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/126809
. . , ... ., ... ..... . "If I could personally test everyCan-Am we ship, I'd be happy" Twice WOrld SOOCc MX cnsmp ion Jeff smttn tscsn-em» produce manager "In any kind of moto rcycling en-. deavor, development is everything. You must contlnuallvstrive to be better and faster." "For most motorcycle builders, that development goes in fits and starts. Because, when mass product ion begins, problems that haven't been solved must live on unt il next year: ' . "Because every Can-Am is virtua lly hand-made by t he craftsmen at Armstrong in England. we have someth ing of an advantagein t his area. Development goes on as it must, cont inuously. Whether it's knowledgegained from our extensive t est-riding program or t hrough tough compet ition, when we fi nd something we canmake bet ter, we do it. Then." "We don'tbuild many Can-Am motorcycles each year. But what we do build, we build well!" Since t he violent suspension revolut ion of the late 70s, the pace of 125 and 250ccmotocross development . hasslowed. Everyyear ridersget a lit tl e faster. Bikes get a little better. It' s a kind of inevit able evolut ion. What 's beengoing on at Can-Am, on t he other hand, is heavy-duty evolut ion. With each bike now hand· built by Britishcraftsmen and Can-Am designersfreed from long product ion deadlines, the climate f or development is ideal. And th is year, t he improvements are truly impressive. Performance of bot h t he Can-Am 125 MXand 250 MX engineshas beenincreased dramatically wit h the new RAV.E. automat ic variable exhaustport from Rotax. A new seat/tank combination allows a lower center-of-gravity for the fuel and a further-forward cornering posit ion for the rider. Both the front and rear brakes havebeen revised for better stopping power with a double leading shoearrangement up-f ront on the 250 MX. The alloy swingarm is longer for bet t er high speed stability. The new airbox givesincreased volume. And Can-Am's Quad Link rear suspension syst em has been revised to give an easier ride all 'round, Yet. with all t hischange for the better, Can-Am MX·ersstill do what they've long done best: promise , and deliver, rock-sonc reliability. Martinand Ballard have often been Clean, but never this neat! . Having a clean scorecard or fin ishing 1-1 iswhat it's reallyall about. But looking great while you're doing it definitely runs a close second. John Martin (nylon mesh racing pant s with Can-Am Tshirt) andGeoff Ballard (sat in-fi nish Antron pants with Can-Am jersey) demonstrate a couple of ways to go about it . YourCan-Am dealer has lots more including hats, gloves,jackets; evena canvas Can-Am duffel bag. New·TThead makes more thump than ever! Theway to build the bes t motocross bike is pretty obvious. Put the best engine in th e best chassis. Asexpect ed, th is rule holdstrue for 4-stroke rnotocrossersas well. Can-Am has the proof. Behold the Can-Am 560 Sonic MX! Its tough,lightweight Reynolds 531 frame ishung with loads of attractive new hardware. Dual leadina-shoe front brake. A compact, new exhaust system. Massive 5.50 x 18 Metzeler rear knobby. And Can-Am's superb newQuad LinkIIrear suspension. Now, th ink! What'sthe fastest,mostsuccessful 500cc4-stroke engine on the dirt? Noneother than the Rotax dirt-track TTengine_This powerplant and the Sonic MX engine share t he same roots. Nowthey share a lot more. Like the same largevalved, charge-flowed . cylinder head. And t he elimination of t he engine counter-balancer f or whiplash t hrottle response. The best chassis. The best engine. Guess what that makes the Can-Am 560 SonicMX! MORE FIREPOWER FOR THE OPEN-tLASS WARS Theexplosive Can-Am 500 MX hasan arsenal of new features that help makeit mightier than ever. More horsepower f rom its reliable Rot ax reed-valve engine. Double leading-shoe front brake. A fat Metzeler 5.50 x 18 rear knobby. Can-Am's new Quad Link II suspension. A bigger gas tank mated t o a longer seat that allows a bet ter rider posit ion for t ight cornering. And to help keep the front wheel wit hin 90 degreesof t he horizon.