Vintage Supermotard?

Anyone know anything about vintage supermotard bikes? I think it would be awesome to build a replica.

I can't see the pics at work, but most 70/80's enduros, with front disc added and modern calipers usually do the trick. Throw in some 17" or 18" hoops with new tires, and viola, vintage motard.

PHeller wrote: I can't see the pics at work, but basically what you have pictured, and viola, vintage motard.

FTFY

Haha, I still can't see the picture, even going around the back way, but i can see a thumbnail.

Probably an XT500, XT600 (doubtful) or XT350, 17" Excel wheels, converted to disc front.

XT500 is highly desired stateside now because everybody wants a Yamaha 500 single cafe racer or similar.

Would a vintage supermotard essentially be a TT bike?

There was a motorcycle and hot rod shop out one of my favorite roads that had a BSA 441 Victor which just had street tires on it, but it was pretty darn cool in that fundamental MX-bike-on-pavement way...

Looked rather like this:

I was basically thinking of a '70s small displacement 2-stroke with some sticky road tires and an updated suspension.

Can somebody spell DT-1?

stroker wrote: Can somebody spell DT-1?

I have a CT3 already. I would probably do one out of another small displacement Yamaha two-stroke like a DT1 or CT3.

Looks good, dunno if I'd have called it a supermoto. They're called flat trackers.

Osterkraut wrote: Looks good, dunno if I'd have called it a supermoto. They're called flat trackers.

It's street tracker, and that's not really one.

I took my license on this

I'm going this weekend to look at a 70's 2 stroke street legal dual sport. It would make a nice addition to the collection

I have always wanted a two stroke vintage looking race bike. Ride it during nice weather and hang it on my office wall during the winter.

Zomby woof wrote:

Osterkraut wrote: Looks good, dunno if I'd have called it a supermoto. They're called flat trackers.

It's street tracker, and that's not really one.

Didn't see the plate, but that's pretty much bang on for a street tracker. Mmm... sexy

Ok so it's missing front brake, but I'd want one of those for the street.

Same bike, front light removed for racing:

Same model, actually done up as a supermotard:

That's funny. Those pics of the XT came from a thread titled "My vintage supermoto" and the race it was in was a supermoto race, not a dirt track.

I don't get supermoto bikes. I've been to their races, I've ridden them, and frankly still think they're kind of stupid. If you want a street bike, get a street bike.

Started out as sorta IROC for motorcycles.

Supermoto History

Zomby woof wrote: That's funny. Those pics of the XT came from a thread titled "My vintage supermoto" and the race it was in was a supermoto race, not a dirt track.

Indeed. Later in that thread there was even a guy commenting on how there seemed to have been some trackers posted. Some people just can't follow directions.

Osterkraut wrote: Same model, actually done up as a supermotard:

Moar info, please.

Osterkraut wrote: Indeed. Later in that thread there was even a guy commenting on how there seemed to have been some trackers posted. Some people just can't follow directions.

Or admit when they're wrong

phaze1todd wrote:

Osterkraut wrote: Same model, actually done up as a supermotard:

Moar info, please.

All I know is it has an XR650R engine swap, and is seriously ugly.

Zomby woof wrote:

Osterkraut wrote: Indeed. Later in that thread there was even a guy commenting on how there seemed to have been some trackers posted. Some people just can't follow directions.

Or admit when they're wrong

I know! Dude, you need to look at the first bike, then the picture of the XT supermoto'd out, and say "well E36 M3, the yellow one isn't a supermotard, my bad." If OP is interested in that look, he needs to start looking at flat/street trackers.

So what is the difference between the vintage supermoto bikes and street trackers?

Suspension travel?

Trackers always seemed to be lowered, and supermotos always retain dirtbike suspension travel.

^^I think that difference mainly has to do with the wheel sizes. To my knowledge, street trackers generally aren't lowered.

Basically, it boils down to wheels tires and brakes.

The supermoto has 17" wheels and generally sportbike rubber, or a specific sumo tire, and 'big' brakes, relative to dirtbikes. Outside of competition, they're usually setup for 95% street riding.

The street trackers' looks are based on dirt track ( or flat track or oval track, depending on who you're talking to) race bikes, and leaving aside competition modifications, they're generally just a dirt tracker with street equipment like lights. They wear 19" wheels at both end, and don't usually wear modern sportbike rubber because of that size.

Your original picture was very typical of a street tracker look.

And, for the record, modern dirtbikes generally run 18" rear and 21" front wheels.

I really like that XT500, but kind of prefer the original motor (pictured is water cooled and 4-valve). I've got a .pdf file with a nice writeup on an XT500 from a British big magazine a couple years ago if you are interested, but it's a big file - 9 meg! the whole magazine "Classic Motorcycle Mechanics from October 2005".

Dan

So it worked out, and I got my vintage dual sport tonight. Guess what year it is Check out the leather tool bag. It still has the original Magura controls, and leather covers over them. It was originally a competition enduro bike, but has been street plated. It's my second Can-am. I'll use this one for light street duty, and vintage hare scrambles, the other for post vintage MX, and now looking for one for the true vintage MX class

76 or 77 is my guess based off Exhuast pipe design. I personaly am not a big Can-Am fan (bad experiance as a kid...on freind new bike) but that looks nice and clean well done!

It's a 77, hence the number

There was no Qualifier in 76, just the MX and TNT. They're extremely well built and rugged bikes. They were very competitive up until about 76/77, but when the Japanese started building decent bikes, they were kind of left behind. I loved them as a kid. It was the patriotic thing to do