Hi group,
Below a message sent to me from the USA regarding riding an American Eagle/Husky 250 clone motor:-
VMX60
Glad to share what I can remember of my experience with Sprites. My mx family had seen the impressive AE Team at the infamous Hopetown through the barn '68 or '69 Inter Ams and thinking they were American made bought first the 125 and a year or 2 later the 250. The local dealer let me test ride the 250 Kawi motor version which I remember was impressive, but we ordered the Husky copy, wanting to be like the Euro heroes.
Though I'd just turned expert, at 13 I was pretty inexperienced so it's hard to give a fair evaluation. Seemed to handle OK, but thinking about it now has jarred memories of at least 2 nasty crashes where I got banged up pretty bad. One on the 125 was a classic swap and endo on a whooped loamy track, and the other on the 250 was after getting sideways over a jump. We put Curnutts on them both and still they had a nasty habit of going sideways over jumps with a lip.
I think they turned pretty well. Both Zundapp and Husky copy motors had wretchedly terrible shifting. The 125 had 10 neutrals even having gotten all the mods don by pre FMF Donny Emler who was working for EC Birt's Precision Cycle (this is what led to meeting Emler and working/ porting for FMF for the next 2 decades). The 125 was very slow stock. It was competitive after Emler's extensive porting, a larger Bing carb, and a modified Suzuki factory accessory stamped downpipe.
My brother and I raced the '69 125 on and off for 3 years, and both bikes seemed fairly reliable. We never even opened up the 250 motor and just made due with missing shifts. It had good bottom end and a wide power band and didn't need too much shifting.
I remember the brakes were pretty bad with a spongy cable year and non existent front. The very cool stock Tomaselli levers seemed to have a bad leverage ratio and the clutches wee very stiff on both bikes. Both the early style AE seats, and the later added full length "couch" seats as named and joked by Emler, sacked out very quickly. Forks seemed pretty good and of surprisingly good quality.
The 125 came with just side number plates, though alloy I think. The 250 came with the beautiful cast side panels, but they were so thick and crude, they must have weighed 5 pounds.
Raced the 125 in the '71 Barstow to Vegas and actually finished, mid pack. The bike was very beat up with bent rims, crushed down pipe, broken off rear fender, and just remembered the left foot peg broke off with the mount going too. It was a miserable experience, hot and dusty, and my last desert race ever.
I did get my first ever expert win on the 125 at a big Nor Cal mud race. We'd just coincidentally put on a new Trelleborg rear and I think I was the only one who could get up the big hills at the Carnagie Trans Am track. I think I won $40. Had a really beautiful photo on the 125 from Hangtown '71, but seems to have been lost. The AEs do bring back a lot of fond memories both good and bad.
Your projects sound fun and interesting, but to be honest I can't imagine a Phantom motor in a Sprite frame. Be careful! and watch for steering head frame cracks and breaking.
Still haven't heard from and been approved for the OZ group. If you want post this and the photo for me. Good talking to you, Robert
Will post a photo later
