just restored my old race bike, 1978 honda cr250 with all the day 2 mod's. had alot of fun riding. from jumping the dunes at pismo to riding the quicksilver at clearcreek...
old dirt bike memories
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I started on a Taco 22 & then a Taco 44 mini-bikes
hand me downs from an older cousin Joe, when he outgrew stuff
my stepdad did a bunch of stuff for him, he'd give stuff to me for helping
I had a 77 Yamaha 400-IT, which was a really fun bike
torquey sob for a 2 stroke single lunger
later traded it for a 78 W-200 Power Wagon from a buddy
I was a Kawi kid at heart & had a couple Hodoka's too
my 1st real motorcycle was a 68 (?) Yamaha 80
not mine just for reference
Hodaka Ace 100 1968
stock photo
Hodaka Wambat 125 1972-ish
stock photo
had a similar Hodaka Combat Wombat
for a time I had a Honda 125 Enduro
that was highly modified, it had a single "750-4" sleeved cylinder/piston
I traded my 68 Hodaka 100 Ace for it, when I was in HS
mid 70's, it was like 187cc with way way too much compression,
damn near broke my leg kicking it over
usually had to push start it, but was quick once you got it started
KTM 450 later when I went to Alaska mid 80's
KX 450, KX 250 couple of each
had a CZ & CanAm, a Bultaco 360 (IIRC) & Husquvarna for a time too
had a lot of 2 strokes, never had any very long
some I'd buy & ride for a while & just move on to something different
sell or trade for a while with one of my riding buddies
last wasn't a bike it was Quad 95 Yamaha 350cc Banshee
sort of like this one below (not mine) with a bigger 5+ gal. fuel tank
2-1 stainless expansion pipe & 2-1 carb set up a different reed valve
larger tires, (IIRC) 21"x12"x10" chevron mudders on back, different sprockets etc.
so it could be trail ridden easier, did the Utah ATV Jamberee Piute trail 600miles
on it in late 90's
I got tired of washing out the front end on bikes or being on the damn ground
4 wheels was fun, a lot less time spent on the ground too, it was fast as hell too
hand me downs from an older cousin Joe, when he outgrew stuff
my stepdad did a bunch of stuff for him, he'd give stuff to me for helping
I had a 77 Yamaha 400-IT, which was a really fun bike
torquey sob for a 2 stroke single lunger
later traded it for a 78 W-200 Power Wagon from a buddy
I was a Kawi kid at heart & had a couple Hodoka's too
my 1st real motorcycle was a 68 (?) Yamaha 80
not mine just for reference
Hodaka Ace 100 1968
stock photo
Hodaka Wambat 125 1972-ish
stock photo
had a similar Hodaka Combat Wombat
for a time I had a Honda 125 Enduro
that was highly modified, it had a single "750-4" sleeved cylinder/piston
I traded my 68 Hodaka 100 Ace for it, when I was in HS
mid 70's, it was like 187cc with way way too much compression,
damn near broke my leg kicking it over
usually had to push start it, but was quick once you got it started
KTM 450 later when I went to Alaska mid 80's
KX 450, KX 250 couple of each
had a CZ & CanAm, a Bultaco 360 (IIRC) & Husquvarna for a time too
had a lot of 2 strokes, never had any very long
some I'd buy & ride for a while & just move on to something different
sell or trade for a while with one of my riding buddies
last wasn't a bike it was Quad 95 Yamaha 350cc Banshee
sort of like this one below (not mine) with a bigger 5+ gal. fuel tank
2-1 stainless expansion pipe & 2-1 carb set up a different reed valve
larger tires, (IIRC) 21"x12"x10" chevron mudders on back, different sprockets etc.
so it could be trail ridden easier, did the Utah ATV Jamberee Piute trail 600miles
on it in late 90's
I got tired of washing out the front end on bikes or being on the damn ground
4 wheels was fun, a lot less time spent on the ground too, it was fast as hell too
Last edited:
You got some good mods on that bike
DT 250 wheelie, grandson, my YZ250
vintage chromoly
Well-Known Member
Circa 1985. Ashtabula Ohio.
1979 RM100
1979 RM100
right you are, been a lot of years ago. Good bike, ended up with magneto with lights, and licensed it.
There's nothing like the sound of a screaming 2 stroke motocross bike!!
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my Maico sounded like a giant chainsaw ....... most of the time, the baffle was snapped off, lol
guy gadbois
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My first one - 71 Suzuki TS125 Duster
This is after a couple of years of modifications - looks like I did when I sold it. Which... I shouldnt have, but needed the money for my first car.
Bike started out stone stock - with a luggage rack even...ugh - purchased from the original owner who had kept it at his lake cabin. First time he fell and scraped a knee, he sold the whole shootin match - bike, helmet and factory shop manual. $325, January of 73. Over the next almost 3 years and a few million miles, I worked on it and modified a few things; did some cylinder porting, tried various expansion chambers [this was a Hooker up pipe] different gearing, laced up real Borrani wheels - 21 and 18 and had no idea Borranis were that big of a deal then - Preston Petty fender and bash plate with the up pipe, K&N [natch], replaced broken parts, and tried different tyres - usually very lightly used Trelleborgs rescued from the trash of a guy down the road who put them on his Husqvarna and changed them every few weekends thinking it had to be the bike or components fault as to why he was so slow, but these are the Barum 6 Days I saved for - Konis which were a Christmas present the year before and handlebars. The ones in the photo are/were my faves - InterAm solid aluminums in "Husky Bend"; anyone else remember those?
This is after a couple of years of modifications - looks like I did when I sold it. Which... I shouldnt have, but needed the money for my first car.
Bike started out stone stock - with a luggage rack even...ugh - purchased from the original owner who had kept it at his lake cabin. First time he fell and scraped a knee, he sold the whole shootin match - bike, helmet and factory shop manual. $325, January of 73. Over the next almost 3 years and a few million miles, I worked on it and modified a few things; did some cylinder porting, tried various expansion chambers [this was a Hooker up pipe] different gearing, laced up real Borrani wheels - 21 and 18 and had no idea Borranis were that big of a deal then - Preston Petty fender and bash plate with the up pipe, K&N [natch], replaced broken parts, and tried different tyres - usually very lightly used Trelleborgs rescued from the trash of a guy down the road who put them on his Husqvarna and changed them every few weekends thinking it had to be the bike or components fault as to why he was so slow, but these are the Barum 6 Days I saved for - Konis which were a Christmas present the year before and handlebars. The ones in the photo are/were my faves - InterAm solid aluminums in "Husky Bend"; anyone else remember those?
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snakeyes
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my favorite the Bul looks like a Pursang
440 Charger
Well-Known Member
The Maico ruled the KTM was same. First maico 490 1974 bored and ported who knew back in the day it was normal ****.when and where I grew up, every kid had a serious dirt bike........I'm talking mid to late 70's........ I remember the Honda CR's and Yamaha YZ's were new to the scene...... the Suzuki RM's and Kawasaki KX's were barely established but coming on hard........ Euro bikes were the thing, I had a friend with a Bultaco and another friend with a Husqvarna....... there was a family who raced Ossa's......
now guys collect/restore old dirtbikes ......... who knew? ...... we used to beat 'em to death at the local gravel pits......... learned alot about wrenching and tools ...... way cooler than video games imo
I worked snack bar at a skating rink and saved enough to buy a used 76 Maico 250, must have been in 1979..... I was 14......... bike was way too big for me but I grew into it, lucky I didn't get seriously hurt..... it was a bad mo-fo......... this pic i found on google is pretty much exact (other than being clean), I know I have a pic of the actual bike in a box somewhere ......
I know I'm not the only one :headbang:
440 Charger
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Any get to ride the 760 prototype Maico?
BrianS
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We used to just go out to the strip mines and ride the heck out of our bikes, the blue TT500 was my second bike and then from there I graduated to a KTM MX250. I forgot I was ever that skinny and had that much hair! lol
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well, this was a mind blower......... the other night i was taking apart my snap-on tool box that i've owned since the late 80's. the drawers were getting hard to open so i took them out to clean/lubricate them........ laying in the bottom of the box was the picture i was referring to, not sure how long its been there...... i know i used to keep the top drawer of the bottom box for personal items and photos, guess it got caught up in the back of the drawer and fell behind.
anyway, this was my bike..... check out the size of the rear sprocket.... kinda like a 4.88 gear! ....... this bike climbed hills like no other!
@VANDAN ...... very nice to meet you at the tent, and talk a little "dirtbike"..... This is the thread I was telling you about
That there is Mr. Hanna
#2 on the Yamaha was "Hurricane Hannah", if my memory serves me right...
Thanks for locating this, I'll take my time paging through, and enjoy it ! I wish I had the pics of all my bikes, they may turn up someday. Was great meeting you, and all the other members around the Tent over the weekend too. Looking forward to the years ahead at the Show !@VANDAN ...... very nice to meet you at the tent, and talk a little "dirtbike"..... This is the thread I was telling you about
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kid 4 houses down has a dirtbike and been tearing up the neighborhood.......Karen next door says she's gonna call the cops..... I convinced her not to, next time out I'm gonna make me a new friend
440 PHIXX
The Island of Misfit Mopars
I had a Honda Z50A when I was 11. I bought it for $185, and sold it a year later for $195. I thought I did good. I just saw one sell on BAT for $9k a few days ago.Then I got a Suzuki TS250. It was a dual purpose bike. It sucked in the dirt, and it sucked on the street. I bought and sold it for $500. They sell for around $5k now. That was back in the late 70’s to early 80’s. They didn’t all of the sudden get any better.
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