78 RC500 refresh

Halfast816 8/26/2015 9:12am
8/26/2015 9:12am
Going to buy one of those new fangled 3-D printers and feed those picks into it so I can have one too.........Walmart or Office max sell them?
Pauliemon
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Pauliemon 9/15/2015 10:04am
9/15/2015 10:04am
WOOD!
Gregory_Mills
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Gregory_Mills 9/15/2015 1:11pm
9/15/2015 1:11pm
What did they tighten the engine bolts with...a special Philips head driver?

The Shop

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Mike P.
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Mike P. 9/23/2015 5:15pm
9/23/2015 5:15pm
I went back into an earlier post in this form and if Newman's HP numbers are correct (62hp), I cannot image how they stopped or slowed these puppies down. My 83 480 was overboard to 514cc, so I'm fairly certain it was well over 60hp, but even with arched brakes and 43mm forks with essentally modern internals/shock technology we didn't have in 78, that bike was a challenge to stop and maneuver around a track at speed. I cannot image what it would have been like with the technoloy we had back then trying to wrestle 62hp. Next time I run into Lackey or Smith I'm going to ask them about those bikes…
yzvet426
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yzvet426 9/24/2015 7:15am
9/24/2015 7:15am
Joe you are one lucky dude. Another incredible bike. I havn't been on much so I didn't get the chance to tell you. This summer there was a car show. Some guy pulls in with a sweet Red 67 (guess) barracuda fastback. We started talking and he said he was from your town. I asked him if he new you, he scratched his head and said is he the guy with all the paint numbers LOL... I said yeah that's him. He said you had helped him get matching paint for his car. Small world
newmann
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newmann 9/24/2015 8:45am
9/24/2015 8:45am
yzvet426 wrote:
Joe you are one lucky dude. Another incredible bike. I havn't been on much so I didn't get the chance to tell you. This summer there...
Joe you are one lucky dude. Another incredible bike. I havn't been on much so I didn't get the chance to tell you. This summer there was a car show. Some guy pulls in with a sweet Red 67 (guess) barracuda fastback. We started talking and he said he was from your town. I asked him if he new you, he scratched his head and said is he the guy with all the paint numbers LOL... I said yeah that's him. He said you had helped him get matching paint for his car. Small world
Ha Ha, good stuff there. Yes, I have "the book" of old color chips. Local paint stores and PPG reps have tried to get me to sell or trade it to them for the past 25 years. Covers the late 40's up to the mid 80's I guess when I quit updating it. They still send people by quite often to look up colors.

You still have all your good stuff?
newmann
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newmann 9/24/2015 8:47am
9/24/2015 8:47am
"The Book". Books actually...

yzvet426
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yzvet426 9/24/2015 9:01am
9/24/2015 9:01am
LOL I have a book case full of old Mill Spec stuff that looks just like that. Good stuff, Please I wish I was at that level but yeah. and screw the wife I'm not selling anything.... Wink I've been running a Vintage series up here so I haven't had much time to collect anything like an RC500 Let alone 2 of em. This year I'm doing all I can do to get a least 1 bike to finish a moto.
newmann
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newmann 11/12/2015 8:28pm
11/12/2015 8:28pm

Just about done. Need to finish up some hardware details with proper works bolts.



Bluelion
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Bluelion 11/13/2015 4:07am
11/13/2015 4:07am
newmann wrote:
Just about done. Need to finish up some hardware details with proper works bolts. [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2015/11/12/111050/s1200_IMG_20151112_192006_491.jpg[/img]

Just about done. Need to finish up some hardware details with proper works bolts.



WOW!!!!!! Joe that bike looks amazing!!!! You have done an amazing job on an amazing bike. What a nice peice of american motocross history... Well done sir...
Bluelion
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Bluelion 11/13/2015 4:24am
11/13/2015 4:24am
I just have to say that this bike is my all time favorite motorcross bike in American history. When I was a kid I used to watch the team Honda riders especially guys like Brad Lacky and Marty Smith race around on tracks like Redbud and mid Ohio and dream of ever riding a bike like that.
I found a picture in my archives of me as a 14-year-old standing by one of the team Honda vans at a mid Ohio Trans Am in 1978. There is one of those bikes just inside that van… LOL

Bluelion
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Bluelion 11/13/2015 4:32am
11/13/2015 4:32am
Here are a couple of pictures that I took of the riders that rode those amazing factory Hondas of the 70's that day at that 1978 mid Ohio Trans Am race. Marty Smith, Tommy Croft, and one of Brad Lacky waking through the pits...





chuckdavies 11/13/2015 4:48am
11/13/2015 4:48am
newmann wrote:
Just about done. Need to finish up some hardware details with proper works bolts. [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2015/11/12/111050/s1200_IMG_20151112_192006_491.jpg[/img]

Just about done. Need to finish up some hardware details with proper works bolts.



That is flipping gorgeous! That's just reignited my spark to get my 79 CR250 finished! Got near new Fox Forks/Airshox/Fox swingarm all ready to bolt in just too busy to work on it!

Again, well done!
nicko-31
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nicko-31 11/13/2015 3:18pm
11/13/2015 3:18pm
newmann wrote:
Just about done. Need to finish up some hardware details with proper works bolts. [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2015/11/12/111050/s1200_IMG_20151112_192006_491.jpg[/img]

Just about done. Need to finish up some hardware details with proper works bolts.



Bluelion wrote:
WOW!!!!!! Joe that bike looks amazing!!!! You have done an amazing job on an amazing bike. What a nice peice of american motocross history... Well done...
WOW!!!!!! Joe that bike looks amazing!!!! You have done an amazing job on an amazing bike. What a nice peice of american motocross history... Well done sir...
Something that I've never understood, In 1979 the AMA made all MX manufactured bikes coming to the US require to have rear mounted number plates but Honda didn't do it. Do you know why Newmann. Thanks. I've ridden a 78 (I think it was ) 250 CR and with the left sided kick start I could Not for the life of me start it. I can't even imagine trying to start that .
Bluelion
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Bluelion 11/13/2015 3:36pm
11/13/2015 3:36pm
newmann wrote:
Just about done. Need to finish up some hardware details with proper works bolts. [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2015/11/12/111050/s1200_IMG_20151112_192006_491.jpg[/img]

Just about done. Need to finish up some hardware details with proper works bolts.



Bluelion wrote:
WOW!!!!!! Joe that bike looks amazing!!!! You have done an amazing job on an amazing bike. What a nice peice of american motocross history... Well done...
WOW!!!!!! Joe that bike looks amazing!!!! You have done an amazing job on an amazing bike. What a nice peice of american motocross history... Well done sir...
nicko-31 wrote:
Something that I've never understood, In 1979 the AMA made all MX manufactured bikes coming to the US require to have rear mounted number plates but...
Something that I've never understood, In 1979 the AMA made all MX manufactured bikes coming to the US require to have rear mounted number plates but Honda didn't do it. Do you know why Newmann. Thanks. I've ridden a 78 (I think it was ) 250 CR and with the left sided kick start I could Not for the life of me start it. I can't even imagine trying to start that .
It was not the AMA that required left and right side number plates to the rear of the bike. It was the FIM for GP racing in Europe. That's why they were coined FIM side plates. Honda was the last to implement the FIM side plates. Honda followed suit in 1980 and put FIM side plates on their production bikes. When Honda would compete in the GPs and international races in the US like the US GP. They would just take a front number plate and bold it to the rear of the factory Hondas..
Bluelion
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Bluelion 11/13/2015 3:45pm
11/13/2015 3:45pm Edited Date/Time 11/13/2015 3:50pm
Here's a good example of a factory Honda in 1978 at the mid Ohio Trans Am. I took this photo of Marty Tripes and his factory Honda in the background. Noticed how they just put a front number plate to the rear of the motorcycle to me FIM requirements..
Bluelion
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Bluelion 11/13/2015 3:46pm
11/13/2015 3:46pm


Pit Row

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Bluelion
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Bluelion 11/13/2015 3:49pm
11/13/2015 3:49pm
Here are a few more pictures I took from that day....





Bluelion
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Bluelion 11/13/2015 3:53pm
11/13/2015 3:53pm
Warren Reid's factory Honda 250... He was riding in the 250 support class. So he did not require having the rear number plate..

nicko-31
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nicko-31 11/14/2015 6:45am
11/14/2015 6:45am
I love that history. Thank You.
SOHC
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SOHC 11/14/2015 5:01pm
11/14/2015 5:01pm
That bike looks very nice, I allays have had Hondas,

I have a pair of Honda pants like in those photos.
BS261
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BS261 11/15/2015 1:36am
11/15/2015 1:36am
Congratulations on an amazing find, and kudos for doing it justice. I hope you put down a lap or two when it's finished!

Brian
RF145
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RF145 2/12/2016 12:02pm
2/12/2016 12:02pm
Mike P. wrote:
I went back into an earlier post in this form and if Newman's HP numbers are correct (62hp), I cannot image how they stopped or slowed...
I went back into an earlier post in this form and if Newman's HP numbers are correct (62hp), I cannot image how they stopped or slowed these puppies down. My 83 480 was overboard to 514cc, so I'm fairly certain it was well over 60hp, but even with arched brakes and 43mm forks with essentally modern internals/shock technology we didn't have in 78, that bike was a challenge to stop and maneuver around a track at speed. I cannot image what it would have been like with the technoloy we had back then trying to wrestle 62hp. Next time I run into Lackey or Smith I'm going to ask them about those bikes…
Mike, go back to the pics and look at the front wheel that shows the riveted in lining. This was special material that basic humans like us did not get on our production bikes. Terry Good speaks of this on his website when he goes into the details of his RC 500
Mike P.
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Mike P. 2/13/2016 4:02pm
2/13/2016 4:02pm
RF145,

Thanks for that clarification as it just amazes me what these factories were capable of back in the day...
newmann
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newmann 2/13/2016 7:21pm
2/13/2016 7:21pm
Had it out in the sun today.



Mike P.
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Mike P. 2/14/2016 7:56am
2/14/2016 7:56am
Wow…
Halfast816 3/3/2016 6:32am
3/3/2016 6:32am
RC's and palm trees, do you have a field of unicorns as well at this magical place?
CrGuy2T
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CrGuy2T 11/11/2016 5:00pm
11/11/2016 5:00pm
Have to resurrect this thread. It needs to be in bike builds! I had the pleasure of seeing this bike today. Im not much on vintage bikes bit this bike is seriously very trick. It's super light too.
StevieD113 11/12/2016 1:47pm
11/12/2016 1:47pm
newmann wrote:
Had it out in the sun today. [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2016/02/13/123852/s1200_IMG_20160213_110959_274.jpg[/img]
Had it out in the sun today.





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