Ultra Rare 1980's Dirt Bike Hasn't Ran In 12 Years

[@davetapani3253]

Thank you for bringing back some great memories! My dearly departed best friend had the same exact bike in the 80s. I will never ever forget him launching that bike over the top of the old Charger I had back then. You brought a tear or two my old eyes. Thanks bro!!! Great video!

[@larryechols6606]

You are a top notch motorcycle mechanic especially with all these older machines! I really appreciate and enjoy watching your videos!

[@barrysoper9183]

I was on the fence with it, until Vinnie gave it his sniff seal of approval.

[@ronmit-p5g]

this guy sounds 100% like scotty cranmer

[@denzilmoats3430]

Brother Man, ...I comment on every video I watch. I'm addicted to your feed! I've learned so much from your videos. It's so Cool to watch you bring it home and then do your thing. The editing of the videos is damn fine work as well. I wish you were my neighbor so bad, your the Friend I've needed for 12 year or better. Please keep doing what you do, Your Fans not only enjoy it...hell, by now we count on it. Thanx for all your hard work to share with us your purchase and repair journey. For those of us watching and dreaming of having a bike...e ery video you post is like us going and buying from marketplace ...and Praying we didn't get ripped off...and then,...when you bring the bike to life...We ALL CHEER!!!...I DO!..And, I know in my HEART...I'm NOT the only one that does it!

[@shmitt8307]

Hey man please keep these older rare bikes coming these are my Favorite type of videos from you

[@davepelfrey3958]

Yes, agreed. ❤

[@wolfgangkrup5615]

Yes! I love the look of a dirt bike that has the duel rear shocks. 😊

[@MR-puffnstuff]

The clouds and view from your land looks amazing.

[@snowyowl7042]

Thought the same thing, peaceful good living in beautiful rural Wisconsin

[@johna6968]

@@snowyowl7042 Until the bikes come out at least

[@thebigguy8306]

Wow, that is a classic. Great find. A day riding is better than a day in the office. Thinking somebody will need 2-3 pole barns

[@BrianSnider-de1tt]

Yeah. He already has one filled and it isn’t even built yet 😂 I enjoy your channel, Joe 👍

[@thebigguy8306]

@@BrianSnider-de1tt Thought when he reached 500k subs he can send us each a former project

[@shawnslaunwhite2085]

I am a huge Can Am fan. I am working on a 1980 Qualifier 250. Good find!

[@deborahchesser7375]

I had a 79’ but I never finished it, I should have. I hope your bike turns out nice, maybe post it. ✌️🇺🇸

[@ronbradshaw7404]

Good old Qualifier enduro yeah! :)

[@MattVenezuela]

I had a 1977 or 78 can't remember exactly 175 Qualifier brand new as a 17 year old, paid for it with my gas station job in high school

[@deborahchesser7375]

@@MattVenezuela and they weren’t cheap either, Can-Am fell behind in the handling department but they had kick ass motors(Sachs)

[@ianmclaren5297]

I've still got mine in the garage, it hasn't run for 25 years.

[@kenwestern2821]

That's awesome. Back in the late 70s, when I was in high school, I had the 250. My favorite bike of all time! I wish that I still had it. Thanks for the video and the nostalgia! God bless!

[@TroyRosenbaugh]

Need to do a Maico... another beast, crazy power and super scary fun

[@barryodell9537]

I have an early 80s Maico , I'm working on myself

[@Trumplican]

5:20 its a hollow shaft over a solid shaft. notorious for leaking. I have quite a few can-am's they are awesome bikes. I cant believe it has an original intact front number plate thats very rare the leather handle covers even more so. I'd say it was worth the 1400 and the value will only go up.

[@TonyRule]

One of only 600 made according to one commenter here. Definitely worth every cent.

[@TheLikkinBranchRanch]

In the early 80's I had a twin shock CZ 250 and a twin shock Husky 250. Moved to Suzuki after those....then Honda. That old Husky was a stump puller......

[@chele-chele]

I campaigned a Husky CR125 in class A and it was fast and reliable plus, being a shop ride, free =) The European bikes had a unique quality that the Japanese stuff didn't but I will admit, I eventually went to the yellow side to stay competetive.

[@TheLikkinBranchRanch]

@chele-chele Yessir. At that time, David Bailey was the man (and Hannah). I moved to Suzuki RMs then YZs, and eventually to CR250 Hondas. I really liked the CZ and the Husky........never owned a Maico tho.

[@Workerbee-zy5nx]

The orange crush..👍the mid 80s were just getting better. I think ATK bought up some can am stuff and went even more strange direction.

[@caintfindme4735]

Watching this young man makes me want to go find a project to work on.

[@2vintage]

Go find one!

[@mjrybread]

A friend I have found a 2011 yz 450 for $ 200 it needs a engine rebuild is all 😮ya he bought it

[@stkyfngrszmooth]

​@mjrybread If he can't come up with the $2000 to fix it, he should sell it to Joe.

[@craigmorgan4676]

Wouldn't b a cr500 by any chance brother?🇬🇧👍💪💪🤝

[@mjrybread]

@@stkyfngrszmooth my friend fixes bikes also so ya he'll sale it for a few grand ha good money

[@kerrydunn7760]

I remember these I was young traveled up to thruxton race circuit I rode the 400 enduro and the 175 on the day They were not exactly cutting edge and I wasn’t very competent but got around the test circuit All were fitted with the Rotax disc valve engine I recall

[@Admo-backtothe80s]

I’d add this one to your collection Joe, looks rad, sounds great, and pulls hard. Please give Vinnie a pat from me, he always cracks me up.

[@chinanorthairguns]

A friend of mine had a 78 250. We deliberately missed the bus to split the cases one day. School gave us shit, but that was normal anyway. I bump started it on it's first start and it ran great after that. We were about 14. They were pretty common in Canada back then. They still show up regularly on marketplace and kijiji.

[@grabir01]

That bike rips!! Wow!

[@DaveS987]

I particularly like how you do the carb work without nitrate gloves on like most of us back yard guys do, it shows you’re genuine lol.

[@minnesotatomcat]

What are gloves, is that what women wear on their hands?

[@MattVenezuela]

Glove people send me over the edge

[@TonyRule]

We call them 'bitch mittens' in NZ

[@minnesotatomcat]

@@lesoram6236 no neurosis here, just not afraid to get my hands dirty and actually be able to feel what I’m doing. Soap will clean them right up when I’m finished fixing things for all the keyboard warriors who run their mouths instead of fixing their own stuff 👍

[@jeffreyking1745]

Biochemists call your liver rotting!

[@EricKoch-s5b]

I had a 1978 Can-Am 250 MX I raced motocross with. It had so much power I could get holeshots with it which would help me place or win. Great bike, great memories with it. Love your videos, great work.

[@PaulVillagomez-g7w]

I bought my 1980 MX-6 125 in May 1980. Brand new for $900 US. Brought it home and rode the h.... out of it. She was a great bike that was easy to maintain. Only problem I kept running into was a constantly clogged spark arrestor. Ended up just leaving off the extra parts and she really ripped. Now I ride 1979 250's. Nice to see the younger generation learning about these fun machines.

[@killawatt_fpv]

i bought a 1984 cr80r last weekend and its been a blast and from what ive watched from your videos, it helped me with the few issues it had!

[@guyonacub4335]

Wow You have made an old man very happy Great video again You have great patience and a good eye for a challenge

[@michaelbrinks8089]

7 people ready to buy it lol......It looks pretty cool..... Reminds me of when I was 12, my 14 yr old brother bought a 70s orange 125cc Hodaka Wombat 2 stroke. It was the 1st motorcycle I rode. I weighed under 100 lbs so it felt scary fast.

[@adriantowe278]

Thanks for sharing I love stories Iike yours it reminds me of my childhood take care mate

[@teejay3426]

Hodaka were scary fast, especially the 125's. I'd love to have my old Wombat back, more than the RMs and CRs I had when I was a youngin.....

[@chele-chele]

There are some great videos on the Hodaka history, never rode one but they had a real following back in the day.

[@teejay3426]

A few my friends also had Hodakas, one in particular bought every broken one he could find. He was the local "go to" guy for parts when things got scarce. Had everything, it was great. Shift covers value was pretty high. Throw the chain and chances were it would wipe out the shifter cover. That could have been designed much better.

[@JohnBurdette-or7if]

I remember those. I was a teenager back when these models came out. So many great memories, riding bikes with my buddies, that was many years ago . Man, I enjoy, watching your channel, and all the bikes. You are pretty dang good job, repairing that stuff and get them running 👍

[@thegoodearth7]

There used to be a Can-am (sp?) and Suzuki dealership near us when I was an early teen (late 70s). I remember looking at the 1979 model of this exact bike on the display floor in awe, with that interesting Rotax engine. I then had an opportunity to watch one in a local motocross race chasing a KX250 that same year. Seeing that unique engine brings back memories, for sure!

[@E39M5Autox]

That wouldn't happen to have been Motorsport Suzuki in Alpharetta GA? I bought a 1975 Can-Am 125MX2 new from them in June 1975 and traded in a 1974 Suzuki TS-185. I still have the Can-Am here 49 years later.

[@7j8x74]

that thing rips for a 125!!! loving the videos as always joe!

[@w-dad4040]

Wow, I'm already jealous enough watching these videos and now with a Can-Am in my birth year. Hulk not mad, Hulk just confused

[@Pittsburgh-412]

That bike rips man. Impressive for its age

[@RandyMoe-n9m]

That is one of 600 made in 1980 125 model. Rare find. Reviews were biased. Better than mags said.

[@tommaples9174]

I had one of these. Awesome motor excellent torque. A version of this motor was used in the ATK.

[@mikewhitley1183]

I just wanted to tell you that you can use plastic headlight polish for cars and you can actually polish the plastic covers and fenders! it does really well using the proper buffing pad with a drill, Mike

[@18wheeler77]

Awesome find. Should offer it to a bike museum.

[@terrypawsey1545]

When I was a young lad (early 1970's) we lived outside of Montreal and my father worked for Bombardier. I do remember my father getting Can Am dirt bikes from time to time.

[@MichaelandCathy1999]

Where outside of Montreal?…. I’m in Châteauguay, on the South Shore.

[@SomeGuyInSandy]

The first motorcycle I ever rode was a late seventies Can-Am 125. It was white, I remember it being really narrow and that it had a ton of power. But, I couldn't really ride at all, and crashed within like 15 seconds, lol!

[@naddeer1821]

Had that exact bike in 1989 paid 300 for it and it lasted for years! My knee is still messed up from a crash on that thing!

[@AnthonyRufo-rc1zm]

Jimmy Ellis rode for Can Am back in the day, then rode for Honda at the end of his career.

[@terryhawgood6775]

I absolutely love your videos such great knowledge, skills and brilliant finds I use to fix up crossers 15 years ago untili smashed my legs badly jumping a yz250 this has given me the urge to start finding some to repair or restore keep up the great content 😊

[@LordHolley]

Wow! That's a real slice of history. Nice find!

[@joelatkinson2080]

The rotary valve intake is the reason for all the torque. The 76 Kawi KX125 also had a rotary valve intake. Another great video!!!

[@TroyRosenbaugh]

Have an uncle with the mx7 loud as hell and fast.has had it since new. No one works on them anymore. Not hard to work on, parts are another story.

[@BatKountry]

The MX7 was never released. There are plenty of us working on them, riding and winning vintage races on them parts are plentiful.

[@MattVenezuela]

2 things, 1st thing buy yourself a dead kitten or foam shield for your microphone will totally eliminate all wind noise on your video, best $15 you'll spend for your video quality, if you can't find one for your camera make one with some acoustic foam & hot glue 2nd thing, I had a 1977 Can-am 175 Qualifier they were amazing bikes back then I paid $1,700 CAD for it, took out a 24 month loan as a 17 year old

[@skunkworks9-3]

Awesome little ripper! I have nothing else to contribute besides the clouds at 48 minutes in were trippy and good work getting that little tug going again.

[@daveco1270]

Very cool. There's gotta be a better way to stand it up for kick starting then that stand/jack with the wheels. What about a paddock stand or a wheel chock? I'd invest in at least one of each if I worked on that many motorcycles.

[@leewaken5059]

Kudos on your researching.👍🏼 1975 Jimmy Ellis won the Supercross Championship on a Can-am.

[@ryanking1770]

Love the videos man , always watching them till the end been watching for awhile now almost 4 years, keep the content coming really interesting bikes

[@smithwesson629]

Not easy to see the spark when you crank it. Tip: dim the lights/darken out the area when filming the spark plugs. Great channel! Great watching you fixing these old 2-wheelers! :)

[@milanbukorovic1469]

I love ur video's, keep ip the great work

[@canebuilder3520]

Here in Canada we pronounce that brand as Bomb-bar-D-A, cheers.

[@Odder-Being]

Yes the french tonque

[@xxshiftlockxx]

That's how it's supposed to be pronounced period... Many people just say it flat out wrong.

[@slagdemon]

@@xxshiftlockxx Exactly. It's a Canadian company and a French word. Pronounced Bom bar dee ay

[@wreckum56]

Exactly.

[@wreckum56]

@@slagdemonand the engines are from Germany.

[@robertmckay694]

Sounds great! Didn’t think it would pull like that!

[@jayjudd6518]

😮 I didn’t think it was going to start. The back wheel turning with every kick made me think if it started it was going to run off into the wall. Of course I was wrong. Seems he has super power in the kicking 🦵 over those on start bikes. Another interesting video to watch from my easy chair. Following of course. 😅😊😊😊

[@RandomPrecisionMotors]

I remember Canned Hams holding their own at Unadilla against the big 4 Factory bikes...

[@markjones6181]

Awsome job you saved another, those bikes are only going to go up in value in the years to come!.... Stay Up, Hard, and Healthy brother......💥🔥🔥❤️💯

[@alanparis7256]

Great vid. After watching many of your videos and seeing you kicking for hours , you ever thought of investing in a 12v roller starter ? Would save a lot of leg work ! Best Regards from Scotland

[@MTchillmusic]

Absolutely impressed for your ability to work on all these bikes and quads. You're right the Bombardier's were great bikes in the 70's. Highly recommend the 1970s Husqvarna bikes if you can find one. They were amazing bikes for that era.

[@MM_in_Havasu]

Glad to see you got it lit off OK, and got some excellent rips on it out at the land! Brings back a lot of good times and memories of my own growing up in '60's & '70's with bikes like these to race & have fun with. Rotary valve 2-strokes like this one, and older Kawasaki bikes, had some pretty healthy bottom & midrange torque. Thanks Joe for a great nostalgia trip & cool video!

[@briantremblay9157]

Dude... I love you videos, your a wealth of information and knowledge, the best part is you are most likely inspiring a whole generation!!

[@ar2043]

One of the only channels that I watch that I know I can preemptively hit "like" before I even watch the video. 😂😂😂 For reals!!!! 👍🏼👍🏼🇺🇸🇺🇸🦅🦅

[@travishendrix7026]

I heard the motor and saw how much you enjoyed riding it. I knew you were happy with it. My first bike was a 1980 KX 80. I never knew anyone who had one of these bikes. But im from a small town in the South. I would like to take a spin on it. Good job Joe. Vinnie appoved!!

[@MickWilkes]

That's a great bike. Glad it's come to you. It deserves a good home. That colour of the oil was a worry. Hopefully, it's ok now. Oil changes on any engine is so important. So many people don't do it.

[@craigmorgan4676]

Never seen 1 ,what a find Joe!👌💪🤝

[@dylisa]

Almost half a million subscribers been doing this a long time you need sponsors so much money left on the table love the videos

[@snowyowl7042]

Wow, looks like a tank of a dirt bike. Thinking of the can-am UTV racer who said the machines now make anything pre 2000 look like go carts

[@bobv8219]

That was one fantastic bike back in its day. The Japanese had a whole Lotta competition, but They won over. I always wanted an RD 350 or 400 made by Yamaha. You are one fantastic mechanic the best on the tube.

[@will17527]

Saw you uploaded instantly shouted YES haha love your content definitely one of the best how you explain everything your doing brilliant work

[@jeepanimal2943]

NIce score Joe. But, if you ever get the chance, try a 1070's Can-Am TNT 125. Bike will sit you on you ass or the rear wheel for miles. Power out of that thing in the 70's was crazy! Power band went straight up. There was a reason for those bikes coming in 1st, snd AND third at the motocross. As for the Qualifier..... Ride it Man, just ride it. Put yer knees to the breeze and ride. MX bikes were made for dirt. Rode hard and put away breathing heavy.

[@Kiltylake]

I bought a brand new one in 1975. Crazy fast! Had so much fun on it, street legal too!

[@rcclassiccrawlers4368]

Great find and fairly basic repair. Gotta like that! Hard to believe it’s in that good of shape. I know a guy that had one of those Can ams back in the day. For whatever reason I never seen or heard it run. So hey one more bucket list item removed. 😂

[@RGD-Games]

Watching the video, I said to myself, that it looks like a Rotax engine... and then you mentioned it and confirmed it :D What a bike you got there dude!!!

[@l.a.raustadt518]

I bought one new (leftover) in the crate for $500 buck past 1980 a bit. Rode it in trails , Hare Scrambles ect. Had a ball best bang for the buck ever. Won a few trophies as well.That was in the b/trailbike classes local in Minnesota early 80's.

[@chele-chele]

Pretty cool resurection on the old dino! The old 2 strokes were a blast and so easy to work on...

[@blizzard71]

What a find ! there isnt a lot of these around anymore , if it was me , it would be going into my personal collection ~ seems to run well , give her some love and wow ! thanks for the video!

[@Jim-InHisGrip]

“I hope you guys can see that spark” - The spark was hard to see, as the bike was rocking as you were kicking it over. So glad that there was good spark and the wire cut/pulled was not an issue for spark. I just started watching. As a Canadian, from Alberta, I am interested to see you work on one of these old relics from our past. The Rotax was first used in the Ski-Doo…with time the engines dependability led it to be used in Ultra-light aircraft. Joe, I am very impressed by your knowledge of the history, and preparation for your videos. Alberta Jim.

[@markeithpeacock222]

Nice find Joe do you happen to have a stator for a 77 Yamaha yz125

[@Zodliness]

Is it just me thinks at 31:40 it's much easier to kick start a bike when it's not in gear? 🤔😂

[@adamtyson1728]

You could vintage race that and be a winner! It's very cool good find

[@andydouce7781]

Joe man your hilarious dancing round the garage with the bike stand trying to kick it over 🤣. Take it off the stand geez lmao

[@nealedmondson3191]

If he likes kicking it on the stand then let him, you kick your bikes how you want, don’t tell the man how to kick a bike in his garage you douche

[@TonyRule]

*you're And I agree. In what world is that a good idea?

[@dublindave5795]

Can am's were pretty sweet bikes. My brother road raced a 175 in the 200gp class back in the day and did pretty well. I still have a 125 on the side of my garage rotting away.

[@juk-hw5lv]

Left side kicker on a common shaft with the shifter is a classic for European two strokes. All the deriatives of DKW RT 125, Jawas, Simson mopeds...

[@kenjuicekrajewski9577]

Its a ripper and trully rare ive seen one for sale in 10 years id keep it even though ive seen less bike go for 4 times what you paid! Great score

[@guitarz99]

i got my first bike in 1982 ,a yamaha mx100 this is so cool getting to see these old bikes again

[@ragnarironspear1791]

Cool bike I've never seen one of those before

[@TroyRosenbaugh]

Those are monsters!!! Nice. Easy to work on.

[@kevinsmith9502]

I’m from Ontario and saw a lot of these bikes around the country side back in the 70s

[@jeffreyness9741]

At 25 minutes in I believe that throttle spool is a magora quarter or half turn depending on which spool you use

[@MICHAELWhitley-tl1lu]

You need to remove the air box on every bike that you're working on.Because i've noticed that it's been a struggle and you stand a Chance of damaging the intake especially on an old bike

[@matttaylor373]

Thanks for the video!

[@bobrose7900]

Rotax engines are great. Love the videos.

[@JR-bw6jd]

Very Rare. These 125’s are the best in its class. They are very fast and since its rotary valve, they don’t lose power when you let off the throttle. I have a 250. Every one told me that it was a horrible motorcycle. I started winning races and everyone had to try my bike. Those same people changed their opinion real quick. The rear shocks fade and the brakes suck. That’s about it. Otherwise, they handle like a dream and the power is better than all of the other bikes. You can put Maico brakes on them. Get Nitrogen/Gas charged shocks and that gets rid of the suspension fade in the rear. Guys in the CA FB group really love these bikes. The engine isn’t missing anything. They don’t have issues with shifting, just a really stiff clutch. They use ATF instead of gear oil. You can short shift these bikes and the power is right there every time. Keep that supertrapp exhaust and don’t lose the disc and regularly clean them.

[@dogtownbrogers2796]

Cool bike, don’t see too many of them down south. Marzocchi front forks are pretty good for the era. Check the clamping area for cracks

[@TheStevo420]

Ahh nice find little Canadian toy 🤌🇨🇦

[@Jaysmoto_24]

I love the older bikes I'm actually restoring a 1997 yamaha rt-100 she's almost done can't wait for her to be done I have way to much into it lol everything is factory and rebuilt

[@keek7597]

I love your videos. Love Vinny. Although I’m in to mini bikes. How do you keep your shop so clean?

[@tomnekuda3818]

Rode 370 cc CanAms in the past.....the Rotax engines were very stout with their rotary valve induction. This year of bike had the choice of two different shocks.....not a balanced package. We would modify the rotary valve cut-away to alter power band, switched the rotary valve plate for different conditions, went with Ohlins shocks, and put a Skyway baffle spark arrestor. The left-hand kickstart was not a problem for me as I had been racing Husqvarna for years and I found it easy to "left-leg" it.

[@STEVE_M439]

Vinny says "Nice one!"

[@barrycuda3769]

Motocrosser Jim Holley rode either the 250 or 370 version of this bike , I think he said it was fast , but plenty of problems, including the frame stretching at the steering head , from the stress of doing jumps , which in turn changed the fork angle , not ideal. But I remember Dirt Bike magazine gave a positive report on these bikes ' the 370 Qualifier enduro bike at least.

[@xtrafeeling]

Yo bro. I love your videos, and I learn a lot from them.. But what is that beeping sound going on? Its very profound when you are quiet. Is it your camera? Keep up with the great content

[@butcher390]

Good find 🙏 Hard to find a good Cam Am , in complete & Running condition . Ironically , ice racing 🏁 Probably preserved it . I usually check for Secondary spark , FIRST ( great camera work ) Then assess the project at that point Interested how Can Am Engineered that , intake & Induction system , within The frame & seat pan . This was an incredibly fascinating volg . Thanks for sharing it . Definitely a keeper .

[@MrBumbles2]

still own my 77 mx3 , been a solid bike for a long time. bought new , rode it the other day

[@chadmccolm6544]

Awesome bike keep this one. It’s really a good bike. I had one years ago and they are really nice dirt bike. The one I had was oil injected. It went pretty good to. Good video

[@TroyRosenbaugh]

Fix broken wire to complete ignition. Add some oil, run it a bit, drain it, and get all the white watery stuff out. Nice!!