Vintage Dirt Bike Q & A

I just wondering what was the best improvement not taking cost into consideration.

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#829 The "Factory Novice"

1988 Honda CR250RJ
1983 Honda CR480
1981 Can-Am 250 MX6-B
1979 Honda CR250RZ
1979 Kawasaki KX250 A5
1978 Husky 250CR
1978 Honda CR250R
1977 Yamaha YZ400D
1977 Suzuki RM125B

I am reminded of "Joe 90" - a TV series for kids popular in my youth made by Gerry Anderson of Thunderbirds fame...(http://www.tvcentury21.com/content/view/86/125/)

Joe 90 is about the adventures of Joe McClaine, a nine year old boy who happens to be a secret agent (Agent 90) for an organization called the World Intelligence Network (WIN). Joe 90's special talent is that he can be 'programmed' with the brain patterns of anybody using a special device developed by his adoptive father (Ian McClaine) called the Brain Impulse Galvanascope Record and Transfer (BIGRAT). With the use of the BIGRAT, Joe 90 becomes an instant expert in whatever field of endeavor required for his mission. Since nobody ever suspects that such a young boy is really a secret agent, Joe 90 gains access to places, people, and situations that no adult WIN operative ever could. Thus, the basic premise for Joe 90, the Anderson's 7th (counting Supercar) Supermarionation television series, introduced to the world in 1968.

Money no object? Build BIGRAT and lure Ricky Carmichael to the lab....

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Michael Stiles
1979 Honda CR250R Elsinore | 2006 Husqvarna SM510R | 2007 Service Honda CR500R-AF

Hmmmmm, perhaps Bob Hannah or Mark Barnett.

Actually I've asked a similar question before, but I wanted to try the Poll feature and it didn't work.



J

_________________
#829 The "Factory Novice"

1988 Honda CR250RJ
1983 Honda CR480
1981 Can-Am 250 MX6-B
1979 Honda CR250RZ
1979 Kawasaki KX250 A5
1978 Husky 250CR
1978 Honda CR250R
1977 Yamaha YZ400D
1977 Suzuki RM125B

If I had one thing and one thing only I could do to my bike (back when it was a stock 73 CR250) I would go far decreasing the rake. Either by cutting the head and bringing it in like I did or increasing the shock length and dropping the swingarm pivot point like Sam Alexander recommends.

Loren

Hey Loren,

I have the opposite problem with my 79 CR125. I need to have the steering head modified or cut the frame like FMF used to do to increase rake. I was going to try a 1/2" shorter shock before getting too deep into it.

J

_________________
#829 The "Factory Novice"

1988 Honda CR250RJ
1983 Honda CR480
1981 Can-Am 250 MX6-B
1979 Honda CR250RZ
1979 Kawasaki KX250 A5
1978 Husky 250CR
1978 Honda CR250R
1977 Yamaha YZ400D
1977 Suzuki RM125B

Joe 90?????... Musta' been a British thing. Sounds cool.

The biggest single addition performance gain I've ever experienced was putting a Myerscough Machines Snake Pipe on my 1976 YZ100C. The bike was pretty quick anyway, but running it with that pipe was like pulling the cork out its backside.

Factory engineering guru Kevin Cameron once said in one of his tech articles in Cycle magazine that the pipe has the most potential for performance gain.

I confess I and Joe 90 are British thing. Funny how we couldn't make a reliable car, but we can make world-class sci-fi puppet shows for kids. Hey that's how the cookie crumbles.

The same Gerry Anderson was responsible for Thunderbirds, Fireball XL-5, Captain Scarlet, Stingray et al. Never grew up with this stuff? You haven't lived!

http://www.fanderson.org.uk/fanderson.html

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Michael Stiles
1979 Honda CR250R Elsinore | 2006 Husqvarna SM510R | 2007 Service Honda CR500R-AF