What's happened to all the real bikes???

[Captain Bilko]

[img width=800 height=483]

Holds absolutely no interest to me at all. Just a waste of a good frame is all.

I agree with you Firko about not liking these other bikes that are branded as works replicas. Totally mis-leading. It also pisses me off as much though that these so called HL replicas are passes off as HL's (There's a fuggin' ocean of difference!).

[firko]

I can remember Dave Simpson riding that FrankenMonty along with a selection of nicely prepped Montesas early in the century. I photographed the bike for a potential ADB piece but it wasn't accepted because "nobody knows what the original looks like let alone one fitted with a 4 stroke engine". "Find something the punters can identify with"...was the reply from my then sub editor. This and other glimpses of wisdom helped me make my mind up that ADB and I were on different paths, leading to my eventual resignation after 20 years.

[crash n bern]

There is another option.  A lot of Canam Sonics were bought by flattrack racers just for the motor.  So there are quite a few brand new sonics with no motors floating around.  Just wack a TT500 motor in and away you go.

[Canam370]

I was rattling about on the track when Dave was slapping all the Viper boys with that bike. Dave was no slouch but the bike was the goods too. Very nice unit.

[firko]

I half built an XL350 Honda powered Montesa King Scorpion disguised to look like a VR Cappra a few years ago. I abandoned the project when I figured out that the Montesa frame weighed more than the original XL unit and sold it to Slakewell a few years ago......Have you still got it Mick?

[montynut]

I half built an XL350 Honda powered Montesa King Scorpion disguised to look like a VR Cappra a few years ago. I abandoned the project when I figured out that the Montesa frame weighed more than the original XL unit and sold it to Slakewell a few years ago......Have you still got it Mick?

Firko that would have to be like an Anti Special selecting some of the worst items from multiple manufacturers and bolting them together. I hope you put period OEM deltec shocks and forks on it to complete the theme

[JohnnyO]

On the subject of specials i like the look of that XL250 elsinore lookalike in the latest VMX.

[mx250]

On the subject of specials i like the look of that XL250 elsinore lookalike in the latest VMX.

+1

[firko]

On the subject of specials i like the look of that XL250 elsinore lookalike in the latest VMX.

I like it too but in reality it's not really a "special" in the true sense. It's really just a nicely built XL with Elsinore tank and 'guards. I much prefer Edgar Phipps proper CR250 Elsinore fitted with a 480cc XL350 engine. Ed build this back in the early 90's and it was the killer bike in the 4 stroke class during its career. Ed's still got it but these days prefers to ride bikes with a bit less of a tendency to want to kill him.

[firko]

Back on Monty specials for a sec, here's what I had in mind when I was building my Monda/Hontesa...

Or if you want to keep the two stroke theme alive, fit a CZ380 engine and offend both CZ and Monty camps .

[mx250]

Gee the engine is a long way back in the frame. I wonder what that did to the renowned Monty handling . I can't imagine it been a 'good thing'.

I saw another Honda Monty hybrid of that period. I wonder where.......

[mx250]

That's an unusual combination. I would love to ride something like this back to back with their donor bikes just to see how much the character of the motor effects the handling of the bike.
It would be an interesting exercise.

I have a similar, but butchered, Monty H6 frame here. I was eying a DT400 motor with similar thoughts .

[montynut]

it appears that people at least felt the monties handled OK. 

[firko]

Graeme, that's a little SL125 engine in the Monty so I'd imagine it fits in the frame with lots of room all round. On the other hand the CZ motor seems a bit of a squeeze.

[crash n bern]

it appears that people at least felt the monties handled OK. 

Most of the Spanish bikes were all nice handlers.