Something cool happened to me today!

chuckie108
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791
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2/8/2012
Location
Mira Loma, CA US
6/2/2016 10:37pm Edited Date/Time 6/4/2016 9:41pm
Had something really cool happen to me today I'm sure My fellow obsessed moto-heads can appreciate. Well, I get home from work today, and sitting in my shop is MY 1980 YZ50! My Uncle brought it with him from AZ today to give to me. He bought it from my dad 32 years ago and has had it ever since. I've been begging him for it for 10 years now and today it materialized. Why is this bike so special to me? Well it has probably influenced my life more than any other materiel item on this planet! And there are MASSIVE amounts of great memories associated with it. It is the genesis of my love for 2 wheels. It is the bike I rode on the beach in Baja with my dad, popped me first wheely on, jumped my first jump, railed my first turn, cleaned my first filter, climbed my first big hill, got my first scar(still have it!)and on and on. Funny how we hit our 40s and we can get a little nostalgic about things. I'm just really pumped it's home. Gonna hang it from the rafters in my shop for now, while it waits in queue for a proper restoration.

1981


Today:




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BS261
Posts
132
Joined
11/4/2015
Location
Rochester, NY US
6/3/2016 2:18am
Every vintage motocrosser's dream, right? To get their original bike back! Congratulations.
BRT771
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53
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5/23/2012
Location
Merrifield, MN US
6/3/2016 9:19am
That is awesome! So cool to have your first bike.
newmann
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24444
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4/1/2008
Location
US
6/3/2016 10:24am
It's all there and in rather amazing condition. Congrats on getting it back!!

The Shop

Mouse153
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548
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2/16/2013
Location
Virginia Beach, VA US
6/3/2016 11:48am
Great condition!
chuckie108
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791
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2/8/2012
Location
Mira Loma, CA US
6/3/2016 12:35pm
Thanks guys!! Yah- I hadn't seen it 15-20 years, so I was worried it would be thrashed. It has been through several nephews/cousins etc.. Fortunately none of them took to moto like I did. Only thing missing is the front plate, and the front fender is cracked around the mounting points. Compression is pretty low too. Overall, an easy project though. Just can't decide if I want to go all original or make it a mini racer. I just have to find a way to talk my wife into letting me display it in the house now!
Bman_145
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866
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12/30/2015
Location
Nor Cal, CA US
6/3/2016 12:39pm
So lucky! Have fun with that! I wish I had my old '83 pw50 to restore.
RyanLester761
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1133
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2/7/2007
Location
El Dorado Hills, CA US
6/3/2016 3:03pm
BS261 wrote:
Every vintage motocrosser's dream, right? To get their original bike back! Congratulations.
If we could only keep every one we've ever had... or at least our favorites!

Cool story Chuckie108! I'm right behind you at 39 years young. I CAN truly appreciate your passion for this nostalgic moto thing.
ledger
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3673
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1/17/2013
Location
TN US
6/3/2016 6:23pm
Very cool, and the bike wont need a major overhaul to get back in primo condition. The first pic reminds me of good times, and how being a kid was great, no bills to pay, free food, clothes and shelter, no cell phones / computers, thought uncle Sam was a good person, knew where our friends were, from all the bicycles in the yard, Playboy magazine's hid in forts, Roger D. Hannah and Marty Smith were on the idol list, couldn't wait for the new MXA to arrive in the mailbox. Anyway, Congrats to you, and thumbs up to your uncle.
Mini Elsinore
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1968
Joined
8/17/2006
Location
Huntington Beach, CA US
6/3/2016 9:05pm
Outstanding! Congratulations on the reunion with your lil scoot!
mxBryan
Posts
253
Joined
11/3/2013
Location
BE
6/4/2016 2:26am
Awesome story !

When i was 5 back in 1998 my dad had a restored Italjet 50cc. We used to ride it now and then, it influenced my life to ! And it gave me the dirtbike microbe which no men on earth is healed of !
He sold the bike when i was about 11 or 12, i still blame him for doing that Laughing
6/4/2016 10:15am
Great story....thank you for sharing! The bike looks to be in great shape...so if you move forward on the restoration, you are required to share progress pictures! Smile
Jim in VA
Posts
297
Joined
3/4/2016
Location
Louisville, KY US
6/4/2016 9:41pm
ledger wrote:
Very cool, and the bike wont need a major overhaul to get back in primo condition. The first pic reminds me of good times, and how...
Very cool, and the bike wont need a major overhaul to get back in primo condition. The first pic reminds me of good times, and how being a kid was great, no bills to pay, free food, clothes and shelter, no cell phones / computers, thought uncle Sam was a good person, knew where our friends were, from all the bicycles in the yard, Playboy magazine's hid in forts, Roger D. Hannah and Marty Smith were on the idol list, couldn't wait for the new MXA to arrive in the mailbox. Anyway, Congrats to you, and thumbs up to your uncle.
Well said about the good old days of being a kid, and the world seemed to be a better place.

Congrats on getting your bike back, that's awesome.
Tdub13
Posts
209
Joined
4/11/2013
Location
MA US
6/7/2016 9:03am
Great story!!! IMHO, keep it stock and get it up into that house! Here's mine. That front Number Plate is going to be a tough one to locate.... Good luck!



MXVet261
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711
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4/1/2008
Location
Valley City, OH US
Fantasy
3973rd
6/7/2016 6:39pm
Awesome!
chuckie108
Posts
791
Joined
2/8/2012
Location
Mira Loma, CA US
3/29/2017 9:03pm
Figured I'd post a conclusion to this thread since I recently finished this bike. The story of the this bike and what it means to me is above. And like I said, it's was in surprising good shape considering. I started to consider what I wanted to do with it- showroom resto? Just wash it and stick it on the wall? And then I decided to look at it like I was 9 years old again, and how would I have wanted it. Well the answer to that was easy, I'd want it to look like my hero's(at that time), Mike "too tall" Bell. So this became my inspiration:

I didn't want to go overboard, as I don't Enjoy sinking insane amounts of time and money into a bike I really don't plan to ride, so I went more the sanitation route, as opposed to "restoration". So after lots of cleaning, locating needed parts, a bore job, a little paint, and some decals, it all came together pretty nice.

First priority was the engine, which looked quite good inside other than bore, which was easy to remedy.





I've always wanted to build/have a cone pipe, so I figured this would be the perfect place to start considering I wasn't concerned about the performance. I copied the stock pipe dimensions, and built this one. Not perfect, but a decent first try.



At the end of it all, I'm pleased with how it turned out, and now I have a bitchen pit bike!!















sandman768
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5955
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3/21/2014
Location
Saratoga Springs, NY US
3/30/2017 4:41am
Awesome.... Nice job on the pipe.....
Kidkawie
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1129
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8/31/2012
Location
ქუთაისი GE
3/30/2017 6:23am
Hell yeah, nice job!
Jim in VA
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297
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3/4/2016
Location
Louisville, KY US
3/30/2017 6:34pm
Good job Chuckie, she turned out good. Good job on the pipe, I'm sure that took some patience. Cool vintage MS sticker on the rear fender as well as the Scott one.
bad juju
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508
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12/15/2014
Location
Riverside, CA US
3/30/2017 6:52pm
was that pic of you at el mirage? congrats on that bike
Tbteam
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2799
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8/16/2006
Location
Ormond Beach, FL US
3/30/2017 6:54pm
Beautiful!

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