Moore Shouldn’t Be Taken Lightly in Saturday’s 125cc Motocross Final

A trophy stands in a corner of Bobby Moore’s Canyon Country home. At seven feet, it towers over anything else in the living room--especially Moore.

Moore is 5-3 and barely weighs 115 pounds. He won the trophy four years ago at age 14 in Montana by pounding his body in one of the most grueling sports. He intends to continue the abuse Saturday night in the 125cc class of the World Motocross Finals at the Coliseum. If he wins, he’ll get the usual trophy, but it will come stuffed with more than $22,000.

Moore, 18, was the top 125cc Supercross stadium rider in the country until a American Motocyclist Assn. postseason point-ruling change. Now the title will be decided by the one race, giving paydirt a literal meaning to Moore.

Forty of the top 125cc riders in the country were chosen: 20 from the West and 20 from the East.

“Because I won the West Coast championship in Supercross, I was the first pick,” Moore said. “I want to win because my parents are moving and I need to get a house--or at least put a down payment on one.”

If his recent success is an indication, real estate agents should soon be fighting for his phone number.

Despite finishing well in Supercross stadium events around the country, Moore ran into a string of bad luck in the outdoor 125cc Nationals. In the season finale at Washougal, Wash., his bike seized and he did not finish. He ended up 12th in the national point standings.

But three weeks ago he took a trip to Italy to race in the Coupe De L’Avenir, which featured mostly European riders on higher-powered 250cc machines. Moore rode a 125cc, but still managed to place fourth among 30 riders.

“It was a really nice track, but it wasn’t that rough,” Moore said. “They had a restaurant in the middle of the course and there were flowers all around it.”

The scenery was accompanied by enthusiastic fanfare.

Said Moore: “When you walked around the track, 30,000 people mobbed you for your autograph. I had to chase down my hat a couple times because people would grab it.”

Mobs of fans were hardly a problem a few years ago when he spent most of his free hours riding alone or with friends. He started racing around his home in Redding at age six. He soon outgrew a minibike, so his father bought him something bigger. Ten years, two cities and a number of trophies later, Moore was riding around the hills of Canyon Country and the now-defunct Indian Dunes Motorcycle Park.

He got his first factory ride last year with Kawasaki. He was in the 80cc intermediate class and was claiming most of the circuit wins with ease.

“They wanted me to ride intermediate all year,” Moore said. “Shortly into the season I had so many points I said, ‘No way.’ So we called Suzuki and asked what kind of deal they could get me and they gave me a factory ride on a 125. That was a real big jump from 80cc to 125cc in three months.”

His current contract extends until next year. If the contract is not renewed, Moore probably will race in Europe.

Suzuki team manager Pat Alexander is pleased with Moore’s performance, however, and wants him to ride a 250cc in next year’s Supercross stadium events. Moore will continue to ride 125cc machines in the outdoor Nationals events.

Moore will have to get in better shape to withstand the rigors of riding the larger machines. In a few of this season’s Nationals events, Moore said he tired late in the race.

He’s been exercising and riding bicycles to prepare.

“I’ve been growing a lot, so that will help out, too.”