MC5 experts...I need help

[brian kirby]

I bumped up the preload on the rear shocks and swapped out fork springs and it seems much better but I wont know for sure until I take it back to the track Sunday. I'll let you all know how it works out. Thank you very much to everyone that helped me dial this in.

Brian

'73 Berkshire

[Tahitian_Red]

Brian,

Since Larry's giving away secrets here's a little thing I try on my bikes.  Step to the side of the bike and hold a handlebar grip with one hand and push down on the footpeg with the opposite foot.  The front and rear should go down about an equal amount. When I did this on the Husky before the CC the rear went down easy and the forks hardly moved, that's when I knew I was in for a long day.


Racing the "FaltaNator" in 2009

[brian kirby]

That is pretty much how the MC5 was when I rode it on Sunday. The rear end was too soft and the front was too stiff. I guess in hindsight its no wonder the thing wouldnt turn the way I had it set up.

Brian

'73 Berkshire

[Rain Man]

c'mom Thomas you dont really mean that do you??  where Americans , we all should have a harley in our garage.  Heck I put a hundred and twenty five miles on mine last year... Took me close to an hour to get all the dirt bike cloths and parts off and away from her...[8D]
It did.

Raymond
 Down East Pentons

[Larry Perkins]

My Grandfather hated Harleys and thought that they were the fault of Indian going out.  He used to say, "I'd rather live next door to someone that owned a motorcycle than own a Harley."

Larry P

[Mike Lenz]

For me I run the short lever and run it up above the top of the foot peg about an inch.  I know it sounds wierd but give it a try. The lever is short enough that it doesnt take alot of movement to shift it and up there I never knock it out anymore in MX. I may miss one or two shifts a day, some days none.  If its popping out on its own shes bent inside.

[tooclose racing]

Okay Larry - educate the New Kid On The Block with regard to setting up an MC-5 for success (yes, I'm looking at purchasing a 76 MC-5 very soon).   You say 1) go to the legal length 38 mm Zokes, and 2)run later model damping rods, and 3)later model triples with bar-backs.  

What KTM model year(s) are you referring to find these parts?

Gawd I love this site!  Gawd I love racing this brand!

Thanks for a response.

Bob Close
Iroquois Confederacy of New York

[Mike Lenz]

Sounds like Larry and I agree on set up.  78 Zooks on the front with 80 or 81 D rods with a spacer on top of the top out spring to make travel 9 inches again (Hi Point and Terry cable also made fork kits for the 78 forks). Renthal "Mini High" bars work well with the swept back 78 bar mounts. 13.5 Works or Ohlins on back and your ready to rip! Measure bottom of steering stem to the axle center on the 35mm forks and somply slip the 38 tubes up to arrive at the same measurement. With proper springs front and rear she will turn well.

[Mike Lenz]

Sounds like Larry and I agree on set up.  78 Zooks on the front with 80 or 81 D rods with a spacer on top of the top out spring to make travel 9 inches again (Hi Point and Terry cable also made fork kits for the 78 forks). Renthal "Mini High" bars work well with the swept back 78 bar mounts. 13.5 Works or Ohlins on back and your ready to rip! Measure bottom of steering stem to the axle center on the 35mm forks and somply slip the 38 tubes up to arrive at the same measurement. With proper springs front and rear she will turn well.

[tooclose racing]

Thanks, Mike - I think the answers to my questions are embedded in your response above!

[brian kirby]

OK, I have an update. I rode the bike today with some random (but new) 13.5 Progressive shocks I had laying around and its much better with some damping in the rear end.

It turned better but I think I need to go stiffer on both ends to get it where I want it. It bottoms way too easy so I think the springs may be old and sagged out. Also I welded a folding tip to the stock shifter and extended it while I was doing that and I didnt miss any shifts, I think the shifter was so short before it was hitting the bottom buckle of my boot.

Brian

'73 Berkshire

[brian kirby]

Oh yeah, I forgot to add, one thing that didnt change is the thing is a freaking rocket.

Brian

'73 Berkshire

[tomale]

This is interesting, I never had much trouble shifting the bike when it was new (I was alot younger too and such things just never seemed to bother me) but after I started racing it again, I was getting frustrated with the amount of miss shifts. It got me to thinking. I was sure it was not the transmission itself since no one had ridden that bike but me and the center cases to this day have never been apart. So the trouble must be in the shifter.. and I recognised that the amount of miss shifts went down when I got a better set of boots.... So that got me to thinking what else could I do to make it work better if the problem was in the shift lever. At least for me I needed to do two things to get it to shift the way that works best for me. 1. use a longer lever than stock, I found one on my 78 KTM and 2. drop the lever down a notch and the problem went away.. what I realized was that most of my miss shifts were happening when I was sitting forward and the shift lever was too high for my foot to move far enough to fully in gauge the shifter... I now have yet another idea as to how to make it shift even better... not all oils work the same and I am not thinking of trying several different oils in the hopes of improving the shifting....

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