Skunk Works

justpinit
Posts
434
Joined
8/1/2006
Location
British Columbia CA
8/6/2013 4:52pm Edited Date/Time 1/6/2015 8:41am
A while back , somewhere deep in an unrelated thread maybe, we were talking about Skunk Works suspension kits and other weird stuff from the '70's. Nobody could find a pic back then, but the other day this one showed up on my facebook page from Vintage Factory!!

https://www.facebook.com/1030caperock

Now THAT is a freakin' crazy setup!BlinkBlink

4
|
8/6/2013 9:04pm
I actually rode that bike in 1976. I was one of several riders in the NW Florida area that tested products for Skunk Works which was based in Destin, FL. All of the internals on the fork were removed and replaced by the linkage and single S&W shock. It had a different feel to it for sure because the center of gravity was raised and the forks were significantly more rigid due to the inherent fork brace. The linkage and shock actually were mounted through a hole cut in the front fender. The rear end was a dual shock linkage system that was way ahead of it's time. Once again S&W shocks but the linkage was good for 11" of travel in an era where 6 was the norm. Hidden by all of the suspension trickery is a 38mm round slide Mikuni that replaced the standard 28mm Keihin. 38mm on a piston port engine lead to an engine that revved to the moon.

The Skunk Works guys were ex Air Force guys that were based at Eglin AFB just north of Fort Walton Beach, FL. They had some engineering background and were always thinking of things that no one else was doing at the time. If they had been in California there where the motocross world (and media) was based at the time I'm sure they could have been significantly more successful.
4
indy_maico
Posts
4985
Joined
4/1/2008
Location
Indianapolis, IN US
8/7/2013 6:14am
I had the rear set-up on my old 250MX Yamaha with a 'Trickit' 'long travel' fork kit
justpinit
Posts
434
Joined
8/1/2006
Location
British Columbia CA
8/7/2013 12:52pm Edited Date/Time 8/7/2013 12:53pm
Thanks for the first hand account of actually riding one!. I've heard a few times over the years that no matter how crazy it looked, their systems didn't work bad at all.

I wonder how many "Trickit" fork kits were sold back then? I know they were really popular up here in Canada, and we were usually in the dark ages compared to down south

The CR above is the first time I have ever seen the front & rear suspension on the same bike.

Love this site and their FB page!

http://vintagefactory.com/
indy_maico
Posts
4985
Joined
4/1/2008
Location
Indianapolis, IN US
8/7/2013 2:04pm
justpinit wrote:
Thanks for the first hand account of actually riding one!. I've heard a few times over the years that no matter how crazy it looked, their...
Thanks for the first hand account of actually riding one!. I've heard a few times over the years that no matter how crazy it looked, their systems didn't work bad at all.

I wonder how many "Trickit" fork kits were sold back then? I know they were really popular up here in Canada, and we were usually in the dark ages compared to down south

The CR above is the first time I have ever seen the front & rear suspension on the same bike.

Love this site and their FB page!

http://vintagefactory.com/
Cool site. Thanks

The Shop

9/12/2013 6:41pm
I had the Skunkworks links on the rear of my TM125L, blew everyones minds here in Australia. I'd love to know if any of the original Skunkworks guys are still around?
redman
Posts
56
Joined
6/16/2013
Location
east coast, MD US
9/14/2013 2:54pm
I have a NOS kit still in the original box.I was thinking about installing it on my 74 cr 125.I am sure that it would look badass + I have never saw one on a bike live.
heckenzwirn
Posts
160
Joined
12/3/2011
Location
Eisenach/Germany DE
9/15/2013 6:07am
redman, please post some pictures! very interesting for me !
Iain54
Posts
6
Joined
9/15/2013
Location
Wynyard AU
9/17/2013 1:19am
If anyone has a set they would like to sell , Im building a copy of my first bike don't laugh a DT125 with electric start , DG radial head , DG down pipe . I said don't laugh !!!! Hey I was young and stupid even kept the starter and 12v bat . Iain
rm250c2
Posts
3
Joined
6/6/2012
Location
Dayton, OH US
12/23/2014 2:29pm
I don 't have a complete set, but I have one side of the rear kit off a 76 cr125 if someone is interested
1
Bearuno
Posts
4122
Joined
6/28/2014
Location
AU
12/23/2014 6:31pm Edited Date/Time 12/23/2014 6:36pm
I had the Skunkworks links on the rear of my TM125L, blew everyones minds here in Australia. I'd love to know if any of the original...
I had the Skunkworks links on the rear of my TM125L, blew everyones minds here in Australia. I'd love to know if any of the original Skunkworks guys are still around?
I worked at Competition Developments in the 70s and early 80s, with Steve and Jan Meadows, who brought in, amongst many other US MX accessories, such as Fox, DG, GEM reed valves, Mikuni (through Sudco), C & J frame kits, and Aberg Replica frame kits, the Skunk Works stuff. Plus of course, they brought in Mongoose BMXers - well, they basically started BMX in Australia. I made the first (few hundred / few thousand) Quickselver BMX bikes..And I have continued to make bicycle and motorcycle chassis and worked with suspension since.

Competition Development / Fox was my professional intro to the Suspension side of things - well, my turning up with an Aluminium Beam framed 6" front / 7.5" rear ( Yamaha Moto Bike forks that I doubled the travel of, with a monoshock rear end using an RM125S/A Kayaba shock for the rear) travel BMXer, and beat all of their riders at the Marsfield BMX track, really was, Steve and Jan got me onto a Mongoose, very quickly.

I've just unearthed the frame and forks in a workshop clean up - cripes, the converted to air forks, still had 70s air in them, that came blasting out when I dragged the chassis out by the link hose I used for the air spring - things got a bit messy.........

I've yet to finish the clean up, and may have a CR125 Skunk Works Kit in amongst the frightening horde of 'goodies'.

It was a great time to be a teenager, interested in MX / Bikes in general, and Engineering. Steve (and Jan) were/ are great people, and Steve was a superb mentor and Engineer.
1
lumpy790
Posts
9147
Joined
9/18/2007
Location
York, SC US
1/6/2015 8:41am
A guy in MD ran the rear suspension on his 76 CR125 and was winning 125B with it.
12/21/2023 4:47pm

Anybody have any pics, drawings of the hinge plate used for the front suspension pivot.

coopernicus
Posts
122
Joined
12/15/2019
Location
Broomfield, CO US
12/21/2023 7:38pm

Anybody have any pics, drawings of the hinge plate used for the front suspension pivot.

I thought I had a front kit but after a while rummaging around in the basement, I found my NOS suspension kit and it is for the rear.  Good luck in your quest!

Eric

Post a reply to: Skunk Works

The Latest