CLASSIC MOTOCROSS IRON: 1971 HODAKA 100 SUPER RAT
Hodaka made the engines for Yamaguchi and Pabatco was the American Yamaguchi distributor. When Yamaguchi went out of business, Hodaka and Pabatco agreed to join forces to avoid going out of business
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Vintage MX Bikes
Motocross Action brings to you their over 40 years of history testing and riding dirt bikes. This column is all about nostalgic motocross bike over the years. Many of the dirt bikes you will find are from the late Tom White’s Early Years of Motocross Museum. You will find everything from Harley Davidson to Hodaka to Bultaco dirt bikes from the glory years of motocross.
CLASSIC MOTOCROSS IRON: 1974 OSSA 250 PHANTOM
Killed by Generalissimo Franco, Spain’s economy, worker strikes and the changing times
CLASSIC MOTOCROSS IRON: 1968 YAMAHA 250 DT1
In 1968, Baby Boomers found a cheap entry into the sport and in the long run the DT1 made the dirt bikes accessible to the masses
WHEN GIANTS ROAMED THE EARTH & IRON MEN RODE THEM
This a compelling story about the history of first works bike—you should read it even though it contains words
CLASSIC MOTOCROSS IRON: 1975 CZ 250 FALTA REPLICA
At a suggested retail of $1490, the Falta buyer got the classic aluminum coffin-style gas tank, center-port exhaust engine, magnesium hubs, lipless alloy rims and a single-downtube red frame
CLASSIC MOTOCROSS IRON: 1968 MAICO MC125 MOTOCROSS:
The rotary-valve Maico MC125 was based on the MD125 road racer, but was the victim of bad timing and high pricing
CLASSIC MOTOCROSS IRON: 1960 HUSQVARNA 175 SILVERPILEN
The Silverpilen was the Swedish version of the Hodaka Ace 100—both were the bikes that spawned a generation of Grand Prix and AMA National stars
CLASSIC MOTOCROSS IRON: 1962 PARILLA 250 WILDCAT SCRAMBLER
Racing the Parilla 250 Wildcat Scramblers against the smaller Cubs was like stealing candy from a baby
CLASSIC MOTOCROSS IRON: 1969 HUSQVARNA 250 CROSS
In 1969, demand for Husqvarna motocross bikes in America would actually exceed the Swedish factory's ability to produce them.
CLASSIC MOTOCROSS IRON: 1976 YAMAHA TT500 FOUR-STROKE
Since Japan had a “tiered” driver’s license program that limited younger riders to 400cc, Yamaha chose 400cc for the Japanese domestic models and 500cc for the American market
CLASSIC MOTOCROSS IRON: 1966 MATCHLESS 500 G85CS
Less than 150 were produced, and Vic Eastwood, Chris Horsfield and Dave Nicol raced them. Sadly, G85C was the last Matchless motocross bike
CLASSIC MOTOCROSS IRON: 1973 KAWASAKI KX450 TWO-STROKE
Brad Lackey was disappointed with Kawasaki’s less-than-enthusiastic support, so he put a Husky tank on his Kawasaki, repaint it black and wrote “Kaw” on it—it became the famous Black Kaw
CLASSIC MOTOCROSS IRON: 1981 HONDA CR250R
Honda went all Star Wars on the cosmetics, plus water-cooled the 1981 CR125 and CR250, introduced the ill-fated CR450 and unveiled the stupidest front number plate in motocross history
CLASSIC MOTOCROSS IRON: 1971 RICKMAN HODAKA WEBCO 125
Webco started with a Rickman nickel-plated Micro-Metisse frame and bodywork to ensure that its 125-kitted engine would be in the best chassis of the day
CLASSIC MOTOCROSS IRON: 1971 YANKEE 500 Z TWIN
Take two Ossa 250 top-ends, graft them on a unified cases, get some help from Smith and Wesson and you get a 500cc Twingle dirt bike
CLASSIC MOTOCROSS IRON: 1971 AMERICAN EAGLE 405 TALON
Brits could buy it as the Sprite 405 Talon. Americans as the American Eagle 405 Talon. Australians as the Alron 405, and Belgians as the BVM 405
CLASSIC MOTOCROSS IRON: 1967 NORTON 750 P11 SCRAMBLER
A Matchless frame, Norton Atlas engine, Bob Blair idea & Mike Patrick talent turn this Frankenstein hybrid into a winning machine—albeit for a very short time
CLASSIC MOTOCROSS IRON: 1973 COOPER 250 ENDURO
Coopers were made by Moto-Islo in Mexico, but morphed into the only brand ever owned by an AMA National Champion
CLASSIC MOTOCROSS IRON: 1985 YAMAHA YZ490 TWO-STROKE
The fact that Broc Glover won the 1985 AMA 500 Championship on this bike was testament to his talent
CLASSIC MOTOCROSS IRON: 1968 HUSQVARNA KAF256A MILITARY 250
The machines were very unique with their spring-loaded and removable skis. When the skis were attached, the soldier would control the bike with his feet in stirrups
CLASSIC MOTOCROSS IRON: 1976 PUCH MC250 TWIN-CARB HARRY EVERTS REPLICA
"I placed my order with the Puch factory and got a message that they were no longer going to be in the motocross business. I should have never returned the test bikes."
CLASSIC MOTOCROSS IRON: 1971 AJS 250 STORMER
In the 1970's, the British motorcycle industry (AJS, Matchless, Norton, BSA and Triumph) were in the Norton-Villiers Group and Norton-Villiers pushed AJS into motocross
CLASSIC MOTOCROSS IRON: 1966 HUSQVARNA 360 VIKING
Husky used its 250cc development program to launch the 1966 Husqvarna 360 Viking. The Open class Husky was based on Torsten Hallman's 250.
CLASSIC MOTOCROSS IRON: 1975 HARLEY-DAVIDSON MX-250
The motocross bike with forks on the front; forks on the back; Harley-Davidson on the tank, Aermacchi engineering and enough borrowed Japanese parts to make the yen go higher
GLORY DAYS: TOM WHITE ON THE REVOLUTIONARY PUCH MC250
Two carbs, magnesium engine and total dominance