Marzocchi Forks MC5 Set-Up

[glowride]

WOW, a lot of responses here since my original question! Thanx to everyone for the advice! Just got back to this after busy week with work, life, wife & kids. I have just about everything I need to do my conversion. Rocket, I will let you know when I am ready to rebuild Marz shocks, does that include new rubber shaft dampers & some paint work?
  As for the Gray & Gold legs, I have them right here in front of me & it looks like two completly different color's. I'll measure & compare after I get them apart & replace seals. I'm going to go with the 38mm's after I rebuild those as well then adjust hieghth from there & try the 14" shock idea providing I have the swingarm clearence.
  Any direction on 14" Long Shaft shocks? Ohlins? Works Performance? Bilstiens? Anything?
  I am looking at '78 & '79 pipe's. What do you guys say they are worth? good to nice shape, $150, $200?
 
Thanx, Mark
'77 250 MC5
'82 250 MC II TYP 542

[brian kirby]

The forks on the '77 400 in my picture are dark gray, all the gold coating is gone but if you lift up the boot its still gold where it was protected from exposure. If the forks are a dull matte gray they used to be gold (later ones painted orange) and are made of magnesium, if they are lighter shinier silver they are aluminum. Most of the KTM lowers were mag and either gold or orange, while most other bikes that used Marzocchi forks like Can-Am used aluminum lowers.

Brian

'72 Berkshire

[glowride]

Brian,
  You are absolutly right!! They are Gold under the boots. I'll be dammed, shouldhave looked for that before.

Thanx, Mark
'77 KTM 250 MC5
'82 250 MC

[brian kirby]

I didnt know there was gold under there either until I replaced the fork seals the first time and took the boots off. I dont know what that gold coating is, but it did not last very well.

Brian

'72 Berkshire

[Mike Lenz]

Progressive has shock springs that will work on the Marz or most anything else for mc-5's. 03-1364B 140/190 lb progressive for us heavyweights and 03-1365B 120/170 lb for you regulars.
Also:
03-1368B 105/150lb
03-1367B 95/140
03-1370B 90/130
or get this
03-1371B 270/310!!!
Also
03-1386B 65 lb
03-1387B 75
03-1389B 90
03-1391B 110
03-1392 120
They also have some narrower springs for those non race restorations
02-1351 thru 02-1354
The B means black. They also have chrome and some blue.
You have to find a progressive dealer.
I would advise the progressive rate springs.
Dont buy em all, I still need some more!

Race Tech is making vintage fork springs now. Anyone looked into them?

Renthal Mini High Bars do not set you back in the seat at all, even with the swept back mounts. They have a modern straight bend, work real nice with the swept back mounts. Feels like your sitting on a modern bike.

[Mike Lenz]

Whoops forgot. Hi-Performance Engineering makes bar riser mounts. 1 or 1.6 inch rise. They are in Three River Falls MN. A ssnowmobile/ATV accessories outfit.

[Mike Lenz]

Woops 2.  You MUST notch a flat area on the upper peg as was mentioned above if using the 77 duel peg frame in the lower mount. If not you will bend your kicker or the foot peg mounting brackets on the frame.  I would also highly advise to fill in the area where the peg stops hit the frame bracket (when down) with weld. Just fill in the entire area at the bottom of the frame bracket, between the frame tube and the bracket. The more filled in the better. I had one bend there. All in all, with the suspention set up right, the right bars and stiff seat, I love my 77. More than a 78, 79, 80 or 81.

[tomale]

Mike, my MC 5 is on the work stand now... by the way, A friend of mine asked me about a front wheel off of a KTM, as it turns out, it is a front wheel off a 79/80  conical style....He had picked it up when he bought another bike, He has no KTM's so the wheel is going to me...  It will go on the bike when it shows up.
because the bike has not been ridden much the last few years I need to do a bit more work to it, nothing major but more than just dump fuel in the tank and go ride.

Thom Green,Still crazy after all these years!
76' 250 MC5 (orginal owner)74'
250 hare scrambler (project bike)

[glowride]

HMMMMMMMMMMMM! The pipe's I was looking at on ebay went away? Guess I had better jump on them the next time I see one.

Thanx MG

[tooclose racing]

Gentlemen - these have been at vintagemx.us for a while.  Would these be from a 78 or 79 KTM based on his description?  I'm just curious...my winter project(s) were NOT going to include a 38mm retrofit but ya never know....

http://www.vintagemx.us/cgi-bin/largephoto.cgi?C=gUaFp44ntw3MARTm&w=4

[454MRW]

If those decals are original, they may be off of a late 78/early 79 short production run KTM MX-6 model, like 2 of which I own. If so, they may have the 4 hole damper rods, which are a lot smoother than the 78 production forks. I have read an article that recommends drilling 2 additional holes on the damper rods on stock 78 38MM forks to smooth out the inital damping on the overly stiff dampened newly introduced KTM 78MC5 38MM Marzocchi forks. The difference between KTM forks and the Can Am versions are the diameter of the axle holes. Mike

Michael R. Winter
I enjoy rebuilding and appreciating Pentons!
1974 250 HS Pentons-1980 KTM 175-400'S

[Britt Boyette]

Are the holes too big or too small for the Can Am?

Britt Boyette
1976 125 MC5

[brian kirby]

Britt,

The Canned Ham axles are larger in diameter.

Brian

'72 Berkshire

[Mike Lenz]

Mike, Thanks for clearing something up for me. I have a set of forks with the 4 holes and never had seen that before.