Grade 10 in high school I bought a 1975 Can Am 250. It came with lights, brake, turn and head light, had it licensed for the street and drove the wheels off of it. It was also mint, wish I never sold it.
Thanks brother chaplain for keep on bringing out these fine dirtbikes of the 1970s so many great motocross bikes that were built strong for the rough tracks of motocross from this model can am to the orange can ams absolutely beautifull these twin shockers and these bikes of the 70s were strong frame and engines the qualifier and the bomadeir both motocross and enduro models I rode a orange model and I like how the carburetor is hidden in the cases and the engines were to tax and Canada could build the best vintage bikes in the world I know they are history but the dream will come back one day
I loved my Elsinore… But I bought a 125 Can-Am later in the summer and sold my Elsinore. The Can-Am was better all around and a much more forgiving motorcycle. The CR had a power band… I don’t remember the actual RPM but I want to say 10,500… Was where the CR power came on. Just a completely different way to build a motorcycle and to ride. So much fun! Thank you for the video, great job and I haven’t smiled this much in ages.
Vivid memories of my childhood dreams seeing these in Canada, as my mom was from Quebec city. They were a fantasy bike to me and sounded so good! Not to mention performed so well! Riding it like it was '74 Ken awesome wheelies!
awesome bike ! I had the 125 model. It ripped ! bought it at an auction brand new for $375 from a shop that was going out of business. I was 15 and earned the money working at a hot dog resturaunt. First bike I bought with my own earnings. That sound brings back fond memories. Keep up the awesome videos sir !
I was in go-kart scene for while had a mate of a mate, unfortunately got t boned on his bike left him paraplegic godless him...he loved his speed so he got himself a go-kart tailor made...he had twin 250 rotax against our 100cc sprint carts.. .laptimes were roughly 1min I reckon every three laps he was lapping. He had probs with the carbs to get em to stay in tune with each other... I did drive it once omg what a machine the pull outta corners was insane.....tunnel vision all the way.I went to bed that night and falling asleep I would twitch seeing the track and move my arms as if I was steering till I gathered my sensors!........
I've been watching your channel for a couple years and it s one of my favorites because I loved motocross racing and the bikes. You have the most awesome collection of those bikes from back in the day , my days. Back then the motocross tracks were ruled by two stroke bikes that would run out from under a rider not prepared for the rate of acceleration. I had a friend that rode a Yamaha MX 500. I believe that was the name of the model at that time. I remember it had a gray tank. It was without question the most awesome/ scariest bike I ever got on. It.would pick the front tire up in fifth gear and keep it up far as you wanted to go. I only rode this bike out in a grassy field. I couldn't imagine trying to tame this bike making it do your bidding on a motocross track. Only the racers in top shape with experience racing big bore two stroke machines could even hope to tame it enough to race it and live to tell about it. I can't remember seeing another since the first time we went to the motocross track that ran races near our home and I saw that Bultaco a racer brought to race. I remember when he passed the last bike to take over first place the guy racing it could and did run that track pulling a wheelie most of the way around. Another favorite back in the day was Husqvarna although I only saw one of that brand at same track. I want to finish this listening to that Can Am and that is to me the sound motocross bikes are supposed to have. Only sorry I can't savor the smell I know it gives as you twist the throttle giving that throaty big bore two stroker the iconic sound. Damn it sounds great. Thank you.
In a pro race I'm 3rd-4th at the start and this guy in a white jersey named 'Ellis' comes flying past ALL of us in 100 ft..!.. First time I saw Jimmy Ellis. That works Can-Am was wayyy faster than anything I'd seen to date.
Im 64 and grew up around these as a kid...Ive never owned one ..they were the stuff of dreams at the time...I had a rich neighbor who was always getting the latest and best of everything...Of course ,he got the can-am ,if I recall correctly, he had the 125cc and later traded that in and got the 250..at the time, all I could afford was a honda sl 70... Imagine me trying to follow him in the trails !! I;d be next to killing myself, getting beaten to a pulp by my little bike while he effortlessly blitzed thru the toughest enduro trails like a knife thru butter...Always loved the look of those can-ams, the huge finned heads,slim cases and beast sound and power... just a gorgeous machine...yeah those had such a power edge It was almost like a cheat
I can only hope you will keep bikes like this Can Am to preserve the heritage and memory of them. They aren't making bikes like the ones Riger Decoster , Bob Hurricane Hanna , .Joel Roberts , Marty Tripes , Ake Johnson and the list goes on and on, raced at tracks like Carlsbad that tested riders ability and body condition completely and any flaw in either would show and the winner and any anyone that could stay with him were world class and all knew it. It is at the top of my bucket list to come visit and see the bikes that were rode by the best racers in the world and were raced in my day. I remember wishing Honda would come out with two stroke motocrossers and when the Elsinore hit the show room floors I remember wanting one so bad it was all I thought about. The original silver and green were my favorites and it was total disappointment when my parents told me they had checked and those were racing bikes and I would not be getting one. I had a friend who got the original CR 125 and asked me to take him since I had a truck to pick it up and when we got home he rode untill worn out and asked me if I wanted to take it for a few laps on our hand laid moto track. I was scared I would crash and damage it so bad I didn't try to run hard but remember like yesterday the feel and gone from here power that Elsinore CR 125 had. ( I even loved the name Honda gave it) He continued to let me take it for a few laps the two years he rode it and while he took a break. He knew how much I loved them and how bad I had wanted one and that's why he let me ride so much. Thankfully I never had a crash nor blew the engine but he always insisted I give it Hell. I never did but had a blast and it was and will always be my favorite dirt bike of all time.
Amazing when you think back to every memory throughout your life this bike was mostly sitting and waiting, even more amazing is the engineering and fabrication that went into this in the early 70s, not too much different than today's bikes in the bigger picture. Allot of mechanical history to learn about this bike. Long distance between carb and crank giving the low end torque delayed throttle response compared to today's short runners, guess it would give it a velocity turbo effect once the plate rotated to an opening. Wonder how that effected expansion chamber function. Would be an interesting series for you guy's to break down a similar bike and explain the guts one piece at a time.
At the vintage festival at Barbers a guy was racing this same type bike. He said that the bikes came about as a solution to the seasonal labor nightmare of the snow mobile market.
Nothing but mad respect for that horsepower hog! Seems like Kawasaki KX125 had a rotary valve induction at one time. I rode one and it was not pipey, did not need the gear down and rev to get it on the pipe. But it handled like a go-kart! Worst steering and suspension with an exceptional engine I ever experienced. It was very aggravating to ride because the engine was ready to go but I would have to back out of it because it felt like it had no suspension. I wonder why didn't the rotary valve catch on with others?
yep! that was a unique thing back in the day and a power advantage in those rotax engines... kawasaki used the rotary valve in some of its bikes as well though not with the same sucess.. I had a kawasaki 175 enduro that had it though it couldnt touch a can am 175 powerwise... it did give it a wider powerband ..
Side note about plate fed rotax snowmobiles, nothing like it, if it wasnt for reverse on snowmobiles, the rotary valve would still be alive... Ski doo? See you....lol
