HARLEY Days

Harley-Davidson’s effort into motocross was teamed up by the Italian company, Aermacchi, and AMF. Sonny DeFeo piloted the first MX-250 at the 1974 Omaha 250 National. There were only 65 production bikes assembled in Milwaukee. The Aermacchi engine was mounted into a chromoly Champion frame with the whole package weighing in at 212 pounds. Rex came aboard HD in January 1976 for the Winter AMA series. By the time he received the first 350cc bikes with a renewed AMF effort, it weighed a whopping 249 pounds!

                     

The 1973 prototype MX-250

Talking with Rex one day about the HD’s, he said the Kayaba fork-style rear shocks were a disaster!

“Sometimes they worked but most of the time during a hard ride, they would put the chassis in a bind and you could feel the F-ing thing get weird. Power from the 350cc motor was pretty good after we figured it out blowing up I don’t know how many. But the beefy weight just blowed making me work harder than I should have. I was strong enough to do it or I would have broken up my body pretty bad. The engineers worked their asses off but it was a lost cause. Give me a Yamaha anytime.”

Statens race bike with many trick solutions

In 2004 I was able to contact Rex Marsee, the HD motocross engineer AMF hired to work with the guys through the effort, and he summed up Rex’s piloting the HD’s like this.

“At any one time if you were to walk into the home shop, you would notice piles of bike parts and chassis carcasses. Rex Statens pile was twice as large as Marty’s and Rich’s. He just chewed them up for lunch! Those boys kept me busy.”

My reply to Marsee was, “What else is one to expect from The Rocket  - That’s why his fans love him so much lol.”

John Ingham (L), Senior race project engineer, H-D Racing Dept.
A young 22 year old Rex Staten (R), MX pilot & bike destroyer!

Rex and Steve Storz then...

Photo courtesy Steve Gustafson

Rex and Steve Storz now, Trailblazers 2018

Harley’s short lived motocross effort ended in 1979. Rex was able to land a Yamaha ride shortly thereafter. Low and behold, he won the 1980 Daytona Supercross on Japanese iron!

Enjoy these vintage photos of The Rocket piloting the Harley tank...

                         

                         

                                           

             

        

    

The Rex Staten - Vic Allen show on ABC Wide World of Sports.

The story coming shortly from the man himself!

Rocket Rex flying at the St. Petersburg Nationals.

Its too bad the bike didn't perform as well as the pilot made it look. Your stories and comments welcome below.

2005 at the Early Years of Motocross Museum