Then a year later I was riding along a fire trail in the cane doing about 80kph and some other guy on a KX250 was coming the other way... The bikes connected head on and for a brief moment during our short lived flight we kissed each other. When the dust settled we gathered together all the bits lying around and headed for our respective homes. My thumb was once again broken along with some serious gashes. By now my abused thumb was hindering my grip on the bars, so I left racing alone for a number of years. My friends eventually hopped up to bigger bikes like 465 and 490 stuff. I traded the IT in and bought a Maico 490 Alpha 2. What a machine, shear horsepower everywhere and handling from heaven. I raced it a few times and did ok. I eventually sold the maico and after a number of years emigrated to Australia.
I have been in Australia for 11 years, and often told my son about the bikes we used to ride, and marvelled to him about the sheer excitement of a big 2 stroke.... Then it happened!! I stumbled onto the VMX scene and could not believe my eyes, it was like going back 25 years, the bikes were back!! I started to feel the same feelings and smell the same smells... 30 days later I had a very tired IT465 in my garage. I rode it down the road and back into the garage and stripped him down to the last washer. The entire gearbox (except for the two case halves and the two main shafts) is brand new Yamaha genuine parts. I figured if I am going to race hard it had better go the distance, so new stuff was the order of the day. I left the IT barrel alone figuring that the porting would help with low end grunt. I bought a new 2nd oversize Yamaha IT piston. I bought a DG YZ pipe and muffler to help with more mid range punch. The carb is YZ465 spec, and air box is opened up on the side for more flow. I had some issues tuning the carb but eventually setled on a needle that works really great. Boyesens were also fitted. The bike is awesome and it has an explosive mid and top end, which allows it to run with the 490 maicos. My first VMX race in Queensland was absolute heaven but the old body was not very willing, nor was the suspension, so I purchased some 43mm YZ490 forks and a larger monoshock. Now the bike is awesome, I can get air without the shocks bottoming out severely. Over the last 3 race meets, my fitness is improving dramatically... Look out here comes blue boy ( in my dreams ha ha ha ).
