CH Industries Cr125

OldPro277
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OldPro277
Edited Date/Time 7/26/2017 6:43am
Long story short--- In my never ending quest to add to my collection , I ran across a ratty 75 cr125 that intrigued me ....so I bought it. Bike has a heavily modded frame, a Red Line alloy swinger, complete Marzocchi magnesium offset forks and clamps, a GEM reed block ,alloy air box,a first generation DG radial head, and a hand crafted cone low pipe. The whole thing is yellow, frame ,plastics and tank(all very tattered) I was told by the previous owner that it was a CH replica. Im trying to determine if this is an ACTUAL CH bike or a replica or just a crappy old CR125 that some one has modded over the years. The GEM reed block is so thick that the rear of the center cases had to be milled for carb clearance,but that was done very well so I was starting to think it wasnt a dude in his driveway with a grinder. There really isnt much info on the interwebs about these bikes ,but I remember them being in direct competition with the DG,Fox,FMF,DMC and the other SoCal shops back in the day,only smaller. I havent started to strip it down to investigate yet,however it does run pretty damn good (for a 75 125). Can any one remember any details and shed some light on the Cliff Hughes bikes ? I know I should have posted some pics ,but I havent taken any decent ones yet,just had the bike delivered late yesterday)
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AHRMA361
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AHRMA361 7/24/2017 12:10pm
7/24/2017 12:10pm
Sounds like a lot of trick parts regardless of its authenticity as a CH bike.

I have a GEM on my 74 and the case does have to be clearance to fit a VM carb on it.

Post up some detailed pictures of your bike! Love to see it and maybe comment further. newmann will surely have some input as well.
OldPro277
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OldPro277 7/24/2017 12:27pm
7/24/2017 12:27pm
Yeah that's why I bought it. Just too many cool pieces not to have it in my garage,lol. Yeah I will post some good pics in the next 24-48 hours, before I start disassembling the little beast.
newmann
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newmann 7/24/2017 3:03pm
7/24/2017 3:03pm
Here's an old thread that used to have better versions of these pics attached. They have disappeared from the web though and these are all I could find. I ended up with the frame and swingarm from this CH Pro-Fab magazine bike a long time ago. Sold the swing arm, still have the frame. It was a complete custom built Pro Fab frame, not a modded Elsinore frame. Neat stuff, so much trickness being built back then around the early CR125's.


http://www.vitalmx.com/forums/Old-School-Moto,22/Vintage-aftermarket-Fr…










OldPro277
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OldPro277 7/24/2017 3:17pm
7/24/2017 3:17pm
Thanks Joe. I wish I could blow up those magazine pics and article. That frame in your old post looks nearly identical to the one on mine. And that Marzocchi front end is exactly whats on this bike. Tell me more about that frame that u still have......

The Shop

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Hasletjoe
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Hasletjoe 7/24/2017 4:59pm
7/24/2017 4:59pm
OldPro277 wrote:
Thanks Joe. I wish I could blow up those magazine pics and article. That frame in your old post looks nearly identical to the one on...
Thanks Joe. I wish I could blow up those magazine pics and article. That frame in your old post looks nearly identical to the one on mine. And that Marzocchi front end is exactly whats on this bike. Tell me more about that frame that u still have......
OP277, I can email that article to you if I can get an address.

I have upgraded to mock up and found some straight leg Zokes for it. It is sitting on a cart awaiting attention....

Does your frame have a serial number on the steering head?


joe
OldPro277
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OldPro277 7/24/2017 5:55pm
7/24/2017 5:55pm
That be great !! email me at mspisak_37@hotmail.com. Yeah,the frame has numbers stamped in it ,but the yellow paint is so thick ,I cant make anything out. Im pretty excited to strip this thing down and do a complete restore,but I have 2 others that are just about done ,so I feel compelled to wrap those ones up first. But Im really chomping at the bit to tear into this one
Smed
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Smed 7/24/2017 8:22pm
7/24/2017 8:22pm
Sweet bike either way! Where the early DG cast heads gold or raw finish, the ones I have seen are raw, I have one on my 74 CR125M, It's raw, my bike also has an unknown reed valve conversion, its welded into the cylinder, lots of work involved in fitting it by the looks
AHRMA361
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AHRMA361 7/25/2017 1:43pm
7/25/2017 1:43pm
Cool bike! Looks like somebody was going for a Sambo's replica scheme.

I sold newmann a set of forks like that many years ago.

What's with the canister tucked up under the tank? Boost bottle of some sort?

Weird how they flipped the front hub around. Must be the only way to do it without the added lug fouling the brake arm if it is in the stock location. Front brake arm looks like a modified head stay off a Penton!
OldPro277
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OldPro277 7/25/2017 2:23pm
7/25/2017 2:23pm
That IS a boost bottle of some kind. And it appears that the hub should fit the "right" way since there are identical lugs on both sides , but Ill experiment with all that when its time to start "dissecting" the little beast. But it definitely is way cool and Im pretty excited to find out all the history(if there is any). Whatever I find out ,its destined to have a 100% restore down to each nut and bolt. Probably going to run it in the Evolution class (76 and older)next year at Mid Ohio.
newmann
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newmann 7/25/2017 3:35pm
7/25/2017 3:35pm
I think that bike was recently raced in Texas??? Rio last November? Those Zoke's were available in aluminum and mag and pretty much looked identical until the mag corrosion sets in. They were painted more of a pewter color while the aluminum ones were basic silver. I bead blasted a set of the mag lowers a few years back, nice and dark gray now. Pretty cool looking when a little oxidation sets in.
newmann
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newmann 7/25/2017 3:39pm
7/25/2017 3:39pm
AHRMA361 wrote:
Cool bike! Looks like somebody was going for a Sambo's replica scheme. I sold newmann a set of forks like that many years ago. What's with...
Cool bike! Looks like somebody was going for a Sambo's replica scheme.

I sold newmann a set of forks like that many years ago.

What's with the canister tucked up under the tank? Boost bottle of some sort?

Weird how they flipped the front hub around. Must be the only way to do it without the added lug fouling the brake arm if it is in the stock location. Front brake arm looks like a modified head stay off a Penton!
Did I get the aluminum or mags from you? Still working on a set of them for my lightweight project. Gotta find a manual for them as every set I have torn apart had different stuff in them. Whittled the triples down a bit and procuring some Ti bits. Next stop is race tech for a rebuild and emulators.
OldPro277
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OldPro277 7/25/2017 3:57pm
7/25/2017 3:57pm
newmann wrote:
I think that bike was recently raced in Texas??? Rio last November? Those Zoke's were available in aluminum and mag and pretty much looked identical until...
I think that bike was recently raced in Texas??? Rio last November? Those Zoke's were available in aluminum and mag and pretty much looked identical until the mag corrosion sets in. They were painted more of a pewter color while the aluminum ones were basic silver. I bead blasted a set of the mag lowers a few years back, nice and dark gray now. Pretty cool looking when a little oxidation sets in.
Very possible, I got it from a dude from Louisiana. Saw it Marks about 4 separate times the past 6-8 mos, finally intrigued me enough after looking past the yellow paint and seeing the trick bits on there....
sgthubbard#60
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sgthubbard#60 7/25/2017 4:34pm
7/25/2017 4:34pm
Sweet score man. That's the one the Cannon guy was selling on Marks I think right? Had it been at DD's before I left it would be in my garage instead. Lol
OldPro277
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OldPro277 7/25/2017 5:04pm
7/25/2017 5:04pm
Thanks--- Yep ,it was Skeeter. Seemed like a good egg,but held pretty firm on price,lol. Fortunately , I found a shipper that was based in the sellers home town and was heading to the northeast,so I saved some money there. Louisiana to Pittsburgh,Pa in two days for $ 250. Probably my best shipping deal ever
MaxPower
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MaxPower 7/25/2017 8:00pm
7/25/2017 8:00pm
How do engines run that have reeds added when they were designed without them?
AHRMA361
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AHRMA361 7/26/2017 5:33am
7/26/2017 5:33am
AHRMA361 wrote:
Cool bike! Looks like somebody was going for a Sambo's replica scheme. I sold newmann a set of forks like that many years ago. What's with...
Cool bike! Looks like somebody was going for a Sambo's replica scheme.

I sold newmann a set of forks like that many years ago.

What's with the canister tucked up under the tank? Boost bottle of some sort?

Weird how they flipped the front hub around. Must be the only way to do it without the added lug fouling the brake arm if it is in the stock location. Front brake arm looks like a modified head stay off a Penton!
newmann wrote:
Did I get the aluminum or mags from you? Still working on a set of them for my lightweight project. Gotta find a manual for them...
Did I get the aluminum or mags from you? Still working on a set of them for my lightweight project. Gotta find a manual for them as every set I have torn apart had different stuff in them. Whittled the triples down a bit and procuring some Ti bits. Next stop is race tech for a rebuild and emulators.
They were magnesium. I think one leg had a nick in it by the seal area. Hope you did something cool with them.
AHRMA361
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AHRMA361 7/26/2017 5:38am
7/26/2017 5:38am
MaxPower wrote:
How do engines run that have reeds added when they were designed without them?
Max, on my bike, the intake side piston skirt needs windows added to match the porting done in the cylinder to work properly. Basically, finger ports are grooved into the cylinder wall to effectively make boost ports in the 1974 cylinder.

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Bearuno
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Bearuno 7/26/2017 6:23am
7/26/2017 6:23am
MaxPower wrote:
How do engines run that have reeds added when they were designed without them?
A damned sight better, was how they worked!

I remember the regular 'thing' at races was the (groups) of (mostly) CR125s sat at the line, loaded up to buggery. It sucked when it happened, and with a Gem, it was a thing of the past.

A place that I worked at brought in GEM Reed kits, and we sold so many of them to CR riders, in particular, but also a hell of a lot of other bikes. Then sales just stopped, and we stored the excess stock under the owners house. I wonder if they (and a whole bunch of other, suddenly 'dead' stock) are still there? It would be quite the 'barn' find, nowadays.
OldPro277
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OldPro277 7/26/2017 6:43am
7/26/2017 6:43am
MaxPower wrote:
How do engines run that have reeds added when they were designed without them?
Bearuno wrote:
A damned sight better, was how they worked! I remember the regular 'thing' at races was the (groups) of (mostly) CR125s sat at the line, loaded...
A damned sight better, was how they worked!

I remember the regular 'thing' at races was the (groups) of (mostly) CR125s sat at the line, loaded up to buggery. It sucked when it happened, and with a Gem, it was a thing of the past.

A place that I worked at brought in GEM Reed kits, and we sold so many of them to CR riders, in particular, but also a hell of a lot of other bikes. Then sales just stopped, and we stored the excess stock under the owners house. I wonder if they (and a whole bunch of other, suddenly 'dead' stock) are still there? It would be quite the 'barn' find, nowadays.
Bearuno is 100% correct.Reed assemblies were like a magic wand or a gift from God !! It was a severe pain in the ass when those bikes loaded up. Any young guys reading this would have zero idea of what we are talking about . Remember the clearing out drill ---turn off the gas and hold it wide open until it cleared.

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