I need a bike!

[whenfoxforks-ruled]

I recently met a guy, with a barn full, and 2 trailers, of air cooled mx bikes. Maybe around 150? Mostly all yellow to my disappointment. So that got me going on picking 1. A 250 at least, he does have a 500 Can Am, but parts availability is very important. Whatever I end up with, will probably get trashed monthly. I do plan on training and racing it, near religiously! He has a couple Hondas, too bad I know about the forks. Never a big fan of the early mono shocks. So that leaves the frigging RM's. How are parts for the 77 to 80 250's? Maybe a little more bore? What big bores were good in that same era? Next weekend I will go with a pocket full of 20 dollar bills!

 

[longtime coming]

better to ride a yellow "S" bike than be tossed over the bars on a yellow "Y" bike, I think.

 

[_JOE_]

I recently met a guy, with a barn full, and 2 trailers, of air cooled mx bikes. Maybe around 150? Mostly all yellow to my disappointment.

I would love a late 70s RM. I used to have a 77 125, it was a POS, but it was still cool. :cool: I paid 125 bucks for it. Now any decent 70s mx bikes seem ludicrously priced.

 

[Chili]

77's looked a lot sleeker in my opinion, 78 was the first year of plastic gas tanks and they were pretty clunky looking. I had a 78 and loved it but there was no comparison to the suspension and motor on my 86, that full floater stuff was top notch.

 

[whenfoxforks-ruled]

He has a few floaters. All are rolling with most everything there. Most from 75 to 80. The majority being 125's. Mint YZ100, Husky CR125, Hodaka and on and on. I was going to take pics, no way, next time a video camera! Bill gave me the idea of getting some newer forks on the 79 or 80 CR 250, he had 3 or 4. I did not remember 1 kaw. I rode the snot out of the 77, 78 and 79 RM 125's, never the 250's. My CR 250's, from 78 to 80, the only bike I remember getting beat by was another honda! Air cooled, no metal gas tank, and a 250 with parts available?

 

[D.LEATHERS]

No Kaw's???

My first real mx bike I bought was a brand new 1979 kx125 when I was 18. I have been 1/2 assed looking for one lately, you know the old middle aged man I wished I had that old bike again syndrome :yikes: This past Aug. we had our annual AHRMA NATL. at PTR MX and low & behold a guy shows up with a 79 kx125 the bike was mint, with ohlins shocks, nice new shiny plastic etc. I went down to the starting gate while he was waiting to start his moto and struck up a conversation with him about the bike and my past history with his choice of vintage iron. I watched all of his moto's and the bike sounded sweeeet, and he won both the classes he entered. I went up to him at the end of the day and took some pic's of his bike and gave him a free pass to the gate with my phone # and told him if he ever wanted to part company with it to call me. His response was, I will add you to my list :bang: I didn't realize it at the time , but the production #'s were very low on this bike app. 2600 world wide. A friend and I bought 2 here in Lansing in 79 and had to order them from our local Harley/ Kaw dealer who didn't know squat about dirt bikes. AHHHH memories I guess that is all we have from our youth. :( I hope I didn't bore anyone with my story :blah:

DAVE L.

 

[whenfoxforks-ruled]

That year, so far suzuki is the only one with any oem parts still. Zip on the honda, and probably the kaws also. I sure do not know about the yz's. The ones I rode felt weird!

 

[Uchytil]

Get a Maico and then join endless web groups talking about them, buying parts, etc., then go to Mid-Ohio next July and race it, or watch, and talk to Maico nuts hawking their wares. Or Hodaka, or Ossa, or...

 

[whenfoxforks-ruled]

Now I am leaning towards the rm 400. It will run circles around a maico, as far as parts are concerned! Blow a gear on that bad boy, 500 bucks for a custom gear, no wait, you have to mate it with another new gear! I have not checked parts for the 400 yet, the 250 sure had a bunch! The looking at it in my garage never did much for me, now taking it for a ride?

 

[Uchytil]

My friend loves his RM and YZ. He has a 77 RM370 (moto-x Fox) and a 79 YZ250. He races both. They are pretty reliable no doubt. I guess it just comes down to what you want and nothing else really. Every bike has it's followers and I'm pretty sure they usually back thier brand. If I had the money I'd take a phantom in pristine shape and then my loyalty would shift, ha!

 

[TRexRacing]

By a 80 YZ465 and don't worry about parts.I have yet to have a part I could not find.Many parts are still available OEM.Haven't been tossed over the bars either.Old suspension can be tuned too.

 

[whenfoxforks-ruled]

So yz's and rm's are still good for a lot of oem parts. I think he had both the 370 and 465. Get a 250 and hop it up, or the 370 and try hanging on? My wallet says the 370 would be the ticket. That 465 would be pretty mean. I would have to get AJ's patented "double kick" down pat for starting! It sure seems the kaws are hard to get parts and bikes?

 

[TRexRacing]

As long as the right hand is connected to the brain you'll be OK with the YZ.Jetted right mine pulls form idle.

 

[_JOE_]

So yz's and rm's are still good for a lot of oem parts. I think he had both the 370 and 465. Get a 250 and hop it up, or the 370 and try hanging on? My wallet says the 370 would be the ticket. That 465 would be pretty mean. I would have to get AJ's patented "double kick" down pat for starting! It sure seems the kaws are hard to get parts and bikes?

A freind of mine had a CR500 when we were about 14 or 15. Not a single one of us was over 135 lbs. :whoa: It took a very precise procedure to avoid being ejected. A couple guys sprained thier ankles. Once we got it started it was like watching a rodeo. :yikes: :rotfl: Way too much power for anyone novice under 200lbs.

The 370 sounds like it could be fun! :cool:

 

[whenfoxforks-ruled]

Some of my most horrid races was on a 93 or 94 cr500. The worst bike to start. AJ can actually kicks it twice before the kickstarter reaches bottom.

 

[Uchytil]

Well?

What did your pocket full of Jacksons get you?

 

[pryor]

How about a CZ400, you don't have to worry about parts if you cant break it.

 

[J-man]

My neighbor had one of those 370's. Man that bike was so much fun.

 

[_JOE_]

I love the silencer on that 370. Why even bother? :think:

 

[whenfoxforks-ruled]

I am going Sunday. He has two of them 370's. I have never rode a CZ, I know parts is a joke. And I know old euro dirt bikes are a joke for parts just falling off while in use, loctite nothing, drill and wire it! Believe it or not, that little silencer on that 370 makes a world of difference, off bottom!

 

[_JOE_]

I'm pretty sure the one on my old 125 was bigger!?? :whoa:

 

[_JOE_]

And it was nasty loud.

 

[whenfoxforks-ruled]

That pic of the 370, the 125 from the same year, should be the same size. They were not rebuildable? I think I could fix that. Sunday morning it is. The Hodaka and Husky are gone(saturday anyways) But, I will get a video of this collection, with owner approval.

 

[pryor]

Old euro bikes are a joke? I have and have had way to many early mx and yz yamahas that I love, my CZ is way more dependable and cheaper to fix then my yamahas.

 

[whenfoxforks-ruled]

You have availability of transmission gears? How about cranks? Seriously, the CZ's were an awesome machine for its time. If I had my way, I would have one to look at in my naked room. And, how did the 80 CZ's handle? 74, they were probably the best cornering bike.