Wardy '77 RM125

Racer92
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Racer92
Edited Date/Time 7/9/2015 6:06pm
Woohoo

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Suzuki-RM-Original-FMF-Package-Racer-JEFF-WARD-…

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Big Lenny
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Big Lenny 7/15/2014 2:44pm
7/15/2014 2:44pm
Those '77's one of the best bikes I've owned...
Cygnus
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Cygnus 7/15/2014 2:54pm
7/15/2014 2:54pm
That's one fine specimen.
Big Lenny
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Big Lenny 7/15/2014 3:07pm
7/15/2014 3:07pm
Cygnus wrote:
That's one fine specimen.
If I ever get some spare change I'm going to get another one...
newmann
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newmann 7/15/2014 3:14pm
7/15/2014 3:14pm
AZMike has been trying to sell that bike for years. Finally figured out why it hasn't sold. Go down and read the comments/questions.....lolLaughing

Question & Answer Answered On

Q: Hey - Jeff Ward never raced for Suzuki, he was true to Kawasaki. I believe what your mechanics were reading was forward. Not For Ward. I have 2 sets of fins hanging in my garage marked the same. You might want to clarify and post this for others to see. Jul-13-14
A: Might make sense if you weren't completely wrong. Here's a quote from the AMA Hall of Fame biography on Jeff Ward. Look it up yourself if you don't believe me. quote--"Ward joined the professional motocross ranks in 1978 riding an FMF-backed Suzuki in the 125 class. He earned five top-10 finishes and finished his rookie season ranked a very credible seventh in the series."

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Lonestar_399 7/15/2014 4:19pm
7/15/2014 4:19pm Edited Date/Time 7/15/2014 4:21pm
http://vault.racerxonline.com/rider/jeff-ward/races - his results for 1978 on a Suzuki


However, the bike in the picture is a 1977 model, not a 1978 model. Did he make a few races on a RM125 in 1977 for FMF? The frame number checks out as a 1977. There's more to this story than being told I have a hunch Wink ]

Cool bike though.
mag250
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mag250 7/15/2014 5:03pm
7/15/2014 5:03pm
Two Newmanns in one thread.....WTH?

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Racer92
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Racer92 7/15/2014 5:08pm
7/15/2014 5:08pm
Newmann, so you think the bike is a imposter?

Either way, Id LOVE to have that thing. Gorgeous ride.
DanDunes818
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DanDunes818 7/15/2014 5:30pm
7/15/2014 5:30pm Edited Date/Time 7/15/2014 5:31pm
I'm like 95% sure I remember Wardy on a Suzuki in 77 and 78. He was an Indian Dunes local and, while I'm not positive, I do remember him on Suzuki's on the 125.

Here's a cool pic from Indian Dunes (I think 79) of Wardy (#7) on a Kawi chasing Gary Denton with Brian Myerscough(styling in backround) and Johnny O chasing him on Shadow Glen track.



TeamGreen
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TeamGreen 7/15/2014 5:33pm
7/15/2014 5:33pm
So, Wardy didn't race a '77 RM125 in '78...?
Cygnus
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Cygnus 7/15/2014 5:33pm
7/15/2014 5:33pm
Racer92 wrote:
Newmann, so you think the bike is a imposter?

Either way, Id LOVE to have that thing. Gorgeous ride.
Yea and also, What's it worth if it wasn't Wardy's bike?
newmann
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newmann 7/15/2014 5:51pm
7/15/2014 5:51pm
Racer92 wrote:
Newmann, so you think the bike is a imposter?

Either way, Id LOVE to have that thing. Gorgeous ride.
Not at all what I'm saying. The goober on eBay was saying Ward never raced Suzuki's. Ward raced Pro Fab framed RM80's for FMF back around 76 or 77 along with the Mini Elsinore's. He was moving up to the 125s about then and easily could have had 77 FMF built RM125s in the stable.
newmann
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newmann 7/15/2014 5:53pm
7/15/2014 5:53pm
mag250 wrote:
Two Newmanns in one thread.....WTH?

.
Could be three ...lol
Racer92
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Racer92 7/15/2014 5:56pm
7/15/2014 5:56pm
newmann wrote:
Not at all what I'm saying. The goober on eBay was saying Ward never raced Suzuki's. Ward raced Pro Fab framed RM80's for FMF back around...
Not at all what I'm saying. The goober on eBay was saying Ward never raced Suzuki's. Ward raced Pro Fab framed RM80's for FMF back around 76 or 77 along with the Mini Elsinore's. He was moving up to the 125s about then and easily could have had 77 FMF built RM125s in the stable.
Ah gotcha, thanks. It is so cool how much vintage knowledge you have!
newmann
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newmann 7/15/2014 6:19pm
7/15/2014 6:19pm
newmann wrote:
Not at all what I'm saying. The goober on eBay was saying Ward never raced Suzuki's. Ward raced Pro Fab framed RM80's for FMF back around...
Not at all what I'm saying. The goober on eBay was saying Ward never raced Suzuki's. Ward raced Pro Fab framed RM80's for FMF back around 76 or 77 along with the Mini Elsinore's. He was moving up to the 125s about then and easily could have had 77 FMF built RM125s in the stable.
Racer92 wrote:
Ah gotcha, thanks. It is so cool how much vintage knowledge you have!
I know very little compared to some of my vintage friends. Hearing them recite what happened every lap of some race back in 78 makes me think they are just damn weird! Laughing

Here's Wardy in the 77 FMF catalog, on Suzukis.

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Lonestar_399 7/15/2014 6:39pm
7/15/2014 6:39pm Edited Date/Time 7/15/2014 6:43pm
I may reach out to the old owner of the FMF Moto-Tex operation and see if he knows anything. I'm curious now. Actually, I think I may know who is the "specialist restorer" mentioned in the ad also.

Someone asked about the value earlier. As my expert brother will claim "who knows"? People pay some crazy amounts for stuff that others won't. If it really was one of Ward's bikes I think it's worth the Buy It Now price. If not one of his bikes and basically a FMF package racer I would say easily half the BIN price. There's some cool shit on that bike. Note the floating brake system. Same as what came on the RM a year later but was a common hop up in 1977 (for the non-vintage guys the rear brake arm mounts to the frame instead of that brake stay on the swingarm you see). I'm actually running that on my 77 model.

Joe could tell you a better price range than I could though...not my wheelhouse.
newmann
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newmann 7/15/2014 8:06pm
7/15/2014 8:06pm
Ask someone if they remember when Wardy raced Yamahas and see what kind of looks you get! Remember the Yamaha Race of Champions at Ponca? All the top guys lined up on brand new YZ80's. Suzuki, Honda.....didn't matter who you rode for. Good stuff.

newmann
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newmann 7/15/2014 8:13pm
7/15/2014 8:13pm Edited Date/Time 7/15/2014 8:15pm
Here is the RM80 from the FMF catalog as it resurfaced quite a few years back. It had been upgraded for a couple of years after Wards dad sold it and it continued to get raced. Rick Doughty of Vintage Iron restored it for the Primm Collection which is now the Moto Armory. Gun business has obviously been very good for some people!



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MauriceR
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MauriceR 7/15/2014 8:22pm
7/15/2014 8:22pm
I know there was a thread a few years ago with pics of Ward riding the Yamaha in about 78
wow123
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wow123 7/15/2014 8:34pm
7/15/2014 8:34pm
okay RM80s
Heres my stock orig 79 "N" with "T" alu wheels, hated the steel wheels and 1 of the few non cosmetic updates from 79 to 80
(Thanks Dad for holding it up)


Lonestar_399 7/15/2014 9:00pm
7/15/2014 9:00pm Edited Date/Time 7/15/2014 9:02pm
Yeah, there is info about Wardy riding the ow125 Yamaha in 78, late in the year. Kawi picked him up for 79.
500guy
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500guy 7/15/2014 9:35pm
7/15/2014 9:35pm
We had 2-3 of those RM's I traded the frames and a bunch of stuff including many identical parts on that bike several years ago to a Vintage guy who also made T-shirts I forget his name now.
Donny O'Slow O'Hara 7/16/2014 12:04am
7/16/2014 12:04am Edited Date/Time 7/16/2014 12:16am
That 77 FMF RM 125 is what I think he was riding locally to cut his teeth on a 125 before he turned Pro in 1978.
This is the RM I remember him racing in the 1978 Nationals on. He also rode Yamaha for part of the year as well.





Racer92
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Racer92 7/16/2014 5:56am
7/16/2014 5:56am Edited Date/Time 7/16/2014 5:56am
I just re-read the listing for that Wardy bike, and man I sure wish I could buy it. That thing is completely badass and with all original stuff from '77. Would love to smell Bel-Ray mixed with leaded hi-test coming out the back of that uber rare FOX silencer.

newmann
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newmann 7/16/2014 6:16am
7/16/2014 6:16am
Racer92 wrote:
I just re-read the listing for that Wardy bike, and man I sure wish I could buy it. That thing is completely badass and with all...
I just re-read the listing for that Wardy bike, and man I sure wish I could buy it. That thing is completely badass and with all original stuff from '77. Would love to smell Bel-Ray mixed with leaded hi-test coming out the back of that uber rare FOX silencer.

You should buy it. Only down side is that it will multiply into 21 vintage bikes in a few short years. You've been warned.....
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Mike P. 6/12/2015 8:18pm
6/12/2015 8:18pm
I have been looking for a trend about this bike to surface when I ran across this one (sorry for my lateness). I just want to point out a couple of things. Ward was still riding mini's in 77 (he won the 77 Yamaha ROC on a YZ80), however I too believe he was likely in transition and may have rode a 77 RM125 because he was getting support from FMF. The problem i have with this bike is that while it has a lot of parts on it, the shocks are defintely wrong because Works shocks back in the day are what SW shocks are to MX today, and Ward never would have used them (he always had the latest and trickist shit..he would have been usiing Fox air shox, as he did on his 78 RM125). Now, that's still not to say this bike is not his, but when i had a discussion a short time ago with AZ Mike he was unaware what shocks FMF and DG used on their bikes and gave me an answer that was just not true (the guy hadn't done his homework). Lastly, even if this bike were Wards, I still do not think it has historical signIficance (not every bike an ex-racer owned has historical significance and it certainly was not worth the 15K he was asking at the time (in my opinion). But, it might be to someone out there...
xnationalwrench 6/12/2015 8:51pm
6/12/2015 8:51pm
I know both Ron Turner and Gary Ogden use 250 RM suspensions on their 125 Team bikes back then. Along with the larger 250 gas tank.
dynohut
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dynohut 6/12/2015 9:15pm
6/12/2015 9:15pm
Great thread and thanks for posting fellas. I remember Wardy on the 1978 FMF RM125 only one year. However I remember my new 1977 RM125 that ripped ass all day long like yesturday, one of the best MX machines ever made

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