Experts needed---Identify these

OldPro277
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8/18/2017 7:01pm Edited Date/Time 8/21/2017 10:22am
Short version-- while looking for a 76 Rm250A ,I found one with these shocks on it. While the seller and I couldn't come to terms on the bike ,I was able to convince him to remove the shocks and sell them to me.. Ive shown these to a couple of other knowledgeable vintage guys and none of us can determine the manufacturer. The guy I got them from said he was told they were CH air shocks. Since I recently procured what I think is a CH Honda ,I figured Id grab these just in case. A friend of mine knows Terry Good and Terry said he never knew of Cliff building shocks (and Terry worked with Cliff during that time period) Either way, they seem extremely well made,with spherical bearings in the eyes, still have great dampening and hold air with zero leaks. These were completely polished by someone ,so any identifying marks that may have been there are long gone.. Id really like to know the story of these....so boys, go at it





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OldPro277
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8/19/2017 2:07pm
Im "shocked" Whistling that no one has even thrown out a wild guess. Newmann ,Im sure you MUST have a set of these, tell me what they are lol !!!
newmann
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8/19/2017 7:02pm
I'm losing my ass in poker right now...lol.

Those do not look like any of my CH Racing Omega air shocks. Similar but pretty different. Will get a pic tomorrow if I don't lose my broken phone in the next hand.
dadofagun
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8/20/2017 5:09am Edited Date/Time 8/20/2017 6:52am
I remember years ago there was a brand of air shocks called "Tex-air"..... maybe? They made shocks for YZingers in 81, first year of the bikes production. Maybe that's what brand those are?!? Just a guess....

The Shop

Ken202
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8/20/2017 7:03pm
I had a Tex Air shock on my '81 YZ100. Tex Air was owned by Glen "Tex" Johnson, my first sponsor.

Glen made shocks for all brands and models.
Those shocks look like Tex Air airs.
OldPro277
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8/21/2017 6:28am
Thanks dadofagun and Ken!!! . So since the first 2 educated guesses are both Tex Airs, Ill run with that. Now, is Glen Johnson still around ?Any contact info? I guess Id like to find a service manual or any related material for these if possible. Thanks again guys, I really appreciate it !!!
wfoyz250
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8/21/2017 7:07am
Yes, Glen Johnson is alive and well with his own MX track in Alvin, Texas.
409-316-2000
He is here in the striped shirt accepting historic award at the Rio Bravo Oldschool reunion, 2013


OldPro277
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8/21/2017 8:23am
Wfo, that's fantastic!! Really appreciate the help. I'll contact him and see what he has to say about these. Surely can't be too many sets of these floating around.. thanks again to all!!.
By the way ,to you guys that have used them, how did they work compared to anything else that was available?
Ken202
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8/21/2017 9:21am Edited Date/Time 8/21/2017 9:23am
The Tex Air was better than the Motocross Fox spring shock I also had tried.
Check out how high it lifted up the back end of my YZ100. It handled well with it. Ponca City 1980

wsmx-deb
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8/21/2017 10:08am
Fox Air Shox


newmann
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8/21/2017 10:21am
CH Racing Omega air shock.

OldPro277
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8/21/2017 2:06pm
newmann wrote:
CH Racing Omega air shock. [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2012/12/19/ch_shocks_002_315045.JPG[/img]
CH Racing Omega air shock.

Those are cool too,Joe. Thanks. My mystery shocks are definitely not the CH Omega's. The couple odd things I found while I was was that the "Tex Airs" shafts are approx 3mm smaller diameter than my Fox airs, and the travel stroke is much less than the my Fox's as well. Granted ,all my Fox Airs are 17.5's but still ,just looking at the shafts in my pics compared to typical Fox's and even Newmanns's CH shocks , you can see how short the travel appears. Still, I think these are a cool find and Im definitely using these on one of my vintage pieces. Going to try to contact Tex Johnson tomorrow to confirm these are a set of his Tex-Airs. Thanks to everyone who chimed in !!!
newmann
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8/21/2017 8:15pm
The cool thing about the Omega's are that they are completely aluminum. Bodies and shafts, and are super light. Gotta work on determining the proper length for my lightweight project bike and see if I can piece a set together the right length.

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