Classic Dirt Bikes "Extremely Rare 1980 Wilcomoto 500"

[@farreltucker7466]

All the weight saving stuff yet a steel swingarm. I have never seen one. All the hours and money to create these. Thanks Chris.

[@keithpeterson6108]

That's an innovative machine for its time. Very cool to learn about.

[@richardmccartney8709]

Great show I love to watch it.......

[@monticlassictv]

Thank you glad you liked it.

[@G58]

I do recall that MCN did a feature on this bike. And I met Graham Noyce when I was marshalling at a scramble in Derbyshire back in the mid ‘70s. Could that be Mercaston Sand Bowl? I was a member of the Phoenix Motorcycle Club and probably got recruited by Ted Barker, an old school biker who wore a leather coat tied at the waist with string. Here’s to mud, memories and the smell of freshly emitted two stroke exhaust! 😎 Thank you for sharing

[@greg657]

Looks like it was way ahead of its time.

[@alasdairroyan4859]

I think it was. The barrel was ready for a power valve.

[@petertothRC-FPV]

An 80`s Work of Art.Good Show.

[@pete7869]

Nice historic crossbike!!👌👍✌😇😊

[@alasdairroyan4859]

Great vid, I bought one of these back in the early 90s, from a guy in Portsmouth for about £200 and only had about 200 miles on the clock???, had an alloy tank which had had the paint stripped off. It was road registered on a Y plate if memory serves me correct. Rode it a couple of times up and down the road and rattled like s bag of nails. Put it in TMX a few weeks later and sold it for about £500 to a Chap who knew all about them from Hereford.?.?

[@andrewpaulmanton7262]

i used to work at a yamaha mx shop [H&G COMPITION] and Brian wilcox used to come in to take massurements from the yamaha, I had the pleasure to test the 500, the gear leaver spline was to small and the leaver used to move around the bike also had a 16 petel reed valve to help with the power in 1982, theY HAD A RIDER IN THE BITISH CHAMPS i think his name was Griffits or something like that.

[@Brad-S]

Thank You, Chris! Love your channel! I had never heard of or seen a Wilco before and that is one of the awesome thing I love about your videos. That and a lot of fond memory's that come rushing back to mind while watching. The 70's & early 80's, I think were some of the best year for dirt bike development. Those were the days, to me anyway. I don't mean to call the bikes of that time simple. But they sure were a lot simpler then than the dirt dikes of today! Question for you. Do you have any plans a for video on Rickman dirt bikes? Or video with Richman in it? I have watched a lot of your videos and often wonder if some of the bikes with the nickel plated frames are Rickman frames? Only reason I ask is, I have not seen one since the mid 70's that a friend of mine owed. And I am thinking it must have been a real rare bike to have had here in the States. Maybe any where, I am not sure. Thanks Again!!!

[@monticlassictv]

Brad Sizemore Thanks for your comment Brad, personally I had never heard of the Wilcomoto until I started researching and found this restored example. Look out for a full story on this bike to be published in the VMX magazine at the end of the year. Thanks once again for your kind comments.

[@monticlassictv]

Hi Brad Thanks for your comments and I’m actually working on an updated version of this video as we speak so hopefully it will be posted soon. But thanks once more for watching.

[@matthiasvermeylen4322]

Hello , verry nice video . I have a Wilcomoto and more info . Matthias Vermeylen Belgium

[@alangreen5858]

I remember these in the early 80's I was just into Enduro and MX I lived in Mid wales back then and not far from Hereford. My cousin and I got the advertising flyer for this machine we actually considered looking further at them but in the end sense prevailed and I went for a maico. I think the idea of having a british bike was part of the initial attraction. But the price was high by comparison to other metal on offer and it was an unknown. Its a great shame it did not get developed further as it seemed to be on the right track as designs go. Perhaps squashed by the bean counters or another manufacturer? Often the case for small innovative companies.

[@monticlassictv]

Hi Alan thanks for your comments on my video and yes your correct these were a very rare bike with very few manufactured and they did have potential to become a great bike with further development. Although I am currently working on an updated version of this bike as we speak so hope you take a look at that also. But thanks again for taking the time to view my content.

[@colindaniels1684]

Very good review ,is that not a Bing carb or Dellorto ?

[@monticlassictv]

You may be right although never had any info on the carb at the time and just assumed because it was British an Amal would have been the carb of choice.

[@G58]

Chris Montignani It doesn’t look like an Amal. Dellorto or Bing is more likely, as Colin Daniels suggested.

[@danrosello9643]

@@G58 Looks like a Dell'Orto to me.

[@jasonpowell3841]

If you ever needed to replace a front disc good luck finding a hub! This being so rare a bike it probably wouldn't get used that much anyway

[@monticlassictv]

Jason Powell Hi Jason yes there weren’t many of these bikes made in the first place so it would be nigh on impossible to be fair trying to source another one. This bike will never be put on the track as it’s historic value is worth more than the fun you would get putting it on the track. Nevertheless what an engineering feat to cast a magnesium hub onto a steel brake disc. Thanks for your comments.

[@jasonpowell3841]

​@@monticlassictv Yes a feat of engineering, especially back then. Not sure of any advantage of one bolted on though? Nice to see such a rare beast though and keep the history of motocross alive! Love your video posts btw

[@Danny.Cal38]

Hey¡¡ awesome ¡¡ :)

[@tomwilliams4885]

The rear end with a level swingarm is a flat track set up. Something needs to be done with the rear end for MX or off road. Nice bike otherwise.

[@monticlassictv]

Tom Williams I think I already mentioned in the video that the remote rear suspension reservoir needed re-gassing this was how the bike was sitting down at the rear end.

[@dr.hugog.hackenbush9443]

Good thing they didnt copy the YZ490 engine- in stock form its terrible.

[@johan4591]

KTM husky Yamaha