Vintage Dirt Bike Q & A

Is anybody running Fox Air Shox on their 78/79 CR250?

The Fox Shox from my 79 CR125 won't fit the 250 unless I notch the upper mount a small amount with a cutting wheel. Is this what you have to do?

J

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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

J,

I had a 78 CR250 with Fox airs and the upper mount for the shocks had to me notched just as you have said. This will allow the top shock mount to slide in. I have a spare 78 CR250 frame and I think it has been modified also. I will take some measurements and let you know.

Mike

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1981 Maico 490
1996 Gas Gas 270
1974 Honda XL412 Powroll Rocket
1979 Honda CR125R
1978 Honda XR75

J,

Unfortunately, the spare frame I have is a stock CR250 and has not been modified. I don't recall exactly how much material was cut away, but I am sure someone out there in the vintage world does?

Mike

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1981 Maico 490
1996 Gas Gas 270
1974 Honda XL412 Powroll Rocket
1979 Honda CR125R
1978 Honda XR75

I ran 17.5" Fox Airs on CR250R 1978 and 1979 frames without the need to notch the upper mount. However they were black bodied ones which I believe are earlier than the silver gray ones. What color are yours?

The lower mounts on the stock swing arm do have to be notched (for most shocks). I have only found one arm so far that has not been modified. After-market arms like my DG are already built to take non-stock shocks and have lower profile mounts.

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

Michael,

They are silver/gray and I will be using the stock swingarm until I can find an aluminum one. So I guess I better let the sparks fly. LOL

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

I've been running 17.5" Fox Airs on my 79 CR250R for the past two years. They are the silver/gray bodied models and I have had no problem with them. Once when the thottle stuck wide open up a hill, I got launched from a height equivalent to a 2 story building and landed at the bottom of the hill on flat ground. As I was floating through the air I knew I was going home in the meat wagon. Those babies sucked it up and I didn't even crash. From then on I was sold on Fox Airs!

I'm using grey bodied Fox Airs built in 1979 on my 1979 CR250. They fit in the lower mounts (stock 1980 swingarm) with no conflict. However, on the left side, the top of the shock body barely touches the frame strut heading down toward the foot peg. This is an old time clearance problem with an easy fix.

Put the shock in the top mount and mark the contact point with a sharpe. Remove the shock. Take a round rachet extension bar and lay it across the contact point, and smack it with a hammer. The roundness of the extension bar will make a small indent in the frame for clearance. Don't overdo it. All you need is a trace of daylight between the shock and frame. The mod isn't noticable, and doesn't hurt the integrity of the frame.