Awe man I'm feeling some crazy nostalgia! I'm 42 and back when I was in my late teens I owned this exact bike.. picked it up for $700 bucks in roughly 1995. I rebuilt the top end and man that bike was such a beast. Tons of mid range torque, the powerband was insane. I lost half an arm an leg in a bad crotch rocket (GXR 750) accident in 2008. Can't ride bikes anymore but I'm loving this channel!! Seeing you guys twist throttle on these big old school big bore 2 strokes just gives me a shit eating ear to ear grin! Keep it up boys!!!!
My god that is brilliant, almost unreal that this is even possible, and what an era to have the example, all bikes were at their best looking back then. Always dreamt of such a scenario with the entire KX range from 82-84 like this.. and throw in the kdx and klx too boot 😀
I remember like was yesterday rolling mine off the showroom. Mine smoked CR500's. It has the perfect gear ratios, perfect powerband, sweet handling. BEST woods bike of all time!
Yeah no doubt I was at a yard sale ten or so years ago and they had what they claimed was a brand new TM400 in their basement, and it looked new unused to me. It had a desert tank on it that looked unused.. They also had the original tank and it was for sure still new. The bike looked new and it wasn't a restoration. They wanted some money for it I forget exactly how much but $1400.00 comes to mind. I knew it was a screaming deal but didn't have the money. I've thought about that bike a lot since then wish I had bought it.
I've never been a guy who really appreciated bikes like this, because I always felt they were made to be ridden. Ever since I started watching Kaplan, I'm really developing an appreciation for this type of thing. It's necessary to have a few of these bikes out there, for museums, so people can see exactly what they were like when they were brand new. So cool for this guy to share his incredible bike with the world.
I am always on the fence for both directions, one side wants to keep it brand new, and the other thinks it should be ridden, I saw a video a while ago for a brand new 90s 454SS that had been in storage since it was delivered, It still had covers on the wheel and all 😳
I think that the original owner did things pretty well by buying two identical bikes and keeping one pristine while riding the crap out of the other one... best of both worlds, and he was probably able to have a lot of fun and not care as much about cosmetics on the one he rode.
Ken Sr. That young man that donated this to y’all to display in your museum . He has true value and is a true American the person that will this to him knew he wouldn’t take it out and just trash it he would value it what it meant to him looks like it means to this young man to. You do the same thing with Ken Junior he values the same thing you love and shows what a great father you are the best compliment in the world is to have a son and they have the same great values as you do. Keep making the great videos .
Jonathan,... Thank You for such a RARE and AMAZING contribution to the New England Motorcycle Museum. That snapshot of mechanical perfection is in the wholesome custody of honorable hands where all of your mutual generosity comes together sharing it with the greater motorcycling community. I am sure everyone can appreciate this gift,...Kaplan America is at the top of that list. Thanks Again to all of you... ( when I visit, I`ll remember this and think of your friend )
I wanted one so bad, I was just out of high school. Looking back it’s probably the best thing that never happened to me, it was full throttle or nothing...
I managed to flip an IT 465 on the beach once I hit the powerband in second gear back in '82. My Yamaha TY 50 had prepared me for this. I think I was pretty good riding that bike coz the owner was impressed by how I managed to powerslide deep sand before my monster wheelie took me out for the day. Awesome memories from Durban beach 40 years back when big bore IT's were the coolest bike on the beach and your mate let you loose on it. In retrospect I think the Suzuki PE400 that my school girl friend Shirley gladly shared with me did not do me any favours. Power delivery between the PE and the IT were worlds apart, Though only 2 years removed from each other. Much Respect for IT here.
That's awesome you graduated in 84, I graduated 87! Sweet bike and I love the color scheme. Too bad Yamaha's are that tone of blue now! Thank you for the great content!
My father loved these, especially the model with the front disc brake. He purchased more than a few of these and he would strip them down, restore them and build them back up and they always went so very well. Fully opened throttle whilst going sideways was a dream on these back in the 80's, you should see the trenches that the 140 rear tire would leave in freshly mowed front lawns, they were there until the neighbors filled them in, that was a different time.
I graduated high school in '84 as well. I certainly remember these awesome bikes as I was into the big bores. Raced an '82 RM465 & '84 KTM495 back then. It's in good hands for sure 👍
WoW Nice!! . I use to work for a motorcycle dealer in my younger days called ASK power sports. Paul Akers Had brand New bikes still in the crates from the 80s just collecting dust and probably sitting there today
I'm an owner of the 465 & it's gutsy,worked with a fella from Yamaha & I'm a fitter/machinist by trade-he relieved the yz head to stop the pinging.cheers
Classic! Had the opportunity to try a 400 back in the day, was highly impressed. This is so sweet. I could not have resisted gassing it up and start using it.
My uncle had one just like this. I remember riding it for the first time when I was 13 (im 40 now). The amount of power that thing had was insane! Theyre awesome bikes! This one is absolutely crisp!
Raced an 84 IT-175 in Texas State Enduro Circuit back in mid 80's. Have always had a love for those bikes. Big bore 2-stroke...better be hanging on tight when you twist that throttle. What a gorgeous bike.
Absolutely unbelievable! My all-time favorite bike is the IT 490 I finally found one last summer that's super nice that I love to death and you guys come up with this thing and I'm drooling over here holy crap!
OMG My wife & 3yr old girl are in the room just now, I was thinking the equal two most beautiful gals in existence and then I saw this IT490 and had to correct myself and say make that equal three most beautiful gals! Very nice bike mate and hats off to you for continuing to look after it meticulously, you're so deserving of your inheritance.
Priceless piece of motorcycle history . I have an 82 IT I bought brand new and its in my garage . Its been a wonderful and reliable machine to me . Like a good friend I will never sell it . Just like a gun that's never been fired , I hope they keep this 490 in the museum .
WOW! I would love to see that IT in person. unfortunately, I live on the west coast. I was fortunate enough to ride an IT400 on the trails a few times. I LOVE THE OLD 2 SMOKERS
Wow. I would have never believed there were any of them left that have never been started. That is crazy. It's cool he wants it in the museum so people can see it.
I had visions of it dropping...the way he was holding it straight up, stand on his side... Lol... I was nervous even. Man, a real beauty. Love bikes of that era.
Wow!! That is so awesome!! I've never saw a better looking bike for that age!! It's like stepping back in time!! I'm just blown away! If I couldn't ride it.. It would definitely have more miles on it from just pushing it around in my garage an seat wear from just sitting on it... An the wife yelling stop making those noises!! Lmbo!! Wow! So cool!!
Brings back memories of my youth I had an IT175 followed by 2 IT465. Took a spell of from bikes after breaking my shoulder and struggled to pay my mortgage thanks for showing your bike.
My first real dirt bike was a 1976 DT175 that I bought in 1982, I have owned several bikes since then including a 1989 CR500R which was far superior to the DT175. But my fondest memories are of my high school years with my friends riding in the mountains with our early dirt bikes. We were working class families and couldn't afford new bikes until we graduated (same as you 1984) and got jobs. Now I ride with my kids, but it's mostly four wheelers, I think I'm one of a few that still has the itch to be the next Hurricane Hannah or O'Dowd. Grew up in the mountains, and as teenagers in the 70s there was nothing cooler than motocross motorcycles and we scraped and saved until we got one. Luckily my dad enjoyed restoring old trucks as a hobby, so I had a fully stocked garage. Wood burning stove, an ancient snap-on front end alignment set up from the 50s, an old hoist hanging from a beam in the barn, workbench with a good Wilton vise and a full set of tools. Everything was old and used, but well maintained. The only thing that was new was all the metric tools we had to buy for the bikes, which my father never stopped bitching about. A lot of our tools were homemade because me dad was a machinist. He made the puller for me to remove the magnetic flywheel so we could change the points and condenser on the DT175. I still have that barn and it now has my 1966 B75 Mack sitting in it. Got to love the old iron!
WOW!!! That bike is awesome. What a beautiful specimen from our days... I also graduated in 84' thank you so much for sharing that amazing piece of history. Super cool.
I bought one of those new. It was a great trail bike. I ran it at the drags it ran 13.3 seconds at 96 mph. Thanks for the video. Regards from. Australia
Loved IT's, Bought a 175cc in 1976-77. Built like a tank and decently fast and agile. Sold Yamaha's back in 1982 for a dealer named Cycle Sport in Tyson's Corner VA, we had several IT's : 175, 250 465 and later in 1983-84 a 490. They sat on the sales floor a long time....Oh well !
That exhaust alone is very cool original my IT had the stock exhaust like that one i never saw another besides mine and now this one here in a condition like this! Very awesome!
Gives me encouragement to get my old '85 DR600 on the road again. Can't wait to be able to visit the museum sometime soon. Maybe I'll ride the old DR! 9hrs, no big deal!
I had the same but a 250. They were street legal In Australia but being on my learners permit I was restricted to 250cc. I was tempted to get the 490 and change the stickers. Great handling bike. It was much higher than my CR250 RE but it didn't bother me.
Cousin and his buddy had those in 1983. I thought too much for R I woods but so much fun in the now closed RI desert. But then again who really doesn’t want too much power??!
I had an yamaha it 200, back 25 years ago, was 13 when I had it, loved that bike, ride it every day in the fields around my house, and on the weekend rode it over mountain trails, never ever let me down, best built bike in the world
AMAZING! These are street legal in Australia, my brother had one in 1991-92 and I had the pleasure of riding it on the road a few times. Beastly machine.
Ken Kaplan.... you are by far the coolest guy on the planet. If I could be anybody in the world, without a doubt I’d want to be you. I just think your the greatest guy on the planet!
I've ridden alot of different bikes from 80,85,125,250 motocross bikes, small and big thumpers over my 48 years of life and I rode a piped 86 IT200 back in the late 80s and it was one of the best bikes I've ever ridden.
amazing. My friend has a 1984 orange XR350 never seen dirt or started either.His dad bought it for him form Wilsons Honda of Spokane in 1983 tags still on it too.
Had the pleasure of buying an IT490K brand new (fully registered in Australia)a few months later I traded my 1100 Katana for a brand new RZ500L loved an had both of them in my garage!
I rode one of those 1988 YZ490 back in 2001 I think I’ll weighed around 120 pounds. There was so much torque Not only could I not kickstart it! But once I got it up and running it would literally spin tire through the first four gears in the grass and not wheelie for me. Haha. A true Stump Puller!!!
I love the fact that he bought 2 so he could tear up one and keep one pristine or borrow a bolt off it like he did. May he RIP the legend who owned this
My Dad had one back in the 80’s.........we lived in Coffs Harbour Australia!!! He is 80 years old and still rides every weekend on his WR250,wow that is a trip down memory lane.
I bought the first IT 400 available in Washington State in 1975. It was like Star Wars equipment compared to the competition. It was the World’s First production monoshock off road bike. Yamaha medaled at the ISDE with the IT 400 that first year.
Oh WOW! That is truly a thing of beauty. we used to have a motorcycle dealer here in the u.k that sold IT's. We were always down there looking at them and touching them and indeed wanting one. I got to ride a friends 490 a while later. It was a far better bike than I was a rider that's for sure.
