In the case you didn't know...

FerCzD
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FerCzD
Edited Date/Time 2/9/2019 6:54pm
The creators of many of the fun times he have..


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GrapeApe
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GrapeApe 2/8/2019 1:00pm
2/8/2019 1:00pm
They look like they like to party
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The Shop

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zehn
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zehn 2/8/2019 2:19pm
2/8/2019 2:19pm Edited Date/Time 2/8/2019 2:21pm
sbarrington314 wrote:
Anyone know what their first products were?
Yamaha’s was an organ, hence the tuning fork.

Honda’s was a small displacement bicycle engine.
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RyanD797
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RyanD797 2/8/2019 2:20pm
2/8/2019 2:20pm
That guy in the top right, seems to be a bit more hands on.
Squirrelings 2/8/2019 2:24pm
2/8/2019 2:24pm
Yamaha - Reed organ, Honda - piston rings, Suzuki - silk weaving machine, Kawi - ships.
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BikeGuy321
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BikeGuy321 2/8/2019 2:32pm
2/8/2019 2:32pm
Kind of a shame to see how conservative and marketing driven Honda has become in recent times. I wonder what Soichiro would say if you told him that a 250F needs two exhaust pipes?
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drt410
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drt410 2/8/2019 2:38pm
2/8/2019 2:38pm
Where can I find the history of dirt bikes?

Why the main mfg’s came from Japan. Who in vented the first dirt bike?

Why did Maico fall off? Why does Japan dominate? Why no US company? Why Husqvarna fell off until KTM bought them.
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zehn
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zehn 2/8/2019 2:44pm
2/8/2019 2:44pm
drt410 wrote:
Where can I find the history of dirt bikes? Why the main mfg’s came from Japan. Who in vented the first dirt bike? Why did Maico...
Where can I find the history of dirt bikes?

Why the main mfg’s came from Japan. Who in vented the first dirt bike?

Why did Maico fall off? Why does Japan dominate? Why no US company? Why Husqvarna fell off until KTM bought them.
All good questions. I don’t think the first dirt bike was ever “invented”, that style of riding just kind of developed all around the same time in Europe. People bought bikes that were pretty basic then modified them for their needs.

I’m not sure why Japan has dominated so greatly, probably a lot of macroeconomic factors following the rebuild after WW2.
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Squirrelings 2/8/2019 2:45pm
2/8/2019 2:45pm Edited Date/Time 2/8/2019 2:47pm
drt410 wrote:
Where can I find the history of dirt bikes? Why the main mfg’s came from Japan. Who in vented the first dirt bike? Why did Maico...
Where can I find the history of dirt bikes?

Why the main mfg’s came from Japan. Who in vented the first dirt bike?

Why did Maico fall off? Why does Japan dominate? Why no US company? Why Husqvarna fell off until KTM bought them.
The main mfg's are from Japan because they do it best for the best price. Maico as well as the others like Husky fell off because of Japan. The Japanese were very progressive in development and didn't hesitate to make large changes very often. Almost the opposite of today. USA can't compete in this economy. You're not going to find all the info you seek in one place, but it's out there. Google is your friend.
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Robbie
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Robbie 2/8/2019 2:46pm
2/8/2019 2:46pm

......and not forgetting something orange
drt410
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drt410 2/8/2019 2:46pm
2/8/2019 2:46pm Edited Date/Time 2/9/2019 4:25am
Dbl pst
zehn
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zehn 2/8/2019 2:48pm
2/8/2019 2:48pm
Also, pretty interesting that a country with almost no natural resources is such a large manufacturer of heavy industry
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Sir Roostsalot 2/8/2019 2:51pm
2/8/2019 2:51pm
zehn wrote:
Also, pretty interesting that a country with almost no natural resources is such a large manufacturer of heavy industry
This is what led to WW2 believe it or not.
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Falcon
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Falcon 2/8/2019 2:52pm
2/8/2019 2:52pm
Suzuki's first product was a fabric loom.

Pit Row

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kkawboy14
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kkawboy14 2/8/2019 3:04pm
2/8/2019 3:04pm
GrapeApe wrote:
They look like they like to party
They look like they don’t like to walk.....
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SCR
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SCR 2/8/2019 3:06pm
2/8/2019 3:06pm
drt410 wrote:
Where can I find the history of dirt bikes? Why the main mfg’s came from Japan. Who in vented the first dirt bike? Why did Maico...
Where can I find the history of dirt bikes?

Why the main mfg’s came from Japan. Who in vented the first dirt bike?

Why did Maico fall off? Why does Japan dominate? Why no US company? Why Husqvarna fell off until KTM bought them.
Whene Japan surrendered ending WW2 they agreed to not design and manufacture aircraft, weapons,etc.
Lots of good engineers and manufacturing companies available to focus on cars, motorcycles, and electronics.
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FerCzD
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FerCzD 2/8/2019 3:11pm
2/8/2019 3:11pm
drt410 wrote:
Dbl pst
I recall a few years back watching a documentary amd reading history from post WWII, the countries from the axis Berlin-Rome-Tokyo after the Versailles treaty were „not allowed “ to further develope military equipment (such as Mitsubishi's air fighters), that led to Japanese enginerers to take over motorcycle development and a culture to create the best bikes and technology race between manufacturers
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shiftmx_22
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shiftmx_22 2/8/2019 3:27pm
2/8/2019 3:27pm
FerCzD wrote:
The creators of many of the fun times he have.. [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2019/02/08/324079/s1200_Screenshot_20190208_145444_2.jpg[/img]
The creators of many of the fun times he have..


You missed one...

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hoppsan
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hoppsan 2/8/2019 3:51pm
2/8/2019 3:51pm
"Look at all these young folks and their low hung pants" - Fredrik Ehrenpreus, former Husqvarna CEO

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WCRider
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WCRider 2/8/2019 4:29pm
2/8/2019 4:29pm
Falcon wrote:
Suzuki's first product was a fabric loom.
Kawasaki first product was boat in steel.
motogrady
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motogrady 2/8/2019 5:10pm
2/8/2019 5:10pm
Squirrelings wrote:
KTM - Hans Trunkenpolz [img]https://blog.ktm.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/10343_KTM_Penton_Erich_Trunkenpolz_1970_1024.jpg[/img]
KTM - Hans Trunkenpolz

The first dirt bike......kinda hard to pinpoint.
Hans, the guy above, was making small 50 cc motorcycles for general, cheap transportation.
It was John Penton who went to him with the plans and ideas for a small, 175cc motorcycle he wanted someone to build for him on a production like scale.

Penton had noticed, in his riding the ISDE overseas,
that there were a few European guys that were really hauling on small 2 strokes that were basically converted from the street.

Penton had made a few and sold them to friends
that rode woods in Ohio, and realized, heck, I could sell a lot of these, ah, motorcycles made specially
for the dirt.

Before him, most all dirt bikes were 500, 650cc street bikes converted for off road.

Husquvarna I know goes way back. And who the Euros were that Penton noticed is a good question.
Montesa came before Bultaco, and I think started with small street bikes, but there were others also.

Hans and John became great friends, both finding fame and fortune with each other. Myself, I'd say
John Penton and this bikes, mass produced for him at KTM was the first dirt bike.

I heard that not too long ago, there were still a group of old hard core Enduro guys, up in Ohio, that would grind off the KTM logo on their new bikes, with the belief that, well, they really were the child of John Penton.

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endurox
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endurox 2/8/2019 6:34pm
2/8/2019 6:34pm
Lets also remember Edison Dye who promoted a series to bring the European riders here. Edison also was the first Husqvarna importer around 1966.
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zehn
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zehn 2/8/2019 6:36pm
2/8/2019 6:36pm Edited Date/Time 2/8/2019 6:37pm
endurox wrote:
Lets also remember Edison Dye who promoted a series to bring the European riders here. Edison also was the first Husqvarna importer around 1966.
Yep dad bought a Husky in 1967. Must have been really cool to be on the leading edge of the sport in America when the Euros were like gods and the bikes were improving so quickly.
drt410
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drt410 2/9/2019 4:28am
2/9/2019 4:28am Edited Date/Time 2/9/2019 4:33am
I kind of wish Cobra would make an 85cc to move up from the 65 then keep going so there would be a us company. I know why the 85 doesnt make sense though because from 85-250 is when you become a prospect and usually are scooped up by the brand that you will turn pro with, but smaller companies like that with massive winning records can adapt and change faster to stay ahead of the curve. If we had an emx125 class... which we should, then I bet it would make more sense for them.

A big bike with Marzocci forks would be sweet just for more variety. I know Ohlins has a US branch as well maybe they could team up an an oem mfg then finally be able to make it work where they make enough money to support pro’s. Hell throw some hoosiers on there too haha. The more companies the better for consumers.

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