30 Day Countdown to A1: #24 Ron Lechien
Wednesday, December 12, 2012 | 1:10 PM
Share
Comment
Email
PrintWe are now just 24 days away from the 2013 Monster Energy Supercross Championship, which begins with Anaheim 1, so we turn to #24 on the Monster Energy 30-day Countdown of the best supercross racers of all time. This time we reach back into the eighties, one of the most competitive eras in the history of SX.
Ron Lechien burst onto the scene as a 16-year-old phenom riding a white factory Yamaha. Another fast kid from El Cajon (outside of San Diego) Lechien had no 125cc class (or Lites, now 250SX) to start out in back then, as the idea for the class did not come about until 1985. So it was right into the deep end of the pool, which is where sharks like Bob Hannah, Mark Barett, David Bailey, Jeff Ward, Johnny O'Mara, Broc Glover and Ricky Johnson were all swimming.
Lechien would finish third in points in '85, six behind champion Jeff Ward.
Racer X Archives photo
Nevertheless, the rookie ended up winning the Orlando Supercross against all the legends, and then in a race that doesn’t count in the AMA record books he won the CMC-promoted San Diego Supercross at the end of the year—on a store-bought Yamaha after the factory took his bikes back because he signed with Team Honda for '84.
Lechien stayed with the big red machine for a couple of years, during which he enjoyed the best weekend of his career—a weekend sweep of the Seattle SX doubleheader. He spent the next four years of his career at factory Kawasaki. His career effectively ended when a trip over the bars at the Steel City National left him with a broken femur. That injury, coupled with an off-track rock-n-roll lifestyle, brought that premature end to his career.
But it says a lot that the Dogger (le chien means “the dog” en francais) made it onto this list. His career was relatively short (six years) but in that time, he packed a lot of winning in. In 87 career starts he won eight main events and finished on the podium in many more. Here’s the thing with the man-child Lechien: he may have never won the AMA Supercross title, but if he was on and feeling it that night, none of his peers could touch him. Using a riding style where he stood up most of the time and looking much more stylish than most riders around him, Lechien saved his winning when the tracks got technical, which meant rutty venues like Seattle and Pontiac were the perfect match to Lechien’s perfect body positioning.
Lechien would spend the last years of his career with Kawasaki.
Paul Buckley photo
Ron would go on to collect 34 podium finishes and finish runner-up in the standings twice—and he finished third in '85 but was just six points behind the champion Jeff Ward. He’s one of the ultimate “What if?” bench racing topics that come up, but no matter how you think he would’ve done had he kept his head on straight during his career, there’s no denying that he’s one of the best ever as it is.
Here's a look at the complete results of our #24 Supercross racer of all time, Ron Lechien.
The 30 Best Supercross Racers of All-Time Tracker:
#24 Ron Lechien
#25 Jimmy Weinert
#26 David Vuillemin
#27 Donnie Hansen
#28 Larry Ward
#29 Mike Kiedrowski
#30 Marty Tripes
Did you like this article?
Check out CAUGHT OUTSIDE
in our Latest issue of Racer X available now.
One of the most successful—and controversial—team managers of all time, Larry Brooks is looking to return to the races. Page 146.
Look for the verified symbol 
Impulse Studios
He is the most natural talented rider of all time, IMHO..
A lot like KDub. If everything is right he would do good.
Lechien, Bailey, Bayle 3 guys that when they rode a dirt bike
You were truly watching Poetry In Motion!
Still a big fan of this cat!
And he needs to be put in the Hall Of Fame!
If he had RC or RV killer attitude we might be calling him the GOAT.... But then again if he did he just would not be Lechien. Some of the storys about this guy are Classic.
I can say lechein and Rick Johnson were my Heros when I was growing up...I look at that smooth riding style and remember why I ride old school style ...glad guys like dungey and tomac and wind ham all have it in the modern era...perfect form and position all the time...the new over the front on the rev limiter barely hanging on gets ya dnfs
"Dogger" was a surprise, a cool boy, a natural talent rider, one of the most smoothier style in the world and now ron lencien is my hero!!!
@b787tech,,, Dude, take a breather,,, before before you blow a gasket...
Loved that guy back in the day.I partied and rode too!
Brought new meaning to the term turn and burn. Who cares if he partied hard.
LA MACHINE
@ b787tech You dont want to piss off Santa ! Braaaap
A true Hi-Flyer.
Stevie I hate to bust your bubble but Lechine's Yamaha's were yellow not white.That was 1984 by '85 he was at team Honda.That was also the year that Yamaha went white in the US.
@B787 you rant was pointless.I think rockstar lifestyle should of covered it.Over the past two decades RacerX ill has done huge stories of Lechine and he admitted to all kinds of stuff and different kinds of durgs etc, that he did.It's not like you know some kind of big seceret.
Fred beat me to it but the Yamahas were yellow w/black frames in the states until the 85 model year. Europe and Canada they were white.
I sure would like to see some stuff written along with pictures of Lechine's 83 OW125 rotary valve works bike!
I was great fun watching him ride! While it lasted.
Ron raced a OW works 125 with a rotory valve engine in 1983 as a rookie and it was mostly white. Ron, Barrnett, O'Show and Ward had a killer season that year with Oshow taking the title.
My best "Dogger" story. Troy Ohio 500cc National. Ronnie was just ON IT that day. He stood up through all the turn transitions, leaning over the bars with the gas WFO!!!!! He rode that Five-Hunny so smooth yet so aggressive. Its a site that I can still watch in my memories. You really had to see him kill it to under stand just how talented he was. Awe inspiring and motivationg for a young MXer! Thanks Ronnie.
As far as off the track. I went through some bad times as a young fool just not in teh public eye. Thankfully I lived and grew older. So did the Dogger. Survivor's get credit IMO. BBRAAAPPP!!
http://www.vitalmx.com/forums/Moto-Related,20/Yamaha-Factory-Works-Bikes-1971-2009,1243070
The 224 bike is Ronnie's 83 OW. There are enough slick Yamaha's is this thread to make a Yamadog smile.
MXP533.That 83 OW 125 was super trick and super fast.If Barnett had had that OW he would of been a 4time 125 national champion.That OW 125 was not really a rotary valve 125.It was the predecessor to the case reed induction that all production 125's went to even to this day.
I never saw a diagram of the design. I always heard it was a true Rotary design. A rotary design would still intake into the cases first, just like a side carb mounted KE100. Would be great to have a Yamaha tech from back in the day chime in.
Always been a big Dogger fan--something about being able to have to much fun on sat. nite and then winning on Sun. made me a fan!! Lechine,Bailey,Bayle and KW are the smoothest riders ever to throw a leg over a bike!!
Someone that gets left off that list is Travis. When he was one it he was smooth as could be on some of the roughest tracks...Stood up all the time as well, lke the other guys mentioned.
The Yamaha baloney slicer 125 had the gear driven rotary valve mounted in the cases just behind the crankshaft.
I remember I could not believe it when I read he got busted for pot in Japan. I thought it had to be some kind of mistake. Then the story of him sleeping outside the gate at Southwick in his rental car. I heard Windham also got in a little trouble at Southwick for hanging out at a local bar near congamuck lakes on Saturday night before a national.
You should have waited until tomorrow and put Ronnie at #23. Tomorrow (12-13-12) is Ron's 46th Birthday. Happy Birthday Dogger! Actually he should be inside the top 20 considering his amount of wins and the guys he beat in that era.
Yes, Ron knew how to party! He hung out one night with some of my friends. They had a hell of a good time. I always remember him at Spring Creek, after his moto's, suckin' on a beer! Prolly won't see that these days!lol Definately a fan!
Fred, I think Matthes got it right -- I have a photo of Ronnie on the starting gate at the '83 San Diego SX and it is indeed a yellow Yamaha. Bevo Forti was the mechanic, and I believe it was John Gregory of JT Racing who bought him the stocker. Look for the picture tomorrow in Racerhead!
DC
He Smoked em, I mean torched em, I mean he lit em up. He was also one hell of a motorcycle racer.
Thanks DC, but I still say Mathes is wrong.That OW125 was Yellow as all Yamahas were in the Us in 1984.Mathes is from Canada those YZ's were white there.Thats what probably confussed him.
It's the stupidity that gets me young punk.
When I was a younger, I had a buddy Frank that started saying "Ron Lechien!" out loud whenever one of us did a cool jump or had cool style on our BMX bikes or Dirt Dikes. It became the "coined phrase" of our inner riding crew, only to be used when giving props to style or courage. One time we were illegally riding our cr80's in the hills of Westake Village, California. Out of no where , a ranger in a white F-150 came flying up this fire road towards all of us yelling freeze!! We knew we were done. Frank, looks at us in partial fear, quickly puts his helmet on, one kicks the bike, yells out: "Ron Lechien!" and pins it to freedom while we all sat there getting yelled at by Rick Ranger.
Today I get to ride at a private track in San Diego County where Ron rides. I still trip out everytime I see him out there. I laugh and think of all the times we said: "Ron Lechien!" when we were moto-punks.
I don't care about what anyone says on this blog;
Ron is the nicest guy, down to earth, rides like the wind, and we all look up to him.
Happy Birthday man.
#54
^ that is just a cool response!
I saw Ron ride here in north carolina in 1981 at the youth nats. DC did pretty well that weekend too. I was honored to be sponsored by Maxima back in those days. Dick Lechien was great back then and I know Ron could not have fallen far from that tree.
Ron Lechien...a true legend of this sport !
"Let he who has not sinned ... .. .." or somthing like that! I raced in the 70's and 80's and all I can say is not all the blue smoke coming from the pits was from pre-mix. Come on, who the heck cares? You don't think that any of the multi time champs ever lit one up or partied? Even the europeans in the 70s were known for partying. Joel Robert had lots of championships and he was known to hoist a few the night before a race. That doesn't make him any less of a champion.
Maybe at a local race. He was on team Honda in their hay day. He was on the MXDN team with Bailey and Ward. He was living the dream and he gets busted for drugs while traveling for Honda at the Tokyo airport. That's what me and my racing buddies couldn't believe. Leave the drugs at home for one weekend you're traveling to JAPAN. In a way it was cool that he could do that and still do so good. Like JMB eating KitKat bars in front of Stanton before a race. But you don't get fired for eating KitKat bars. I read that he went down some pretty rough roads. I'm glad he got thru it and is doing okay now.
The Dogger on a KX500 at full song was indeed something to behold.
Effortless and fluid.
One of my heroes. Will never forget his 224 Nat'l number on a OW125. Although IMO, Ronnie looked best a a Kawie. I really hope I get a chance to meet him in person one day. It'd be a honor getting roosted by The Machine/The Mean/Bad Guys/The Dogger for a few laps!