What's the best "up to 1975" and 1976 thru 1984 "Off-Road" Bike(s)?

TeamGreen
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TeamGreen
Edited Date/Time 6/15/2012 8:18am
Yes, this IS "Moto"; because, back then...the BEST Off-Road Bikes WERE "Moto"...under-neath it all...Especially in the '70s!

So...in 1975 what was the best (Say '72-'75)...?

1976-1984?

Why?

I'm thinking about running the "NORRA Mexican 1000" next-year and it's time to pick a bike...

My Best Candidates, so far...

1974-75 Honda MT/MR (You can take advanage of CR goodies; but, ya need to be careful...1000 miles!)
1975 TT/XT 500

1984 XR500
1984 Yamaha TT/XT 600
1984 WR/YZ465
1984 Husky WR/XC...TC? (The A/E would be REALLY tempting...I remember testing one and thinking it was Bitchin!)

I know it's tempting to go with a mid-80's smoker; but, we're talking Baja and the earlier bikes mentioned, believe it or not...ARE still dependable as hell! Some of the Mid-80's smokers were a bit too racey for this kind of event...tho...an '84 CR500 based bike would REALLY HAUL ASS! ('til it EXPLODED!) Then there's the White Hooskas...Sooooo cool!

1000 miles of Baja...minimal support...kinda like a "Fun Rally thru Hell"...

The bike needs to have plenty of parts STILL available and needs to be EASY to maintain, run and repair...SO...Any ideas?
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Sully
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Sully 6/13/2012 4:46pm
6/13/2012 4:46pm
I'd go with the XR500. You'll get decent suspension and a bulletproof motor. Or you could go with the '84 Husky just because it's a such a cool looking bike.
g0rd057
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g0rd057 6/13/2012 4:57pm
6/13/2012 4:57pm Edited Date/Time 6/13/2012 5:08pm
How about building a 75' Bill Bell\Long Beach Honda replica Baja XL350?


....or 85' XL350R (suspension a little better)
FreshTopEnd
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FreshTopEnd 6/13/2012 4:58pm
6/13/2012 4:58pm Edited Date/Time 6/13/2012 4:59pm
I'd have to go with the TT for 75and before and the XR later. Hard to beat those engines for that distance.

Or you could call up Malcom and have him tell you his tricks for making and early 70's Husky survive. Smile
GuyB
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GuyB 6/13/2012 5:03pm
6/13/2012 5:03pm
I'd agree with an early Husky, or XR500.

The Shop

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newmann
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newmann 6/13/2012 5:28pm
6/13/2012 5:28pm
You should just eliminate the MT and MR Elsinores from that list. Those bikes didn't last back then and all the TLC in the world won't make them last any longer 37 years later. I love my early Elsinores more than any other bike, but I really don't trust them further than I'm willing to push them.

If you wanted to do "something", you'd ride a Penton Six Days 125. I'd bet a dollar someone in the Penton Owners Group would help make it happen. And Lyle Lovett would sing a song about it. And Todd Huffman would film it. And people would donate money to see that film be made. And some Newmann kook on Vital would pay your entry fee.

"I'm jus' sayin"
MaicoJC1
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MaicoJC1 6/13/2012 5:33pm
6/13/2012 5:33pm
1st choice: Honda XR 500, hands down.

2nd choice: 1978 to 1985 Husky 250, 390, 400, 430

I don't think you can go wrong with a Husky. I've owned and raced quite a few Husqvarna, and my all time favorite was the 1983 Husky 250 WR (had an 82 motor in it). Also owned and race four Husky WR 400's (Liquid cooled). Of all the post vintage bikes I've owned and raced they were the most dependable. Only thing about the LC 400's is that sometimes, some of the engine parts are hard to find. If I ever bought another husky for vintage racing, it would definitely be air cooled -- parts o' plenty.
Jakes
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Jakes 6/13/2012 6:04pm
6/13/2012 6:04pm Edited Date/Time 6/13/2012 6:17pm
82 or 83 Husky wr430. Bulletproof when prepped right.
TeamGreen
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TeamGreen 6/13/2012 6:15pm
6/13/2012 6:15pm
This is gettin Good.

Newmann, what circa '75 Penton is the proper "Jack Pine" of the Baja?
Jakes
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Jakes 6/13/2012 6:29pm
6/13/2012 6:29pm
I remember that two 18 year old kids finished top of their class in the 82 baja on a 430wr. Wow times have changed.
BobbyM
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BobbyM 6/13/2012 6:39pm
6/13/2012 6:39pm
TeamGreen wrote:
Yes, this IS "Moto"; because, back then...the BEST Off-Road Bikes WERE "Moto"...under-neath it all...Especially in the '70s! So...in 1975 what was the best (Say '72-'75)...? 1976-1984...
Yes, this IS "Moto"; because, back then...the BEST Off-Road Bikes WERE "Moto"...under-neath it all...Especially in the '70s!

So...in 1975 what was the best (Say '72-'75)...?

1976-1984?

Why?

I'm thinking about running the "NORRA Mexican 1000" next-year and it's time to pick a bike...

My Best Candidates, so far...

1974-75 Honda MT/MR (You can take advanage of CR goodies; but, ya need to be careful...1000 miles!)
1975 TT/XT 500

1984 XR500
1984 Yamaha TT/XT 600
1984 WR/YZ465
1984 Husky WR/XC...TC? (The A/E would be REALLY tempting...I remember testing one and thinking it was Bitchin!)

I know it's tempting to go with a mid-80's smoker; but, we're talking Baja and the earlier bikes mentioned, believe it or not...ARE still dependable as hell! Some of the Mid-80's smokers were a bit too racey for this kind of event...tho...an '84 CR500 based bike would REALLY HAUL ASS! ('til it EXPLODED!) Then there's the White Hooskas...Sooooo cool!

1000 miles of Baja...minimal support...kinda like a "Fun Rally thru Hell"...

The bike needs to have plenty of parts STILL available and needs to be EASY to maintain, run and repair...SO...Any ideas?
DMS TT 500...or is that allowed? Smile

might win the whole shebang on that baby.
BobbyM
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BobbyM 6/13/2012 6:41pm
6/13/2012 6:41pm
newmann wrote:
You should just eliminate the MT and MR Elsinores from that list. Those bikes didn't last back then and all the TLC in the world won't...
You should just eliminate the MT and MR Elsinores from that list. Those bikes didn't last back then and all the TLC in the world won't make them last any longer 37 years later. I love my early Elsinores more than any other bike, but I really don't trust them further than I'm willing to push them.

If you wanted to do "something", you'd ride a Penton Six Days 125. I'd bet a dollar someone in the Penton Owners Group would help make it happen. And Lyle Lovett would sing a song about it. And Todd Huffman would film it. And people would donate money to see that film be made. And some Newmann kook on Vital would pay your entry fee.

"I'm jus' sayin"
didn't carl cranke win the baja on one of those pentons?
newmann
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newmann 6/13/2012 6:57pm
6/13/2012 6:57pm
TeamGreen wrote:
This is gettin Good.

Newmann, what circa '75 Penton is the proper "Jack Pine" of the Baja?
Heck, I have no idea. Joe don't know Pentons, but Joe knows someone who knows ALL things Penton. I'll ask "Uncle Ron".
Crashinskinoff 6/13/2012 7:25pm
6/13/2012 7:25pm Edited Date/Time 6/13/2012 7:51pm
XR 75 1975 model most awesome mini ever made. Mine had a cam, Bassani up pipe, air forks and SW shocks. Pop sold it to a neighbor kid for 275 bucks when I got my 1978 RM 80. The kid trashed it, man if he would have kept it and stored it in the basement!


Uh just read the whole thread, ya I don't reckon you would want to ride an XR75 in the Baja 1000, I would recommend a fully armored assault vehicle of some sort.
Racerx930
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Racerx930 6/13/2012 8:45pm
6/13/2012 8:45pm



I'm a big fan of the Xr500 myself, I own 3 of them.
Knobbyjake
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Knobbyjake 6/13/2012 9:07pm
6/13/2012 9:07pm
TeamGreen wrote:
This is gettin Good.

Newmann, what circa '75 Penton is the proper "Jack Pine" of the Baja?
Jackpiner was a 175cc Penton if that's what you mean.Cool
Ing
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Ing 6/14/2012 6:35am
6/14/2012 6:35am
Early Husky.
Knobbyjake
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Knobbyjake 6/14/2012 8:53am
6/14/2012 8:53am
1978 Maico 400 Enduro. I ran harescrambles and moto with it. Awesome bike!

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Highsider
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Highsider 6/14/2012 10:45am
6/14/2012 10:45am Edited Date/Time 6/14/2012 10:48am
'76 TT500.
C&J frame, long swingarm, taller XT gearing, Inter-Am aluminum bars. Just take a dozen clamp-on UNI air filters.
Highsider
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Highsider 6/14/2012 10:52am
6/14/2012 10:52am Edited Date/Time 6/14/2012 10:54am
Crashinskinoff wrote:
SL350 cool gallery.
Yes!
When I was 16 Larry Berquist won it on a CL350 @ 1968?
Was that the first time a bike took the overall?
TeamGreen
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TeamGreen 6/14/2012 11:22am
6/14/2012 11:22am
ALL of this is looking pretty damn cool...the SL350 is Insane...looks like you can run modern suspension bits.

Riding a True-Blue Piner would be unbelievable: is that a KTM or DKW motor?

The 430-500 Husky's do sound like REALLY good bikes...and the Collection of Bits that make up the Bob Bell Baja Special are surprisingly very available.

The easiest bike to run would be the XR.
Brtp4
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Brtp4 6/14/2012 11:47am
6/14/2012 11:47am
Brtp4 wrote:
Good friend of mine / sponsored rider has done that race a few times, won his class on this: [img]http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash4/425310_335634566488380_384434328_n.jpg[/img] [img]http://www.outtasightracing.com/Outta_Site_Racing/wp/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/cropped-i-6Ts3DG5-O-copy.jpg[/img] 1972 SL350. They had a...
Good friend of mine / sponsored rider has done that race a few times, won his class on this:





1972 SL350. They had a blast. Here is their gallery:

http://www.outtasightracing.com/Outta_Site_Racing/wp/gallery

BP
Atomic-Moto
www.atomic-moto.com
Thanks. The guy put a ton of work into the effort, I was hoping someone would at least notice.

FYI you can mod the heck outta them. Swapping on some modern forks is a good idea.

BP
newmann
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newmann 6/15/2012 6:32am
6/15/2012 6:32am Edited Date/Time 6/15/2012 6:34am
TeamGreen wrote:
This is gettin Good.

Newmann, what circa '75 Penton is the proper "Jack Pine" of the Baja?
Well, on good advice from Uncle Ron, it would actually be the 175 Jackpiner.



Or the 250 Hare Scrambler.



But when I did a Google search for Penton Hare Scrambler, this photo popped up. Might come in handy also. Backup ride?Smile

CR250Rider
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CR250Rider 6/15/2012 7:42am
6/15/2012 7:42am
I had one of these.....
6 speed transmission!
Shiftfaced
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Shiftfaced 6/15/2012 7:47am
6/15/2012 7:47am
The Jackpiner is a "no go", in my opinion. I bought one about 5 years ago that was in a box. Got it all together, started running it around, and decided that I wanted to "freshen up" the engine, and found out that getting a piston for one of those things was harder than gettting Manny to shut his trap for more than 5 seconds.


UNPOSSIBLE.
yota
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yota 6/15/2012 8:18am
6/15/2012 8:18am
I had an MT250 in 74 or 75. stripped it down for my 1st moto bike, trashed it in 2 races. frame was taffy, suspension non existant, no power. bought a TM125. got a brand new YZ125 in 76 Smile

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