Firko project #3

[paul]

firko a good find is a good find  ,just out off  interest that yammaha that james posted  seems to have holes in the swing arm for rear pegs is that right on a mx version.

[vandy010]

good pick paul,
my guess is it's from a DT 'A' 250/360. if thats the case it should measure up the same as the RT2MXer with the footpeg mounts and different chain guide brackets being the only real difference

[firko]

Yeah, well spotted Paul. It appears to have a DT250/360 swingarm. Below is a photo of (I think) YZ360As unmolested DT2MX which quite clearly shows no footpeg mounts. Other than the forks, swingarm and shocks the bike appears fairly original. The DT2MX and RT2MX are rapidly becoming the big item for Yamaha collectors. I'm not certain of production numbers but I'd guess that they're near as rare as the YZA models. If I was a Yamaha fan looking for a future classic, not neccasarily a race bike,  I'd be buying one of these before the prices reach YZ proportions or more.

[Yamaboy]

I couldn't agree more about the RT2MX and DT2MX being desirable. I recently got a DT2MX from the US that's currently on the water. Grab them while you can, from anywhere you can.
Firko, I have a feeling that this dope is trying to wind you up for some sport. The Cheney is a great find and your post is totally kosher as far as I'm concerned. Freaky, like usual you are missing the main point being made. I think you can be a bit to abrupt for your own good. A good example is your reply to MaicoJames on the Introductions page. It was rude and unthinking. Firko makes a perfectly valid point that you decide breaks some sort of Freaky rule. Wake up pal.

[Freakshow]

That guy seems to build a few bikes and lists them on ebay.  Im guessing he buys them and then does them up with what he has in his spare time or as a sideline.  HE sold a YZa, MXA and a few other yamahas over time, and although there is something always not right about them they are always well presented.

When i fisrt saw it the only thing that i couldnt get my head around was the front end, but he always writes up a good Sales page, which usually tells you whats going on with it.

[Freakshow]

I couldn't agree more about the RT2MX and DT2MX being desirable. I recently got a DT2MX from the US that's currently on the water. Grab them while you can, from anywhere you can.
Firko, I have a feeling that this dope is trying to wind you up for some sport. The Cheney is a great find and your post is totally kosher as far as I'm concerned. Freaky, like usual you are missing the main point being made. I think you can be a bit to abrupt for your own good. A good example is your reply to MaicoJames on the Introductions page. It was rude and unthinking. Firko makes a perfectly valid point that you decide breaks some sort of Freaky rule. Wake up pal.

Ahh it was only a matter of time before some "old schooler weighed in"  what are you talking about ?  read back the post fool.  MY only crime was to say this wasnt in the spirit of the previous "dig at blokes saying the bikes where hard to find.  Infact 2 other sane people agreed with me, its no freaky rule, it was the spirit of the old post.  You need to look at what this started out as Firko just showing off his bike -  the rest of this post diteriated based on opinion nothing more.  Infact it was a fair debate, but as always some numnuts always comes in at the end, usually with a hit from another post, that has no relevence  to this one and then ramps it up with a personal attack, (im sure maico james took that for what it was, an introduction)

i 'wake up' every morning but im thinking you need to 'grow up'.  what a totally stupid post

[Yamaboy]

That's just so funny Freaky. You're all over the shop mate, contradicting yourself at every turn. I bet the big blokes pissing himself laughing over this. I don't think his cred is in any trouble over this but yours may be open for debate. I'm going to give this a miss from here on. It's not worth the hassle.

Good on you Paul going the hard yards for your dream bike. Sitting at home hoping they will come to you ain't going to cut it is it mate? Two 490 Maicos is a nice little collection. What ever happened to the 80 model 440 you were doing up?
 
 

[paul]

I SOLD THE 440  AND A COUPLE OF OTHERS TO BUY THESE 2 

[Graeme M]

C'mon guys, Freaky just made a tongue in cheek comment, the sort of throw away line that if it was in person would have been taken in the spirit it was meant. He was just saying that the old story that good bikes for cheap prices are still out there should only be claimed for bikes in Australia, which is a fair point. He DID also say he thought the Cheney Yammy is a great find, and he did agree that buying OS is a very viable option nowadays. And of course, every one of Firko's points are valid. No big deal, just another example of how this online thing is not always as easy as real life.

All I can say is I wish I had a decent fund of spare cash to use scouring eBay for such great buys.  Still, I really LIKE hearing stories about good bikes being found in someone's backyard and being got for a case of beer!  I wonder about every farmhouse I pass out in the mulga... don't all those sheds in the backyeard just LOOK like they are full of exotica waiting for you to find them?

[Maicojames]

Just to clarify, no offense was taken by me, hell I am a manager-must be thick skin -actually don't take a whole ton of crap these days as I.."am not in a compensatory position to engage in this activity" -how's that for PC?

Anyway, I see the points by everyone, though I missed the DT swingarm( those non Maico bikes all look the same to me), just thought it was cool-very cool to me as an RT2was Dad's first mx bike. When folks split in 72, I got to visit Dad in Louisiana-and he had an RT2 360.

Also, I did not post earlier that, in fact I built up my former 77 AW due to no 75-77 Open bikes being for sale....Well I tried from mid 2002 until mid 2004. I was looking for a decent raceable bike, expecting to pay 2400-4500, and expecting to change tires, shocks, and small preference items. What was I looking for?  76-77 AW400-440 of course, or 76-77 RM370, 76 YZ400, 76-77 Bultaco 370 Pursang, 76-77 KTM/Penton MC5 400, 77-78 Montesa 360VB , or even 76-77 RM250( have one now), 76-77 KTM MC5 250, or 77 Bultaco 250 Pursang (192).
 I searched e-bay relentlessly, post wanted on every message board I could find, asked every one I knew-nothing and I mean nothing-zip nada..so I built up my AW(no regrets).
The first race day on the AW, what is for sale at the track, why a very stout, somewhat patinaed 77 RM370-for $1800 looking all the worls like it was 2k away from being a stunner.
Shit happens, period.

I did though pick up my RM250 on Craig's list-happened to see the ad first on a Wed night- It was listed as an 80 RM250, I had to call right then, and talk the guy into letting me pick it up that night( he missed church). When I got there( hauling both my 14 mo old boy and 7 yr old girl)-4 others had called, but he held it for me for an hour..and it is a 76 RM250.
This is the only great find I have had in doing this for 16 yrs( excusing what parts bikes Bultacos I found cheap in 88-90, and let go cheap or gave away). So, I doubt many have a worse "score record" than I.

Freaky, I can keep a lookout for Yamaha parts, but not sure exactly what you are looking for.
I saw the Champion frame in Florida, I guess the mounts are wrong for your application, in which case it is a lot of $ for a frame you have to modify, and then re-nickel. You may not want to modify a Champion frame( and damn that nickel looks decent too), and even if it is right, it looks like the reserve is upwards of $500. I assume from what I have been told that shipping would likely be another $500 or so for a frame. I know of an outfit in Illinois, Framecrafters who builds frames. I think it is near 1500 US. I wonder does GMC or any outfit in OZ build custom frames?  Also, what specific two-stroke Yamaha engines?
I am guessing DT, RT, MX, and early YZ(74-75). I do think some DT, and RT engines can be found as they were made in mass, and Yamahas were the most popular Asian bike in my area at the time. Obviously, the early YZ stuff is unobtanium, and even the 73-74 MX 250-360s are seldom sold as "just an old dirt bike".

Firko, one of my friends whom I raced modern with-and vintage owned a few MX360s. We were always looking for aftermarket frames, studying how we could put in a KTM, or Maico chassis. Just never had the luck to find a frame of chassis at the time. Then I found this thing called a Maico-it already handled great, and was lighter

[Freakshow]

That's just so funny Freaky. You're all over the shop mate, contradicting yourself at every turn. I bet the big blokes pissing himself laughing over this.  I'm going to give this a miss from here on. It's not worth the hassle.  

Nope you lost me, i dont see how you even got involved in the first place anyway. the post was dead.   But you couldnt help yourself weighing in LATE with sokme piss poor shot at me, and i dont ewven know you ? i suggest you grow up and spend less time typing and more time Re read the post from the start, which you obviously didnt, maybe then you will pull your head in and act like man not a boy.  Kapish ?.

me, nathan and Firko seem to have these debates all the time, you dont see any of us chuking a spas and getting all wound up.  The post is dead.  leave it alone FFS.

Dont make me come back in here.

P.S Maico james - ill drop you a PM some time, seems its safer than getting the girls upset here. it was really more to do with are you interested in offering advise if you where near a unit or had inside info on cheaper cross state transporter ? you live there it was more a locals perspective on if we are going about this the right way, ill keep you posted later.  cheers mate .

[firko]

James. The Yamaha engine is a good thing, in fact I think it's a better motor than the 250 Maico. My mate Peter Rowland who coincidentally built the Bultaco Astro for his daughter Kristy that's featured in the latest VMX, built a 250 Yamaha powered Maico back in the early nineties. It's quite a formidable weapon and features a lot of tricky home built parts, as usual with all of Petes projects. In the crappy photo below it's in dirt track trim although Pete sometimes uses it for motocross as well.

[Freakshow]

Nice pipe.  got a lot of belly on it.  heck actually a nice bike. 

Is that a normal yz head ?

[Maicojames]

Highly cool....yes the Yamaha 250 is the 250-much more transfer area tha a radial Maico.
Thanks for the pic of that bike-very cool. I wonder how well that Cheney Yamaha 360 will handle-I bet is's a blast.  For a fat boy like me the Yamaha is a favorite 250 engine, along with the 74-79 KTM 250 engine. I am hoping my 76 RM 250 is a screamer too.

[firko]

That's correct Oldschool, it's a 74 250 mx engine with some serious work done to it. The outer cases are indeed from a later engine, not sure of the model. Pete is an Aussie but he works in Ohio running a big paint factory for its Aussie owners. He get's back here fairly regularly, in fact he was in the Kevlar Kompound at CD4. The Yamaco, as it's known, is a work of art and so are the rest of his bikes. So true James about those great Yamaha engines. I've got a real soft spot for them and have raced a couple in the early years. They respond really well to sensible porting, modern reeds, a nice tapered header fat pipe and methanol. If you know your shit you can add 10hp to them pretty easily. They're a much better base engine  than a Maico 250 or even an Elsinore motor.