1st 4 stroke to qualify for a supercross main?

[BAHNZY]

My 501 was a prick to start if you stalled it so I put a hot start button/mechanisum off a 98 YZ400 Kehin carby

My 501 had been updated with a Kehin off a KTM 520SX back in 2001 and cured all the starting and flat spot issues but bought with it a peaky/snappy power curve. It's currently undergoing a resto and will have a NOS Dellorto refitted along with a period correct akropovic exhaust system and thanks to another forum member a set of works 48mm WP units and factory HAAS wheel set.

My 99 somehow got a SPES exhaust with a Dellorto carb with a hot start which I think is one of those White Brothers kits that was popular back then.

On the 98, if it stalls mid race, park it and walk back to the pits unless you have a leg muscle grafted from a race horse.

[JohnnyO]

Did that Smets replica that got stolen a few years ago ever turn up?

Haven't spoken to Darren for a while, but last we spoke he was convinced that it was gone for good in his mind. That particular bike wasn't a replica, it was the real deal, an ex race bike.

Was that the bike Smets raced at Dargle in '97 or the Broadford GP in 2001? I think Graeme Boyd had one of them a while back..

[Davey Crocket]

My 501 has works 48's in it with the bladders.....Johnny...Smets got stolen by KTM in 2000....I think the Smets works bike was bought in...something in the back of my mind remembers you could order the real deal in 98 and 3 came to Aussie....could be wrong. My 98 had the Spes exhaust and tall seat/cover....and your right...stall the farker and its all over.

[BAHNZY]

Was that the bike Smets raced at Dargle in '97 or the Broadford GP in 2001? I think Graeme Boyd had one of them a while back..

I'm not sure what Joel raced at the ThumperNats as I didn't go to any of the interstate rounds other than Albury. At the Aussie GP's, the 2000 version had Smetts on the factory KTM 520SX. (Joel had finished up with the Husaberg team in 1999 finishing 3rd in the championship) The lone Husaberg rider at that GP was Matts Nillson (the current world FIM vets champ) on victorian Malcolm Watson's race plan FC600 with Mats own suspension, Matt was Swedish and was supported by the factory, at the same time was employed by Ohlins as a test rider for their motocross suspension.

In 2001 the Husaberg factory team came out with Jacky Martens as team principal with 3 riders, Matts Nillson, and two other riders (cant remember their names just now) with Smetts on the factory KTM team on board a KTM 540SXS

[JohnnyO]

I'd forgotten Smets was at KTM in 2000 and I was at the Broadford GP!
Pretty sure his '97 Berg stayed in Oz after Dargle and Graeme Boyd got it.

[Davey Crocket]

At the thumper Nats (98 I think), Smets bought his factory forks and shock and road a bog stock FC600 (all be it with a broken finger taped up).....Kingy had his full blown Works TC610 bought over by Hans Applegreen...always wondered if he took that bike back to NZ....I'll find out. Ian Cunningham rode a FC600 at the 2000 GP I think or was it 01....flipped it on the start line....took nearly a whole lap to get it started. The current FIM World Vets Champ is Darryl King btw.....that makes 5 Kiwi MX World Champs. Willie ? was one of the other riders in 01. Had a good chat to Jackie Martens at the GP....they where pissed with KTM as every idea and new inovation they came up with KTM took it off them...he said they would come to Sweeden every week and nosey around...in the end they would hide stuff.

[BAHNZY]

something in the back of my mind remembers you could order the real deal in 98 and 3 came to Aussie....could be wrong.

According to some of the ex Husaberg employees, there was a "special" replica built to celebrate the 1998 world championship. Essentially it was a standard bike fitted with;
- SPES exhaust, which was an accessory, albeit expensive one at the time.
- A different color frame. Black in place of silver
- WP 40mm USD forks.
- Ohlins shock
- Bold new graphics  

Over the years I have been able to get the above parts so I can build a replica of a replica.

[Davey Crocket]

98 frames where blue

[BAHNZY]

That's it, Willy van Wessell and Marcel van Drunnen.
Perhaps Mats was MX GP vets champion last year. Best I check, time gets away!

[BAHNZY]

98 frames where blue

I stand corrected.... oops. 
Silver was 1999. Should have checked my own bikes in the pics earlier on.

[Davey Crocket]

Faark, we remember some bullshit......pity we cant make money out of it!! ...Mats was a nice guy...

[BAHNZY]

Had a good chat to Jackie Martens at the GP....they where pissed with KTM as every idea and new inovation they came up with KTM took it off them...he said they would come to Sweeden every week and nosey around...in the end they would hide stuff.

I worked (if that's what you call it) with Jacky at the 01 GP and found home to be demanding, tough, but fair. van Wessell & van Drunnen were muppets that didn't know the front end of a bike from the rear. Whilst they could ride they had no idea of what was required for bike set up. I remember standing beside Jacky in the mechanics area taking notes from him on what was needed on the bikes when free practice finished. Jacky would ask the if the bike needed anything and they would say "no, all good". Jacky would shrug his shoulders mumble something then go about changing the suspension. At the same GP Jacky could see that his good mate Johan Boonen was struggling as he had no transport, support at the track and the like. Jacky asked if I could assist Johan for the rest of the weekend. Johan was awesome and super nice bloke. I remember asking him if I could get him to have a jersey signed by Smetts after the riding had finished. He said no problems, lets go.  He dragged me into the KTM factory pit, introduced me to King, Johansen, Dobb's and of course Smetts and demanded that hey all drop everything and sign my jersey, all in jest. Some of most prized bike pieces are the VIP and mechanics area pass from the GP and the jersey signed by all the riders. In the down time we used to sit and talk with Matts about anything other than bikes and found him to be a great guy.

[Nathan S]

Re the forks they refer to, i have a set of those Marzocchi forks and corresponding tripple clamps and they are/were a disaster and not much better than the WP Extremes which I also have a set off, both fitted to my motocross Husabergs and the bloody things leak oil just looking at them.

Funny you should mention that, I'm rebuilding a 97 ktm300 at the moment, and the new seals in both forks started leaking before I've even ridden the bike. I'm hoping that changing the acme brand seals I put in to All-Balls seals will fix the problem

The Marzocchi Magnums are excellent forks, with sloppy machining tolerances. They work WAY better than the USDs of the era - as I've said before, sub-45mm USDs are fundamentally flawed and suffer from bush bind.

To keep seals in them:
1. Use good seals, with fresh dust wipers.
2. Get the bushes right. New is not any assurance of right - most need shimming nowdays.
3. Put fork boots on.
4. If its all too much, I'll happily swap you for a pair of any early~mid 90s jap production USDs that you want...


Now back to the original topic...

[Davey Crocket]

I got a hat off Mats.

[ola_martin]

According to some of the ex Husaberg employees, there was a "special" replica built to celebrate the 1998 world championship. Essentially it was a standard bike fitted with;
- SPES exhaust, which was an accessory, albeit expensive one at the time.
- A different color frame. Black in place of silver
- WP 40mm USD forks.
- Ohlins shock
- Bold new graphics  

Over the years I have been able to get the above parts so I can build a replica of a replica.
[/quote]

I had a new one in 99, and we still have a rebuildt one at work, think I have the 99 folder for the replica somewhere, with photo and list of differences from stock FC600, will have a look and scan for you if I find it.

I've worked with bergs for 19 years, and had/raced about 20 of them..