Comments for Vintage Motocross

Comment on TM125 Finished at last by steve hansell

steve hansell — Tue, 14 Feb 2012 19:52:43 +0000

I have my boyhood love bike, the Suzuki TM125. I found one Bradsbikes.net and it was in “good” shape but not great like I wanted. So I got online and started ordering all the plastics/seat/handlebars and on and on. The tank had no dents or scratches but I had it painted Suzuki Yellow and laid the green decal anyway. New side plates were installed as well as the front number plate. The oil pump was tested for functionality, all was good to go. I almost changed out the foot pegs but I also wanted it to be as close to showroom as possible so the pegs stayed. I always wanted a bike with a WEBCO head so I found one and installed it! Also I wanted a new low pipe and that’s installed as well. She’s a jewel, runs sweet and she’s mine! There’s a song in there somewhere? As a final item my buddy in Tennessee had a cylinder and matching piston/rings in his inventory. He cleaned and polished all the cylinder’s ports for me before sending it out. Once I get around to installing those final parts I’ll have a mini rocket ship in hand!

Comment on Suzuki TM125 Tank by Kevin Mayes

Kevin Mayes — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 02:51:05 +0000

I’m restoring same bike right now and i’m trying to figure out what kind of stickers these are which allow you to clear spray over them can you help me out? I don’t want to have the stock sticker look, i’m going for custom, but I need to what type of sticker allows you to spray over them…

Comment on 1974 125 Motocross Shootout by steve hansell

steve hansell — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:52:44 +0000

I watched a 1974 TM125 flat out eat a CR125 on the outside line at a TT style track at a Montgomery, Al night race back in 1973 or 1974. That’s when I fell in love with the TM125. At the time I raced a tricked out TS185 in Hare & Hounds and local tracks in the area and loved that TS185. I bought my first 1974 TM125 in 2004 and have refurbed it to showroom condition except for the engine’s internals since she already ran fast. I added a Webco head (I just loved those Webco’s) and a added a Jemco pipe. She looks great. It can be seen at bikepics.com under my name.

Comment on 1975 MX 125cc Shootout by steve hansell

steve hansell — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:36:05 +0000

In the last color picture of the article take not of the gas tanks. The first bike is the Yamaha 125 and clearly you can also see the picture’s negative was laid out backwards? The Yamaha’s tank says 521 and it’s inverted/backwards? You’ll get what I mean when you see it! Same issue with the other bikes and their names. A hard catch if I say so myself! I have a restored 1974 TM125 which when I was racing back in the day on my highly tricked out 1973 TS185, the 1974 TM125 was the dream bike of my eye. I saw a ’74 TM125 out pull a ’74 CR125 on the outside line at a TT style race in Montgomery, Al in ~1974. That was at a time when EVERYONE said the Elsinore was so fast no one bike could touch it. I saw the “Zuke” do what it did and my mind still has not changed even though in reality the Honda really may be faster. I love and now own a gorgeous 1974 TM125.

Comment on 1974 TM400 project by branndon

branndon — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 19:40:40 +0000

i just got one that is all original runs good and im now starting to restore it lol rotflmao god them things are sick

yours is sick man

Comment on TM125 Finished at last by Bruce Davies

Bruce Davies — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 01:26:00 +0000

What can I say, seeing is believing! You have done a remarkable job and it is good to see that someone else has a great love of this old powerhouse as I remember pushing my new TM out of the shop in 1974 think I paid $ 525.00 well now I am 54 years young and still remember the grand times like it was yesterday.

There wasn’t a great deal that went wrong with it, with the exception of the kick leaver, think I sheered the nut about five times, the only other thing that was wrong with it was I sold It ( Big Mistake ) I would like to replace her with a complete resto or better still come across a fine rebuild like this masterpiece like this, but like a Van Gogh you will pay $$$$$$.

1970s seamed to be the year for grand design, I rebuilt 74 Sherpa T 325 BULTACO slim line a picture as well, not sure were your situated but would like to know if your selling at some stage ???? Great rebuild my friend all the best keep up the good work.

Regards
Bruce Davies
Newcastle
Australia

Comment on 1974 125 Motocross Shootout by Greg Kendrick

Greg Kendrick — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 06:51:17 +0000

Great appreciation for this era. I was not old enough in 1974 but wished to ride these machines in their prime. I have raced against all these machines in Vintage MX over the years and have great respect for all of them. How well did they do with the Bultaco Pursang in the tests? There also were Pentons and Rickmans with Sachs engines that were blazing fast.

Comment on Go Shopping by Phil Dyson

Phil Dyson — Sat, 10 Dec 2011 03:12:06 +0000

I raced one of these bikes when i was a kid. you wont have much luck stopping this bike from bogging down by jacking with the jetting and risk a hole in the piston if you get it too lean. We called bogging “loading up” back in the 70s. That engine was a really powerful but “peaky” and would easily “fall-off-the pipe” if you didn’t keep the RPMs up. If you are bogging down in the corners you need to stomp another down-shift or two going into the corner. Stay on the pipe and she’ll rip out of the corners.

Comment on 1973 Yamaha SC500 Test by tim

tim — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 18:26:34 +0000

scott ,,,i had the stones at one time, bike is a beast, it has the typical 500cc flywheel chuge as you let the clutch out, as you crack the throttle, it comes alive,,,,a real wheelie king , not a play bike thats forsure,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Comment on 1973 Yamaha SC500 Test by Scott

Scott — Sat, 26 Nov 2011 00:18:12 +0000

Loved the read on the test.
what a hoot…

wanna race her now in vintage…

Replace the ignition set with one off an IT400
Progressive springs from an XL500
get some real shocks on the girl
replace the transmission from one out of the DT360 (5 er)
run good fuel at 32:1 oil mix (clean up the jetting)

get ready to holeshot ever single moto if you have a good trigger finger and if you have the stones….

Cheers!