The origins of EMC/EMX

[NR555]

A common question we get at race meetings is 'what sort of frame is that'?  Here's the history:

Our CZ runs an English EMC (Eatough Motocross Components) frame and was built in 1976.  The CZ-engined EMCs were a very limited run, and were the start of Mike Eatough's legacy of motocross bikes (Mike was ex-CCM).  Only 6 of the EMC/CZs were ever built.  Ours is No.2.  No.1 was destroyed, and another one of them belongs to Gerard Copping (UK CZ guru - www.czstuff.com).  The rest, who knows?  The frames themselves are works of art, and are made from Reynolds tubing.  Tripleclamps are magnesium, the rims are Italian Akront and brakes/hubs are all CZ.  The CZ models featured the 380 Falta motor, with some of the head fins cut out to create room for the pipe.

EMC went on to become EMX after a legal wrangle over naming and featured all sorts of motors.  They pretty much folded after the Jap invasion in the early eighties.  Mike ended up at Buell/Harley in the USA and from all accounts still lives there.

Our bike has been in the family since new, my uncle originally bought it from Bill Brown of Maico fame.  My dad re-acquired it in 2002 and shipped it back here from the UK with him.  It has been racing here ever since (as it should).

To ride, it is night & day better than a standard CZ or Maico from that era and is more than competitive with later Evo bikes.  If anything, the CZ motor lets it down, but we're always working on that  . 

Here's a pic of ours racing (courtesy of VIPER website):



And below is a link to a quick video of the EMC factory featuring Mike Eatough.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQbZiiGGTi4

[All Things 414]

That's a pretty cool vid 555! Does yours have the Mazooks on it?

[NR555]

Sure does. 

[mx250]

An excellent video. I didn't know EMX or Cotton produced Rotax engined MX'ers in that period. I've seen Sachs enduro, trials bikes etc but not Rotax MX'ers. They look the business - and look tidy in the prac racing.

The aqua forming of the pipe was interesting (and labour intensive). The whole thing is really 'cottage industry' - I've seen amatures assemble a front wheel faster and with more certainity between races  .

The proud boast "the second largest in Britain after Triumph", with production of 10 m/c per week, pretty much says it all for British industry at the time .

[NR555]

You're not wrong about the British motorcycle industry.  CCM are back at it again though.  They have their new Yamaha-engined CMX450 with a very interesting frame.  The pieces are actually bonded to each other, with very few welds.

[VMX247]

A common question we get at race meetings is 'what sort of frame is that'?  Here's the history:

Our CZ runs an English EMC (Eatough Motocross Components) frame and was built in 1976.  The CZ-engined EMCs were a very limited run, and were the start of Mike Eatough's legacy of motocross bikes (Mike was ex-CCM).  Only 6 of the EMC/CZs were ever built.  Ours is No.2.  No.1 was destroyed, and another one of them belongs to Gerard Copping (UK CZ guru - www.czstuff.com).  The rest, who knows?  The frames themselves are works of art, and are made from Reynolds tubing.  Tripleclamps are magnesium, the rims are Italian Akront and brakes/hubs are all CZ.  The CZ models featured the 380 Falta motor, with some of the head fins cut out to create room for the pipe.

EMC went on to become EMX after a legal wrangle over naming and featured all sorts of motors.  They pretty much folded after the Jap invasion in the early eighties.  Mike ended up at Buell/Harley in the USA and from all accounts still lives there.

Our bike has been in the family since new, my uncle originally bought it from Bill Brown of Maico fame.  My dad re-acquired it in 2002 and shipped it back here from the UK with him.  It has been racing here ever since (as it should).

To ride, it is night & day better than a standard CZ or Maico from that era and is more than competitive with later Evo bikes.  If anything, the CZ motor lets it down, but we're always working on that  . 

Here's a pic of ours racing (courtesy of VIPER website):



And below is a link to a quick video of the EMC factory featuring Mike Eatough.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQbZiiGGTi4

A good find in Mike Eatough history.