2strokerfun

Member
May 19, 2006
1,500
1
Looking to maybe get another vintage project for partial restore/riding. Probably not going to make a show piece, but one that looks good for riding when I'm done. I ride a '76 elsinore now and have a '74 XL70 for the kids. Also have a '78 DT400 needing rebuild, but I can't decide whether to proceed on that or not (no title, so I'm fighting the state if I want to restore it for street/trail and it seems too heavy/undersprung/underpowered for turning it into pure dirtbike). I love the mid 70s Yamahas, but am leaning towards a '78 or '79 CR250R. I like that bike and the parts seem a whole lot more available than Yamaha, Suzuki or Kawa parts (vintage Kawa parts seem especially hard to come by).
Anyway, I'm wondering what vintage dirt bikes others are interested in and why??
Thanks
 

whenfoxforks-ruled

Old MX Racer
~SPONSOR~
Oct 19, 2006
8,129
2
Merrillville,Indiana
Do I have 3 piles of 370~400 parts for you Plynn41! I just need to put the finishing touches on a 83 CR480. I do believe I have found what I want for vintage racing. Well drum brake bikes anyways! I heard a rumor a guy named Noyce from England wants the 82. Would the 4 speed be better? Or is the best vintage bike the other one I have yet to have? Vintage Bob
 

wake_rider

Member
Feb 21, 2007
481
2
I wish I could say what bike I'd love to own, but the bikes that I have attachment to are from when I was so young and they were so small I'd never get to enjoy them! So mine isn't a bike but a quad rather (please keep the tongue lashings to a minimum as I grew up poor and had no other alternative :) ), and I'm not even sure if it qualifies as "vintage" but I would love to have the 1985 Suzuki Quadsport lt230. I had a buddy of mine growing up whose dad bought two of those and we put those things through absolute hell, but they always held up. The last time I rode one was in the late 90's, and it was still a blast to ride on. Slow as ever and the suspension was awful (although I think was great for a quad at that time) but just for the sheer nostalgia of it for me, I would love to own one some day. Just whenever I have the garage space to do it! The biggest problem though is that everyone I've seen with one now is absolutely destroyed. Still running, but destroyed...
 

BadgerMan

Mi. Trail Riders
Jan 1, 2001
2,479
10
Here’s my short list. No rhyme or reason other than they are bikes that I thought were very cool at the time. The only exception is the Cappra as I owned a 1979 250VE. I always thought the pre-1979 glass tank bikes were better looking.

1972 WR250 Husqvarna
1974 YZ250
1974 YZ360, the Holy Grail of vintage MX bikes
1974 TM250
1974 Penton Jackpiner
1975 CR125
1976 YZ125
1977 Ossa Phantom
1978 KX250
1978 Montesa 250 Cappra VB
 

dirt bike dave

Sponsoring Member
May 3, 2000
5,349
3
BadgerMan said:
Here’s my short list. No rhyme or reason other than they are bikes that I thought were very cool at the time. The only exception is the Cappra as I owned a 1979 250VE. I always thought the pre-1979 glass tank bikes were better looking.

1972 WR250 Husqvarna
1974 YZ250
1974 YZ360, the Holy Grail of vintage MX bikes
1974 TM250
1974 Penton Jackpiner
1975 CR125
1976 YZ125
1977 Ossa Phantom
1978 KX250
1978 Montesa 250 Cappra VB

Your list and mine have lots of overlap. I had a '76 YZ125X (the hot model with the all air forks).

I had a '73 TM250 that was reportedly owned by Mark Blackwell and all tricked out (moved up shocks, reinforced swingarm, Akront rims, small aluminum tank, etc..). My buddy was riding it about 1979 when it threw the chain and broke the left side center case :(

Always loved the Ossas and Montessas of that era. Bultacos, too.

Also, too short of time and resources for vintage bikes.
 

whenfoxforks-ruled

Old MX Racer
~SPONSOR~
Oct 19, 2006
8,129
2
Merrillville,Indiana
No mention of the Maico 490 Spider, yet. The huge fins as wide as the cases. The sound the engine made. My 76 or 75 Montesa 250 VR could be rode all day with a smile, till the clutch actuator took a crap. With the Marazochi suspenders, it did what ever I wanted with little effort. The rest of the bike was solid! Can Am 175, an absolute blast to ride fast! Durable engine, nice ergos. But when the 73 Cr250 came out, no 1 bike I can think of helped racers go faster. Until the new thumpers came out. Vintage Bob
 

2strokerfun

Member
May 19, 2006
1,500
1
whenfoxforks-ruled said:
But when the 73 Cr250 came out, no 1 bike I can think of helped racers go faster....

Totally agree. Wish I had a few of those NOS gas tanks stored to put on d'bay. Two locals have almost restored ones I love. But I'll stick with my '76 for financial reasons. I have a beautiful red aluminum tank on my bike I got for $76 with two good fenders through d'bay a couple of years ago because the foolish seller 1) couldn't spell "elsinore" right in the listing and 2) advertised it as "front and back fenders"--"oh yeah, I'll throw in this gas tank too" !! Tank is worth more than all the rest of the parts put together !!
Thinking early YZ, early YZ, or may '81 maico 490 or so.
 

dirt bike dave

Sponsoring Member
May 3, 2000
5,349
3
whenfoxforks-ruled said:
No mention of the Maico 490 Spider, yet.

I got to borrow a friend's '82 490 Sand Spider for a day in the desert once.

What sweet motor on that bike! Deep sand washes were an absolute blast, and it scoffed at any hill you could throw it at.

It felt like the motor was doing one of three things:

1) Off/coasting
2) Digging in for the maximum acceleration the tire could handle
3) Controllable, power-sliding, berm busting wheel spin

The beautiful thing was you could instantly choose between 1, 2, or 3 and the bike always seemed to do what you wanted. :cool:

I'll never forget that bike.
 

sm7482

Member
Jan 29, 2008
224
0
1968 maico 360
1969 maico 250
1981 maico 490
1980 yz490
bultaco alpina
bultaco matador
bultaco astro
bultaco pursang
montessa cobra
any ossa
any dkw
73 cz
cotton trail bike
the list never stops
 

whenfoxforks-ruled

Old MX Racer
~SPONSOR~
Oct 19, 2006
8,129
2
Merrillville,Indiana
The Rickman yes, the Triumph I do not know. Thats more like a museum piece, and REAL outdated/not for the dirt! More like a sled, my first bike, Yamaha small bore twin streetbike, late 60's/early 70's? Real cheap! Downpipes is about all I left on though. It was a horrific blast to look back at. On my list of things to do, 1 of them is to put a spring and ball bearing transmission back together, that Rickman reminded me, but it has to work again. I will feel confidant with a shop manual this time? Vintage Bob
 

pryor

Member
Oct 21, 2006
171
0
Big triumph twins were raced a lot in the desert, I'm probably not man enough to do it but steve mcqueen did. I have never ridden one and dont know a lot about them but those triumph rickmans look so cool. :cool:
 

Uchytil

LIFETIME SPONSOR
Jun 29, 2003
814
9
About time - a worthwhile post! Well since I'm certainly past my prime, and I already have my big Maicos I'd certainly say I want a 71 Super Rat so I can pretend (to feel) like I'm somekindabadasskidagain.

I started to think about the Phantom I always wanted but to scoot around on a Rat would be as close as I could get to heaven on earth.
 

2strokerfun

Member
May 19, 2006
1,500
1
It's kind of fun keeping an open mind going into this. I've always just happened into projects, but never actually planned on what I really want to do and then pursue it. I'm still thinking..... Then I'll start looking...and eventually spend a ton of time and way too much money, but enjoy the he(double toothpick) out of it !!
 

whenfoxforks-ruled

Old MX Racer
~SPONSOR~
Oct 19, 2006
8,129
2
Merrillville,Indiana
Uchytil said:
About time - a worthwhile post! Well since I'm certainly past my prime, and I already have my big Maicos I'd certainly say I want a 71 Super Rat so I can pretend (to feel) like I'm somekindabadasskidagain.

I started to think about the Phantom I always wanted but to scoot around on a Rat would be as close as I could get to heaven on earth.
I would bet that stock exhaust wound tight will set off some car alarms. Running from the cops? "No officer, I was not riding my bike, no you can not go in my garage and check my engine, get a warrant!" It worked one time. Vintage Bob
 

pryor

Member
Oct 21, 2006
171
0
Man I loved my hodaka it was just a striped ace 100 with a earls front end and all the webco stuff I could get my hands on, probably best time on a bike ever had. maybe that is the bike, and I know were two are next to each other with under 900 miles and real close serial numbers.
 

whenfoxforks-ruled

Old MX Racer
~SPONSOR~
Oct 19, 2006
8,129
2
Merrillville,Indiana
I have seen them popcorn bikes fetch a ton of coin! Personally, I ate enough pistons in the early CR and RM 125's to last a lifetime. No small bores for me! Vintage Bob
 

Uchytil

LIFETIME SPONSOR
Jun 29, 2003
814
9
whenfoxforks-ruled said:
No small bores for me! Vintage Bob

Yeah but....oooooh the fun factor! I don't want no pickle, I just wanna ride my motorsickle. I was riding a honda 100 in the sugarcane fields of Maui with another person two up when we burned through a piston. It was a long push back to the boat, we slept in some field along the way. That's when I was young, dumb, and full of (whatever I drank the night before). Fess up, you'd like to burn though an old RM125.
 

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