Don’t worry Nathan, they also chopped the heads from those that first said the world was round.
It seems okay to discuss stinkin politics and football on this forum so I don’t see the big deal in discussing this issue.
I’ve been going to start a similar thread as I’ve seen it mentioned a few times that people think that one day pre 95 may come in, just haven’t had the time to write something up properly.
Lets see who’s first to take me out of context.
The classes we have are technology based despite being labeled by years.
Pre 75 is aimed at bikes that have 7” & 4” travel as well as being pre75.
Pre 78 is aimed at the first long travel bikes, which were determined to be anything lees than 9”. Right or wrong this was the line in the sand.
Evo, well we’ve been over this a million times.
Pre 85 was the fist batch of linkage suspension
And Pre 90 (yes there is life outside of NSW, this class has been around many years in Vic.) is the first era of “moderns”
Most of the bikes in these classes can be determined easily from one class to the next by the advancement of their technology.
But once we get into the nineties its hard to follow their evolution.
Just choosing a date in the middle of a decade is a neat way to do it, but pre 80 didn’t work and the line was moved back to pre 78 in order to group similar bikes together.
So if there is ever to be a class to follow on after pre 90, where would you draw the line?
What technology defines 90 & 00 models from each other. Having never owned a 90’s model I’m not real familiar with them.
# Perimeter frames came in, Kawasaki started it and most (all?) alloy frames are of the perimeter design. While it made some engineering sense it hardly set the world on fire, and to this day some brands haven’t adopted it (Husky & KTM for starters.
# Alloy frames are another advancement. Except there more about production simplicity than any real advantage. Remember when McGrath refused to use them for a few years. And again not all manufactures have gone this way.
# Countershaft sprocket in line with the swingarm. A BMW thing only
# Backwards motor. Connondale & Yamaha. Just another way to do things.
# Forward motor. Husaberg only so far. Supposed to be better handling but it won’t turn a dork into a champion.
# Four stroke. This is the only real change that I can see, A capacity advantage saw them creep in so we can save the planet from fumes (yeah right)
Love them or hate them I see them as the only real change.
Pre 95 you say? But how many flow on models would fit into that class?
It would be a true scrutineers nightmare.
I reckon if ever there was a class to come after Pre90 it would be 2 stroke based.
The only dilemma then will be 91 models would be considered junk and most would chase after the later models.
I think you would find that there are many that remember the 2 stroke days with fondness the same way many here remember the first YZ’s or RM’s etc.
I just repaired an exhaust for a 98 KX 125. The youngish owner had just finished restoring it. Yes I can hear you all scoffing, but to him it represents his good years and it was easy to restore. While it’s quite a modern bike I can’t help but look at it and think of the days when these bikes ruled and I find it quite appealing. Wouldn’t mind one for a practice bike actually.
