Notable one year builds

1/9/2020 7:32am Edited Date/Time 1/18/2020 12:16am
While continuing to look for parts for my 1987 Kawasaki KX250 project, I've realized that this bike was a one year production run. It shared very little in common with the '86 and '88 KX250s.

What other interesting/notable bikes were one-year runs?
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philG
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1/9/2020 10:31am
Think the 88 Suzuki 250 was, and the 87 250 Honda too. Could be wrong.
mxrose3
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1/9/2020 12:16pm
ALL of the early to mid 80's Honda CR's....lol.

Early to Mid-late 80's were a time of big change to motocross bikes. And because they were selling like hotcakes, manufacturers would do whatever it took to keep up with the latest suspension, frame, powervalve, ect updates. Even if it meant a total redesign after they just did it the year before.

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450exc115
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1/10/2020 7:40am
mxrose3 wrote:
ALL of the early to mid 80's Honda CR's....lol. Early to Mid-late 80's were a time of big change to motocross bikes. And because they were...
ALL of the early to mid 80's Honda CR's....lol.

Early to Mid-late 80's were a time of big change to motocross bikes. And because they were selling like hotcakes, manufacturers would do whatever it took to keep up with the latest suspension, frame, powervalve, ect updates. Even if it meant a total redesign after they just did it the year before.

I almost posted that last night myself. The 80-86 CRs probably had 25-50% new content each year that didn't interchange! I have a 80 CR250 which shares a bit of 78/79 CR250 parts but a lot that is different. I built a 81 CR250 and while the 82/82 look similar they all had different rear brake plates/wheel, internal parts, rear suspension mods, etc. I incorporated as many of the updates I could when doing the build.

How about the one year only 76 MR250
79 YZ400 is a one off motor and rear suspension
80/81 YZs
82 YZ125
It was such a dynamic time for bike starting in the mid 70s to basically late 80s.
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quiknic
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1/10/2020 8:42am
The perfect example and a racer:







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The Shop

BRX-WRX
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1/12/2020 3:14pm Edited Date/Time 1/12/2020 3:16pm
1987 KX500, 2nd year for KIIPS and 1st year of the rear suspension change (non strut). Last year of the narrow cocpit. I used a 84 tall seat foam and cover from ceet on 87 base, fits perfect but you may want to shave off 1/2" from top back 1/2. 87= 250 & 500 plastics interchange
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Manbearpig
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1/12/2020 11:05pm
1986 RM125. crazy powervalve and cylinder with that nutty step backward linkage design.
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450exc115
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1/13/2020 3:05pm
Was the Connodale a one year mx bike?
Two years I believe. The local shop became a dealer for Cannondale. They tried to release in 99 but gave the boot to the falon motor and developed there own for a release in 00. Then lingered on to 01 before giving up. I got to try a preproduction unit as we had one sales rep join our riding group a few times. Needless to say we often had to go get the truck to retrieve the bike before the ride was over. Often it was something in the fuel injection that died.
ATKpilot99
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1/13/2020 3:33pm
03 was the last model year for the Cannondale then ATK sold them under their name for a few years. ATK supposedly made some reliability upgrades to the bike.
450exc115
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1/13/2020 5:24pm
ATKpilot99 wrote:
03 was the last model year for the Cannondale then ATK sold them under their name for a few years. ATK supposedly made some reliability upgrades...
03 was the last model year for the Cannondale then ATK sold them under their name for a few years. ATK supposedly made some reliability upgrades to the bike.
I was under the impression that they only had a 01-02 model years but sales started in 00 and lasted till 03 when they filed for bankruptcy. The ATVs were more popular
1/13/2020 11:16pm
1982 YZ250
1983 YZ250
After that they were back to the 2-3 year model cycle
ATKpilot99
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1/14/2020 3:07am
ATKpilot99 wrote:
03 was the last model year for the Cannondale then ATK sold them under their name for a few years. ATK supposedly made some reliability upgrades...
03 was the last model year for the Cannondale then ATK sold them under their name for a few years. ATK supposedly made some reliability upgrades to the bike.
450exc115 wrote:
I was under the impression that they only had a 01-02 model years but sales started in 00 and lasted till 03 when they filed for...
I was under the impression that they only had a 01-02 model years but sales started in 00 and lasted till 03 when they filed for bankruptcy. The ATVs were more popular
That's possible. I have seen them billed as 03s but yeah probably just leftovers of the same model. ATK did buy up the stock after the bankruptcy though and sold them for a few years. They were blue but otherwise looked the same.
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