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5809
Joined
11/25/2007
Location
Athens, GA
US
Edited Date/Time
6/14/2023 1:19pm
How many of these bikes are in existence today? Have any been ridden in the modern era and is there footage?
I remember seeing that bike for the first time in MXA back in the day (Mid-Ohio USGP maybe?). It was like looking at something from the future. And with Johnny O' with his all-white gear and the boot gaiters, it was truly other-worldly...and awesome.
Yes it was!!
Terry Good has one in his collection. It's his personal bike that he purchased new.
A work of art
The Shop
Was this bike identical to factory Honda of the time. Rich Coon era? Who else was factory Honda 125, 1980? Warren Reid? If you look at pictures of 1980 USGP. The factory Honda guys have similar bike to the Johnny O mugen, except red.
We were in line to get one, just waiting for them to be available. Then the local Kawi shop offered me a full ride on the new Unitrak and my dad was gung-ho on that deal so that was that. Can only wonder what could have been.
But I agree, watching Johnny O' give it the beans was a sight to see.
Ditto this.
the early to mid-80s were a very special time where bikes were evolving rapidly. It is difficult to explain to anyone that didn't live through that how revolutionary production and works bikes were until the production rule kicked in around '86.
Sounds like that might have been a huge disappoinment - that '80 KX125 had a rep for being a turtle and the ME125 definitely wasn't
I had the '81, which was quick and fun, but being the only air-cooled 125 that year (and the last air-cooled KX125) it wasn't very popular.
Wish I still had it - very good looking bike.
Yep.
Bikes were obsoleted from year-to-year and '80-'83 laid the foundation for the modern dirt bike, as one could argue they've really only been refined since then.
That was a great (the best?) time to be in the sport.
True. I'm so glad I grew up in that era. Those bikes were like mythical beasts, and to get a glimpse of one up-close was truly something special.
I'll never forget being at the Atlanta national round held at Atlanta International Raceway in 80' and seeing the first Full-Floater up close. It was after the race, and we'd walked up around the podium area and Marty Smith's factory 500 was leaning up against a post by the pits. Just sitting there. It wasn't like anything I'd ever seen. That bike had ZERO in common with a stocker other than the color and the fact that it had knobbies. I stared at it for what felt like 30 minutes before his mechanic rolled it off.
Truly a great time to be alive.
It's so hard to explain that era to anyone who wasn't alive then. That combination of mystery and awe the works bikes all generated, especially the Hondas - that time expanded my belief in what was possible, and the positive effect of that has stayed with me all the days of my life.
It was indeed - 1980 125 USGP @ mid Ohio. The victory that put O'mara on the map as it were, everyone was rather shocked.
Johnny's gear didn't stay white for long .
I remember looking at l these photos in a MXA pulled out of the mailbox. It was the coolest MX machine I’d ever seen. Still is.
I think Holigan has the original Johnny O bike in his collection.
A few from Canyon Raceway in Phx back in '80 or '81
Didn't Newman (RIP) have one I thought?
Yes, he actually had 3. Two of the original white ones and if my memory is correct, a red one that was a year newer that had had never been started.
Pit Row
Has Dave King got one in the UK or am I misremembering?
Entirely possible, even very likely, that I am.
Lovin' the red matching crankcase, head, and pipe!!!
I was at that race! I remember the KX flying by and said to my buddy “that bike ain’t got no rear suspension!” KX came by in the next lap (was it The Jammer?) and we both focused on the swingarm. Yep, it ain’t there! Great time for moto!
The '79/'80 Honda CRs were some of the best looking bikes of all time. They were a little before my time, but the all red looked really good. I prefer the red Mugen 125 pictured above. The red pipe doesn't do it for me. Black would have been better.
I saw one raced in person at the Amateur National at Millville in '80(?). The rider was Varney Holbrook, I think. He claimed it was Johnny O's practice bike on loan to him for the event. He gave me some sweet Mugen decals that are still on my first tool box.
best looking bike ever.
Yep. He had a rough day, if I recall. Crashes or mechanical, or don't know. I remember him missing a side panel in one moto.
I have the MXA mag that had a test on it, back then. My friend and I wore out that magazine looking at that bike. I believe the price was listed at an astonishing (to us, at age 16) $3500 !
I was lucky enough to be around when Johnny raced them at Indian Dunes and Saddleback.
I never rode it, but I sat on it, it felt a lot like my 1980 CR 125, but better. Throttle pull, brakes, clutch, it all felt so nice.
Chris Hieser had a Mugen kitted CR, it was super fast, him and O’mara battled a lot on those two bikes, it was cool to watch.
Johnny had one in his garage for a long time just rotting away, he gave it to Primm to restore and put in his museum, when I told Johnny Primm sold it, he was pretty pissed off.
No, Hondas 1980 factory bike was a Pro-Link.
They did however use a production frame that they modified.
Chris Heisser - wasn't he the one with the hand-built "tin can" - the CR-based "homemade works bike"?
Yup...
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