Ake Jonnson and Heiki Mikkola. Jonnson rode a big Maico with the sunburst head, and Mikkola was on a beautiful brown tank w/ polished aluminum panels Husky.
Another rider in that race: Bengt Aberg, one of the greatest motocross riders of all time.

[supermotoC]

Roger is currently head of Team Suzuki (Ricky Carmichael).
some other measley accomplishments:

Belgium National Trials Champion 1964

Gold Medal at 1964 ISDT in East Germany

500cc World Motocross Champion 1971

500cc World Motocross Champion 1972

500cc World Motocross Champion 1973

500cc World Motocross Champion 1975

500cc World Motocross Champion 1976

Managed team USA at the Motocross des Nations 1981-- 1990

Still holds record to date for the most 500cc World Motocross titles held by one rider.

http://www.motocross.com/vintage/vmv/MRdeco1.jpg

http://home.ama-cycle.org/forms/museum/hofbiopage.asp?id=94

If anybody ever comes across some old carrera goggles like this:
http://www.motocross.com/vintage/vmv/MRDsto1.jpg

let me know how much to buy them.