History of Can Am in supercross?

Graybeard 3/18/2021 3:36pm
3/18/2021 3:36pm
I used to watch Donnie Hansen and Greg Root race their Colbe Can-Ams every Friday night at Indian Dunes. Those two were FAST on the orange bikes! Donnie seemed fastest on the 250, Root did better on the 400. I wanted that bike the rest of my life! The 250 MX-6B I’m rebuilding was an absolute rocket, hands down the fastest 250. It also tried to kill you with head shake and poor handling if you weren’t careful. Little known gem, the steering head / triple clamp bearings were oval and allowed you to change your steering head angle by rotating them in the stays!
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Nairb#70
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Nairb#70 3/18/2021 5:32pm
3/18/2021 5:32pm
Check out the results from the 250 class at the Lebanon, TN National a few posts back. Talk about STACKED!! There is not a name in there that wasn't household.Shocked Shocked Shocked Shocked
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katooom
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katooom 3/18/2021 5:42pm
3/18/2021 5:42pm
Rotary valve 2Stroke = FAST
Nairb#70
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Nairb#70 3/18/2021 5:57pm
3/18/2021 5:57pm Edited Date/Time 3/18/2021 6:01pm
katooom wrote:
Rotary valve 2Stroke = FAST
The H.P. that the snowmobile drag racers used to get out of those would make your knees knock.

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bents
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bents 3/18/2021 9:59pm
3/18/2021 9:59pm
lostboy819 wrote:
I thought they had the best looking MX bike in the early 70sB) and then the worst. :sick: [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2021/03/17/483517/s1200_unnamed.jpg[/img] [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2021/03/17/483518/s1200_unnamed_1.jpg[/img]
I thought they had the best looking MX bike in the early 70sCool and then the worst. Sick


You are so right lostboy! The "black widow" was badass. And then this orange thing....but it still went like stink from what I recall because a good friend had one and I looped it out and bent the orange fuck right out of it. I think those black widows remain one of the coolest bikes out there, especially in the vintage category. And rare.
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tmphotoart 3/18/2021 10:07pm
3/18/2021 10:07pm
G-man wrote:
Luved my 78 Can-Am MX-4 250, it was a freaking Rocketship! 😲 [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2021/03/17/483651/s1200_FB_IMG_1602248456936.jpg[/img]
Luved my 78 Can-Am MX-4 250, it was a freaking Rocketship! 😲


Kolbe Jersey out at Saddleback Park - Nice!

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tmphotoart 3/18/2021 10:11pm
3/18/2021 10:11pm
Can-Am's have always been FAST . . .




Juan Benavidez out at Saddleback - 1982
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G-man
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G-man 3/18/2021 10:32pm
3/18/2021 10:32pm
G-man wrote:
Luved my 78 Can-Am MX-4 250, it was a freaking Rocketship! 😲 [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2021/03/17/483651/s1200_FB_IMG_1602248456936.jpg[/img]
Luved my 78 Can-Am MX-4 250, it was a freaking Rocketship! 😲


tmphotoart wrote:
Kolbe Jersey out at Saddleback Park - Nice!

Good catch, Kolbe gave me a good deal on some Fox Air Shox that really helped to tame the rear end.
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G-man 3/18/2021 10:43pm
3/18/2021 10:43pm
tmphotoart wrote:
[b]Can-Am's have always been FAST . [/b]. . [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2021/03/18/483799/s1200_1982_local_pros_saddleback_002_TMPA.jpg[/img] [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2021/03/18/483800/s1200_1982_local_pros_saddleback_028_TMPA.jpg[/img] [b]Juan Benavidez out at Saddleback - 1982[/b]
Can-Am's have always been FAST . . .




Juan Benavidez out at Saddleback - 1982
I raced against Juan before he got the factory Can-Am ride. I had the only Can-Am on the start gate for a few weeks, that didn't
last long after some holeshots. Woohoo
Juan has the blue helmet on the Yami.


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CPR
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CPR 3/19/2021 4:30am
3/19/2021 4:30am
Jimmy Ellis leading Bob Hannah


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OldPro277
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OldPro277 3/19/2021 6:39am
3/19/2021 6:39am
MyBobbym wrote:
Hands down the fastest 250 in the mid 70's, stock or modified.
Absolutely a fact. In 77 (?) my super fast ,heavily modified RM250 developed an issue during practice of a big money event so instead of scratching , my mechanic at the time rode/raced a 250 CanAm in the Novice class ,so we decided I'd race it. I had never ridden that bike before ,but pulled the biggest holeshot in my career on that bike , it was sooo much faster than my RM I couldn't believe it, however it may have been the worst handling bike I had ever been on as well. Subsequently I got my ass handed to me that day, but it made me a 100% believer in the power of those Ham's.

Always wondered why nobody ever tried to shoehorn that engine into a great handling chassis.
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mac3-d
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mac3-d 3/19/2021 7:02am
3/19/2021 7:02am
Nairb#70 wrote:
They were built by Canadian manufacturer Bombardier, had Rotax rotary valve 2 strk engines, Bombardier is famous for Ski doo and Sea doo.
Bombardier also made aeroplanes
A world leading manufacturer of business jets. Bombardier is a global leader in aviation, creating innovative and game-changing planes.
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hyler199
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hyler199 3/26/2021 8:18pm
3/26/2021 8:18pm
My dad and his brothers group bought a few Can Am 250ishcc bikes back in the 80s. Each of them said the forks would flex real bad and the brakes were terrible and overheat easy. Only thing they said was the motor could start under almost any circumstance and was reliable as hell.
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FreshTopEnd
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FreshTopEnd 3/27/2021 8:47am
3/27/2021 8:47am
MyBobbym wrote:
Hands down the fastest 250 in the mid 70's, stock or modified.
They had that GP model in 75 I think - 70's "WE"

Man, Jorgy would fly on that bike.
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motomike137
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motomike137 3/27/2021 12:10pm
3/27/2021 12:10pm
lostboy819 wrote:
I thought they had the best looking MX bike in the early 70sB) and then the worst. :sick: [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2021/03/17/483517/s1200_unnamed.jpg[/img] [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2021/03/17/483518/s1200_unnamed_1.jpg[/img]
I thought they had the best looking MX bike in the early 70sCool and then the worst. Sick


bents wrote:
You are so right lostboy! The "black widow" was badass. And then this orange thing....but it still went like stink from what I recall because a...
You are so right lostboy! The "black widow" was badass. And then this orange thing....but it still went like stink from what I recall because a good friend had one and I looped it out and bent the orange fuck right out of it. I think those black widows remain one of the coolest bikes out there, especially in the vintage category. And rare.
The first run of white ones were ultra sano as well.
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UpTiTe 3/27/2021 5:47pm
3/27/2021 5:47pm Edited Date/Time 3/27/2021 6:34pm
Graybeard wrote:
I used to watch Donnie Hansen and Greg Root race their Colbe Can-Ams every Friday night at Indian Dunes. Those two were FAST on the orange...
I used to watch Donnie Hansen and Greg Root race their Colbe Can-Ams every Friday night at Indian Dunes. Those two were FAST on the orange bikes! Donnie seemed fastest on the 250, Root did better on the 400. I wanted that bike the rest of my life! The 250 MX-6B I’m rebuilding was an absolute rocket, hands down the fastest 250. It also tried to kill you with head shake and poor handling if you weren’t careful. Little known gem, the steering head / triple clamp bearings were oval and allowed you to change your steering head angle by rotating them in the stays!
I was 14 in 79 and racing 80s and remember them two on the Can Ams and then Jimmy Holley on them in 81. My family sat with Donnies family at the Colosseum when He got 7, I ended up with that jersey.

But I think you’re talking about Greg Robertson? Roots first name was Joe. Or maybe Joe has a brother? I don’t remember, I was kid.
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bh84
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bh84 3/27/2021 6:02pm
3/27/2021 6:02pm
Last appearance by a Can-Am in Supercross would have to be Josh Creamer and John Natalie at Montreal SX in 2012



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Pit Row

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Graybeard 3/27/2021 6:54pm
3/27/2021 6:54pm
UpTiTe wrote:
I was 14 in 79 and racing 80s and remember them two on the Can Ams and then Jimmy Holley on them in 81. My family...
I was 14 in 79 and racing 80s and remember them two on the Can Ams and then Jimmy Holley on them in 81. My family sat with Donnies family at the Colosseum when He got 7, I ended up with that jersey.

But I think you’re talking about Greg Robertson? Roots first name was Joe. Or maybe Joe has a brother? I don’t remember, I was kid.
I think you’re right! Greg Robertson sounds right, as does Joe Root! Man, it’s been awhile! Too many concussions since then, LOL! But weren’t those the days?!?! I think that coliseum race I got Bob Hannah’s jersey after practice! I also remember getting Donnie out for a photo shoot for Dirt Bike Magazine and he was just railing a sand berm and Indiana Dunes, dragging the bars, and adjusting for the clutch slip when the clutch lever engaged while dragging the bar so long! He was on the cover from that shoot I believe.
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wavslide1
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wavslide1 3/27/2021 8:14pm
3/27/2021 8:14pm Edited Date/Time 3/28/2021 8:15am
I remember Hanson on his Can-Am at Indian Dunes International Track railing the outside of every turn and the cool dirt super tubes he'd shoot out.
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2 Trick Rick 9/20/2021 9:14am
9/20/2021 9:14am
I picked up this Gary Semics Can-Am replica jersey from a vendor at Mid-Ohio vintage days Smile


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BVS40FL
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BVS40FL 9/21/2021 1:32pm
9/21/2021 1:32pm
Don't forget Florida's Kippy Pierce

Atlanta International Raceway - 250MX

May 27, 1979

Atlanta International Raceway
Atlanta, GA



Overall


Rider


Hometown


Moto 1


Moto 2


Machine


1
Bob Hannah
Whittier, CA
Yamaha

2
Kent Howerton
San Antonio, TX
Suzuki

3
Steve Wise
Mcallen, TX
Honda

4
Larry Wosick
San Jose, CA
Honda

5
Mark Gregson
Salem, OR
Yamaha

6
Jim Weinert
Middletown, NY
Kawasaki

7
Mike Guerra
Bolton, CT
Husqvarna

8
John Savitski
Atlas, PA
Yamaha

9
Kippy Pierce
Fort White, FL
Can-am

10
Steve Rhyan
San Clemente, CA
Suzuki
backinthesaddleagain 7/30/2023 5:36pm
7/30/2023 5:36pm

I think in the 70s they even had some good looking and fast “Enduro” bikes, or as we call them now dual sport bikes. 

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