Original and unrestored

It’s a pretty standard looking machine, but Chip did a few special tweaks to make his ISDE week easier.

In 1980, Chip Howell, a San Diego-area motocrosser decided on a new goal, representing the USA in the ISDT.

“I was working for Husqvarna and tried to qualify with a brand new 390OR and couldn’t get it to finish a race, it was breaking gearboxes.

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“Fellow racer Larry Roeseler went ‘Yamaha’ and suggested I try a 465 as they were really good.

"Well, I rode his bike and ended up buying one to ride the qualifiers in 1981. I ran Oklahoma, Texas, Oregon and Washington… they take your best three and I believe there were six qualifiers.”

Read more in the Sopring edition of CDB
 

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