Can Am Sonic in PVMX - are they competitive?

[Michael Moore]

I've got an 84ish 560 Sonic that I bought many years ago, and by the time it had been thoroughly gone through by a competition shop and I got it home I found that I 1) didn't want to ride something that fast in the dirt and 2) I couldn't figure out where I'd hang the milk crate on the bike so I could get my foot high enough off the ground to kick-start it out on the track.   

The bike came to me with an early 90s KTM disc front end with USD WP forks (I think damper rod type, not cartridge).  I've got a NOS frame/WP rear damper/swing arm on it, and have the spare original bits too.

I need to get serious about finding a new home for it and I'm wondering if it is worth the effort to round up a different drum-brake/fork to make it legal for PVMX here in the States.  If it can't make the grade for competition I'd just leave the disc front on and offer it as a big air-cooled play bike.

There's no concern about it having plenty of power, as the engine is fresh, it has been ported, custom pipe, big custom carbon/Kevlar airbox, new 40mm Dell'Orto, new Megacycle cam, piston, /rod kit, clutch basket, etc by someone experienced with the Rotax singles.  If something needed fixing, it got fixed.  I only rode it briefly/gently one time so I don't know if the bike would handle well enough for someone to be interested in racing it. 

If it is worth the effort to swap front ends, what (available/affordable) period fork would be good to look for?    I see no need to try and find the original Marzocchi if an RM/YZ/CR etc drum brake and fork would be easier to locate and purchase and also be an improvement.

Here's a couple of photos so you can see what I'm working with:







ETA: the Sonic would race in these AHRMA classes:

Ultima 500:
For certain 325-580cc motorcycles produced within the guidelines of the
Ultima Class specifications. Eligible machines include but are not limited to:
1982-83 Can-Am Sonic with Rotax four-stroke engine
1983-84 Husqvarna 510 four-strokes
1981-83 Honda CR450-480, 1981-82 XR500. 1983 XR500 is prohibited.
1980-81 Kawasaki KX420
1982-84 Maico and/or M-Star, air-cooled drum brake only.
1983-84 Yamaha TT 600 (not XT600). (Note: This is the only model allowed in the class
that is over the displacement limit of 580cc. Typical overbore guidelines still apply to
this model.)

Ultima Four-stroke:
Certain 200cc-580cc four-stroke motorcycles that were produced
with either a single-shock rear suspension or a newer engine technology. Eligible
motorcycles and modifications include:
1983-85 Husqvarna TC , TE, TX 510 four-stroke
1982-84 Can-Am Sonic with Rotax engine
1981-82 Honda XR, 200, 250, 500 with Pro-Link rear suspension (1983 XR 500 is prohibited).
1983 model XR350 with RFVC is allowed. XL350 models are prohibited.
1983-84 Yamaha TT 600 (Note: XT600 is prohibited). This is the only model allowed
that is over 580cc. Maximum overboer +0.080.

The USD WP fork is  eligible for Ultima but I've not looked closely to see how easy it would be to hook up a drum instead of a caliper.   I also don't know if someone would snivel with it still having the caliper mount in place.  I suppose I should check that.   

cheers,
Michael

[firko]

How much are you thinking Michael? I love those Rotax motors. We didn't get a lot of Sonics down here, you occasionally see one but they're largely pretty rare. Dean Rowe races one locally but I suspect he's the only one.

[FireKwaka]

Thaats so Cool, I'd love to race that in the dirt, DT & MX. I would consider buying that if not for the worry and expense of freight.

[Michael Moore]

Beats me, modern prices tend to shock me.    I took a look at the bikes for sale here and at vft.org and saw  some that make me think "if they can ask $3500-6500 for something like THAT maybe I should too".   

This was one of those projects that I didn't get back from a friend's shop (he built my Honda and Laverda vintage RR engines and got me started on frame building) until several years after I bought it, and by then I'd decided that I had enough trouble staying on a pre-74 bike and I didn't need something that went even faster before I fell off.  Not being able to get my foot high enough to kick the thing didn't help.

I want to thin the herd and I'm tired of seeing a pretty cool bike sitting in my storage unused and taking up space, so I'm pretty open to a reasonable offer that doesn't make me think someone is wasting my time.  The bike is here in San Francisco and would have to be picked up here.  If it helps on export paperwork the bike is in non-op status in my name with a California Off-road "green sticky" title so I can provide a clean bill of sale with the CA papers.  But at this time I'd have to borrow a friend's truck if it was to be delivered to a local freight forwarder so consider it to be sold as FOB at my warehouse space.

If someone wanted to PM me or email me I'd be glad to tell them every detail I can recall, and go out and take some more detailed photos and rummage around to see what extra bits are on hand.  Anything that looks remotely related gets added to the pile so it can move to someone else's storage.  I think there are some large OD Marzocchi clamps (maybe the OEM parts), a new Excel rim for the KTM front wheel, etc.

cheers,
Michael

[Slakewell]

I do have most of a 84 KTM front end Forks with wheel and double leading shoe brake. If that helps you.
I converted mine over to Honda disk. 

[Michael Moore]

Thanks, but if I do any swaps I should be able to find something here in the USA (or there won't be a swap).  I'm probably more inclined to sell it as it is instead of stealing time from other projects working on it just to sell it.  Why deprive a new owner of some quality time working on it?   

I didn't intend to have this turn into a "for sale" post in case a moderator feels it should be moved to the For Sale section.  I still am interested in hearing about the bike's competitiveness/handling if anyone has information on that.

cheers,
Michael