Best vintage bike

RCB33
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Edited Date/Time 11/4/2015 11:33am
Ok,so over the past few years I have been fortunate enough for my grandpa to let me ride some of his vintage bikes.
My top 3 is a 1979 YZ 400, a '83(?) TT 600, and a 1986 RM 250. My favorite is the TT600(it is bored out to a 652 so has plenty of power) however the RM has the best suspension and the YZ has so much power, I'm talking wheeling into fourth gear power. I still find the TT to be my favorite bike.

Anyways,my question to you guys is what has been your favorite vintage bike you have ridden? Hope to hear some good ones and please post pics if you have them.
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ben990
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11/3/2015 7:14am Edited Date/Time 11/3/2015 7:14am
I concur with Reefer Sutherland and the 1983 Honda CR480. If it had disk brakes it would be competitive today.



RCB33
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11/3/2015 8:13am
ben990 wrote:
I concur with Reefer Sutherland and the 1983 Honda CR480. If it had disk brakes it would be competitive today. [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2015/11/03/109805/s1200_83_cr480_1.jpg[/img]
I concur with Reefer Sutherland and the 1983 Honda CR480. If it had disk brakes it would be competitive today.



Not a bad looking machine...
FreshTopEnd
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11/3/2015 8:35am Edited Date/Time 11/3/2015 8:37am
There're lots of ways to think about this without getting caught up in the what's "Vintage" and what's "Evo" civil war. Maybe what's the most fun vintage bike for you. I'm prepared to say the CR480 is a better performing bike than a 72 Maico or a 60s Rickman, but I'm not prepared to say the CR480 is a better vintage bike. That really depends on what a given person wants out of his throwback racing experience.

For me, I love the 78-79 Red Rockets, probably because of my experience when they came out mirroring the works Hondas. The early Maicos and CZ's probably after that, not that I'm too particulat about having fondness for anything with two wheels. I love the 480 and the 86-87 Cr's as well, certainly in the top ten of old bikes I'd like to have.

The Shop

newmann
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11/3/2015 8:47am
You are young so grandpa ought to do for you what I did for my kids. Put them on some 125 Elsinores...Smile

Oldest son on the 80 CR125



Youngest on the 79 CR125


Evoracer
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11/3/2015 8:59am


olds cool
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11/3/2015 9:45am
1983 CR480. God's Chariot.
Amen brother. The '83 480 and the '82 RM250 were the most fun bikes I had in my younger days. Smile
gt80rider
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11/3/2015 9:49am
I am buying my first vintage bike in the spring, let'er rip on your guy's thoughts on best 80s bike for racing vintage with now days. Reliability and ease of finding parts are more important to me than the on track performance of the bike.
Bret
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11/3/2015 10:20am
1981 Maico 490


davistld01
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11/3/2015 10:40am
Evoracer wrote:
[img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2015/11/03/109809/s1200_CZ1.jpg[/img]


Wow. There is something sexy about Czech girls...
Sidecar
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11/3/2015 11:13am








Between my brother, my Dad and me we have some vintage bikes, 1982 Cheney Yamaha XT500 bored and stroked to 580, interspan ignition, factory Kayaba front end, full titanium engine bolts, list far too long of other trick parts.
1989 Husaberg FC 501 with 600 top end, ex Joel Smets factory parts inc exhaust.
Alloy tank.
1983 EML Yamaha sidecarcross outfit, XS 650 based, same as Emil Balholder won the 83 world sidecarcross championship on, the last big fourstroke twin to win a world title.
1998 Yamaha YZ 400f, Ohlins front and rear, alloy tank (not fitted in photo) needs no introduction really.

We have more, 1985 Wasp sidecar with KX500 motor, 2001 Vertemati c500, pre production full factory bike, 1989 EML sidecar with KX500 motor, 1997 TM80, my sons bike, 1985 ATC 70. Motocross and sidecarcross runs deep in my family and we love all bikes, 2 and 4 stroke, 2 and 3 wheels new and old, keep this thread rolling.... Got any photos of your TT op?
11/3/2015 11:24am
I really liked my 1980 yz250. It only lasted about four laps though. I will definitely be getting another one later on.

11/3/2015 11:32am
gt80rider wrote:
I am buying my first vintage bike in the spring, let'er rip on your guy's thoughts on best 80s bike for racing vintage with now days...
I am buying my first vintage bike in the spring, let'er rip on your guy's thoughts on best 80s bike for racing vintage with now days. Reliability and ease of finding parts are more important to me than the on track performance of the bike.
like FTE said, there are different classes, so the vintage question is very open ended and all encommpassing.

70-74 is vintage, 75-79 is post vintage, 80-84 is evo, 85-89 is ultima(?)

classes vary. figure out what your local sanctioning body is doing. it would suck to build an 86 model and show up thinking you can race and they turn you away.

In my opinion, the coolest class is Evo. Prob the most popular too. And (arguably) the holy trinity of Evo class racing is the 81 Maico 490, 83 CR480, and 82 YZ465.
gt80rider
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11/3/2015 12:36pm
Yes, I would be looking for an "evo". Preferably not a 500 as just the thought makes my hands go numb. Lol
Sprew
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11/3/2015 1:08pm
1983 CR480. God's Chariot.
Spartacus wrote:
You sir, are correct. [img]http://i874.photobucket.com/albums/ab304/AlecSpa/11032753_10203290623306424_5992762293363495868_n_zpsvovybgps.jpg[/img]
You sir, are correct.

you make that thing look like an 125.
Bultaco
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11/3/2015 1:23pm
In my humble opinion...

disclaimer: I may have some bias. Smile

Sully
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11/3/2015 3:31pm
1983 CR480. God's Chariot.
Spartacus wrote:
You sir, are correct. [img]http://i874.photobucket.com/albums/ab304/AlecSpa/11032753_10203290623306424_5992762293363495868_n_zpsvovybgps.jpg[/img]
You sir, are correct.

Sprew wrote:
you make that thing look like an 125.
I was thinking the same thing. Bret makes the Maico look tiny, too, and I always remembered those things sitting really high. Seems to be a bunch of giants racing vintage bikes these days.
montesagold
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11/3/2015 6:02pm


I've had a ball on this bastard
zehn
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11/3/2015 6:16pm
I don't know about best performing vintage bike (he always claimed it was the best turning bike he'd ever ridden), but I've always thought my dad's Rickman Matisse was the best looking vintage bike.

newmann
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11/3/2015 6:50pm
Holy heck guys, posting up all this old crap that shifts on the wrong side and not one white framed, orange glassed sex machine???

zehn
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11/3/2015 7:05pm
newmann wrote:
Holy heck guys, posting up all this old crap that shifts on the wrong side and not one white framed, orange glassed sex machine??? [img]https://www.twnclub.ch/classic_trial_files/Museu%20Moto%20Barc/Museu%20Barc%20foto/1185CappraOrange%20(1024%20x%20768).jpg[/img]
Holy heck guys, posting up all this old crap that shifts on the wrong side and not one white framed, orange glassed sex machine???

Damn that thing is a beauty
11/3/2015 10:25pm


I'm fairly fond of my 86 cr125. Lookin for an 87-89 250 or 500 to go with it!
mark_swart
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11/3/2015 11:08pm
I have the 78 YZ400. I wanted an old bike because we have vintage specific tracks. I think riding an 86 on a true old school track wouldn't be very exciting, because an 86 can do everything on a modern track. So I think the best bike depends on knowing what you really want to do with it. For me, late 70s is the sweet spot and those are the first bikes I remember seeing in shops when I was a kid. At 42, somehow my old YZ still seems a bit more intimidating psychologically than my RMZ 450!
newmann
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11/4/2015 4:15am Edited Date/Time 11/4/2015 4:18am
Careful with the 74 CR250 Honda. Foot peg mounts snap off and frames break....just saying. 4 inches of travel for the win!



robkinuk
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11/4/2015 4:21am


My old DOT Demon 250cc from the 60's




My 1978 Maico 440cc I still have............





Uncle Tony
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11/4/2015 4:34am
Bultaco wrote:
In my humble opinion... disclaimer: I may have some bias. :) [img]http://onlytruecars.com/data_images/gallery/01/bultaco-pursang/bultaco-pursang-11.jpg[/img]
In my humble opinion...

disclaimer: I may have some bias. Smile

That's not a vintage bike it's a work of art
andyyam
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11/4/2015 4:40am
To be vintage I would have thought that a bike needs to have come from the twinshock era , for me the best bike was the 1981 490 Maico and this is backed up by the amount of them to be seen at modern twinshock races in the UK.
I am racing a 1980 250 Red Rocket at the moment and must say that it is great fun to ride although feels lacking in a couple of departments , especially when I jump off my KTM 450 and onto the Rocket .

newmann
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11/4/2015 6:34am
andyyam wrote:
To be vintage I would have thought that a bike needs to have come from the twinshock era , for me the best bike was the...
To be vintage I would have thought that a bike needs to have come from the twinshock era , for me the best bike was the 1981 490 Maico and this is backed up by the amount of them to be seen at modern twinshock races in the UK.
I am racing a 1980 250 Red Rocket at the moment and must say that it is great fun to ride although feels lacking in a couple of departments , especially when I jump off my KTM 450 and onto the Rocket .

Pic of all pics. Where are we at?
Spartacus
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11/4/2015 6:45am
There're lots of ways to think about this without getting caught up in the what's "Vintage" and what's "Evo" civil war. Maybe what's the most fun...
There're lots of ways to think about this without getting caught up in the what's "Vintage" and what's "Evo" civil war. Maybe what's the most fun vintage bike for you. I'm prepared to say the CR480 is a better performing bike than a 72 Maico or a 60s Rickman, but I'm not prepared to say the CR480 is a better vintage bike. That really depends on what a given person wants out of his throwback racing experience.

For me, I love the 78-79 Red Rockets, probably because of my experience when they came out mirroring the works Hondas. The early Maicos and CZ's probably after that, not that I'm too particulat about having fondness for anything with two wheels. I love the 480 and the 86-87 Cr's as well, certainly in the top ten of old bikes I'd like to have.
You're right.

I though the early 70's Maico's/square barrel (pre-forward shocks mod) bike were great. Fast enough, great forks, handled well and pretty reliable.

My vote for the best bikes of that era.

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