The bikes that could have been

Wandell
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Cairo, GA US
3/9/2026 6:36pm
A few that come to mind:1971 Monoshock produced by Lucien Tilkens for Suzuki years before he sold the design to Yamaha 1988 YZM500, Yamaha's liquid cooled...

A few that come to mind:

1971 Monoshock produced by Lucien Tilkens for Suzuki years before he sold the design to Yamaha

1971-suzuki-monshock.jpeg?VersionId=F9nmrReprTA.BbO

 

1988 YZM500, Yamaha's liquid cooled big bore early-aluminum framed monster:
1988 YZM500 0W83



Buell/Harley 450 motocrosser:
buell-right-side.jpg?VersionId=HOUi693yrtWL.sPzUIZs

 

The aluminum KTM prototype frame:
MXPERTS-KTM-ALUMINUM-FRAME 0

 

Ossa Enduro 250i reverse-engine crankcase-injected 2-stroke:

C2A9 ossa enduro-001

 

Mugen/Honda Erex/Electric CR that we have seen pop up in various forms at trade shows and Japan nationals for nearly a decade now:

2019 E-REX F

 

All the 125 twins everyone was toying with before they were banned:
504531984 18506910370041253 5479278738211150691 n515486209 10159863455924649 921663309950389364 n40584482 2636724983220091 678868668314025984 nYAMAHA-TA125-TWIN-2205

 

 

1982Gilera125-Rinaldi
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1
onefiveight
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Citrus Heights, CA US
3/9/2026 6:48pm
image 561

WRM 450 I think they did actually produce some of these but still it’s sick af.

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Tumic
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3/9/2026 11:37pm
Tumic wrote:
The gen 4 alu framed CR that never made it to production.

The gen 4 alu framed CR that never made it to production.

IMG 5587 1
CR92 wrote:

Wait, what am I missing here? Would this have been an 08' on cr250 or something? 

I got into moto in 04'~05' so forgive my ignorance. 

This was in 03 or 04 Honda raced this prototype in the Japanese championship. It probably never reached production due to the fact that Honda decided to pull the plug on the two stroke program around that time.

But if you look at the frame it's simular to the second gen crf frames.

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BCE
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3/10/2026 12:49am
s1200 2008 benelli
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2

The Shop

JMX82
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3/10/2026 12:50am

Husagren 125

Husagren 125.jpg?VersionId=wXZ

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BCE
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3/10/2026 12:51am
news exhaust2news motoVertemati NV450vertemati-motocross-1.jpg?VersionId=bFvcaw7IaLtZEGjq2v
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1
BCE
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3/10/2026 12:53am
fantic TZ125
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BCE
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3/10/2026 12:54am
s780 1997 Muller 125 RC 1.jpg?VersionId=sTd1kMh2l0V6DDm0VCBlEifXH91eA1s780 AF01D91B 135A 4799 A05D 55952142EEC4.jpg?VersionId=sMUzHvs780 atkprototype.jpg?VersionId=DsB5Uc6UOivUyNctH8XAFgf0HCuDalgs1200 1985 Kreidler KRC 125 2.jpg?VersionId=NOpo8z60rWRM-12.jpeg?VersionId=lJQaBS2GNQ4baebIhIJ1mRVoExdS
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JMX82
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3/10/2026 1:01am

Maico 500maico 500

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1
3/10/2026 1:17am

Swm 125 n 85 mx 2016?

498.jpg?VersionId=VDDiZAHAcLsVbs4Zt.WS9tw4kQpoXac497572
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Bearuno
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AU
3/10/2026 3:49am
JMX82 wrote:
Maico 500

Maico 500maico 500

Ah, ' Maico International ' - a source of so many promises and BS.........

Last thing I saw from them was in 2012 - their FB pages last posting has some Plants.

Last Maico I had was a '89 320 - well, no, I did get ahold of 2 89 500s, 1 a finner, some years later.  The Merkle era. I wish I never sold those two 500s - but, money was needed.

Koestler still list bikes - apparently limiting themselves to 10 a year. Prices range from, if I recall correctly, 16.995 through to 18.995 - Euros. 

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1
280driver
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3/10/2026 5:46am
Adam43 wrote:
The KX450 was originally set to debut in 2005 with this steel frame, if I recall. Word is it broke
3AE3IMH2BJXBZWCTXD22375U64 0.jpg?VersionId=u OrCunlz7Uzh1PpCSvEsAeuQjlL

The KX450 was originally set to debut in 2005 with this steel frame, if I recall. Word is it broke

BobPA wrote:

The frame in that photo is aluminum....

kxking wrote:

No, that's a steel frame painted aluminum silver.....

Not all steel is round.

No, that original frame was aluminum.  They had to redesign it because they had cracking issues.

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Johnny Ringo
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3/10/2026 6:28am

Wasn’t there an aluminum frame KTM floating around in the mid 2000s

3/10/2026 6:33am

Wasn’t there an aluminum frame KTM floating around in the mid 2000s

Dirty Points posted it on the first page. 

Johnny Ringo
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3/10/2026 6:35am

Wasn’t there an aluminum frame KTM floating around in the mid 2000s

Rickyisms wrote:

Dirty Points posted it on the first page. 

No it was a full bike, this one maybe? Was this just some guys or an actual proto?

IMG 0740 5
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1
3/10/2026 6:38am
WRM 450 I think they did actually produce some of these but still it’s sick af.
image 561

WRM 450 I think they did actually produce some of these but still it’s sick af.

Never heard of this one so I had to go read about it. Carbon Fiber upper frame spars, full carbon fiber swingarm, fuel tank, etc. Work of art. 

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BobPA
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3/10/2026 11:12am
Adam43 wrote:
The KX450 was originally set to debut in 2005 with this steel frame, if I recall. Word is it broke
3AE3IMH2BJXBZWCTXD22375U64 0.jpg?VersionId=u OrCunlz7Uzh1PpCSvEsAeuQjlL

The KX450 was originally set to debut in 2005 with this steel frame, if I recall. Word is it broke

BobPA wrote:

The frame in that photo is aluminum....

kxking wrote:

No, that's a steel frame painted aluminum silver.....

Not all steel is round.

No, it is an aluminum frame. In this case aluminum is round. Here is the original Dirt Rider article.... https://www.dirtrider.com/misc/141_0404_kx450f_peek/

It states numerous times that the frame is aluminum.

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gt80rider
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Boulder, CO US
3/10/2026 4:22pm

we NEED works bikes once every 4 years... 

I'm sick of this stagnation... when a dood can basically take a bike from a decade ago and win a 450 main... this ain't working right... when a guy can take a bike 3 decades old and run up front at lorettas... this ain't working right.... 

Or we can just be cucks and stay the same old boring path... 

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3/10/2026 4:29pm

Wasn’t there an aluminum frame KTM floating around in the mid 2000s

Rickyisms wrote:

Dirty Points posted it on the first page. 

No it was a full bike, this one maybe? Was this just some guys or an actual proto?

No it was a full bike, this one maybe? Was this just some guys or an actual proto?

IMG 0740 5

I just read up on this and had to translate from French. It was Philippe Dupasquier’s, apparently the frame was fabricated by Italian’s. It wasn’t built by KTM. 

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mtb133
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Erie, PA US
3/10/2026 6:23pm
The pre production 05 cr125 Double Boost Port DBP.  The much anticipated DBP was scrapped at the last minute. Because of the Profeshenal level power out...

The pre production 05 cr125 Double Boost Port DBP.  The much anticipated DBP was scrapped at the last minute. Because of the Profeshenal level power out put it & the violent nature of the DBP. IMG 4121 7

Wandell wrote:

NEVER SAW OR HEARD ABOUT THIS. SOMEONE PLEASE GIVE ME THE SHORT VERSION OF ITS STORY

Why? No way is a CR125 of that gen beating an 80 in a drag race no matter how you mod it. Stock YZ would completely leave it in the dust. Worst 125s Honda ever made.

 

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NLMB150
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Dying out west, TX US
3/10/2026 8:24pm

fwr rm 85.     

 Crazy how the jap bikes haven't made a aluminum 85 yet.

La moto-cross FWR RM 85 ou FWR 85 offre le meilleur des japonaises et du  savoir faire italien.

Fwr 85 idem 85rm sx tc cr yz - Motos

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Press516
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Fantasy
3/10/2026 9:16pm
Swm 125 n 85 mx 2016?

Swm 125 n 85 mx 2016?

498.jpg?VersionId=VDDiZAHAcLsVbs4Zt.WS9tw4kQpoXac497572

Yes, those should have been built!!

Tumic
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Sundsvall SE
3/10/2026 9:40pm
JMX82 wrote:
Husagren 125

Husagren 125

Husagren 125.jpg?VersionId=wXZ

That bike was just a crf chassi with a HPP cr125 engine and some ugly home made shrouds.

His next generation of ”build” was just a Husky 125 with husagren graphics if I remember it correctly.

The creator was a really odd person.

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3/11/2026 12:40am

2026 KX300 2 stroke.

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JMX82
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3/11/2026 2:47am Edited Date/Time 3/11/2026 2:51am

Everts Honda CR500

Everts 500

Thorpe Kawasaki KX500

Thorpe KX500

YZM500

KAKSITAHTINEN TIISTAI: ENNEN ALUMIININ VIILEÄ - Motocross Action Magazine

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Larry450
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ZW
3/11/2026 3:36am
JMX82 wrote:
Husagren 125

Husagren 125

Husagren 125.jpg?VersionId=wXZ

Whats up with whole husagren story? It was so a weird. Was it a scam of some sort?

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Jabe
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Ulm DE
3/11/2026 4:04am
NLMB150 wrote:
fwr rm 85.      Crazy how the jap bikes haven't made a aluminum 85 yet.

fwr rm 85.     

 Crazy how the jap bikes haven't made a aluminum 85 yet.

La moto-cross FWR RM 85 ou FWR 85 offre le meilleur des japonaises et du  savoir faire italien.

Fwr 85 idem 85rm sx tc cr yz - Motos

That front brake line routing is scary

1
3/11/2026 4:17am Edited Date/Time 3/11/2026 4:19am

Wilcomoto from 1980. Built by an engineering company in the UK and put into production, but a fire at the factory put a stop to everything. The whole thing was made from magnesium so the fire went off like a nuclear strike. Apparently it was a bit rough round the edges but had a lot of potential.

wilcomoto1.jpg?VersionId=bAh6Is2Qi6q1mfnootwilcomoto7.jpg?VersionId=665Ek5vBaOKIc5heifZ6UldJH
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