Skunk Works

I actually rode that bike in 1976. I was one of several riders in the NW Florida area that tested products for Skunk Works which was based in Destin, FL. All of the internals on the fork were removed and replaced by the linkage and single S&W shock. It had a different feel to it for sure because the center of gravity was raised and the forks were significantly more rigid due to the inherent fork brace. The linkage and shock actually were mounted through a hole cut in the front fender. The rear end was a dual shock linkage system that was way ahead of it's time. Once again S&W shocks but the linkage was good for 11" of travel in an era where 6 was the norm. Hidden by all of the suspension trickery is a 38mm round slide Mikuni that replaced the standard 28mm Keihin. 38mm on a piston port engine lead to an engine that revved to the moon.

The Skunk Works guys were ex Air Force guys that were based at Eglin AFB just north of Fort Walton Beach, FL. They had some engineering background and were always thinking of things that no one else was doing at the time. If they had been in California there where the motocross world (and media) was based at the time I'm sure they could have been significantly more successful.

I had the rear set-up on my old 250MX Yamaha with a 'Trickit' 'long travel' fork kit

Cool site. Thanks

I had the Skunkworks links on the rear of my TM125L, blew everyones minds here in Australia. I'd love to know if any of the original Skunkworks guys are still around?

I have a NOS kit still in the original box.I was thinking about installing it on my 74 cr 125.I am sure that it would look badass + I have never saw one on a bike live.

redman, please post some pictures! very interesting for me !

If anyone has a set they would like to sell , Im building a copy of my first bike don't laugh a DT125 with electric start , DG radial head , DG down pipe . I said don't laugh !!!! Hey I was young and stupid even kept the starter and 12v bat . Iain

I don 't have a complete set, but I have one side of the rear kit off a 76 cr125 if someone is interested

I worked at Competition Developments in the 70s and early 80s, with Steve and Jan Meadows, who brought in, amongst many other US MX accessories, such as Fox, DG, GEM reed valves, Mikuni (through Sudco), C & J frame kits, and Aberg Replica frame kits, the Skunk Works stuff. Plus of course, they brought in Mongoose BMXers - well, they basically started BMX in Australia. I made the first (few hundred / few thousand) Quickselver BMX bikes..And I have continued to make bicycle and motorcycle chassis and worked with suspension since.

Competition Development / Fox was my professional intro to the Suspension side of things - well, my turning up with an Aluminium Beam framed 6" front / 7.5" rear ( Yamaha Moto Bike forks that I doubled the travel of, with a monoshock rear end using an RM125S/A Kayaba shock for the rear) travel BMXer, and beat all of their riders at the Marsfield BMX track, really was, Steve and Jan got me onto a Mongoose, very quickly.

I've just unearthed the frame and forks in a workshop clean up - cripes, the converted to air forks, still had 70s air in them, that came blasting out when I dragged the chassis out by the link hose I used for the air spring - things got a bit messy.........

I've yet to finish the clean up, and may have a CR125 Skunk Works Kit in amongst the frightening horde of 'goodies'.

It was a great time to be a teenager, interested in MX / Bikes in general, and Engineering. Steve (and Jan) were/ are great people, and Steve was a superb mentor and Engineer.

A guy in MD ran the rear suspension on his 76 CR125 and was winning 125B with it.

I thought I had a front kit but after a while rummaging around in the basement, I found my NOS suspension kit and it is for the rear.  Good luck in your quest!

Eric