Pic's, factory RM's only

[John Orchard]

http://www.leguidevert.com/_V6/viewtopic.php?id=159226&p=1

[suzuki27]

Some sweet bikes in that lot John.

[John Orchard]

Thought you Suzaholics would get a kick out of them like I did  :-)

How's those fins going around the frame downtube on Lackey's bike!  Blew my mind when I saw that.

[VMX247]

Yep Kawasaki first with production linkage suspension 1980, Lackey had Uni track on his works bike in 79.
Difference was Suzukis worked   
Those KDX 175s were ferkin horny , we had highly modified DT 175s and PE 175s, a rich kid up the block dad bought him a KDX 175. The Pommy models had Aluminium tanks that looked very factory  that KDX made our bikes look very dated .
I think Docs question was who Invented the linkage suspension system not who realeased it first.
Its well documented that Mr Tilkens invented the monoshock ( however HRD vincent had a simillar system on road bikes way earlier )and that Roger de Coster tried to get Suzuki to buy the patents in 72, as history shows Suzuki passed it up and Yamaha and mr Anderson took it and Joels title with it 
However who invented the linkage system ?
Does anyone remember Roger running the Ribi forks on his RN 400 in the 79 GPs , apparantly didn,t go down well in Hamamatsu any more than Lackey running Simons forks on his championship winning RN 500 in 82 

Great link John Orchard..
Probably a hijack..but these forks still intreage me and that you dont see them anymore..

[Marc.com]

Is that a sand cast works stand holding up Brads bike ....

[JohnnyO]

Yep Kawasaki first with production linkage suspension 1980, Lackey had Uni track on his works bike in 79.
Difference was Suzukis worked   
Those KDX 175s were ferkin horny , we had highly modified DT 175s and PE 175s, a rich kid up the block dad bought him a KDX 175. The Pommy models had Aluminium tanks that looked very factory  that KDX made our bikes look very dated .
I think Docs question was who Invented the linkage suspension system not who realeased it first.
Its well documented that Mr Tilkens invented the monoshock ( however HRD vincent had a simillar system on road bikes way earlier )and that Roger de Coster tried to get Suzuki to buy the patents in 72, as history shows Suzuki passed it up and Yamaha and mr Anderson took it and Joels title with it 
However who invented the linkage system ?
Does anyone remember Roger running the Ribi forks on his RN 400 in the 79 GPs , apparantly didn,t go down well in Hamamatsu any more than Lackey running Simons forks on his championship winning RN 500 in 82 

Great link John Orchard..
Probably a hijack..but these forks still intreage me and that you dont see them anymore..

Those Ribi forks were an experimental front end on DeCosters bike and never made it into production.

[suzuki27]

Well spotted Marc- and drilled for weight saving!
Makes me wonder what that lump of concrete is doing there. Did the mechanic forget his proper stand and some punter offered this as a temp' loan. I can just picture those sexy simons legs grating on the concrete as it falls down.

[suzuki27]

The Ribi front must of been OK. I have pics of the Man running them in GP"s in 1978. The bikes in these pics are later- probably 79-80 by the look of the tanks. Be interesting to know how they felt. From memory I think they rode higher and dived less under braking.

[JohnnyO]

The Ribi front must of been OK. I have pics of the Man running them in GP"s in 1978. The bikes in these pics are later- probably 79-80 by the look of the tanks. Be interesting to know how they felt. From memory I think they rode higher and dived less under braking.

I think he used them in '79 on Suzuki and '80 on Honda.. the pic here is from '79

[Trav Man]

Is that a sand cast works stand holding up Brads bike ....

I havn't seen USD forks with drum brakes before 

[JohnnyO]

Is that a sand cast works stand holding up Brads bike ....

I havn't seen USD forks with drum brakes before 

You weren't following the GP's in '82 then..

[Brian Watson]

And the photo of the Ribi's is back to front..!!!

[Marc.com]

Well spotted Marc- and drilled for weight saving!
Makes me wonder what that lump of concrete is doing there. Did the mechanic forget his proper stand and some punter offered this as a temp' loan. I can just picture those sexy simons legs grating on the concrete as it falls down.

Er yes or the Alloy RN500 tank with a $5 breeze block stonked through the side, smashed mag front hub yikes, trashed UDX 60s. But bit of a laugh, any C grade  club MX racer these days has an tent awning off the back of his RV/toy hauler with alloy hydraulic lift work stand, water blaster, snap on tools and mechanic.

Heres the world champs factory bike in 82 propped on a chunk of concrete knocked out of the pit wall.

[VMX247]

The Ribi front must of been OK. I have pics of the Man running them in GP"s in 1978. Be interesting to know how they felt. From memory I think they rode higher and dived less under braking.

Anyone got a spare set 
http://www.allthingsmoto.com/forums/f-114/quiz-28005/
http://www.dirtbikeworld.net/forum/showthread.php?t=74017&page=3

quote:Decoster definately used the Ribi front end on his RN Suzuki when he was runner up to Gerrit Wolsink at the Carlsbad USGP in 1979.

http://au.video.yahoo.com/watch/4344494/11666245

http://au.video.yahoo.com/watch/4344755/11666921

[asasin]

I asked "the man" when he was out here a few years ago about the link frunt, he said they were better everywhere but would somtimes bend of the big jumps so they stopped using them.