Upgrade to enjoy this feature!
Vital MX fantasy is free to play, but paid users have great benefits. Paid member benefits:
- View and download rider stats
- Pick trends
- Create a private league
- And more!
Only $10 for all 2024 SX, MX, and SMX series (regularly $30).
I always liked Rick Johnsons Fox gear of 1986....that's what i had in mind.
I think it turned out quite good:
Also interesting to see that the 125cc EMX class did times of 1:48 while our class winner did a best of 1:55 (rider at 40 years of age on a '89 CR 125). My best was a 2:03 not doing two of the 4 huge tables. Approaching them on a little, 30 year old CR 125 is a little different than having a factory 450
Again-if you see these jumps and steepness of the uphills & downhills in real time it's impressive!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkuS_O-rNMc
The Shop
BUT - 3 months ago i had a nasty crash with my MTB. We have some nice downhill singletrails just behind the City of Zurich...well - they're nice as long as you don't do unintentional frontflips....i broke 3 vertebrae in that crash so i am out of action since already 3 months!! I was lucky to "walk away" - literally.
Anyway - over here in Zurich/Switzerland Winter is already here. Temperatures are around the freezing point, no riding, no cycling...no MXGP races anymore and no SX races to watch as well. So it's the time in the year when new "old" bikes are born or re-built.
So i finally started the build of my VRP:
Mugen forks up front
All new...and Ti-bolts
Titanium footpegs and Ti-bolts on the engine...
So this 1990 Mugen it will be. I also have a HRC Kit ignition and CDI from back in the day. We actually bought these parts brandnew from Honda back in the day and they were supposed to be used for swiss championships but my bike was already running so good we never even tried it. So i had it in a box for like 30 years just waiting to be installed...now is the moment:
Nino's performance kit:
1990 Mugen kit
HRC ignition & CDI
italian Messico exhaust & silencer
98/99 HPP exhaust valves
My 1990 Mugen kit, HPP small parts, correct size Vertex piston, gaskets, some Ti-nuts & bolts...
So my 1990 VRP Mugen Honda CR 125 finally has a engine 😜
It's completely rebuilt from the ground up. New crank, new bearings & seals, new clutch basket, new clutch...Ti-bolts top to bottom...almost everything new!
I always enjoy seeing you build another VRP Mugen 125 :-)
So this upcoming weekend we will have the last race of the italian vintage championships at the iconic track of Maggiora in Italy. We raced there last year already and as mentioned before for me it was the most impressive track i ever put a wheel on in over 37 years of riding&racing MX ! Racing there with old machinery is a serious task. The images and videos don't show how demanding it really is...
This year was the first time i did all the italian races, also those in the south of Italy which for me as a swiss citizen sometimes were a really loooong drive. As is i'm leading the 125cc championships and it's just this one round at Maggiora to go.
Anyway - i already have my vintage artillery prepped and ready to go.
For the first time in many years i'll also take my original, aluminium framed '89 VRP Mugen bike along. Just as a backup if one of my race-engines should fail...and obviously to show all the interested people that will come to see old guys on old bikes
This year Maggiora is also called "FIM Vintage Worldcup" and there will be some serious racers on hand for this epic vintage venue:
Maggiora was not just some local race...it was a huge event with full gates...the track is spectacular to say the least and this time i jumped ALL those huge jumps with my little '89 125....i got enough flight time for sure
Anyway - i got it done by winning both my races !
Just another holeshot & leading the pack
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoqNT_ykoRc
Start 1st race - i exited the 1st turn in 3rd, by the next turn i was already 2nd but if you would see the whole sequence of that start it is pretty much a miracle that i came through like that...as you can see i was really behind midway through the start straight (hidden behind No. 141 in yellow):
:
This is what i call the o'Mara jump...you have to jump to the left as the downside of that massive table is angled to the left:
This is a fast double...27 meters:
The same double:
The massive table at the finish line
Dave King passed by in the pits:
...and then there were all those heroes:
MC
Emig
Chicken
Brown
Cairoli
...the list goes on and on!
E4 - that's my class with 125cc bikes from 86-89 and riders age 35+ years
G1 - same bikes but riders age 14-34 years
EVO1 - Bikes 90-96 with riders 35+
Maggiora opens its doors only 2-3 times per year and only for championship races. This year they had the MXGP, the Italian Prestige championships and the Italian vintage championships. So a lot of guys just showed up to be able to hit the iconic Maggiora track. Therefore i had to battle with young "kids" which normally do the italian 125cc championships...but as mentioned overall i beat them with two 1st places in my class and 3rd/4th at the checkers behind 20-24 year old kids. Not too shabby for a 55 year old guy
It was also cool to see me not too far away in qualifying times - 4th at just 2.5 seconds to 1st...but just tenths behind 2nd&3rd...all three young guys of the G1 class
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/MyjWmL2ZPeQ
Early in the morning: This is how they start race-day in Italy...i was just sipping at a cup of coffe when they played Puccini....the atmosphere was just too cool really
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/YX_T7ArMQOc
Pit Row
That track....Maggiora / Italy...perfectly prepped...a dream !
The ultra-steep downhill. Again-as always pictures&videos can't reflect how steep it really is
Part of the back section of the track...check the table in the background with guys standing on it!
Not much of a ramp in front of it....There's 2 guys actually standing on top of the ramp...so you're approaching from the right side behind there....you do that banked, left handed corner and immediately approach the lip...from back there you obviously don't see where you are jumping to....completely blind....
...and you landed right above the dozer marks....with a 33year old 125....you get the point This was actually the most intimidating jump of the four big ones i mentioned. You have to commit, blindfolded...and hope for the best
Start of the 2nd race:
Ok-here we go...preparation for this years italian vintage championship. I just went to a new track i've never been to in Trofarello / Italy. What a nice track that was and i took full profit early sunday morning to be the first out on a perfectly prepped track using one of my '89 Mugen Honda 125s....that thing is a rocketship and it was just puuuuuuure pleasure around there:
All right man , it’s Great to hear your going after it yet. Looks like you’re having a Blast. Good Luck at the race . I wish I could race with you. I think where about the same age . As of Nov 18 I,m 57 off the rd doing pt & hv 4 or 5 injections lined up in March. Doing experiments on what my body can do yet. Like speed sit-ups torture for 1 hr . Hard to do leg work outs but I find a way. It’s painful to walk so no running. Depends on how the injections go . Rt shoulder is bad it pumps my arm up after 2 laps. Back, hip& neck is real bad. I had a few injections last yr & they work ok. Good enough to be able to move correctly on the bike.the reason I bring it up is if you ever hv a problem the injections will keep ya going. I joined my local track last yr just to see if I had my speed yet. I was happy I still hv it. I like your vid saying still got it. I relate to that. The 125 class is popular here some tracks 24-34 riders . The 50+ class in Wisconsin is fast most on 450,s . 1 rider is on a TC 125 big bore I think . He finished 15th at LL in 45 & 50+. A lot of x pro,s. I just Love my 04 cr125 Tara Gieger JM racing replica ported National Championship engine minus the stroker crank. . It should be really quick with a strong & long midrange into the ovr rev.
Post a reply to: 1990 VRP Mugen 125 - rebuilt