This week's Classic Steel is a look back at one of the worst bikes ever, the 1980 Can-AM MX-6

tblazier
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tblazier
Edited Date/Time 1/28/2013 9:12am


Classic Steel #22 The 1980 Can-Am MX-6
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baja
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baja 8/16/2012 11:19am
8/16/2012 11:19am
Worst bike ? , i am in process of restoring my first ever mx bike , a 1979 can-am mx-5 , i always thinking the MX-5 was the worst ...great to ear it's the MX-6 LOLLL
TerryK
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TerryK 8/16/2012 8:07pm
8/16/2012 8:07pm Edited Date/Time 8/16/2012 8:07pm
I disagree. The MX6 was a decent bike with a motor that would almost guarantee you holeshots. If you got the optional Ohilns shock it was a good bike.
motogrady
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motogrady 8/17/2012 4:45am
8/17/2012 4:45am Edited Date/Time 8/17/2012 4:48am
Those things are hot in Ahrma racing, both the black and orange ones.
Rotary valve intake, killer motors.
wardy
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wardy 8/17/2012 5:53am
8/17/2012 5:53am
83' and 84' white ones were turds also. specially the 83's with the fiberglass tanks. used to have to carry around a "fiberglass patch repair kit for auto gas tanks" in case you crashed.

hope you would have time for the "bondo" to dry between motos!

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jakefortyeight 1/28/2013 7:14am
1/28/2013 7:14am Edited Date/Time 1/28/2013 7:18am
Worst bikes ever? Who comes up with this stuff? Yeah, sure I am a little biased as I owned one, but it also gives me some authority to speak from. No doubt about it, the Can-Am ain't no Maico (I raced a "79,"80 & '81 Maico) but the Can-Am was known full pulling massive holeshots that no other production bike of the time could match.

Sure there was a problem stopping that pig when you got to the first turn and then there was the whole issue of actually getting it to turn, but "One of the worst bikes' no way. As was stated earlier, if you got the bike ( The MX-6B ) with Ohlins and knew how to set up the suspension front and rear, it was a great bike and always competitive in it's class for the day.

Here is mine (it was recently sold BTW)



Me at Saddleback on the aforementioned Maico:
qtrracer
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qtrracer 1/28/2013 8:42am
1/28/2013 8:42am Edited Date/Time 1/28/2013 8:42am
TerryK wrote:
I disagree. The MX6 was a decent bike with a motor that would almost guarantee you holeshots. If you got the optional Ohilns shock it was...
I disagree. The MX6 was a decent bike with a motor that would almost guarantee you holeshots. If you got the optional Ohilns shock it was a good bike.
No it wasn't. It was a mildly ok smooth track short moto type bike that was better suited for flat track. Putting Ohlins on a Can-Am is like putting a bikini on Roseanne Barr. Riding those bikes was like riding a psychotic horse through a burning barn.
TerryB
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TerryB 1/28/2013 8:55am
1/28/2013 8:55am Edited Date/Time 1/28/2013 9:00am
Had a buddy that won a lot of motos on one. Holeshot machine!

However, the bike I was riding at the time WAS one big turd! An '81 KX125.
bultokid
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bultokid 1/28/2013 9:12am
1/28/2013 9:12am
I built a real nice MX6b last year,.rode it once to sort out jetting...........sold it the next day

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