Great video!! Those 500cc bikes of that time, especially the works bikes...just 😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍 Wonderful film with terrific quality, thanks so Michael for posting!
Yep, disc brakes on the factory bikes, watercooled already in the 500 class, many 125’s were already watercooled in ‘79, the works bikes anyway. Yamaha has a factory 125 watercooled works bike in 1976. There was even use of some limited carbon fiber as early as 1980 that I can confirm (Kent Howertons’ factory 1980 Suzuki 250 bike had a carbon fiber rear chain guide). I am sure it was already being used for small parts here and there. Kevlar also, I have seen a few Kevlar/Sglass air boxes on one off works bikes as far back as 1978. Before the AMA Started the production bike rule in 1986, the factory works machines were super exotic, especially the Honda’s from 1982-1985, they were phenomenal. Some of the Kawasaki, Yamaha and Suzuki’s were very special as well...the YZM500 works bike, only raced in Europe....while there is no rule against works bikes in Europe, the AMA took the exotic out of the sport in 1986, limiting everyone to production based machines....it was fateful and such a shame. Pro motocross in the 70s and 80’s had so much excitement surrounding the technology leaps you could glimpse in the works bikes....for me, it was almost the best part about it.
@@robertrishel3685 .. i have been in St. Anthonis in 1983 as a kid and saw Carla become World Champion on his Yamaha...but man, those Hondas were- bad ass....even vromans and everts had water-coold RM 500s....and later in 87 , i saw the YZM in Namur😊
@@marcusfistarol8270oh man! That is so cool! I would have loved to have seen a GP back then! I lived in Japan with my family from 1980-1984 and they raced works bikes in the All-Japan National series. I got to see some really exotic bikes! I raced as an amateur for the Mr.Bike team during my time there and we were a factory supported shop. In 1980-1982 it was Suzuki support; 83 Yamaha and 84 the team went to Honda. I was a junior/intermediate level racer but sometimes was given pretty cool factory parts as hand-me-downs from my faster teammate, Lon Kinder. Lon went on to be a factory supported Pro and raced works Hondas and Suzukis in the years after I left. Good times. It’s a great sport. Brutal….but there isn’t anything like it.
Great video!! Those 500cc bikes of that time, especially the works bikes...just 😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍
Wonderful film with terrific quality, thanks so Michael for posting!
Nice to see vids of these 500cc races, the last days of drum brakes & open face helmets . Evolution of the sport in front of our eyes
Thanks for posting 👍
Meilleurs époque du vrai motocross avec des vrais terrains pas comme aujourd'hui des autoroutes.
Dragons !!!! ❤️
Be ware,beast.oh good.
That first race start crash for Malherbe could have very well been the moment that cost him the Championship that year.
thought the same here
I think I have seen a hydraulic-clutch on one of the factory Hondas.....in 1983???
Marcus Fistarol yes. Hydraulic clutch, disc brakes & water cooled engines. State of the art
@@TimGuitarcouk I bet a WORKS bike now is worth $250k one off factory exotica constructed from unobtainium
Yep, disc brakes on the factory bikes, watercooled already in the 500 class, many 125’s were already watercooled in ‘79, the works bikes anyway. Yamaha has a factory 125 watercooled works bike in 1976. There was even use of some limited carbon fiber as early as 1980 that I can confirm (Kent Howertons’ factory 1980 Suzuki 250 bike had a carbon fiber rear chain guide). I am sure it was already being used for small parts here and there. Kevlar also, I have seen a few Kevlar/Sglass air boxes on one off works bikes as far back as 1978.
Before the AMA Started the production bike rule in 1986, the factory works machines were super exotic, especially the Honda’s from 1982-1985, they were phenomenal. Some of the Kawasaki, Yamaha and Suzuki’s were very special as well...the YZM500 works bike, only raced in Europe....while there is no rule against works bikes in Europe, the AMA took the exotic out of the sport in 1986, limiting everyone to production based machines....it was fateful and such a shame. Pro motocross in the 70s and 80’s had so much excitement surrounding the technology leaps you could glimpse in the works bikes....for me, it was almost the best part about it.
@@robertrishel3685 .. i have been in St. Anthonis in 1983 as a kid and saw Carla become World Champion on his Yamaha...but man, those Hondas were- bad ass....even vromans and everts had water-coold RM 500s....and later in 87 , i saw the YZM in Namur😊
@@marcusfistarol8270oh man! That is so cool! I would have loved to have seen a GP back then! I lived in Japan with my family from 1980-1984 and they raced works bikes in the All-Japan National series. I got to see some really exotic bikes! I raced as an amateur for the Mr.Bike team during my time there and we were a factory supported shop. In 1980-1982 it was Suzuki support; 83 Yamaha and 84 the team went to Honda. I was a junior/intermediate level racer but sometimes was given pretty cool factory parts as hand-me-downs from my faster teammate, Lon Kinder. Lon went on to be a factory supported Pro and raced works Hondas and Suzukis in the years after I left. Good times. It’s a great sport. Brutal….but there isn’t anything like it.
Kova
Noihin aikoihin 80 cc tuo varikkokurvi tuntui loputtomalta🤣