Possible new project

[dogger315]

Recently, a friend told me he had an old Orange bike with a big single cylinder that
has been sitting in his garage for years.  I asked him to email me a picture.  This is
what he sent:

It's a 1983 CR480 in OK shape and fairly complete.  I did some research and parts
are nearly gone so it will be a challenge, but I may go for it anyway.  It couldn't be
any harder than the 1973 CR250M I did a couple years back.

If I do the restoration, I'll post progress pictures here as I go.

dogger

[Recovered]

GO FOR IT.

 I can't comment on the parts availability...I'm not a Honda guy. But....those a re cools bikes, worth keeping alive and preserved. And the left side kick is awesome!

[JETZcorp]

Amen to left-side-kick.  I don't get how people can live with anything else.

[Alec S]

Kinda like the little old lady that says she has a "Chevy" in her barn and it turns out to be a Vette.

Nice find.

[scary_leary]

great project.. im after a 86-88 cr125 or yz125 for my own resto

[dogger315]

It is a pretty cool vintage big bore and the engines were not detuned like later
CR500s so it would probably be a hoot to ride.  I would like to restore it as a
rider/racer but with the ever increasing scarcity of parts, I don't know.

At least the plastic is available in reproduction and I could probably lace
up some more durable wheels.  It's the suspension and engine internals that
are the problem.  The guys I know that race vintage, scout around and buy
up every example of what they are racing to use for spares - probably a good
idea.

The '79 CR250 I just finished is a "rocket" by 1979 standards (left side kick
and all), but with that super scarce alloy = dent magnet fuel tank, and a
laundry list of NLA parts I would never dream of riding it anywhere but around
the yard - not after all the blood sweat and tears I poured into the restoration.

The last concern, is I can get a 100% restored version of this bike for $3500.
Normally, I like to do my own work but the last two I restored cost me two to
three times that amount.  It's kind of silly to put that much effort and money
into a project just so you can say I did it myself.  Decisions, decisions.

dogger

[JohnN]

dogger,

I know what you mean about the cost of restorations. The one and only one that I did cost me plenty!! I turned out really nice though.

Unfortunately I just didn't care to ride an "old" bike. I know that lot's of guys love them, but I prefer new.

As for the decision to buy or restore... if you buy finished, there are always things you'll change, but you'll save hours and hours searching for parts! Personally if I wanted an example of an older bike, I would buy it done already.... less headaches and frustration!!

Just my $.02

[dogger315]

Unfortunately I just didn't care to ride an "old" bike. I know that lot's of guys love them, but I prefer new.

Same here.  I love to look at them and hear them but I don't want to be "subjected" to them again.  A lot of
the damage done to my body over the years came from these old bikes and their jackhammer suspension.

It boils down to, every vintage bike I buy or restore is that much less money I have left to spend on purchasing
a (comparatively speaking), plush modern bike. 

I guess if I won the lottery, I could afford both.  In the meantime, I'll have to choose one or the other.

dogger

[Recovered]

Dogger you have given away your age a bit there

There are a BUNCH of folks out there whose bies didn't have enough suspension for the jumps of the day, not to mention that most of theose jumps had flat landings. It's a wonder there aren't more guys in wheelchairs from that era.

Personally, with a couple of exceptions, I doubt todays riders would be able to compete against those guys (on more than one level).

[JETZcorp]

Well, you have to admit that things have changed.  The idea of a "jump" wasn't really associated with motocross until long-travel suspension was on the way in.  Sure, it happened, but most of the air time came from bumps, ripples, and fast drop-aways.  As Ake Jonsson said at the time, "You can't accelerate when you're in the air."

[JohnN]

My favorite book of the 1970's was the Techniques of Motocross by Ake Jonsson. Man I just about wore that thing out reading and re-reading it.

[dogger315]

Dogger you have given away your age a bit there

You caught me Mad    Not much of my 40's left, so I guess I better go for it while I still can.

didn't have enough suspension for the jumps of the day

You got that right, there wasn't enough suspension period.  I think my first three bikes only had 5 or 6 inches of
travel up front and 3 to 5 inches out back.  Now add heat fade to the mix and your shocks more closely resembled
a pogo stick than a shock absorber about 15 minutes into the moto.

Remember when everyone moved their shocks forward on the swingarm to get more travel.  Until better shocks
came out, all that did was blow the seals or expedite the heat fade giving you a longer travel pogo stick.  My
Mikola Replica had the forward mounted shocks and those Girlings were worthless after 20 minutes.  The only
bikes I remember having semi-reliable longer travel suspension were the mono shock YZs and they had their own
set of problems.  Everyone wore a kidney belt back then, not for a fashion statement, but because it would be
unthinkable not to.

The idea of a "jump" wasn't really associated with motocross until long-travel suspension was on the way in.

I don't know about that, I remember plenty of jumps.  There weren't any doubles or triples or whoop sections but
there were plenty of tabletops, singles and drop off jumps.  Here is a picture of Saddleback from the mid 70s taken
from the top.  As you can see, there are some good size jumps 200 feet down at the bottom of the course.
 

you have to admit that things have changed.

The times have indeed changed and the obsession with more and more technical jumps and nothing but air time
has had a somewhat chilling effect on the sport.  Rick Siemans (Super Hunky) wrote:  "In my less than humble
opinion, the trend toward supercross-styled outdoor tracks is one of the biggest reasons for the decline of the
sport. In this age of rampant litigation, tracks get closed down, rather than have the landowners face huge legal
fees."     

I like big air as much as the next guy, but the capabilities of the bikes combined with more technical obstacles on
tracks has resulted in a lot of racers being drilled into the ground with serious and often life threatening injuries.
It got so bad a couple of years back that the promoters began making pro level tracks easier and safer.  Look at
all the teams last year that had riders out for the season with injuries.  It's not good for sales when racers are
constantly being seriously injured, paralyzed or sometimes killed.

dogger 

[Redrider43]

Dogger I have seen pics of your other restos and they are 1st class . I bought an 80 CR 250 last year and did a quick racing resto. New paint plastic and wheels and some suspension mods and for a modest amount of $ am having an awesome ride. Fiquare I can do a full restoration when its time to park it.

[dogger315]

Thanks Redrider. 

Fiquare I can do a full restoration when its time to park it.

That's a good plan.  I recommend you start stocking up on any parts you can
find now, They are only going to get scarcer and more expensive.

If you get a chance, post some pics of your racer, I'd like to see it.

dogger

[JETZcorp]

That reminds me, here's a word of warning I've picked up from the old-bike industry.  Never, ever try to restore a KTM.  Even though they're still strong and in bidness, parts for an old KTM are much, much harder to find that a Husky, Maico, Honda, etc.  Maico is especially easy I think, because I heard a rumor here and there that they geared up and flat-out manufactured an ass-load of parts for the Magnum engines, so you can just call 'em up and buy parts for your 490 or whatever.  Kewl.