Two Stroke Motocross
Two Stroke Motocross Forum => General Two Stroke Talk => Topic started by: opfermanmotors on March 31, 2010, 12:34:30 PM
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What is your favorite dirtbike? (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwbwlBd2sSI#ws)
What is your favorite dirtbike? Post a comment and a picture, doesn't have to be one from the video nor one you own, just search online for a picture of it. Mine if the 1983 Maico 490 and there's already a picture of mine in the video.
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Iâ??d have to say my favorite bike would probably be a Kawasaki KX500AF, followed closely by a 1995-96 KTM 550. After that, the 1983 Maico 490 Sand Spider, followed by the 1982 KTM 495. I might be inclined to add one of the new Maicos, 500, 620, or 700 if I could get an honest test to see how it would stack up against some of the above machines in drag races, and extreme hillclimbs, as well as how theyâ??d stack up against modern thumpers in the same type contest. Iâ??m disabled, and can no longer ride, but I like off-road desert type races where acceleration and high speeds count, and the muscle to pull much taller gearing easily. Motocross is not a primary concern, and I could care less for supercross. Sheer, brute power is what I always looked for first, handling after that. To my knowledge, of the bikes Iâ??ve seen tested and mentioned above, the KTM 550 was the champ. New Maicos might beat it, but until I see real tests and dyno runs, they remain a mystery. Haven't set up for posting pics yet, new to this. Really enjoyed that video, some great machines there!
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My favorite bike is the '78 Maico 440.
(http://www.maicomotorcycles.com/images/78%20440/78%20440d.JPG)
And here's everything to make it perfect:
- All number plates have to go. I don't race my bikes, so there's no reason to pretend that I do. Besides, they make the bike look heavier than it is, and make clean-up difficult.
- Stock tank sticker should be replaced with '79 sticker, with some pinstripe or electrical tape or something to make the black outline more bold.
That's it. Everything else I'd keep totally stock, except maybe a TSM logo on the rear fender and Maico logo on the front fender.
I'd like to thank the runners-up for their excellent entries!
+ 1979 Maico: Stupid fenders front and rear, as well as ridiculous side-plates kept the '79 just behind the '78. Otherwise perfect (and identical) machine, for the most part.
+ 1977 Maico: In appearance, this is the winner. The red coffin-tank and yellow slash work with every angle to make this a beautifully angular and aggressive bike. Too bad it has the (by then) rather antiquated cases, which are not only gigantic, but don't go with the bike's otherwise angular lines, and place the sprocket way too far form the swingarm pivot. The rear fender also earns the award for worst rear fender of all time (easily fixable with a saw, or just put the excellent '76 fender on) and the down-pipe which I don't like. Wheelsmith versions have the best-looking high-pipe ever made.
+ 1980 Husqvarna 390CR: I lived my childhood on a '79 Husky 390, which came to be my standard for Huskies. But the '80 has slightly better forks and a little more travel front and rear, earning it the award for best suspension on any bike ever. Seriously, you just don't know how good it is until you hit something really big at 90 miles per, but only know about it because your friend told you later. The '79s rear fender doesn't work with long-travel, and the '80 fixes this as well. Black-on-Gold tank (the last narrow one) and classic Husky looks all but make up for its lack of Maiconess.
+ 1967 Kawasaki 120: This is the only list you'll ever see this bike on, which is a shame. In stock trim, it's not very good, with goofy-looking and power-killing pipe overall "play-bike" on/off road '60s mediocrity. However, once you get rid of the street gears, replace the forks and shocks with better units, and get a good straight-stinger pipe on that bad boy, it turns into a beast. This bike earns the award for most-fun by miles. By MILES. You will never have as much fun on a motorcycle. Even though it's a small-bore, the rotary-valve induction provides instant throttle response and intense torque. If you think your reed-valve two-stroke has throttle response, think again. As soon as you ponder the possibility of opening the throttle in 1st, the front-end instantly points toward Saturn. This bike misses the higher places because it's awkward as hell to ride with its 2.5" seat height, and top speed is best measured in miles per day, with a few decimal places.
+ 2010 Maico 685: There's not much to say about this beast. It's not even a beast, really. Nor is it THE beast. It's simply beast; the epitome and definition of all beastdom. I mean, come on, you could pull a frickin' horse trailer over the Rockies with this motorcycle.
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Trying to add pictures of my favorite dirtbikes mentioned above.
(http://i983.photobucket.com/albums/ae311/Twostroke17/kx500_track_side_002.jpg)
(http://i983.photobucket.com/albums/ae311/Twostroke17/1996KTM550.jpg)
(http://i983.photobucket.com/albums/ae311/Twostroke17/1983MaicoSandSpider.jpg)
(http://i983.photobucket.com/albums/ae311/Twostroke17/82-ktm-495mc.jpg)
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Anything fourstroke :P ;)
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Well, I do have a confession. I actually love four-stroke bikes in my spare time. I mean, there are so many things you can do with them!
When you're out camping and you're having trouble getting the fire started, they not only help start it, but burn strong and clean through the night. A great "backbone" to the fire. All you have to do is start the motor, take off the gas cap, and lay it on its side. The ten-trillion-degree pipe does the rest.
Oh, they also make for great target-shooting. Unlike a two-stroke, there are a lot of small parts hidden away inside the motor, and it's great fun to see if you can get one from a distance with the SKS (yeah, we have an SKS). Take it from me, though, it's hard to get the exhaust valve stems on the first shot.
Then there's a game I learned about from Top-Gear. You need two bikes for this game, two players (or teams), and two vertical holes maybe a foot square. Top Gear used the windows of a junked airplane, but you can make your own from cardboard for a lot less money. The object of the game is to disassemble (as gently or violently as you wish) the bike so that you can get it through your hold piece-by-piece before the other guys. I've found that draining the engine oil and holding the throttle open is a good way to start the game - blows the bike into lots of little pieces.
Good times, man, good times!
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My two favorite dirtbikes are as follows(and they are both oldtimers):
1.1979 Sachs GS6 250.This model was not sold in the U.S. so a lot of readers may not recognize it.One of the fastest riders in my area said I would never get anywhere on this thing and at the largest race in my region I placed in the top five overall,coming within seconds of beating him.He never bothered me again.
2.1983 Maico MC250.If there was ever a balanced motorcycle,this is it.I have since owned newer,faster and more modern dirtbikes but none were as good as this one.
My least favorite motorcycle? 1981 Yamaha.Sold it within a month or two of buying it.That bucking bronco and me just never got along.
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Forgot to add YZ250.
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Surprising, a lot of people actually liked the 1981 YZ250, its quite popular and wanted bike for vintage racing. The 81 is the 'wanted' year because there were apparently some changes to the thing.
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'81? I thought the '82 was the desired year, I always see '82s restored.
I know it's a goofy year, but I like my '83
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Really? The 82 I thought was too heavy and it was the first year water cooling. The 81 isnt water cooling so its eligible for evo class.
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Suzuki rm 250 i once owned a maico 1979 250 and i did not like it very much but i rode a maico 490 of a friend and i liked that bike too a 1981. But still i prefered the suzuki 250 also owned a ktm 250 1982 last twin shock. Horrible bike compared by suzuki although the engine was very strong it lacked in the handling appartment.
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I have to say my Honda 74 CR250M, yes the old Elsiniore.... I started on that bike when I was 12... I had a 125, but the 250 was sooo much more fun. I got it when it was new (yes in 74), and sold it in 2006. Many fond memories of that bike... This picture was taken in 2006.
(http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b125/eprovenzano/74CR250M.jpg)
Next would be the 99 KX 250.
(http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b125/eprovenzano/Kx250.jpg)
Last but not least... my current ride a 2000 KTM 300 EXC
(http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b125/eprovenzano/eric-bike.jpg)
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Don't get me wrong,the 1981 Yamaha YZ250 is a classic,it just did'nt "click" with me.I had raced a Husky CR250 the previous year and had done well,and I thought with more power and better brakes I would continue to improve.Boy was I wrong.
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I have had many great bikes in my day and still have two of the first bikes I bought when I was 16 and 17 years old. My favorites are the AW400 Maico I bought in the crate in March 1977. Cheapest racer I ever owned. Tires, chains sprockets, and oil is all I spent my money on with the AW, a far cry from the RM 250 A that I spent over $1300 in one year trying to keep on the track. My 1984 CR500 that I bought as a new leftover for $1375 to set up as a hillclimber is next. I won 5 consecutiove AMA pro-hillclimb championships with it in 1993-94-95-96-97, it helped me to be a 1995 pro-athlete nominee in 1995, along with the 87 AMA amatuer 500 hillclimb championship. That's been a great bike. Next is my 81 Maico 490. It has been so reliable and blows everyones mind when they see it go on the track. It handles better than any modern bike I have ridden, has that smooth, easy to ride, 4T type power. I am still on the original clutch plates after 17 seasons of riding! Last is my 73 Montesa VR250 that I rode for two straight seasons without so much as a ring job and had an absolute blast riding it stone stock, rear shocks, tires, bars, grips, and all. I have plenty more good ones and I've had plenty of turds, mostly late 70's early 80's Yamaha's and KX's. I had a brand new 1980 YZ465 in 1980. Within one month of riding I went through a tranny, piston, main bearings, numerous filters, shock mods, and more only to realize I was 8 seconds a lap slower on it than I was on my 79 440 Maico.
Paul
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17 seasons on a set of clutch plates. Man, if you tried to get 17 seasons out of some 450F, you'd probably have ZERO original parts after that time. From tires probably right through the frame, you'd just have to replace it all.
That said, my 120 has lasted 43 years on the original piston and rings. No one on the planet knows just how much it got ridden before we bought it, but that little thing got the hell ridden out of it carrying my overweight ass around. In fact, except for a few things in the carburetor, I can't really think of any major engine parts that we've had to replace. There have been upgrades, like the pipe and the cover over the air-filter (which was simply cut in half for better breathing.) I don't know what we'd do if something ever broke on that thing. There aren't many people with crates full of spare '67 Kawi parts.
(http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h119/JETZcorp/DSC02447.jpg)
^^ How to increase power with a hacksaw. Stay away from rain and standing water!
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My first motorcycle I ever owned and still my favorite. Loved it, someday I may be able to get another one. I one dragged raced a a-hole kid in my neighborhood on his new four stroke three wheeler and kicked his spoiled little arse.
Oh and I still have a scar about 6 inches long on my chest where the metal fender tried to kill me. Also check out the oil injection and stylish expansion chamber
VIVA LA BRAAAAAAPPPPPPPPP
(http://p1.bikepics.com/pics/2009%5C05%5C13%5Cbikepics-1666669-full.jpg)
Oh oh I am no longer just lurking
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That looks a lot like my second bike, which was a Yamaha GT80. Great bike to learn shifting and such, but it really wan't particularly memorable. It got overshadowed by my first bike (because it was first) and by the one that replaced it (because the 120 is epic).
(http://www.atlantismotorcorp.com/images/gt80.1..jpg)
^^ This isn't mine, but it looks like it.
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A lot of people must really like 1981 Maicos because there is yet another company producing a replica. In addition to the Wulfsport RV490, we now have a firm called "Maico Only U.K." producing some very competitive looking 250s and 490s.The chassis is a twin shock patterned after the 81 with an 83 motor as a powerplant.I would be very interested to know where the motor is sourced from?If you go to Ebay U.K. you can view them.For those of you who prefer your Maicos in minature 4 stroke form with a chinese flavour,there is an American firm apparently producing pit bikes.Do copyrights exist for the Maico name as applied to motorcycles? Momentum seems to really be building for the Maico name,the problem is that it is fragmented all over the globe.
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SachGS - you are correct a great deal of momentum has been created. All of it by Vincent Page at Maico International.
When the company was being sold, many of the folks that bought it decided to sell off a great deal of parts inventory. It was an easy way to get some cash flow going. They sold parts to many different places, mostly the older parts, so yes there are companies that can build older Maico's brand new.
The mini bike company is jumping onto the coat tails of what Vince as done. I think it will be amazing if this company selling Chinese bikes branded as Maico lasts to the end of the year.
You see this all the time, with copy cat style companies popping up to attempt to take advantage of an idea they think is good. Usually they are missing one key ingredient, and end up failing...
As Maico International gains even more momentum no one will have any doubts as to where the real Maicos come from.
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The pictures of the Kawasaki 120 and the Yamaha GT80s brought back memories of my own childhood.My father was always bringing home old motorcycles that his co-workers didn't want anymore and we would repair them and go riding.At one point we had an Ossa SDR,Ducati Mach 1,Sachs 125,Bultaco 175 Lobito and a Rockford Taka 100 and my brother,freinds and myself would take off into the mountains on these bikes for a day of adventure.Some of the bikes shifted on the right,some on the left,some shifted up and some shifted down and we seemed to swap back and forth on the motorcycles without a problem. One of the neighbours even had an old Jawa streetbike with nobbies and they would triple on it,I still recall the three of them always pushing that beast through some mudhole!
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2006+ RM 250 is the best bike ever put on this Earth. Period. Go ask RC and Pastrana.
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Hmm... I wonder what RC would think of the 2010 Maico. Does anyone have an eMail address to contact him? Imagine the impact THAT test would have!
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Hmm... I wonder what RC would think of the 2010 Maico. Does anyone have an eMail address to contact him? Imagine the impact THAT test would have!
He will probably lol just like I did.
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Well seriously, it wouldn't really take any time for John or whoever's getting involved with the Maico test to shoot Ricky (or anyone else with a big name and an expired contract) to give it a go. Who knows, some of them might have heard big stories from their dads about the ye olde German machines and want to see what the fuss is about. If we actually managed to get a big name on our test, we might get the attention of some magazines.
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Well seriously, it wouldn't really take any time for John or whoever's getting involved with the Maico test to shoot Ricky (or anyone else with a big name and an expired contract) to give it a go. Who knows, some of them might have heard big stories from their dads about the ye olde German machines and want to see what the fuss is about. If we actually managed to get a big name on our test, we might get the attention of some magazines.
Maico won't save the 2 stroke. The rules will. The new Maicos look way too outdated. I will put my money on 6 new KTM 250sx DFI instead of one Maico which makes a difference for the sport. It is an old YZ with a Maico Sticker on it. WOW. WOW. Brand loyal people are just funny. You guys are all about the power of the Maicos..Have you ever UPS your engine to Pro Circuit???
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it would be my yz250 just because its been the best bike ive ever had and it just fits me perfect.
(http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i156/jluzader/SDC10378.jpg)
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it would be my yz250 just because its been the best bike ive ever had and it just fits me perfect.
(http://i71.photobucket.com/albums/i156/jluzader/SDC10378.jpg)
Tits on wheel! Love your bike!
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Hmm... I wonder what RC would think of the 2010 Maico. Does anyone have an eMail address to contact him? Imagine the impact THAT test would have!
The problem is that I think he still is under a contract, not necassarily a contract to ride for them, but to support suzuki, and have a couple of their bikes laying around for publicity purposes, but who knows, it is always worth a try.
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Hmm... I wonder what RC would think of the 2010 Maico. Does anyone have an eMail address to contact him? Imagine the impact THAT test would have!
The problem is that I think he still is under a contract, not necassarily a contract to ride for them, but to support suzuki, and have a couple of their bikes laying around for publicity purposes, but who knows, it is always worth a try.
The part that you have to keep in mind is a guy like RC has been used to getting big bucks for racing for many years... in addition he is now on a "track" to become a NASCAR race driver... these two things would prevent him from accepting an offer to test a machine like the Maico.
Plus as you guys are so fond of talking about regular guys riding older machines, how would someone of RC's caliber help in testing a machine? He is way, way, way faster than anyone that I know of, is very particular about his setup and is used to racing/riding bikes costing hundreds of thousands of dollars.
I don't get it.... ??? ???
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Well seriously, it wouldn't really take any time for John or whoever's getting involved with the Maico test to shoot Ricky (or anyone else with a big name and an expired contract) to give it a go. Who knows, some of them might have heard big stories from their dads about the ye olde German machines and want to see what the fuss is about. If we actually managed to get a big name on our test, we might get the attention of some magazines.
Maico won't save the 2 stroke. The rules will. The new Maicos look way too outdated. I will put my money on 6 new KTM 250sx DFI instead of one Maico which makes a difference for the sport. It is an old YZ with a Maico Sticker on it. WOW. WOW. Brand loyal people are just funny. You guys are all about the power of the Maicos..Have you ever UPS your engine to Pro Circuit???
I never said it would help the broad two-stroke cause. When I said "we" I was referring to those of us who want to see Maico be more than a small shack making 50 bikes a year. Of course I'm big on rule changes for equal displacement, you'll probably find a hundred thousand riders for every one that believes in it more strongly.
And if you think the new Maico is an old YZ with a new sticker... well I don't want to be offensive but it's hard to do. You know that there's more to a bike than its plastic, yes? There are some slight details that are different from a YZ, like the entire chassis, the entire suspension, the entire engine, etc. Show me a 500cc YZ with left-side kick and a hydraulic clutch, and then you'll have a point.
So, on other notes, it's really not realistic to get Ricky himself. When I proposed we contact him, it was really one of those nothing-to-lose things. There's maybe a 1/10,000 chance that he'll take the hook, and perhaps that would be worth it. I don't really see Chevy having a problem with their driver testing a bike, and does anyone know if he actually does still have something with Suzuki? I'm not sure, it's certainly possible. But that's just details. The broad thing I was trying to get at was the prospect of having a big name to test the bike. Even if it's a name from ten years ago, like McGrath, or Johnson, or anyone that people would recognize and trust. Hell, even Super Hunky could make some waves. I'm not trying to make light of what we're already planning, an enthusiasts' test is better than no test at all. However, if we have someone with some PR weight under him, it'll do more to revive this all-two-stroke company than a bunch of dudes from the internets.
And I can see how a high-level pro would be able to pick apart the little things and be used to crazy-tuned works bikes. But, I don't see any reason why such a rider wouldn't be able to compare this bike to any other stocker. It would seem very strange to me if whatever tester we got had no idea what a normal stock bike even felt like, I mean, that would be a pretty hefty bubble to be in. We're not talking about Mick Jagger here. And if this reviewer finds that the Maico truly is worse than the Japanese competition, well that's Maico's fault. Don't we want a non-biased test?
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Hmm... I wonder what RC would think of the 2010 Maico. Does anyone have an eMail address to contact him? Imagine the impact THAT test would have!
The problem is that I think he still is under a contract, not necassarily a contract to ride for them, but to support suzuki, and have a couple of their bikes laying around for publicity purposes, but who knows, it is always worth a try.
The part that you have to keep in mind is a guy like RC has been used to getting big bucks for racing for many years... in addition he is now on a "track" to become a NASCAR race driver... these two things would prevent him from accepting an offer to test a machine like the Maico.
Plus as you guys are so fond of talking about regular guys riding older machines, how would someone of RC's caliber help in testing a machine? He is way, way, way faster than anyone that I know of, is very particular about his setup and is used to racing/riding bikes costing hundreds of thousands of dollars.
I don't get it.... ??? ???
I bet you that the Project two fifty rider is faster than Ricky Carmichael(I am sorry, I forgot his name, Brain fart, it happens), because Ricky hasn't been riding seriously for 2 years now, we have a rider who can test pretty well.
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I totally forgot that we had him (Mike Leavitt, yes?) I'm not sure how big of a name he is in the spotlight at the moment, but with any sort of success in the project, he should be a fairly hot topic. So yeah, nevermind all that before, we're pretty-well covered if he's onboard with it.
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People like RC are bought and paid for by a small pacific island, likely would either go against their contracts with the big kahunas or could hurt his relationship with a fat paycheck to test, especially favorable, to a small outfit with no ties to him.
So, even if he would do it, he would not score it favorably even if he wanted to (actually shouldn't score any stock production bike good based on what they ride). Plus, he is not a magazine style tester like Super Hunky as John said, he requires bikes that are molded to his body. I mean, the bikes he raced they took a plaster cast of his body and formed the bike afterwards.
Also, unlike Super Hunky who would do an honest test I don't think any magazine tester (let alone a big name racer) ever would anyway since even other magazine testers were not doing it 30 years ago since they would loose ad dollars (I'm pretty sure Dirt Bike magazine lost some ad cash for showing how ill-handling some of the bikes were back then).
As far as new Maicos looking like a YZ, I don't really see it but even if it did that's not a way to test a bike. "Ok, I am testing these new bikes, ok, KTM looks like an orange so must suck. Honda looks like a red apple, so probably sucks. Ok, RM looks like a sun since it's yellow, I think thats the best bike because I like the sun".
Look at this Jaded Ad (http://www.maicowerk.com/Articles/displaymag.php?id=38)
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my favorite bike as a kid was always the kx 100, i always wanted one but only ever got to ride my mate's i was stuck with the old xr100 lol not much of a camparison, still think the kx 100 is the perfect size bike for a teenager not ready for a 125
(http://img512.imageshack.us/img512/3533/kx1000.jpg) (http://img512.imageshack.us/i/kx1000.jpg/)
my fav bike now would have to be my RM 250 , 02 model haha a bit biased i think :)
(http://img684.imageshack.us/img684/6462/dsc02982o.jpg) (http://img684.imageshack.us/i/dsc02982o.jpg/)
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2008 KTM144SX everyone should try one of these bikes, you'll never want to give it back- unless maybe your a desert racer
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1981 KTM 495:The fastest production dirtbike to this day!!! My 2008 KTM-300xc ,2008 MAICO-500mx and without even seeing a major test yet the 2010 MAICO-500,620 & 700 mmx and I also have to say any Suzuki RM-250 from 2005 and up!
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Unfortunately, the KTM 495's record did get beaten by a KX500. However, it did so on only a very slim margin, and I seem to recall they lowered the suspension way down, while the KTM stayed virtually stock except for the gearing and miniature rider.