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8/13/2020
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FL
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dbx33
3/8/2021 1:13pm
3/8/2021 1:13pm
Edited Date/Time
3/12/2021 6:16am
Looking at getting my first and (hopefully last) fast vintage bike. Looking for a fully done up resto-mod bike for the track and it seems like both these would suit me. Only vintage bike ive ridden or owned was a 90' YZ490 which I liked the motor a lot and ergos were decent too, only complaint was brakes sucked (had disc) and the suspension would have been adequate if it had adjustable comp/rebound and was valved for a fast 165lb rider.
any other bikes I should consider? not really into the cr/kx500 bikes.
any other bikes I should consider? not really into the cr/kx500 bikes.
Mentioned before.. when I was a kid, my friends dad had the 81 490 and it sounded like Godzilla coming when he kicked that beast to life.
Cool factor X infinity.
The Shop
https://m.facebook.com/100004619198822/posts/1584433508387274/?d=n
(don’t need facebook acct.)
Wasn’t the ‘82 called an Alpha?
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHA
Consider the 83 CR480 Honda as well.
Brakes seemed to be the same, either nothing at all or fully locked up, hard to remember much in between.
But I do remember skimming across a small lagoon on that thing with hardly any effort at all, and it was a dunes loving machine with the right tires. And you didn’t lose too many drag races with it, unless you just got scared of the thing swapping around and chickened out!
Damn, wish I still had that thing!!!!
You mentioned the YZ490, I rode one of those for a short time also. MUCH easier to go fast on, the one I rode was actually mellower than my 250 and was super confidence inspiring. I’d think about getting another one of those if I could find a super clean one for a good price.
When racing sidecars we had one of the first 610cc engines from Zabel (no exhaust valve) and being dissapointed again we started working on the engine. Seemed to help as we won many starts and finished much better. Friedhelm Zabel always wanted to have a look inside and offered me a new engine with the new fancy exhaust valve in exchange for my engine. I kept mine as I was beating the then new engine already on the track.
Happy Maico days!
Had one and it was the smoothest open bike I ever rode.
81 the Suzuki's ruled the Motocross world for bikes to race off the showroom floor. Had a 81 125 as well and that bike was magic too in a different way as you could REV the crap outta her.
If you crashed on those bikes it was entirely rider error as they were flawless.
Pit Row
How cool is it that Bret is still riding that beast 4 decades later!
I raced that day as well. One of the coolest memories I have of riding/racing.
Check out the amount of work involved to turn this mid-80's Honda CR500 into a twin-shock, air-cooled, drum brake beast:
The Belgians gave the RM 500's similar treatment:
The Husky TC series has found a serious following, and the HVA guys sell enough trick parts that there is really not much left on the bike that one could call original Husqvarna. These are Mike Brown's and Doug Dubach's from 2018 (and when they lapped me I don't think they could have gone by me much faster on a modern bike):
If your plan is to vintage race, make sure you have scouted out the classes and requirements to fit in properly. Late model twin shock classes are often dominated by the Maico 490's, although in Europe, where there is a strong Evo and twin shock series, the creativity in building newer bikes into "older" twin shocks is amazing. Relative to 490's, a Dutch company still makes new motors ranging in sizes from 400 to 700, and the hot set-up seems to be to take an 82 or 83 chassis and weld in the twin shock arrangement . Below is a pic of Dowd's bike from Farleigh Castle a few years ago. Some of the other pics show Hondas, Suzooks and Husky 4-T's on a "gone crazy" mods basis. The Euros are definitely way ahead in terms of exploring the outer limits of vintage racing...
That is absolutely badass since I'm very old.
1981 KTM 495
I have a handful of Floater 125's and 250's but the big bore is definitely on my list of needs.
The theory floated out there is that the rotational force of crank/clutch keeps the front end planted and is part their characteristic good handling.
Post a reply to: Anyone have a MAICO 490 or KTM 495?