Best privateer bike ever built?

ATKpilot99
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9/7/2020 8:39pm
The Team Nami bike was pretty good.
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yzf162
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Grant Park, IL, USA
9/7/2020 8:58pm
Those motoXXX bikes especially K.Lewis, wards, Huffman and ferry's had winning capabilities. Bikes were always top 5 capable.

Subway Honda's had some good bikes almost bought one of JTs bikes since we were the same height.
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9/7/2020 9:03pm
The best privateer bikes with zero factory support were the LOP bikes from the early 80s.
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EngIceDave
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9/8/2020 5:56am
These guys were racing innovative bikes with one off in-house privateer experimental parts.

This was Fox before is became a clothing company




Fox was first to do water cooling. They made their own water cooled head and mounted that to a steering head radiator and a screen numberplate. No water pump, used what's known as "thermosiphon" (simply put, heat rises, cooler falls).

Fox revolutionized suspension with the infamous Fox Airs, that even the factories used, the massive Simons forks and so much more.

People forget that Fox was originally a suspension/performance company

Almost won a National the first time out with that water cooler RM.
Almost all of their riders, later became top factory guys and/or champions
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The Shop

EngIceDave
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9/8/2020 6:00am


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NoonMoon
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9/8/2020 6:05am
Typo wrote:
What is arguably the most competitive and best privateer bike ever? True privateer. No satellite team with access to factory parts.
Hands down the 1980 Mugen Honda CR125.
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9/8/2020 6:10am
EngIceDave wrote:
These guys were racing innovative bikes with one off in-house privateer experimental parts. This was Fox before is became a clothing company [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2020/09/08/448283/s1200_ffdfba55f067d5ed48065d22dd5ce9d0.jpg[/img] Fox was first...
These guys were racing innovative bikes with one off in-house privateer experimental parts.

This was Fox before is became a clothing company




Fox was first to do water cooling. They made their own water cooled head and mounted that to a steering head radiator and a screen numberplate. No water pump, used what's known as "thermosiphon" (simply put, heat rises, cooler falls).

Fox revolutionized suspension with the infamous Fox Airs, that even the factories used, the massive Simons forks and so much more.

People forget that Fox was originally a suspension/performance company

Almost won a National the first time out with that water cooler RM.
Almost all of their riders, later became top factory guys and/or champions
I would have to agree with you, I was a bit young at the time, but looking back they had some cool stuff.
3
stillwelding
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9/8/2020 6:12am
Hands down to the 1981Maico 490 sold to hundreds of privateers campaigning from Maine to California and the Importer in RSA and Rhodesia sold hundreds with...
Hands down to the 1981Maico 490 sold to hundreds of privateers campaigning from Maine to California and the Importer in RSA and Rhodesia sold hundreds with Super results.
We have a winner 🎉👍🍾
2
EngIceDave
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9/8/2020 6:16am
Typo wrote:
What is arguably the most competitive and best privateer bike ever? True privateer. No satellite team with access to factory parts.
NoonMoon wrote:
Hands down the 1980 Mugen Honda CR125.
Technically, Mugan is part of Honda Japan.

Papa Honda's son owns Mugen
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indy_maico
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Indianapolis, IN, USA
9/8/2020 6:45am
Hands down to the 1981Maico 490 sold to hundreds of privateers campaigning from Maine to California and the Importer in RSA and Rhodesia sold hundreds with...
Hands down to the 1981Maico 490 sold to hundreds of privateers campaigning from Maine to California and the Importer in RSA and Rhodesia sold hundreds with Super results.
We have a winner 🎉👍🍾
I'm with you guys


3
xrmark
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Lake Elsinore, CA, USA
9/8/2020 6:47am
NoonMoon wrote:
Hands down the 1980 Mugen Honda CR125.
This is about privateer bikes right?
9/8/2020 7:00am
eleven10 mods gets my vote, could run with pc bikes those days pc bikes where the shi#
EngIceDave
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9/8/2020 7:04am
There was factory stuff on that bike
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3
9/8/2020 7:51am
87-88-89-90 CR125s. Guys jumped on those bikes with minimal support and their results were instantly better. The 2003-2004 CRF450 and 2008 CRF450 filled a lot of gate spots.
1
ga_pike
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Valdosta, GA, USA
9/8/2020 8:15am
The TUF bikes in the late 80's and early 90's (Bowen/Tichenor/Lechien) were pretty badass
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chuckie108
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9/8/2020 8:30am
How has no one mentioned Larry Ward's '94 YZ250? Countless holeshots, and second in the SX series behind the King.

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sandtrack315
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9/8/2020 8:37am
If you're a true privateer, paying for everything yourself with no special access to parts / labor, a Yamaha 250F with Enzo suspension, GYTR head and high compression piston, aftermarket clutch, aftermarket exhaust, and race gas is probably pretty decent for the money.

The Eleven10 mods bikes looked so fast, but I wouldn't consider that a privateer bike.
2
Jamal#440
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9/8/2020 8:50am Edited Date/Time 9/8/2020 8:54am
ga_pike wrote:
The TUF bikes in the late 80's and early 90's (Bowen/Tichenor/Lechien) were pretty badass
2 known users in there LoL
Loved watching them ride
Tichenors blue RM was cool.
moore433
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9/8/2020 9:30am
The DMC kx 85-105’s were pure artwork!!!!!
Rooster
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9/8/2020 1:59pm
chuckie108 wrote:
How has no one mentioned Larry Ward's '94 YZ250? Countless holeshots, and second in the SX series behind the King.

I can't believe it took almost two pages before this was mentioned.

Those Noleen Yamahas were factory beaters that year for sure.
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davis224
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Fantasy
9/8/2020 3:05pm
Traveling out of a box van is privateer in my books. Weren't they famously low budget to get by?
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Forty
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Saint Paul, MN, USA
9/8/2020 3:23pm
Typo wrote:
What is arguably the most competitive and best privateer bike ever? True privateer. No satellite team with access to factory parts.
2021 Husky 450. Pretty good outa the box.
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9/8/2020 3:24pm
chuckie108 wrote:
How has no one mentioned Larry Ward's '94 YZ250? Countless holeshots, and second in the SX series behind the King.

Those were good bikes, too. The 94 cylinder was used for years to come until 99 I believe when Yamaha went to the horizontally mounted PV on the front of the cylinder.

Larry Ward 2001 Red Bud on the MotoXXX YZ250F would also be a candidate. He ripped it that summer. 3 overall podiums. Was having a sneaky good 2002 125ESX season, too, before injury.
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9/8/2020 3:39pm


In a time where Pro Circuit engines dominated the 250 class, I never thought I would see one of these Hondas roll past a PC bike on a straight with the rider looking and waving at the same time.
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1
CPR
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9/8/2020 3:50pm
EngIceDave wrote:
There was factory stuff on that bike
If you’re referring to Reed’s Team TwoTwo CRF450, yes later in the year he got access to factory parts, but the bike and team he built for the start of the supercross season, when no factory wanted him, was a privateer effort.

Honda only came calling once he started winning.


1
Adam43
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9/8/2020 6:19pm
John Dowd on the '94 Boyesen YZ250 comes to mind, got him some wins and led to a long-term factory ride.

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Adam43
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9/8/2020 6:22pm
And Mike Brown on the Jim's Motorcycles CRF250 in '05... won races, led half the series and was named to Team USA before he allegedly started getting some bad customer engines from his main competitors...

6
MXMattii
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BE
9/8/2020 6:29pm
Clément Desalle's LS Honda bike back in 2009.
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