Two Wheel Drive CR500

Mark227
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Mark227

Thought I’d share this video I found, it’s a cr500 two wheel drive. Pretty interesting, all home made but it’s probably the most unique cr500 I’ve seen.

I wonder what it’s like to ride compared to a standard rear wheel drive bike? 
 

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kylemenz1 4/14/2026 9:02pm
4/14/2026 9:02pm

Pretty coo!  The only thing I’m surprised about is that the guy still has all his fingers. Haha

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Tumic
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Tumic 4/14/2026 11:07pm
4/14/2026 11:07pm

Don't know how many of you that remember the 4wd system that Öhlins developed in the late 90´s and later made it to production in a small series of wr450's. i think it drove like 30% on the front wheel and was also raced in dakar at least one year.

It's a fairly simple design with a hydraulic pump and hydrostatic motor in the front hub elemenating the needs for all the chains.

Would be fun to see a aftermarket bolt on solution for the bikes.

 

yamaha-wr-450-f-2003-4

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Bearuno
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Bearuno 4/14/2026 11:27pm
4/14/2026 11:27pm Edited Date/Time 4/15/2026 12:08am

Another one from way, way back :

I admire the clever buggers that do such things.

Couldn't find videos of the French Savard 2X2 - that used a front swingarm with hub centered steering, so, quite limited in dirt use, due to buggerall steering lock. I think they did run it in events like Le Touquet, and other beaches races . They may have campaigned in in some Super Motard / Moto events : Savard 2X%40 2WD YZ .jpg?VersionId=2MaFyrZ

 

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msp332
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msp332 4/14/2026 11:54pm
4/14/2026 11:54pm
Tumic wrote:
Don't know how many of you that remember the 4wd system that Öhlins developed in the late 90´s and later made it to production in a...

Don't know how many of you that remember the 4wd system that Öhlins developed in the late 90´s and later made it to production in a small series of wr450's. i think it drove like 30% on the front wheel and was also raced in dakar at least one year.

It's a fairly simple design with a hydraulic pump and hydrostatic motor in the front hub elemenating the needs for all the chains.

Would be fun to see a aftermarket bolt on solution for the bikes.

 

yamaha-wr-450-f-2003-4

Yeah I don't know why those didn't sell. I recall reports of it doing well in mud and sand.

Christini is still doing that hydraulic drive concept. Their 300 two-stroke uses a GasGas engine. Some finished the Erzberg enduro in 2009.
https://christinimotorcycles.com/awd-motorcycles/

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RACING
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RACING 4/15/2026 12:04am
4/15/2026 12:04am

These chains don't look dangerous AT ALL.

🙄

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Tumic
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Tumic 4/15/2026 12:11am
4/15/2026 12:11am
Tumic wrote:
Don't know how many of you that remember the 4wd system that Öhlins developed in the late 90´s and later made it to production in a...

Don't know how many of you that remember the 4wd system that Öhlins developed in the late 90´s and later made it to production in a small series of wr450's. i think it drove like 30% on the front wheel and was also raced in dakar at least one year.

It's a fairly simple design with a hydraulic pump and hydrostatic motor in the front hub elemenating the needs for all the chains.

Would be fun to see a aftermarket bolt on solution for the bikes.

 

yamaha-wr-450-f-2003-4

msp332 wrote:
Yeah I don't know why those didn't sell. I recall reports of it doing well in mud and sand.Christini is still doing that hydraulic drive concept...

Yeah I don't know why those didn't sell. I recall reports of it doing well in mud and sand.

Christini is still doing that hydraulic drive concept. Their 300 two-stroke uses a GasGas engine. Some finished the Erzberg enduro in 2009.
https://christinimotorcycles.com/awd-motorcycles/

Here is an article about it. https://motocrossactionmag.com/sv/glömd-motocross-tech-ohlins-hydraulisk-tvåhjulsdrift-yamaha-2-trac/

The two stroke they tested it on were raced at Gotland grand national (outside of competition) as a test and Mats who rode it lead the race until a puncture. 

 

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Bearuno
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Bearuno 4/15/2026 12:22am
4/15/2026 12:22am Edited Date/Time 4/15/2026 12:24am
msp332 wrote:
Yeah I don't know why those didn't sell. I recall reports of it doing well in mud and sand.Christini is still doing that hydraulic drive concept...

Yeah I don't know why those didn't sell. I recall reports of it doing well in mud and sand.

Christini is still doing that hydraulic drive concept. Their 300 two-stroke uses a GasGas engine. Some finished the Erzberg enduro in 2009.
https://christinimotorcycles.com/awd-motorcycles/

I considered buying one, but, I think they went for somewhere between 24,000 to 27,000 AUD - at a time when we had a near equal AUD to USD.

Only a very few got here to OZ - 2 or 3 maybe? 

Results of it in the Dakar Rally I found listed :

  • 2004 Dakar Rally: David Frétigné rode the 2-Trac WR450F to 7th place overall and won 3 stages, acting as a "forerunner of the modern 450cc rally bike".
  • 2005 Dakar Rally: Frétigné returned, winning two more stages and finishing 5th overall.
  • 2006 Dakar Rally: Continued development saw Frétigné take another stage win and finish 13th overall.

Yamaha also had some R1 prototypes using the Ohlins system. 

mx691
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mx691 4/15/2026 12:50am
4/15/2026 12:50am
Tumic wrote:
Here is an article about it. https://motocrossactionmag.com/sv/glömd-motocross-tech-ohlins-hydraulisk-tvåhjulsdrift-yamaha-2-trac/The two stroke they tested it on were raced at Gotland grand national (outside of competition) as a test...

Here is an article about it. https://motocrossactionmag.com/sv/glömd-motocross-tech-ohlins-hydraulisk-tvåhjulsdrift-yamaha-2-trac/

The two stroke they tested it on were raced at Gotland grand national (outside of competition) as a test and Mats who rode it lead the race until a puncture. 

 

Also in english… 😊

https://motocrossactionmag.com/forgotten-motocross-tech-ohlins-hydrauli…

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Tumic
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Tumic 4/15/2026 3:33am
4/15/2026 3:33am
Tumic wrote:
Here is an article about it. https://motocrossactionmag.com/sv/glömd-motocross-tech-ohlins-hydraulisk-tvåhjulsdrift-yamaha-2-trac/The two stroke they tested it on were raced at Gotland grand national (outside of competition) as a test...

Here is an article about it. https://motocrossactionmag.com/sv/glömd-motocross-tech-ohlins-hydraulisk-tvåhjulsdrift-yamaha-2-trac/

The two stroke they tested it on were raced at Gotland grand national (outside of competition) as a test and Mats who rode it lead the race until a puncture. 

 

mx691 wrote:

Also in english… 😊

https://motocrossactionmag.com/forgotten-motocross-tech-ohlins-hydrauli…

Thanks, my work computer always fucks up all the pages with some built in auto translate crap.

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Jason XCmtb 4/15/2026 4:41am
4/15/2026 4:41am
Mark227 wrote:
Thought I’d share this video I found, it’s a cr500 two wheel drive. Pretty interesting, all home made but it’s probably the most unique cr500 I’ve...

Thought I’d share this video I found, it’s a cr500 two wheel drive. Pretty interesting, all home made but it’s probably the most unique cr500 I’ve seen.

I wonder what it’s like to ride compared to a standard rear wheel drive bike? 
 

That's got "castration" written all over if that chain snaps on full throttle 😄

Falcon
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Falcon 4/15/2026 10:40am
4/15/2026 10:40am

I was going to ask how the hell the forks could travel without the chain sawing the radiator in half, but then I saw that he simply removed the left-side radiator. Genius! 

RUSSHOLE 4/15/2026 2:10pm
4/15/2026 2:10pm

I've ridden the Christini 300. It's pretty neat. It's a Bronze class weapon. 

MemberSpaceNameColon 4/15/2026 5:28pm
4/15/2026 5:28pm
Tumic wrote:
Don't know how many of you that remember the 4wd system that Öhlins developed in the late 90´s and later made it to production in a...

Don't know how many of you that remember the 4wd system that Öhlins developed in the late 90´s and later made it to production in a small series of wr450's. i think it drove like 30% on the front wheel and was also raced in dakar at least one year.

It's a fairly simple design with a hydraulic pump and hydrostatic motor in the front hub elemenating the needs for all the chains.

Would be fun to see a aftermarket bolt on solution for the bikes.

 

yamaha-wr-450-f-2003-4

One of these was recently on bringatrailer.

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