OzVMX Forum
Clubroom => Bike Talk => Topic started by: Pre85MXWA on October 24, 2013, 11:00:01 pm
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Earlier this year Jimmy Ellis mentioned that he knew where his 1978 Team Honda RC250 was but getting it across from the States was looking to be a mission.
(http://i.ebayimg.com/00/s/MTI3OVgxNjAw/z/ApsAAMXQGQRR7yVi/$(KGrHqV,!lcFHt,)M11tBR7yViEmQg~~60_57.JPG)
The Pre85MXWA Club got behind Jimmy and the rest is now history! The RC has made the epic trip from Jimmy's hometown of Cobalt, Connecticut and touched down last night in Bunbury, Western Australia. Thanks to Pre85MXWA Club members and Jimmy's current sponsor Busselton Motorcycles for sorting the final leg of the journery.
We're all looking forward to seeing Jimmy and the RC on the track in 2014.
(https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-frc1/1002472_254493364698360_1464205375_n.jpg)
(https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/1235305_254498838031146_630013947_n.jpg)
(http://)
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Jimmy seems pretty happy. The bike looks fairly well preserved.
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If that's Jimmy's RC then Team Honda weren't using anything special in the 250 class in 78. Externally it appears to be off the production line, but internally could be a different story.
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This is a pretty cool story,,,,I cant help wondering from time to time what happened to some of my old favorites??
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can any one see any non stock parts on the bike?
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Pre85MXWA please ask the man himself what is different.
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In 1978 Honda and Yamaha were having their Factory riders race "Showroom" bikes in Supercross events. Although they looked near stock I think you can bet the materials used to construct them were not. I bet words like high quality chromoly, magnesium and titanium were on the build sheets back at the factory. There was too much at stake for sales to the everyday Joe racers. JMHO
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Is that the one that made the CYCLE front cover, the first & last 'claiming rule' bike? Trying to remember back to the article, had exotic clutch basket and stuff inside?
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The bike that was claimed was Marty Tripes 79 RC250, quite a bit different to this one with a double cradle frame and centre port cylinder engine.
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can any one see any non stock parts on the bike?
None, apart from the fox shocks and chain rash guard.
pre85MXWA, what an awesome story. It seems you guys are working just as hard to promote pre85 as your fellow westies do with pre75. When I was over there in 2010 you guys were still struggling a bit but were all up for promotion at the 15th anniversary. Great to read a lot has progressed in 3 short years. The evolution guys are going to have their hands full now with Jimmy on the scene!
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The '78 was a strong runner, but the word FLEX (forks and swingarm) I think would be the limiting factor to have Factory talent racing them against other riders of equal talent.
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It'd be a travesty to restore such a complete and historic bike. The sensible thing to do would be to restore it to perfect running order and clean and polish everything as best as can be done, making sure its well earned patina is preserved. The bike does look amazingly stock but T-Reds assumptions that it might be made from more exotic materials might be right. Jimmy's looking pretty good for 58 years old too.....Good work Pre85MXWA Club.
(http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k495/firko2/firko2009/JimmyEllis03_l_zps8f2589e7.jpg) (http://s1112.photobucket.com/user/firko2/media/firko2009/JimmyEllis03_l_zps8f2589e7.jpg.html)
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Great patina! i bet every mark on it has a story ;)
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We need more pictures! ;D Does it have and ID tag? Jimmy's bike is listed on the 3rd page of this 1978 article.
(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g438/Tahtitian_Red/CR250R_SetupSecrets0_zps46271271.jpg)
(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g438/Tahtitian_Red/CR250R_SetupSecrets1_zpsd7136d2c.jpg)
(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g438/Tahtitian_Red/CR250R_SetupSecrets2_zps38cd5de0.jpg)
(http://i1101.photobucket.com/albums/g438/Tahtitian_Red/CR250R_SetupSecrets3_zpsbe996eda.jpg)
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Interesting article, it's good to read the different setups and preferences between the riders. From memory Ellis was a real contender for the Supercross title that year but missed out to Bob Hannah.
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Thanks for posting up the story on the RC/CR's. It made for very interesting reading. Amazing how similar the production and works bikes were. Racing for an extra titanium part induced a good chuckle.... some great tips from the mechanics as well
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Can always remember Jimmys nickname being Captain Cobalt in the mid 80s and wondered why they named him that.
Reading the first message explains it all.
His hometown is Cobalt, Connecticut which explains it all :)
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Cool story and what a great club :)
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Thanks to all for the positive responses and the information so far. Please keep it coming. The Pre85MXWA Club is very keen to help Jimmy get the RC ready for 2014! We're pretty sure even Jimmy was surprised how stock it looks. 35 years is a long time between rides...
(https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn2/1377082_254817834665913_999660728_n.jpg)
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Cool story and what a great club
Maybe its the isolation that creates a strong club spirit, who knows, but I like the way the West Aussie clubs operate. The Vintage Motocross Club of WA has a long history of importing riders like Jeff Smith, Jimmy Aird and many more for their big events, they enthusiastically travel all over the land to attend the Nats and have a solid purely pre 75 constitution that seems to be getting stronger. Now we have the Pre85MXWA bringing in Jimmy's old race Honda. With all of the shit fighting and arguments over direction clubs seem to be enduring on this side of the island, the Sandgropers seem to have found the magic spirit. Good on 'em.
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Great historic bike! Looks very similar to the production one.Will join Jimmy on the track at Pre85 with a 79 CR 250RZ with Fox Shox alloy swingarm etc.....My version of a factory bike.:-)
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Cool story and what a great club
Maybe its the isolation that creates a strong club spirit, who knows, but I like the way the West Aussie clubs operate. The Vintage Motocross Club of WA has a long history of importing riders like Jeff Smith, Jimmy Aird and many more for their big events, they enthusiastically travel all over the land to attend the Nats and have a solid purely pre 75 constitution that seems to be getting stronger. Now we have the Pre85MXWA bringing in Jimmy's old race Honda. With all of the shit fighting and arguments over direction clubs seem to be enduring on this side of the island, the Sandgropers seem to have found the magic spirit. Good on 'em.
Cool story and what a great club
Maybe its the isolation that creates a strong club spirit, who knows, but I like the way the West Aussie clubs operate. The Vintage Motocross Club of WA has a long history of importing riders like Jeff Smith, Jimmy Aird and many more for their big events, they enthusiastically travel all over the land to attend the Nats and have a solid purely pre 75 constitution that seems to be getting stronger. Now we have the Pre85MXWA bringing in Jimmy's old race Honda. With all of the shit fighting and arguments over direction clubs seem to be enduring on this side of the island, the Sandgropers seem to have found the magic spirit. Good on 'em.
I couldn't agree more Firko, I like how they embrace motocross history and promote the earlier classes not in a hurry to include new classes.
The way things are moving here a vintage meeting will soon look like a gathering of old modern bikes..
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Look at the 4th picture down this webpage.
http://www.classicmotocrossimages.com/photo_album9.1.html
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Look at the 4th picture down this webpage.
http://www.classicmotocrossimages.com/photo_album9.1.html
Cool.... Now that particular looks more like an RC. It has what looks to be different fork legs, a different front hub and the factory RC alloy swing arm. Somehow the barrel looks different as well.
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You just posted what I was about to post TBM, it has the 39mm factory forks and alloy swingarm compared to the bike Jimmy is pictured with.
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The bike Ellis is pictured with also appears to have been ridden a lot since Jim raced it and has been plastered with stickers. Factory Hondas were kept looking brand new from race to race.
Also maybe he went back to using production forks and swingarm as some of the other team riders did?
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You just posted what I was about to post TBM, it has the 39mm factory forks and alloy swingarm compared to the bike Jimmy is pictured with.
Yeah it's totally different to the bike Jimmy is pictured with. Maybe someone along the way took all the factory parts off of it... I'd love to know where the forks are for my RC replica.....
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I'd love to know where the forks are for my RC replica.....
Wouldn't we all! I know where there is a set but the owner won't part with them..
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Look at the 4th picture down this webpage.
http://www.classicmotocrossimages.com/photo_album9.1.html
This pic would be of the bike in outdoor trim with the works fork & swingarm,according to the set up article some of the riders ran the stock parts for the indoors, I wonder if the swingarm was changed for quicker steering for SX, as I think, like the aftermarket arms of the day the RC ones were about 2 inches longer than stock,The tire preferences were interesting too with most going for a Metz on the steer & a Dunlop out back, Jims bike in the current pics has the cutout front plate like the Wise bike from BITD,not quite as neat a job though ;)
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(http://i1266.photobucket.com/albums/jj529/smed45/supercross120_zpsb1db3272.jpg) (http://s1266.photobucket.com/user/smed45/media/supercross120_zpsb1db3272.jpg.html)
The bike looks pretty much the same in this pic :), There must have been lots of way different spec bikes that year :)
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(http://i1266.photobucket.com/albums/jj529/smed45/supercross120_zpsb1db3272.jpg) (http://s1266.photobucket.com/user/smed45/media/supercross120_zpsb1db3272.jpg.html)
The bike looks pretty much the same in this pic :), There must have been lots of way different spec bikes that year :)
No doubt the factory was trying all sorts of combinations of components during development. come to think of it, they still do today....