"Team Dirty" Noguchi Build #254

YZ302
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Southwick, MA US
Edited Date/Time 9/23/2017 5:56pm
I wanted to share some pictures of my Dennis Hall replica that I completed today. I started with a 1974 YZ125A that I purchased out of New Jersey (Thanks Joe). I tore the bike right down to the frame and went through it all. I spent a lot of time and too much money finding and purchasing correct NOS parts. I tried to get this bike right and with a few exceptions I'm very pleased with it. As a big fan of the YZ125A I felt the need to build what I believe to be the top of the food chain for that model. Dennis Hall was a rider out of Georgia who rode for Dirty Distributing. Dennis has unfortunately passed from this earth. I built this bike as a tribute to him as well as his teammates Jimmy Merck and Karl Siegel. And Nicholas if you see this, I hope you like the bike.
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YZ302
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5/21/2014 6:17pm
The black and white photo is of Dennis. It was part of a Noguchi ad from 1974.



sgthubbard#60
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5/21/2014 6:47pm
Looks awesome man! Good work!
YZ302
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5/22/2014 5:58am

Below is Karl Siegel pictured on a Noguchi Special 125 during a Cycle News test from 1973

Below is a picture of Jimmy Merck during practice at a track in Georgia. He is on Dennis Hall's bike.

The Shop

YZ302
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5/22/2014 6:03am
A few more pictures of my bike



sgthubbard#60
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5/22/2014 6:19am
Well now I guess I need to make the long trip over to your place to see this thing in person. Not looking forward to the 8 min drive.
YZ302
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5/22/2014 6:32am
The following two pictures are from a 100cc Noguchi test. Woody Kyle is doing the wrenching.


A few more shots I have found on the net

YZ302
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5/22/2014 6:46am
Hubbard, You'll see it soon enough. I want to fire it up but I can't bring myself to be the first person to put exhaust through that pipe.
newmann
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5/22/2014 6:53am
Nicely done. Those little bikes look really good, done up in Noguchi colors just makes them look better! Unfortunately I traded some nice 74 YZ125 stuff along with a NOS Noguchi kit to a big collector for a crate full of junky Elsinore parts. Best screwing I ever got in the vintage circles.

Back in 1992 at the Steamboat Springs AHRMA national, a guy from California had a truck bed full of Noguchi kits at the swapmeet. Picked up the complete engine kit for 4 or 5 hundred bucks. What are those things going for these days if you don't mind me asking?
YZ302
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5/22/2014 7:01am
A few more photos. That's Tony Wynn on the monoshock 250. Dirty Distributing was loaning these bikes out in the spring of 1974 prior to the production models arriving from Japan. DeWayne Jones rode for Can-Am in 1974 so I assume that is when those pictures were taken. You know what happens when you assume though.



YZ302
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5/22/2014 7:10am
Newmann, I didn't buy mine as a kit. I pieced it together over time. I will say this, my wife was not at all happy with what I shelled out for the pipe. LOL
YZ302
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5/22/2014 7:18am
Three more Dennis Hall shots I pulled from here on Vital. I think the last shot is AWESOME.



5/23/2014 6:33am
WHO EVER BUILT THE NOGUCHI #254, PLEASE CALL ME 678-428-2343 My name is Nicholas Hall, Dennis Hall's oldest son. Please call me so I may tell you in person how COOL this is to see!!!!
245
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Marietta, GA US
5/23/2014 6:04pm
YZ302 wrote:
A few more photos. That's Tony Wynn on the monoshock 250. Dirty Distributing was loaning these bikes out in the spring of 1974 prior to the...
A few more photos. That's Tony Wynn on the monoshock 250. Dirty Distributing was loaning these bikes out in the spring of 1974 prior to the production models arriving from Japan. DeWayne Jones rode for Can-Am in 1974 so I assume that is when those pictures were taken. You know what happens when you assume though.



How did you come about this start picture?
Jimmy Merck son is a good rode racer.
Buddy Cox is retired from Yamaha, for along time he was in charge of TZ parts in the US.
Jack Gill was a stuntman, went on to marry Morgan Britteny. Look for his company name in the credits at the end of movies.
Allen Warren owned a body shop in Marietta Ga.
YZ302
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5/23/2014 7:21pm Edited Date/Time 5/23/2014 7:40pm
While doing my research for this build I did a lot of digging for pictures on the web. Here are a few more pictures of Jack Gill and possibly some other guys you may recognize. Speaking of being a stuntman, that's Jack Gill jumping the General Lee through a barn.


6/8/2014 2:51pm
Congrats to YZ302 for his excellent #254 replica. I was the sole owner/founder of Dirty Distributing, Noguchi USA, Noguchi International, and Shinobi. It brings back a lot of memories when I see pictures such as those in this posting. It is very gratifying that there is still the level of interest today of those days 40 years ago when Noguchi and Shinobi raised the bar of performance to a new level. I am proud to have been able to contribute to the sport of motorcycles to the level I did. If anyone is interested, perhaps I could answer questions or clear up some less-than-accurate statements (or misunderstandings) about Dirty/Noguchi/Shinobi. We developed and sold around the world a lot of very advanced components for the day. And we had "tuning secrets" for levels of performance above what was standard in the kits that were sold that I doubt are matched today even with the latest engine technologies. Actually that would be fun to see. Maybe there is information I could pass along to the right individual who could in turn make such a comparison a reality. Any interest?
RF145
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6/9/2014 8:43am
I have an interest Noguchi Dave.



6/9/2014 9:01am
RF145 wrote:
[b]I have an interest Noguchi Dave.[/b] [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2014/06/09/56170/s1200_fogelTank1.jpg[/img]
I have an interest Noguchi Dave.



What do you mean, "I have an interest"? Please be more definitive. Are you saying that you are in the position to bring together a true comparison? Please explain what your interest really is. Thanks.
245
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6/9/2014 9:53am
Dave, last time I saw you was in your home garage with Dave Cathcart . What are u doing now in Tx's ? Joe Rogers
RF145
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6/9/2014 11:29am
What do you mean, "I have an interest"? Please be more definitive. Are you saying that you are in the position to bring together a true...
What do you mean, "I have an interest"? Please be more definitive. Are you saying that you are in the position to bring together a true comparison? Please explain what your interest really is. Thanks.
Dave, sorry, that was quite lame on my part. I was thinking, but not expressing, this would be an interesting project and I would love to read about it and it's results.

I am so far backed up project wise, I would never get to your project for another twenty years....if that.

I would not mind contributing parts if I had them to this project though (1974 YZ 125 parts).

Sorry for the poor post,

Richard
.
6/10/2014 8:04am
Richard,

Thanks for the response. YZ302 did such an outstanding job putting his replica #254 together that I've now got an itch to build one more bike encompassing all the little Noguchi (and maybe Shinobi) "tips and secrets" that I know. Something for posterity, more or less. Anything you or others may have to contribute, offer, or whatever to my little project would be greatly appreciated. If I could bring together a complete bike along the lines of what YZ302 has done, and incorporate some "secret" engine mods, I think it would be interesting to say the least to see how it stacks up to the latest Yamaha YZ125 two-stroke. All we could really compare, of course, would be the engine performance, not the handling. How would it compare getting off the line going to the first corner? How would it compare coming out of a corner? Do "old guys rule" like the T-shirts say? There were so many really neat things "back in the day" that are fast becoming forgotten. And that's a shame. I want to do my part to pass along what I can. Let's see if this post goes anywhere. Let's see if there are more Noguchi-devotees out there like YZ302.
Bluelion
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6/19/2014 11:20am


Terry Good's factory Noguchi 125 at mxworksbike.com
downard254
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6/22/2014 8:21am
That's a very nice number to be running.

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