1971
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2007
A motocross magazine recently had an article describing a riding session with Harry and Stefan Everts. They rode each other's championship bikes. Harry rode Stefan's current bike, a works Honda CR250 (since then he's joined Husqvarna), and Stefan rode Harry's vintage Puch - the one Harry won the 1975 250cc world championship on. Stefan said he couldn't believe that his Dad could go fast on such a primitive bike.
The modern bike you rode two years ago must have seemed quite different from the bikes you rode in the 1970s. Was the modern Husqvama a four-stroke?
No, a two-stroke. It wasn't so different from the bikes we had in1978 or 1979. By then we had the good suspension, which is where most of the advances have come.
In 1972 Suzuki showed up with superior bikes. They were 20 kilos lighter than the European bikes. The biggest advance came with Hakan Andersons 250 Yamaha. It had the Monoshock. He won the 1973 World Championship and changed everything. By the time I retired in '79 the bikes were not far off from today's bikes.
Are you familiar with the renewed interest in four-stroke dirt bikes?
Yes. I think it's good. The spectators like them. Maybe they can make the sport more popular.
But you haven't ridden one of the new four-strokes, like, says a YAMAHA YZ400F?
No.
Do you follow the current motocross and supercross scene?
A little bit, from magazines and television. Supercross was just starting when I retired. I raced in a couple of them. The first one, I think.
The very first one? The one a sixteen-year-old Marty Tripes won?
(TOP) FOUR FIM WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MEDALS SIT IN MIKKOLA'S TROPHY CASE. (MIDDLE) MIK KOLA WON A TOTAL OF 32 CP RACES -25 IN THE 500 CLASS AND SEVEN IN THE 250 DIVISION. (BOTTOM) MIKKOLA BECAME THE FIRST RIDER EVER TO WIN A WORLD TITLE IN TWO DIFFERENT CLASSES WH EN HE TOOK THE '76 250CC TITLE TWO YEARS AFTER HIS FIRST 500 CHAMPIONSHIP.
Right. I think I was in that race. (Ed. note: Mikkola actually raced in the third Super Bowl of Motocross.)
Are you familiar with Jeremy McGrath? He's so dominant in supercross that it would be boring if he weren't so wonderful to watch.
Are you familiar with Jeremy McGrath? He's so dominant in supercross that it would be boring if he weren't so wonderful to watch.
Who's that? No, I don't know about him.
How about freestyle competitions? Have you seen them?
Yes, on television. They're like advertising for motocross. If they get more people interested in the sport, then
How about freestyle competitions? Have you seen them?
Yes, on television. They're like advertising for motocross. If they get more people interested in the sport, then
they're good.
You were such a fierce and tireless competitor. What kept you motivated during the endless travel and motel food?
I needed first place. Second place, third place, they were nothing. I needed first. I didn't need to be motivated, since all I thought about was how to win.
Do you compete in any sport these days?
Yes, hunting. I'm a member of a local group of fifty hunters. We travel to places in Finland where we can safely hunt moose and deer. Otherwise, I'm very busy here at the farm.
When did you start to ride motorcycles? When did you start to race?
I started riding mopeds when I was fifteen and motorcycles when I was 18. In Finland everyone started motorcycling when they were 18 because you had to be 18 years of age to get a license. A friend of mine had two bikes, so he lent me one. I practiced on it once, raced it, and finished sixth out of thirty.
Not bad, I thought! So I raced again. I finished third in my second and third races. Then I started winning. This was 1965. In 1966 I won nearly every race. My first GP was in 1968. I rode only the Finnish GP. The next year I raced the Finnish and Swedish GPs. In 1970 I raced the entire series -I travelled in a VW van, and won three GPs. In I97I I rode my first factory bike and finished fourth overall in the series. 1974 was my first world championship.
Do you keep in touch with any former competitors - Roger DeCoster, Brad Lackey, Graham Noyce, Gerrit Wolsink?
Roger was here at the house three years ago. He married a Finnish woman. I’ve seen Brad Lackey once, and Graham Noyce once.
You were such a fierce and tireless competitor. What kept you motivated during the endless travel and motel food?
I needed first place. Second place, third place, they were nothing. I needed first. I didn't need to be motivated, since all I thought about was how to win.
Do you compete in any sport these days?
Yes, hunting. I'm a member of a local group of fifty hunters. We travel to places in Finland where we can safely hunt moose and deer. Otherwise, I'm very busy here at the farm.
When did you start to ride motorcycles? When did you start to race?
I started riding mopeds when I was fifteen and motorcycles when I was 18. In Finland everyone started motorcycling when they were 18 because you had to be 18 years of age to get a license. A friend of mine had two bikes, so he lent me one. I practiced on it once, raced it, and finished sixth out of thirty.
Not bad, I thought! So I raced again. I finished third in my second and third races. Then I started winning. This was 1965. In 1966 I won nearly every race. My first GP was in 1968. I rode only the Finnish GP. The next year I raced the Finnish and Swedish GPs. In 1970 I raced the entire series -I travelled in a VW van, and won three GPs. In I97I I rode my first factory bike and finished fourth overall in the series. 1974 was my first world championship.
Do you keep in touch with any former competitors - Roger DeCoster, Brad Lackey, Graham Noyce, Gerrit Wolsink?
Roger was here at the house three years ago. He married a Finnish woman. I’ve seen Brad Lackey once, and Graham Noyce once.