Saw him several times at Unadilla. So smooth, as if he were one with his machine. I met him in 2015. I was 55 years old and star struck. He was an absolute gentleman. Very cordial, polite, and humble.
Great video i raced the last motorcross race at Ascott park on my kx500, Roger De Coster was there, and i got a great big hug from that guy, the legend of motocross 👍👍😊
I was around ten years old when I met him at a family reunion. Very nice polite and down to earth guy.. I followed bike racing and Roger after that. I bought a TT500 Yamaha at age 16 . From then on I was hooked on bikes..
No disrespect to RC but this is the man that deserves the title GOAT. He was not only the best in his era but his efforts as an ambassador for the sport went far above what any other rider has or will do to promote Motocross around the world.
I agree accept, lets can the "ambassador" garbage, because the word is out of context for a guy who did a great job as an employee. He did not "promote" the sport either. He was just good at it, and the workings of the bike. The 3rd word I see is misused almost all the time, you did not use. Not everybody can be a "legend" (handed out like candy),---but this time, Roger is, maybe the biggest in the sports history.
@@EarthSurferUSAhe was an employee but he did a lot of things that other rider’s didn’t do. He went to radio stations to promote motocross. He helped many riders to be better riders. He told how important training was when no one in this country actually trained to race. Without his help Lackey and LaPorte would of never been world champions. He made us Trophies de Nation champions when no one thought we could be. He gave us a whole generation of riders that wanted to be as fast as he was and many wanted to be as smart and as nice a person as he was. Many of our heroes have left us down at some point .Roger never did.
Thank you for sharing this! I thought I'd seen every video of Roger, but I've never seen this before. I had the privilege of seeing Roger race many times in the 1970s. If you weren't old enough, you really missed something. He was amazing!!!
Look, that mo-fo is hauling ass!!!! He’s in his 50’s and roosting like a drag boat. Never saw him on a Honda til tonight. Thank you for the upload. Craig Hill
@@Livingonlargestactivevolcano In 1986 when Roger and Honda Hired Mickey Diamond, they did some laps together (maybe part of the interview?), and Mickey was shocked that him and Roger were the same speed. Diamond won the next 2 125 national championships.
It's pure poetry in motion when he rides.....I saw him a Saddleback Park in maybe 1977, and there was a gigantic downhill/drop off where the riders were airborne for maybe 30~60 feet (I can't recall for sure, but a long way...) and he looked so effortless in his style compared to the other riders that you knew you seeing something truly special. I'll never forget it, and I'm so glad I got to see him ride in person:)
Trivia: According to what I've read in one motocross magazine, Roger De Coster was the pioneer in doing the "Cross up" while jumping in preparation for the next turn. He is an icon in the motocross world.
@@EarthSurferUSA the article i read was quoting Roger, so it seems legit. he was saying how he did it to make the turn, but noticed the crowd cheered every time. sounds right!
This era was about the time I began paying attention to the sport, so I know of these racers and places. These guys actually look quite fast even by today's standards. Thanks for sharing this video.
That was just the beginning too. He helped Japan develop bikes when on Suzuki also, (Japan got a lot of USA and Euro racers to develop their bikes), and after he retired and moved to the USA, just about every factory and just about every rider he supervised became winners. A new kid coming up made a mistake if he did not try to ride on Rogers team. He is getting dementia a bit now I think, and I don't think the industry will see that kind of talent again.
@@EarthSurferUSA he was my hero, growing up in the 70s, he was in almost every dirt bike mag, winning everything, truly the golden era of MX, no one will ever equal his record as a rider or team manger HES THE MAN
First saw him in person in 1975 he was already my hero! back then you could walk right up to the pro riders in the pits or before the race and ask for an autograph, he was very nice and signed autographs before and after the race! we studied his bike and copied as much of it as we could, Rodger De Coster was the very best! he inspired many many of us to be like him!
There was NO lack of horsepower; the new suspension technology is just grand…BUT the older motors were still PLENTY strong! Violent power sometimes, plus the more open tracks (outdoors), those guys were just as fit, and if were young again…would still be ruling the day on the newer stuff. It was just a different day. They were great times to be involved, and growing up!
Not really , any decade you want to pick the top riders & their bikes were the fastest of the fast guys & believe me they were not going slow during any era
Think about the evolution of machines Roger saw in his career . From racing CZs with a few inches of travel to winning his last race on a Pro Link Honda .
He was in a class all his own in those years. Saw him live once in the early '70s. Stunning. A perfect machine. Just imagine what he'd have done with a modern bike!
Riders today are faster, it's just a natural development thing over time, but the endurance of the old MX riders to do 40 minute motos with the rock hard, non-compliant suspension you can see with your own eyes here, is superman stuff. These era riders had to train hard to last the distance.
1980? I bet Roger's RC is using a mono shock on his tricked out works. I bet owners of obsolete 1980 CRs saw his bike and wanted a mono shock..I'm glad Roger fixed the 82 up CRs, and turned them into techno wonder bikes.
Those guys were real racers, they had to handle those machines that were like an off on switch and touchy suspension,Rodger Decoster rode like he was just playing , so smooth and consistent
I try to go to both SX and MX pro races when they come through Colorado. When I'm in the pits, the only guys I try to see are DeCoster, Mitch Payton, and Carmichael. Lines form for the present-day riders, and I get it, but DeCoster, Carmichael, and Payton have been the movers and shakers of the sport.
damn this video REALLY needs the original motorcycle/engine sounds from that amazing Honda Works RC 500 !!! Roger is such an amazing person and was an absolute BEAST of a racer!
1º En esos años no tenian numeros fijos, por eso no llevan numero en el jersey, no llevan el nombre en el jersey porque llevan un dorsal, en este caso de Camel, el cual tapa el jersey 2º Los nombres de los pilotos iban en el pantalón. 3º Debes ser joven para no saber todo esto.
It is about going fast, not jumping, two 45min moto, that is motocross racing . I love racing motocross on my 1990 KX 500. This sport is not for everyone ,and I ride a Surron light bee 👌😊 .Great comment, just old school motocross ✌️
roger trained and was fit as, does not matter what area, the fastest riders of there time would be fast on today's bikes, bob hanna who raced decoster back then when descoster was an old man and said he would whip todays riders, roger rode old CZ twin shock monsters early 70s and finished on 500 two strokes that were hard to ride compared to todays easy broad band power band 450 four strokes that have brakes, all things bikes being equal being fast back then , hes still fast today
I think the talent needed is different today, (faster tracks because of the 4-strokes), but IMO, it takes more talent to ride a 2-stroke fast. I say we had more talent in the 80's and 90's than the racers do today. With the tall bikes and high bar set up today, I would love to see if any pro today, (even at Rogers age today), beat Roger around a genuine clay off camber corner that does not rut or berm up. That corner does not exist today in MX, and I don't think the racers today would beat him there. I think most of them would fall.
You guys think your CR500 is fast, If you were blessed enough to ride Roger's 1980 RC500 factory Honda it would blow your mind not only more power but how light they were with better suspension and handling, back then no the factory team brand these bikes shared very little with the ones that were sold at your local dealer. I'm a retired pro racer that back in the day was trying to get a factory contract but I got hurt and that's that...
Saw him several times at Unadilla. So smooth, as if he were one with his machine. I met him in 2015. I was 55 years old and star struck. He was an absolute gentleman. Very cordial, polite, and humble.
Such a down to earth dude. Met him a couple times.
Yes!
yes
Wow that's amazing! I know he inspired me to want to ride. Definitely one of my heroes
Anybody know the model Honda he is riding in this video?
Great video i raced the last motorcross race at Ascott park on my kx500, Roger De Coster was there, and i got a great big hug from that guy, the legend of motocross 👍👍😊
I was around ten years old when I met him at a family reunion. Very nice polite and down to earth guy.. I followed bike racing and Roger after that. I bought a TT500 Yamaha at age 16 . From then on I was hooked on bikes..
I started racing motocross in 1974 , Honda Elsinore, I was lucky enough to see him race a couple of times. Simply the best 👍
No disrespect to RC but this is the man that deserves the title GOAT. He was not only the best in his era but his efforts as an ambassador for the sport went far above what any other rider has or will do to promote Motocross around the world.
I agree accept, lets can the "ambassador" garbage, because the word is out of context for a guy who did a great job as an employee. He did not "promote" the sport either. He was just good at it, and the workings of the bike. The 3rd word I see is misused almost all the time, you did not use. Not everybody can be a "legend" (handed out like candy),---but this time, Roger is, maybe the biggest in the sports history.
@@EarthSurferUSAhe was an employee but he did a lot of things that other rider’s didn’t do. He went to radio stations to promote motocross. He helped many riders to be better riders. He told how important training was when no one in this country actually trained to race. Without his help Lackey and LaPorte would of never been world champions. He made us Trophies de Nation champions when no one thought we could be. He gave us a whole generation of riders that wanted to be as fast as he was and many wanted to be as smart and as nice a person as he was. Many of our heroes have left us down at some point .Roger never did.
@@emgent5997 We are talking within the MX/SX community not all of humanity.
So cool! I was there spectating that day, the bikes, the riders, the course, the competition, all so intense! Thanks!
So good!
Thank you for sharing this! I thought I'd seen every video of Roger, but I've never seen this before. I had the privilege of seeing Roger race many times in the 1970s. If you weren't old enough, you really missed something. He was amazing!!!
Look, that mo-fo is hauling ass!!!!
He’s in his 50’s and roosting like a drag boat.
Never saw him on a Honda til tonight. Thank you for the upload.
Craig Hill
Thanks for the view
he was born in 44 hes 36 here
35 but still !
@@Livingonlargestactivevolcano In 1986 when Roger and Honda Hired Mickey Diamond, they did some laps together (maybe part of the interview?), and Mickey was shocked that him and Roger were the same speed. Diamond won the next 2 125 national championships.
It's pure poetry in motion when he rides.....I saw him a Saddleback Park in maybe 1977, and there was a gigantic downhill/drop off where the riders were airborne for maybe 30~60 feet (I can't recall for sure, but a long way...) and he looked so effortless in his style compared to the other riders that you knew you seeing something truly special. I'll never forget it, and I'm so glad I got to see him ride in person:)
Favorite motocross racer, watched him as a kid in the 70s.
Nice footage. Motocross grass track is the best
Trivia: According to what I've read in one motocross magazine, Roger De Coster was the pioneer in doing the "Cross up" while jumping in preparation for the next turn. He is an icon in the motocross world.
it's true. i read that too. he said the fans thought it looked cool. he was just making the track work. what a legend.
@@yukonjon5964 I read it also, but I am not positive it is true.
@@EarthSurferUSA the article i read was quoting Roger, so it seems legit. he was saying how he did it to make the turn, but noticed the crowd cheered every time. sounds right!
This era was about the time I began paying attention to the sport, so I know of these racers and places. These guys actually look quite fast even by today's standards. Thanks for sharing this video.
Great footage. It's always inspiring to see "the man" in action. Thanks for sharing.
the man, from riding cz ,s with no travel early 1970s , to full works cr480 in 1980 and still winning kicking ass , legend
That was just the beginning too. He helped Japan develop bikes when on Suzuki also, (Japan got a lot of USA and Euro racers to develop their bikes), and after he retired and moved to the USA, just about every factory and just about every rider he supervised became winners. A new kid coming up made a mistake if he did not try to ride on Rogers team. He is getting dementia a bit now I think, and I don't think the industry will see that kind of talent again.
@@EarthSurferUSA he was my hero, growing up in the 70s, he was in almost every dirt bike mag, winning everything, truly the golden era of MX, no one will ever equal his record as a rider or team manger HES THE MAN
First saw him in person in 1975 he was already my hero! back then you could walk right up to the pro riders in the pits or before the race and ask for an autograph, he was very nice and signed autographs before and after the race! we studied his bike and copied as much of it as we could, Rodger De Coster was the very best! he inspired many many of us to be like him!
Saw him at Rio bravo...smoothest rider I've ever seen
Yes!
Watched Roger, Mikkola, Wolsink, and Lackey go at it a few times. He was Mr Smooth on the Suzuki. Mikkola had balls of steel .
Thank you! How cool that he smoked the best on his way out of the game!
Roger D on Suzuki was my childhood hero.
It's amazing how fast those guys rode back then
There was NO lack of horsepower; the new suspension technology is just grand…BUT the older motors were still PLENTY strong! Violent power sometimes, plus the more open tracks (outdoors), those guys were just as fit, and if were young again…would still be ruling the day on the newer stuff. It was just a different day. They were great times to be involved, and growing up!
I'm sure the film was sped up a bit
Not really , any decade you want to pick the top riders & their bikes were the fastest of the fast guys & believe me they were not going slow during any era
Think about the evolution of machines Roger saw in his career . From racing CZs with a few inches of travel to winning his last race on a Pro Link Honda .
Another great track with great riders preforming magic on a motocross bikes
so good!
Roger De coster's numéro 1 👍👍👍👍👍
He was in a class all his own in those years. Saw him live once in the early '70s. Stunning. A perfect machine. Just imagine what he'd have done with a modern bike!
Riders today are faster, it's just a natural development thing over time, but the endurance of the old MX riders to do 40 minute motos with the rock hard, non-compliant suspension you can see with your own eyes here, is superman stuff. These era riders had to train hard to last the distance.
GOAT Without a doubt.
Talking about being one with the bike he ran so smooth lines like on rails congratts RogerD.you are a.legend!!!
1980? I bet Roger's RC is using a mono shock on his tricked out works. I bet owners of obsolete 1980 CRs saw his bike and wanted a mono shock..I'm glad Roger fixed the 82 up CRs, and turned them into techno wonder bikes.
Just dig the old style tracks where they were just paid out over natural terrain, within a day or two of the events.
roger the best manager
Yes, he has an amazing record!
sure . . like mitch paytoN .
@@hencetirta7633 Mitch is great!
I grew up worshiping these guys. When he came to riding dirt bikes yeah absolutely
I saw Decoster and Hannah battle at Lake Sugar Tree at a Trans ama race 🏁
I was at Sugar Tree as well!! Great memories! I still have the sticker on my now, very old Craftsmen toolbox.
The 'Man' workin it!
Those guys were real racers, they had to handle those machines that were like an off on switch and touchy suspension,Rodger Decoster rode like he was just playing , so smooth and consistent
Such a big disconnect between music and visuals.No commentary and associated audio.Just terrible production.
André un pilote qu'on oubliera jamais
I try to go to both SX and MX pro races when they come through Colorado. When I'm in the pits, the only guys I try to see are DeCoster, Mitch Payton, and Carmichael. Lines form for the present-day riders, and I get it, but DeCoster, Carmichael, and Payton have been the movers and shakers of the sport.
He is definitely the best of all time the goat.
Iconic Technic's on the bike WFO all the time , Smooth as Butter on every style track ,
I saw him race in Puyallup Washington in 1977 or 1978 at a tans am event. He won their also.
Grass tracks 😊
These were racers, they didn’t cry about lappers they just rode and rode fast, they had to master the terrain and the bikes
Roger D is the man!
Great form!
damn this video REALLY needs the original motorcycle/engine sounds from that amazing Honda Works RC 500 !!! Roger is such an amazing person and was an absolute BEAST of a racer!
Turn the music off lets here the bikes for god sake
The quiet Gangster, Legend.
The"MAN" 👊 👍😉 OLD G USA
The Man!
why is his name and number not on his jersey ?
Hmmmm ... good question. Not sure ...
1º En esos años no tenian numeros fijos, por eso no llevan numero en el jersey, no llevan el nombre en el jersey porque llevan un dorsal, en este caso de Camel, el cual tapa el jersey 2º Los nombres de los pilotos iban en el pantalón. 3º Debes ser joven para no saber todo esto.
@@ruymxsx7 Sí! Well done!
Looks like an ISDE grass track
The music is really annoying
Back when races were sponsored by Camel Cigarettes and the yellow caution tape on the side of the track would save lives
Where are the jumps ?
It is about going fast, not jumping, two 45min moto, that is motocross racing . I love racing motocross on my 1990 KX 500. This sport is not for everyone ,and I ride a Surron light bee 👌😊 .Great comment, just old school motocross ✌️
WFO on a slick, slippery grass track. No prep, no berms, no ruts, no loam - just guts.
Yea, the sport is more like Figure Skating today.
Very different time's compared to today's bikes the suspensions sucked on those bike's back then i remember well
Unfortuanatly never seen him race, would have loved to. Not so sure he could keep up with todays athletes though.
roger trained and was fit as, does not matter what area, the fastest riders of there time would be fast on today's bikes, bob hanna who raced decoster back then when descoster was an old man and said he would whip todays riders, roger rode old CZ twin shock monsters early 70s and finished on 500 two strokes that were hard to ride compared to todays easy broad band power band 450 four strokes that have brakes, all things bikes being equal being fast back then , hes still fast today
I think the talent needed is different today, (faster tracks because of the 4-strokes), but IMO, it takes more talent to ride a 2-stroke fast. I say we had more talent in the 80's and 90's than the racers do today. With the tall bikes and high bar set up today, I would love to see if any pro today, (even at Rogers age today), beat Roger around a genuine clay off camber corner that does not rut or berm up. That corner does not exist today in MX, and I don't think the racers today would beat him there. I think most of them would fall.
He rides like The Terminator
👍❤️
43 years ago
There’s a reason his nickname was the man
♥♥♥♥👍👍👍👍👍
The stupid music ruined wonderful vision.
You guys think your CR500 is fast, If you were blessed enough to ride Roger's 1980 RC500 factory Honda it would blow your mind not only more power but how light they were with better suspension and handling, back then no the factory team brand these bikes shared very little with the ones that were sold at your local dealer. I'm a retired pro racer that back in the day was trying to get a factory contract but I got hurt and that's that...
he would be 36 here
Hauling the mail in that grass! Maybe he should come out of retirement and race WORCS or GNCCs 🤣
That would be great!
1983 model kx in 1980 wtf
Great style, the bike hardly moves
Did he quit stealing gasoline after this race? He was actually a petty thief.