Most popular pre 85 and evo bikes

[maicoman18]

Bit of a quick add up from Nationals stat's

No huskys?

Ed

[bishboy]

Couple of questions regarding performance of some pre 85 open class bikes:

CR480 vs CR500 - are they similar enough not to make a difference, except for the front disc

KX420 - is it hopelessly outclassed by all the other bikes in the class, just wondering as a good one is about half the price of a KX500!!

The KTM420 above is a great looking bike, does it have a smaller tank than standard on it as it just looks a "thinner" than others I have seen?  How difficult are parts to find for these models as it would be a great alternative to a YZ or RM 

[Slakewell]

Couple of questions regarding performance of some pre 85 open class bikes:

The KTM420 above is a great looking bike, does it have a smaller tank than standard on it as it just looks a "thinner" than others I have seen?  How difficult are parts to find for these models as it would be a great alternative to a YZ or RM 

The Kato in the pic has the small 9 liter tank which are not common and mostly need sourcing from the USA, Most bikes that came to Aus had the 11.5 liter tank. The rest of the bikes and parts are out there, not that hard to find.

[KTM White Pointer]

Do I need to say anything...................




Oh I did forget to say these held the land speed record for dirt bikes till 2008..........

[Slakewell]

Whilst the great white 495 is in fact really fast as a pure race bike cutting lap times it's not a weapon of choice. A good 420 or even 390 would be a better MX race bike.

[firko]

Whilst the great white 495 is in fact really fast as a pure race bike cutting lap times it's not a weapon of choice. A good 420 or even 390 would be a better MX race bike.

You could probably say the same thing about Maicos too. We all know how awesome the 490 is but to be brutally honest, most of us average riders would probably be much more comfortable (and therefore faster for longer) on a 400 or 440. Riding these big momma's to their full potential takes a lot more skill and fitness than most vintage racers posess.

[Stevo17]

Up until a couple of years ago I raced an RM250Z with an 85 disc brake front end. It would have to be the fastest best handling pre-85 bike I have ridden. It would turn on dime and if you were fit enough to hang onto it then you could cut seriously fast lap times. Now I race an 84 KX250 which is good, but not as good as that RM.

I have had Maico 490's but I really like riding the 81/82 Husky 430. Basically an over powered 250, they are such a sweet ride.

[John Orchard]

Yeh I won a lot of races back in the day on an RM250Z, got me out of C grade; killer engine, awesome suspension.

[VMX247]

Good to see someone (one) is giving KTM's a wrap.
490 Maico's are not only reliable but best in the class.

This is also reflected in the 2011 Nationals Results in Evo and pre85 with the Maico results,placing in the top 5 bikes and taking a few podiums home with a couple of fast riders aboard.

I've also just finished reading an article in ADB October 2002 "How far have we come in 20years" with the 81 Maico Mega 2 and a 2003 KTM 525SX pit against each other, with a young Geoff Ballard,Roy Gay and a younger Jay Marmont..  A great read !!
The final paragraph states:If the Maico was fitted with the KTM forks and brakes plus a fresh set of Ohlins or WP shocks,it might just stick it to a lot of hot Open class contenders..Now wouldnt that be a buzz.
cheers A
 

[Marc.com]

The final paragraph states:If the Maico was fitted with the KTM forks and brakes plus a fresh set of Ohlins or WP shocks,it might just stick it to a lot of hot Open class contenders..

Yeah might not too..... sorry to say it but the current generation of open class 4 strokes have an ability to get their power to the ground in a far more accessable way than the 2 strokes did.... so I am not buying it.

[firko]

I wrote that piece and even though Roy Gays Maico was rooted it was pretty close in the drag race...even to the point that the Maico won a couple of drags. As far as everything else, there's really no comparison. Funnily enough the younger riders loved the instant hit the Maico gave but were freaked out by the brakes.

[VMX247]

The final paragraph states:If the Maico was fitted with the KTM forks and brakes plus a fresh set of Ohlins or WP shocks,it might just stick it to a lot of hot Open class contenders..

Yeah might not too..... sorry to say it but the current generation of open class 4 strokes have an ability to get their power to the ground in a far more accessable way than the 2 strokes did.... so I am not buying it.

ahh come on FX !! we wasn't debaiting the 2 & 4 stroke    Just how good the Maico has been for so long 
cheers A

[Stevo17]

Roy Gays bike in that mag was my old bike. Believe it or not it was a 400GS when I sold it to him. Check the sub frame in the pics. It was quick as a 400 but had the ugliest brakes I have ever used.

[Shaun G]

From memory Roy had two bikes there for that test. Not too sure which was which in respect of pedigree. Maybe Firko can elaborate?
Cheers
Shaun

[Stevo17]

Yes I have the mag. He had another on display with the #1 plate.  Here is the other bike before I sold it to him. This was my first ever resto.