Wacky inventions

[mx250]

Form an orderly queue to the right please



http://www.vintagemx.us/cgi-bin/largephoto.cgi?C=MntpA7Xo8uEnEXwP

[vmxrider]

Don't see those skunk kits anywhere, so on rarity alone would probably be worth the $400.
My curiosity of these things got the better of me one day so I made some. Haven't tried it out yet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOPpU5wXQRk&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL 

[mx250]

Don't see those skunk kits anywhere, so on rarity alone would probably be worth the $400.
My curiosity of these things got the better of me one day so I made some. Haven't tried it out yet.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOPpU5wXQRk&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL 

I think the vid shows what you can expect - a lot longer travel with less resistance from spring or damper .

It's a $400 curiosity. My curiosity doesn't run to that .

I would still love to see all the wacky ideas on the one bike (as much as possible). It would truly be a talking point for young and old, and worth the space in any museum .

[vmxrider]

[/quote]I think the vid shows what you can expect - a lot longer travel with less resistance from spring or damper .
[/quote]

Only had one side connected for video, so looks a lot softer than it is.

[firko]

I made a set of these Skunk Works linkage thingys back in the day as a foreign order when I worked on the Railway and fitted them to my MX250, promptly blowing the Thermal Flows after 3 laps of our practice track. "Ah, the Thermal Flows are shit anyway" thought I so I fitted the links to my Koni equipped 350 squarie and blew them out as well. Not being able to afford another set of shocks I donated the linkages to a bloke in our club who fitted them to his CZ which had super dooper (for 1974) springed Fox shocks (the red, white and blue jobs) and yep....he blew them out too!
It seems that the linkage ratio was a bit too severe on the primitive shocks of the day....I'd like to try it again with a pair of decent modern shocks or even Fox Airshox.

[Iain Cameron]

Just this once I will admit to being a sucker back in 75 , I bought a set of these for my dt125 they where great for trail riding though I didn't race back then I thought they where the ducks guts .

[vmx42]

I made a set of these Skunk Works linkage thingys back in the day as a foreign order when I worked on the Railway and fitted them to my MX250, promptly blowing the Thermal Flows after 3 laps of our practice track. "Ah, the Thermal Flows are shit anyway" thought I so I fitted the links to my Koni equipped 350 squarie and blew them out as well. Not being able to afford another set of shocks I donated the linkages to a bloke in our club who fitted them to his CZ which had super dooper (for 1974) springed Fox shocks (the red, white and blue jobs) and yep....he blew them out too!
It seems that the linkage ratio was a bit too severe on the primitive shocks of the day....I'd like to try it again with a pair of decent modern shocks or even Fox Airshox.

I thought you didn't like blowing up shocks!! The linkage ratio won't have changed over time, but perhaps if you increased the spring rate appropriately you might take enough load off the seals to make them work for more than a few laps.

Of to the shed Firko…    Or give Ji* a call and he can make you a set in titanium! 







_{*only joshin'. Come back Ji you know we miss you!!}

[EML]

It would be the same as putting a std shock into a linkage rear on a modern. However, the go was to grab some heavy shocks off a 400 or even off a big roady-if you could stand the chrome look.

[John Orchard]

I ran the rear Skunkworks linkage on my TM125L in '75, it was soft with the stock shocks but it was definitely an improvement, I didn't blow the stock shocks by using them.

Skunkworks also advertised a CR125M1 with a single shock mounted vertically in front of the triple clamps; the forks had no oil or springs; had a linkage from the sliders to the shock.

I used plastic clutch lever and was happy but the flex at the front brake was no good.

I used a plastic rear sprocket without any issues.

I LOVED my plastic Heckle boots, wore them with pride on my RM125A (which I actually bought from Steve Cramer after he won it as a prize in Qld).

I used a Visor-View helmet peak also; was too busy going forward out-of-control to think to look in the mirrors LOL.

Had an Answer Boost Bottle on my RM250Z; don't remember any improvement.

I used a Triple C face fender that clipped to the front of my open face helmet; I remember racing at Broadford at the first Channel O race meeting and getting mouthfuls of dust; because I was use to wearing a Jofa mouth guard I'd forget I had the face fender on and was spitting out heaps of dust; it was a horrible sight LOL.

I loved my Answer boot-savers; I think they attributed to me getting the 'Johnny O' nickname when I was racing CR's in the mid 80's.  I was just thinking recently that I want a pair now; I'll put a JT patch on them and everyone will think they're coming back LOL.

I think maybe the Scott 'Venturi' face mask could be another 'wacky invention'?

[chrisdespo]

I like the old boot savers they looked cool. they are just the thing to hide ugly plastic boots under. still today i like to ride in boot cut jeans just makes you to hip for hollywood.........

Plastic levers from sport and road helped by no front wheel lockups well no front brake at all really.
but when the idea is to go fast who needs brakes anyway..........

you have to just love all the wacky stuff, i used to love seeing they young guys turn up at the track one week with some new gadget out of the states and go worse than ever and then turn up next week with their new trick parts removed, waiting for the next fad to come out. 

[EML]

you have to just love all the wacky stuff, i used to love seeing they young guys turn up at the track one week with some new gadget out of the states and go worse than ever and then turn up next week with their new trick parts removed, waiting for the next fad to come out. 
[/quote]
I reckon the mini-bikers were the worst for that-prob 'cause mum and dad were paying and they always wanted Jonny to have the best 
And guess whaty/ now they are all older and those that are left racing are pretty much the same-gotta have the latest trick stuff and then blame that bit for not going quick enough to win-again.

[firko]

you have to just love all the wacky stuff, i used to love seeing they young guys turn up at the track one week with some new gadget out of the states and go worse than ever and then turn up next week with their new trick parts removed, waiting for the next fad to come out. 

I was one of those young blokes who skimped and saved to have the latest gizmo out of the US or Europe on my bikes. With the exception of better shocks, I don't think any of them made any major difference to my speed and ability. No matter how trick or stock my bike was I still wallowed around in the second pack in C grade, having a ball dicing with my fellow losers. A bloke once told me that the slower we were as riders often parallelled the trickness of our bikes and I guess I lived up to that observation .

It's the same today, I still find stock boring so I like my bikes to be a bit different to what everyone else has, whether they're faster or slower than a stocker is irrelevent.....they're different and thats what counts to me.

[Colin Jay]

It's the same today, I still find stock boring so I like my bikes to be a bit different to what everyone else has, whether they're faster or slower than a stocker is irrelevent.....they're different and thats what counts to me.

I think I came fro the same mould as you Friko, I never realy rode the same bikes as the others back in the days of my youth, I usually rode something just a little bit different and I continue that way today. I love turning up at the events that I ride and see everyone else with there "trick catalogue custom" Yamaha, Honda and KTM enduro bikes. I am often asked why I persist with riding the ancient old XT500 and XT600 Tenere that ride, when it would be easier going on a modern bike. And the answer is always the same, if I rode a moden bike, I would just be another middle of the pack clubman. On the old Yamahas, I am me, an individual, not just another clone in the middle of the pack.

CJ

[vmxrider]

With the increasing popularity of Vinduros those Skunk kits may have some relevance to those that love or have Pre 75 bikes. Get some extra travel for those events and help save the kidneys. Easy to put back to stock when needed. 

[Swiss]

Well, wacky enough I started running Curnutt long travel shocks back in '74 on my custom framed SL125 Honda.  Then used them on my custom framed XL350.  Typically was ahead of the factories on suspension travel.  And the cost was about 1/2 of what the "name brand" shocks went for, and all high quality chrome moly parts.  Charlie Curnutt said he was making a fair profit on his products and couldn't figure out why the competition was charging so much for lower quality materials in their products!

Swiss