Top Bikes?

[Tahitian_Red]

I was thinking last night, after reading a bunch of old test article, about which bikes ('72-'81) had the least amount of negatives?  One article praised my favorite bike of all-time ('77 RM125B) as having very few flaws and it made me think that this is what we really want from an "Old Bike". 

I think that is why I loved racing my '81 Can-Am MX-6B.  The handling is a little quirking over jumps and the forks need some setup work, but other than being a little ugly, she has been a great bike to own and race! She came stock will Sun rims, an aluminum swingarm with Ohlins shocks and a motor that is reliable and does not need any hopping up.  What more could you ask for?

What are your votes for some of the best off the showroom floor VMXers?

[jerry]

CR 125 and MK 7 Bultaco. J

[Momus]

CR125M: all time biggest selling MX that really launched the sport and made it as mainstream as it ever became. XR75K0 The world's most famous dirt bike that was the gentle ramp for many boy's jump into MX.
RM 370 nicely distilled from all those world championship winning works bikes.

[FourstrokeForever]

Geez....tough question.

I'd have to agree with Momus about the mighty little XR75KO. It set the mini bike world alight and in turn flamed many champions to race MX.

The Honda CR's of 1979 would have to be right up there. Great looking bikes, did what they were supposed to do and no other 125 or 250 could match them.

[bazza]

CR125M

[Natroy]

I'd have to say the '73 CR 125. They were a weapon. There was a short circuit (dirt track) meeting at Nepean Raceway back then, and some guy from South Australia turned up there on a CR and blew everyone to the weeds. This was the first time this bike was seen at Nepean. And nobody heard from this guy again.

[80-85 husky]

390 husky

[Tony.Brown]

'81 Maico 490. Every japanese manufacturer bought one to try to work out why they were so competitive I believe.

[shelpi]

from my personal experience only - xr75, yz80b,c, rm125b,250 and 370, rm250x, yz465, tt500, tt600, xr200, xr500, maico490 1983
actually there are and were lots of great bikes that I had no idea how good the were or are, one that surprised the S@#$ out of me was the little t250 with t350 pots, carbs and of all things in a dam mx sidecar
but luved at the time st70, gtmx80, tl125,tl250, dt125, dt175, xl100.....................

[skypig]

I was thinking last night, after reading a bunch of old test article, about which bikes ('72-'81) had the least amount of negatives?  One article praised my favorite bike of all-time ('77 RM125B) as having very few flaws and it made me think that this is what we really want from an "Old Bike". 

I think that is why I loved racing my '81 Can-Am MX-6B.  The handling is a little quirking over jumps and the forks need some setup work, but other than being a little ugly, she has been a great bike to own and race! She came stock will Sun rims, an aluminum swingarm with Ohlins shocks and a motor that is reliable and does not need any hopping up.  What more could you ask for?

What are your votes for some of the best off the showroom floor VMXers?

The newest from this rapidly evolving time in MX bike development.
The RM125X. A bike Suzuki got right. First single shock (linkage) suspension and water cooling year for all 125s from the Japanese manufacturers. (The Yamaha had the radiator on the forks, the Honda had a fragile gearbox, the Kawasaki might have been slow. The Suzuki was baby bears porridge.)
It was the best bike in a year that made all previous bikes obsolete overnight. (If only we'd realized how desirable Suzuki "C", "N" and "T" models would become. They were 10 a penny in 1981!)

Not the most competitive bike under the current VMX class system. Can only run in pre '85 against bikes with 3 more years development.

[Rossvickicampbell]

a follow on from the RM 125x was the RM250Z - everything that was good about the 125 suspension etc and one killer of a motor - really hauled they did.

[shelpi]

remember when I got my RM250X what a game changer
but was thinking of this topic and the old days when I realised that I luved complete pieces of crap, back then the Delteck grass grub was it and a bit (to me at the time)
Another dunger we luved was a Suzuki B100P donk in a Villiers frame with a sidecar, the whole district of juvenile delinquent shared bits and pieces, I the donk, Helpsy the frame etc etc , but what a bike, don't worry a complete piece of crap but not to us we luved it to death, funny thing one of the old gang still has it and when he goes to shows he has taken it and cant believe the attention it gets,
was put together with a drill, hack saw and a bench grinder with a big dose of youthful enthusiasm
Don't start me about the Biza

[80-85 husky]

ol mate had a Yamaha 100 "t" frame ag bike and it used to jump in and out of gear as you rode along.."thats the power band" he used to say...felix the cat belly laugh

[Slakewell]

Just note that the RM 125 A was the biggest selling MX bike ever , not the CR 125. I must admit I see far more CR 125's these days than RM thou.

[Rossvickicampbell]

and Slakey - who's dungeon did you find that sort of info from