Off-Road Motorcycle Trio: How To Restore Classic Off-Road Motorcycle, The Birth Of Motocross, & Vintage Dirt Bikes

How to Restore Classic Off-road Motorcycles provides the classic off-road enthusiast with a step-by-step guide through a full 

restoration. Whether a post 1950 machine, or a more modern 80s twin shock, everything is covered in detail, from initial dismantling and parts sourcing to being ready to compete, including set-up and maintenance.

• Aimed at the beginner and seasoned motorbike restorer alike

• Real life restoration carried out by the author

• Advice on project choice and the preparation process

• Step-by-step guidance with hundreds of photographs

• Dismantling, restoring and sourcing parts, and rebuilding

• Recommendations on repairs, renovations and parts replacements

• Special tools, their purchase, use and alternatives

• Restoring mechanical parts, such as engine, gearbox, brakes, and electrics

• Tackling bodywork: spraying, polishing, seat re-covering, decals, forks and tyres

• How to save yourself time and money

In the Fifties and Sixties, American dirt track motorcycle racing fans' attention was focused on half-mile and mile oval flat track races and the occasional TT race looped inside the half-mile tracks to include a jump. There were a few & scramble races on tracks, but the surfaces were graded and smoothed, so they were more-or-less flat track races with a few more left-hand turns and a jump or two. Motocross, as we know it today, was the sport of Europeans. All that changed in 1968 when motocross was imported into America, first as the Inter-Am series in 1968-'69, then as the 'Trans-Am" series in 1970. Classic race tracks ranged from the movie backlot at Westlake Village and the arid Carlsbad and Saddleback Park in California to Linnville, Ohio, and Unadilla, New York, and Pepperrell, Massachusetts. The best European riders - Roger Decoster, Jeff Smith, Joel Robert, Torsten Hallman, Bengt Aberg, Arne Kring, Vic Allan, Dave Bickers, and others - competed against the brash new American like Gary Bailey, Dick Mann, Marty Tripes, Brad Lackey, Jim Pomeroy, Gary Jones, Rex Stanton, Barry Higgens, Preston Petty and more. This is the story of the beginning of what has become America's #1 dirt sport.

Suddenly, everyone wants one of those old dirt bikes from back in the day. Knobby tires, small two-cycle engines, four-speed transmission, and a full four inches of suspension travel. Those are the bikes most baby boomers grew up on. The ones that young men rode into the ground and left to rot where ever they last fell. But no more. Now, those simple little Hondas, Yamahas, Harleys, and Pentons are making their way from the back of the garage to the front. From the barn to the shop. The shop where patient mechanics and enthusiasts are stripping them down and bringing them back to life. The questions for the prospective buyer is: What to bring home? Among the thousands of dirt bikes, scramblers, trials bikes, play bikes and early motocross bikes; which are the best bikes to make your own? Vintage Dirt Bikes will help the reader make that decision by providing them with information on all the most popular makes. For each bike, this new book provides four to six paragraphs describing the bike in general terms. In addition, bullet points for each model include the following information: relative cost to acquire, value when finished, and which are most likely to offer the most fun for the money. Readers will also find: what to look for when checking the condition of items like paint, suspension, frame and engine.  A general section at the back of the book will offer the reader help deciding where to buy classic bikes, where to get parts, who to call for help, and which parts of the restoration should be farmed out to experts with specific skills.