MARTY MOATES AT THE CARLSBAD RACEWAY

In the month of June, during the summer of 1980, Carlsbad Raceway and Marty Moates would become synonymous with one another. On that sunny afternoon Moates, the consummate underdog as an empty-pocketed privateer, rode his LOP Yamaha to victory at the 500cc USGP, a race that until then was dominated by visiting European stars. It was the one race every American rider dreamed of winning, though no one had pulled it off up to that point. But in Cinderella fashion, Moates, born and raised in nearby San Diego, pulled off what remains arguably the single biggest upset in motocross history.

OSCAR STORIES: MAX HAZAN

I think genetics played a major role in my talent, drive and the ability to work with my hands. My dad was always an inspiration even though I grew up dirt biking with my friends. He rode motorcycles but stopped long before I came into the picture. He had them all; old Ducati’s, BSA’s… he was a total gear head. I remember, every now and then I would come across some sort of problem and he would always say, “Oh yeah, that happened to me back in 19 so and so…”

I was an artist before I became a builder and it has helped in the process of custom motorcycle building. I started working with a foam model never really seeing that type of work done anywhere else. It allows me to see what I am working with without introducing any permanent mediums. It is such an easy step. I literally find this material at Michael’s Craft Store. As I said before, everything is fair game in my world. The first few bikes that I built I would rely on found material. I used anything from a kitchen sink screen to a bar mitzvah chalice.

This Ducati 998 will always be my favorite though. This was the cleanest most refined bike and it had a different engine than the rest. When it came out I literally had no money and would always tell myself, “someday.”

What attracted me to this bike was it’s elegant shape; it didn’t have any crazy graphics and it didn’t have air ducts that the 916 had, the exhaust and the features were all kind of cutting edge back then. It always just rubbed me the right way.

This bike is such an effortless ride. A lot of the artists, including artistic people that ride, space out, you know? I’ve left my keys in the fridge while thinking about how I could create a design and it is something that is definitely hard to switch off. But if you go out on a Sunday morning on an empty road and you just let it rip, that is pretty much the only way for me to switch it off. You completely forget everything and that is my favorite thing about this bike.

If someone were to ask me “if you could have anything else in life, what would it be,” I would say…keep it continuing as it is, there is no monetary amount or any material objects that I feel I need or that I want right now. This bike is definitely a testament to that. I have dreamt of it for years and now it’s mine.
I walked out on my back porch the other day and I thought there would be a bit more of a longing for more financial success or something like that…but I am more than comfortable with where I am in my life.