Old dirt bikes, Ossa specifically
A friend wants to sell one, a '72 Pioneer 250. Complete and original, 1400 miles on it, been sitting 30 years with sand in the gas tank (long story).
Anyone work on old dirt bikes? I know some of the obscure makes have cult followings, like Hodaka, Bultaco, Maico and a few others. Ossas were sposda be pretty badass in their day, I've heard. I'm going to wait a few weeks 'til he comes down a bit on the price.
It's a street-legal 2-stroke enduro, and I could register it in AZ very easily, and with a little creativity and a mail forwarding service, keep it registered when I'm back in California[}:)].
Anyone work on old dirt bikes? I know some of the obscure makes have cult followings, like Hodaka, Bultaco, Maico and a few others. Ossas were sposda be pretty badass in their day, I've heard. I'm going to wait a few weeks 'til he comes down a bit on the price.
It's a street-legal 2-stroke enduro, and I could register it in AZ very easily, and with a little creativity and a mail forwarding service, keep it registered when I'm back in California[}:)].
0
-
Anyone can work on a 2 stoke dirt bike - they're fairly simple. But on one like this, I can't help but think, why would you want to? Is there something special about it? I know it is a brand you don't see anymore & that is kinda cool, but there would be a lot of con's in getting it going - parts availability, it'll be slow, it'll have crappy brakes & suspension & I doubt it'd be comfortable. I'm not knocking this bike, but any on/off road bike from the early 70s. 0 -
There is a very large vintage dirt bike movement.
Most of the lte 60's 70's and early 80's dirt bikes are selling for double what they sold for new.
Even if a guy does not want to restor an old dirt bike the market will pay top dollar for the parts if you strip them down and sell it off as parts.
The original equipment commands high dollar for those who are resoring these bikes.0 -
If you can pick it up cheap it might be a fun item to have. Ossa made a pretty hot motorcycle back in the day and they weren't exactly common even then.
I'd be very tempted, if nothing else for the uniqueness of riding the thing.0 -
Huh [:p] do u know some good site for prices and stuff ? 0 -
Well the reason is,that it been an old tradition in our family & other relatives...to just dump the old motorcycles behind our barn,when they're worn out.Some other older ones they dumped in a small lake close to one of the open mineholes.
and now you're saying that they might be worth money [:)][:)]
That's interesting to hear hehe [8D]0 -
email me.
btw...does it have fiberglass fenders?
ossas had good engines. superb handling. clumsy pipes. and like all old bikes from the 70's, suspension was lacking and cables were a bear to change. ossas have a following. ossa was very VERY popular on the trials circuit.
so much so that the u.s. team endorsed them. call the guy on the tank for info on ossas....or me! btw...that signature was from a gold medalist in the world cup trials meets. mick andrews. top dog on an ossa. the bike was called the MAR and sold as such. the mick andrews replica....of the one he rode to win gold for the u.s..
0 -
If you're interested in vintage motocross and you're patient, you'd probably have fun with it.
If not, it'll probably be a pain in the rear. And you'll sell it after it sits in teh corner for a while!0 -
yes.
does your ossa have the shifter shaft go thru the kicker shaft on the left side? odd set up to have the kicker on the left AND THE SHIFTER TOO.0 -
listen...take those fiberglass accessories and store them away NOW. they are BIG BUCKS if not destroyed. they are the first thing to break and self disintigrate. every bike magazine gave it a poor report. one dump, one rock, one wheelie over the back and its toast. vibration would crack the glass where the securing bolts and nuts went thru the glass. as they got bigger, people just used bigger washers. [:I] just slap some afermarket plastics on and replace the originals when you sell it. 0 -
do some searching and find out what model you have. the mx version use to be the phantom if i remember correctly. i use to work in an ossa dealership when i was a young stud. he stocked all the weird odd bikes of the 70's and i got to know them well.
is your bike white? i tend to remember ossa's had leaky petcocks too.0 -
ah the famous burn my leg and smash my seat that will crack where it touches the tank model! is that a rope holding the seat on![:D]
ill bet the seat holes are cracked to high heaven! bet?
how much he selling his for? 100-200 bucks?
if you come off a jump and the rear shocks bottom out...youre gonna hear BBBVVVVVVRRRRTTTT and smell fiberglass on that model.[:I][:o)]
just make sure you wear asbestoes pants to protect your inside shin and legs from that pipe![:0]
DIRT BIKE MAGAZINE has a fellow named super honky. he is a columist and has been for over 40 years. he use to give wide open reviews without holding back insults or blessing and loved his husky and cz. or was it a maico?
you ought to go to dirtbike mag. and post a note to super honky. he'll give it to you straight. he rode every bike ever made.0 -
i know. i was just saying...i'll bet that one in the pic is broken. 0 -
2 stroke pipes must be TUNED and measured. every turn, twist, and deflection will effect engine performance. its not just a matter of bending a pipe on.
rule of thumb with vintage bikes. you will break even if you sell it only if you got it for free. otherwise, they are money sponges! beware. but man...they can be fun. i hope you like fouled plugs. and pushing bikes.[:D]
that bikes rims are alloy. check em to see if theyre turning powder. if so, theyre geting weak. if they are pitted, check for hair cracks. changing tires on the high wall rims is a bear and you MUST USE special tire irons and masking tape or youll marr them for life. high wall rims require special beads on the tires. finding vintage tires will be like finding parts for an old gun. trialborg comes to mind as the choice tire.0 -
badwrench, go over to fleabay and click on motorcycles and then click on "other", several nice ossas and other bikes from the past,i had few hodakas,super rat and combat...oh the memories[:D],growing up in the 70s was great!![8D] ,well did you buy it [ossa] or not??? Loko[:D] 0 -
Still got a bunch of parts from an Ossa Stilleto laying around.E-mail if you need 'em.If you closely at a 1970's superglide tail section it looks like WIllie G ripped it off'n an old Ossa.Just mho. 0 -
CZ's rocked!![:D] 0 -
I might have a spare 250 OSSA engine I could send your way if you pay postage.
Richard (Dick) Mann in Gardnerville NV had a hand is the early OSSAs. He might have parts. OSSA built a dirt tracker designed by Dick called a DMR (Dick Mann Rep). He also designed the frame on the YANKEE Z 500.
Bobski? Is that your MAR?
edit: Mick Andrews is what the brits call an "All Rounder". He rode in the ISDT, rode Scrambles and Observed Trials. He's still active in the vintage movement today (and faster then stink).0
Please sign in to leave a comment.
Comments
17 comments