1979 crop of 250 comparisons

nicko-31
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nicko-31
Edited Date/Time 1/30/2020 4:07pm
What's the deal with the flood of only CR250 ever being showcased ? It doesent seem like there are many other models being restored. I've ridden a 1979 CR 250 and it was ok but not awesome. Were the YZ,RM , KX of that class soo shitty no one wants to race restore them or is just a parts available thing. I do remember from that time that the KX was almost non existent. Just a random questions
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Brett Campbell 1/2/2020 5:45am
1/2/2020 5:45am
I have a 79 YZ250 and I love it. I use it for woods and trail riding. The engine has really good power, although little pipey. Now the suspension is no comparison to modern bikes, but I like the way it sits a bit lower to the ground. I don't have any problems getting parts for mine but others may be different.
chrisg19
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chrisg19 1/2/2020 6:27am
1/2/2020 6:27am
It seems to me there are more YZ’s than any other bike at the Post Vintage races I attend. Maybe it’s a regional thing, but there is only one other 79 CR that consistently lines up with me at the races.
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bultokid
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bultokid 1/2/2020 8:08am
1/2/2020 8:08am
The Red Rocket was a cool bike...it was light years ahead of my '79 Bultaco at the time
nicko-31
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nicko-31 1/2/2020 8:44am
1/2/2020 8:44am
chrisg19 wrote:
It seems to me there are more YZ’s than any other bike at the Post Vintage races I attend. Maybe it’s a regional thing, but there...
It seems to me there are more YZ’s than any other bike at the Post Vintage races I attend. Maybe it’s a regional thing, but there is only one other 79 CR that consistently lines up with me at the races.
I'm a Yamaha guy myself , I guess it seems the internet has more CR's than other brands. In 79 I was 13 years old and didn't see very many of them. Mostly YZ's then RM's few CR's. Not one KX.

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450exc115
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450exc115 1/2/2020 8:55am
1/2/2020 8:55am
79 YZ was an all around good machine, Yamaha tucked the front end a little, got a better shock and the motor was bullet proof. - Hannah was the man so they sold a ton and parts are still easy to find.

78.5/79 RMs were good, great motor and good suspension, Suzuki still carries a bunch of parts but good cases and cylinders are harder to find.

78-80 CRs have a iconic status for some reason probably because they needed so much aftermarket help to live up to their potential. Shocks, forks, swingarms all made of beer can metal but man are they cool looking and yes I do own one. LOL

KXs? Having owned a few over the years they seem to be made of recycled alum, chewing gum and duct tape and why I believe you don't seem them as they all wore out and were tossed in the garbage long ago.

If you want a good race bike the YZ would be top on my list followed by the RM and CR. If you want a show piece of a money pit the CR is the way to go! Smile
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nicko-31
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nicko-31 1/2/2020 9:25am
1/2/2020 9:25am
450exc115 wrote:
79 YZ was an all around good machine, Yamaha tucked the front end a little, got a better shock and the motor was bullet proof. -...
79 YZ was an all around good machine, Yamaha tucked the front end a little, got a better shock and the motor was bullet proof. - Hannah was the man so they sold a ton and parts are still easy to find.

78.5/79 RMs were good, great motor and good suspension, Suzuki still carries a bunch of parts but good cases and cylinders are harder to find.

78-80 CRs have a iconic status for some reason probably because they needed so much aftermarket help to live up to their potential. Shocks, forks, swingarms all made of beer can metal but man are they cool looking and yes I do own one. LOL

KXs? Having owned a few over the years they seem to be made of recycled alum, chewing gum and duct tape and why I believe you don't seem them as they all wore out and were tossed in the garbage long ago.

If you want a good race bike the YZ would be top on my list followed by the RM and CR. If you want a show piece of a money pit the CR is the way to go! Smile
That is exactly what I thought. You nailed it . I have an 85 YZ 125 which when it was tested was second to last in all the shootouts but modern technology Suspension and motor mods make it a real fun bike to race ride and own. Some of the hard parts are still in stock .,Crazy but your soo right on your 78-79 CR's very cool .
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motogeeze
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motogeeze 1/2/2020 12:45pm
1/2/2020 12:45pm
I was riding a Magnum Maico 250 in 79 , not the fastest but one of the better handling machines at the time , also a friend was on a Husky CR 250 which was a pretty good bike too. Of course as the long travel single shock suspension and power valves came along those marques didnt quite keep up with the trends and fell out of favor. Those monoshock Yamahas were everywhere tho, they sold tons of those things..
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nicko-31
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nicko-31 1/2/2020 2:05pm
1/2/2020 2:05pm
"Those monoshock Yamahas were everywhere tho, they sold tons of those things." Well if you do any or much searching on the web it just seems again that the CR's are the more sought after and resurrected than any others that same year.
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Matt Fisher
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Matt Fisher 1/2/2020 7:25pm
1/2/2020 7:25pm
nicko-31 wrote:
"Those monoshock Yamahas were everywhere tho, they sold tons of those things." Well if you do any or much searching on the web it just seems...
"Those monoshock Yamahas were everywhere tho, they sold tons of those things." Well if you do any or much searching on the web it just seems again that the CR's are the more sought after and resurrected than any others that same year.
What sold well at the time doesn't necessarily mean it will be the most desirable in the future.
For example, Ford sold more sedans then Chevy in 55-57, and virtually no one finds them to be more desirable than a 55-57 Chevy.
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JMCR250
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JMCR250 1/2/2020 7:35pm
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The 78 CR250 was the first production bike to sport 12" of travel, coupled with a motor that virtually guaranteed you the holeshot. Rear shocks needed to be replaced immediately, and many added a beefier swingarm, but that bike changed the paradigm in the 250 class. Mine turned me from a mid-pack B rider to a front of the class B rider. Did very well locally on the bike and qualified for the regional of the national amateur championship. Only problem there was that virtually the entire gate was on CRs, so my holeshot advantage disappeared! LOL.
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riv187
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riv187 1/3/2020 7:17am
1/3/2020 7:17am Edited Date/Time 1/3/2020 7:45am
Years ago I took 3 bikes over to a friends,,1979 KX250 with foxs,,1978.5 RM250 C2 with foxs and Simons,,and a 1979 CR250 also with Foxs. We trail rode,,raced on a closed old school moto cross track, drag raced over and over in a field. We traded back and forth all day.
It was clear that the KX was a little tiny bit faster by a length on the CR&RM,,pulled smoother with it's Mikuni than the CRs Keihin,,and felt more ergo right. On the tight trails the smoother wider power of the KX made it alot easier to ride and hook-up..The CR had a nice mid range hit that could be used effectively with clutching out of corners,,,the RM was strong as well,,a little lower power delivery than CR, and in the hunt. The KX was easier shifting too. The CR was clunky shifting. The left side kicker was no ones favorite if you stalled it in the woods in a awkward place. The RM maybe felt a tad heavier and thicker at mid section. A good rider could win on any of these,,and traction and shifting decided many drag races,,but in the end we all wanted to ride the KX home. Just a better all around bike.
nicko-31
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nicko-31 1/3/2020 11:55am
1/3/2020 11:55am Edited Date/Time 1/3/2020 5:12pm
My memory of the time (13) years old was that in NY no one had a 250 KX or 125. Only things I remember were from article's from Magazines.
riv187
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riv187 1/3/2020 3:41pm
1/3/2020 3:41pm
nicko-31 wrote:
My memory of the time (13) years old was that in NY no one had a 250 KX or 125. Only things I remember were from...
My memory of the time (13) years old was that in NY no one had a 250 KX or 125. Only things I remember were from article's from Magazines.
There was maybe 1500 total 1979 kx250s imported. That's about 31 per STATE in the continental US. Sure there where more in CA or other hotbeds...but still rare. Kawasaki made them light and more fragile,,,parts where a bit more pricey and scarce,the few that survive are too often hidden away than raced. I also have owned and raced 1977/80/81 YZs...they are great bikes and rock solid reliable.Hard to kill the old mono shocks. CRs are great bikes in some ways,,,but nearly no one runs stock forks,swingarm,shocks,carb,,on them. They can be a money pit for buying cool parts. The KX came from factory with aluminum swingarm, 38mm Mikuni,38mm KYB forks,,gold anodized wheels and arm,,drilled lightweight bolts and axles...
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JMCR250
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JMCR250 1/3/2020 6:45pm
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The KXs were trick looking bikes, but in the midwest they were few and far between in 78-79. Around our area, it was all YZs and CRs with a few RMs and euro bikes mixed in.
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Tumblin 1/4/2020 10:02am
1/4/2020 10:02am
nicko-31 wrote:
My memory of the time (13) years old was that in NY no one had a 250 KX or 125. Only things I remember were from...
My memory of the time (13) years old was that in NY no one had a 250 KX or 125. Only things I remember were from article's from Magazines.
riv187 wrote:
There was maybe 1500 total 1979 kx250s imported. That's about 31 per STATE in the continental US. Sure there where more in CA or other hotbeds...but...
There was maybe 1500 total 1979 kx250s imported. That's about 31 per STATE in the continental US. Sure there where more in CA or other hotbeds...but still rare. Kawasaki made them light and more fragile,,,parts where a bit more pricey and scarce,the few that survive are too often hidden away than raced. I also have owned and raced 1977/80/81 YZs...they are great bikes and rock solid reliable.Hard to kill the old mono shocks. CRs are great bikes in some ways,,,but nearly no one runs stock forks,swingarm,shocks,carb,,on them. They can be a money pit for buying cool parts. The KX came from factory with aluminum swingarm, 38mm Mikuni,38mm KYB forks,,gold anodized wheels and arm,,drilled lightweight bolts and axles...
The '78 KX's were of limited production, in '79 Kawi cranked them out.
riv187
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riv187 1/4/2020 1:00pm
1/4/2020 1:00pm
nicko-31 wrote:
My memory of the time (13) years old was that in NY no one had a 250 KX or 125. Only things I remember were from...
My memory of the time (13) years old was that in NY no one had a 250 KX or 125. Only things I remember were from article's from Magazines.
riv187 wrote:
There was maybe 1500 total 1979 kx250s imported. That's about 31 per STATE in the continental US. Sure there where more in CA or other hotbeds...but...
There was maybe 1500 total 1979 kx250s imported. That's about 31 per STATE in the continental US. Sure there where more in CA or other hotbeds...but still rare. Kawasaki made them light and more fragile,,,parts where a bit more pricey and scarce,the few that survive are too often hidden away than raced. I also have owned and raced 1977/80/81 YZs...they are great bikes and rock solid reliable.Hard to kill the old mono shocks. CRs are great bikes in some ways,,,but nearly no one runs stock forks,swingarm,shocks,carb,,on them. They can be a money pit for buying cool parts. The KX came from factory with aluminum swingarm, 38mm Mikuni,38mm KYB forks,,gold anodized wheels and arm,,drilled lightweight bolts and axles...
Tumblin wrote:
The '78 KX's were of limited production, in '79 Kawi cranked them out.
78s where around 500 bikes,,,,79 was about 1500. Still divide 1500 with all the kawasaki dealers and if anyone got 2-3 I bet it was alot. I remember going to my dealers back then 79-80 and never seeing a 79 kx,,and only a couple 80 models...the other brands had plenty to go around. Maybe why I was attracted to the green ones..they where rare.
nicko-31
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nicko-31 1/4/2020 2:34pm
1/4/2020 2:34pm Edited Date/Time 1/4/2020 2:35pm
RIV187 wrote,"Kawasaki made them light and more fragile,,,parts where a bit more pricey and scarce,the few that survive are too often hidden away than raced." I last owned a 1985 KX125. Even now 2000 KX's are very difficult to find powervalve parts for. Very pricey. I wanted a vintage 80's bike and I was smart enough to check parts availability before I found my 85 YZ 125. Yamaha still has new power valves for them. 85 KX !! forget it.
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Oldmxer95
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Oldmxer95 1/4/2020 9:31pm
1/4/2020 9:31pm
Can’t find a current picture but I am a proud owner of a survivor 78 KX250A4.
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nicko-31
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nicko-31 1/7/2020 2:54pm
1/7/2020 2:54pm
That's very rare for Japanese bikes for sure. Post some pics when you can. I would very much like to see that. Thanks
Oldmxer95
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Oldmxer95 1/7/2020 4:57pm
1/7/2020 4:57pm
nicko-31 wrote:
That's very rare for Japanese bikes for sure. Post some pics when you can. I would very much like to see that. Thanks
Just found one, here it is. I have since had the gas tank repainted.


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nicko-31
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nicko-31 1/8/2020 2:30am
1/8/2020 2:30am
nicko-31 wrote:
That's very rare for Japanese bikes for sure. Post some pics when you can. I would very much like to see that. Thanks
Oldmxer95 wrote:
Just found one, here it is. I have since had the gas tank repainted. [img]https://p.vitalmx.com/photos/forums/2020/01/07/396716/s1200_7_13_14_005.jpg[/img]
Just found one, here it is. I have since had the gas tank repainted.


I like it. I've never seen one in person though. There's a guy in my area that specializes in gas take painting for vintage . looks like its a racer correct?
Oldmxer95
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Oldmxer95 1/8/2020 6:45am
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nicko-31 wrote:
I like it. I've never seen one in person though. There's a guy in my area that specializes in gas take painting for vintage . looks...
I like it. I've never seen one in person though. There's a guy in my area that specializes in gas take painting for vintage . looks like its a racer correct?
I have raced it a few times but now that the tank has been restored, it’s race days are over. I have a 78 RM125C for that.
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Shawbridge Husky 1/9/2020 4:01pm
1/9/2020 4:01pm Edited Date/Time 1/9/2020 4:01pm
How did the Can-Am MX-5 250's stack up back then in '79 ? I'm guessing they were on their last legs as '80 saw the newer generation YZ, RM and CR's coming out. I read the July '81 Motocross action test on the MX6-250B and it mentioned the bike was in the running two years prior but that by '81 it was badly dated..
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Oldmxer95 1/9/2020 7:02pm
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Shawbridge Husky wrote:
How did the Can-Am MX-5 250's stack up back then in '79 ? I'm guessing they were on their last legs as '80 saw the newer...
How did the Can-Am MX-5 250's stack up back then in '79 ? I'm guessing they were on their last legs as '80 saw the newer generation YZ, RM and CR's coming out. I read the July '81 Motocross action test on the MX6-250B and it mentioned the bike was in the running two years prior but that by '81 it was badly dated..
As rare as my 78 KX250 was the Can-Am’s were almost non existent in my area.
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nicko-31
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nicko-31 1/10/2020 5:59pm
1/10/2020 5:59pm
I'm in NY and I had an older friend who had a MX-6 250 with works performance shocks that I remember. Ugly but cool I don't think there's many of them around now.
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Shawbridge Husky 1/10/2020 6:48pm
1/10/2020 6:48pm
Lots in Quebec and Ontario in the vintage circles, you'll see some at Unadilla I gather. Fast, quiet and reliable engines but heavy and no brakes. Frame can't take abuse from big jumps. I'm doing one up with 43mm Kayaba's and a DLS brake should be fun.
Hasletjoe
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Hasletjoe 1/28/2020 10:58am
1/28/2020 10:58am
Keep in mind that location would also determine what you saw at the track. In the DFW area, the Suzuki and Yamaha dealers were on board with MX from the beginning. Once they had a bike to sell, they ramped up support and stocked lots of parts for them. I recall in 74 one of the Honda dealers never had the early CR's on the floor. Lots of Gold Wings and CB's on display. Just a few miles down the road, the Honda dealer couldn't keep one on the floor. Saturday was a scene as dads and future MX champions were loading them in trucks to go racing on Sunday. Fairly common to see someone show up with new bike helmet and home made numbers. I worked at a Kawasaki dealer mid 70's and we had a couple of current bikes, but a warehouse of the older non-competitive 75-76 models we sold for trail riders. Realize the Honda/Kawasaki guys had bad starts! Today in the local VMX racing, we have a contingent of the KX's in the Pre 75 class. Parts are there for lots of bikes, just have to hunt harder for some. Ironic that most of the Maico, CZ, Bultaco and Husky bits can be sourced. Jap stuff getting harder and more difficult. I like them all, well except maybe the new Chinese offerings!!!!!
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FreshTopEnd 1/28/2020 12:14pm
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Shawbridge Husky wrote:
How did the Can-Am MX-5 250's stack up back then in '79 ? I'm guessing they were on their last legs as '80 saw the newer...
How did the Can-Am MX-5 250's stack up back then in '79 ? I'm guessing they were on their last legs as '80 saw the newer generation YZ, RM and CR's coming out. I read the July '81 Motocross action test on the MX6-250B and it mentioned the bike was in the running two years prior but that by '81 it was badly dated..
Pretty sure those are the bikes that Donnie Hansen rode before his factory Honda gig.

There were a fair number of CanAms in NorCal, Alex Jorgensen rode them when he went MXing. My recollection is that they always had HP but handling not so great. Believe GMan here rode one of the orange big bores.
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Madmax31
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Madmax31 1/30/2020 12:07pm
1/30/2020 12:07pm
Anyone familiar with the 79 can-am 370? How bad is the handling? Can it be fixed with suspension?
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