Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126332
Wrth the Marzocchi forks. front wheel landings were a breeze. Cari-Am'175 Qualifier:;~ A red dent in the blu.el yellow horde? I By Dale Brown Photos by Dale Brown and Jerry G. Welton "J Can-Am's 175 Qualifier, possibly ~he mo~~ powerful bike in the 175cc enduro bike class; has suffered in the past with suspension that wasn't equal to other motorcycles, such as the Specifications k Single cylinder. two-stro e Engine type Bore & stroke 62mm X 57.5mm Displacement• . . . . •• .• . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . .• . . 173.6cc Compression ratio. '" . . .. . . ... . . . . ... •. . •.. . • . .• •. .• . • . • . . . .. 15:1 Horsepower 24 at 9.000 rpm (claimedl Induction ... ...... .. •.... .. ..... . . . •. .. ....... •.. ... . Rotary valve Carburetor •. . . . .•. . . .. . . .. . • .• . . . . . . . • . . . . ••... • . 32mm V-84 Bing Gearbox 6 speed. constant mesh Ignition . . . . . .. .. . . . . .• . .. . .. . . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. Bosc~ COl Weight ... . ... ... .. . .. . ..... ...... • •.. .... .... • .• 228 Ibs.lclalmedl Wheelbase . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . • 55Yz" Seat height ... ....... • . .. • • •. .. ...... •. •. • •. • •. . • • .. .. . •. • .. 34Yz" Ground clearance .. •. . ... •. . ... ...... .. .. . • . •. . ••. • . • . • ... .. 10Yz" Gas tank capacity : . .. . . . . . •. • ... . .... . .. ..... 3.0 gal. 18 Yamaha IT175 , and the class newcomer, the Suzuki PE175. brid th a and N ow to n g~ e g p, sell more Qualifiers, Can-Am will sell Qualifier buyers a pa ir of nineinch travel leading-axle Marzocchi forks complete with triple clamps for $200. With a little luck. you can unload the original -equipment Betors to a friend who wants to improve the front end of his Japanese foo-foo bike. We received the bike from CanAm 's SoCal rep . T ony Murphy, with about 400 miles on the odometer. The quick visual rundown routine revealed that the Qualifier had all the proper endu ro bits: speedo, tool bag, skid plate, small front light , and ~ small rear b rakelight. The red plastic tank ~,?l~ three gallons, eno~gh for longish enduro, reliability trial and crosscountry events. Out at the riding area , the first impressions' are good. The engine is a 173.6cc rotary valve two-stroke with a bore and stroke of 62x57 mm. A V-54 32mm Bing carburetor feeds it the straight gas while an oil , injection system takes care of the lubrication. The oil is stored in the fram e, with the refill neck near the steering head . Oil capacity (2.3 quarts) is.sufficient for a full weekend of riding. Some may not care for oil injection, but we like the idea of being able to get gas just about anywhere. Flip down the car.buretor-moun~ed choke lever and gIve the left-side kickstaner a little boot and the CanAm fires right up. Getting u~derway was another matter on our bike; the clutch wouldn't disenga~e when i~ was