It's clear that we have a warm spot in our gut for rat bikes. Or is that the Miller High Life that we left out on the hood of the car, found two hours later and gulped down anyhow? Whatever, we still were quite delighted when we received the following fan mail. Clearly, Pete's last "paid escort" ran off with his medication and he went kind of nuts in his garage, but we'll let him tell the tale:
Just wanted to say that your Web site is tops. The Mini Dad Chronicles
absolutely kill me. Since I am bored to death at work and don't have much of a life at home besides tinkering with my bikes in the garage I am sending you this e-mail. What prompted this e-mail was the article on the 1987 RM 80.
My story began last Christmas when I purchased my youngest smart ass son a brand spanking new RM 85. He is a pretty good rider but no match for me on the KTM 200 I ride. We only race in the woods -- no MX -- but, anyway, tired of waxing the little turd on the 200, I set out to build a pit bike out of a 1985 DR 100.
Started by changing out the front forks from a 1987 RM 80, added the front rim off a 1986 KX 80 -- odd thing is it all bolted right up. Finished the front end with a master cylinder and caliper off a 97 KX 80. To balance out the suspension, I shoe horned in a rear shock of a 87 DR 125. Ended up raising the seat height and ground clearance two inches.
On to the engine. Went with an overbore and OEM piston and rings 0.050 over. Ran good now but the stock exhaust choked it down, so back to Ebay were I purchased all the other parts and got a Super Trapp system off an ATC 185. Little welding and tweaking and it bolted right up.
I will tell you one thing, the youngster has no chance now. The little DR creation will flat out smoke his RM. I have pretty much decided to keep the current POS look. Like I said, I don't really have much of a life. I
have attached a picture of this piece of crap for your viewing pleasure.
Pete Odegaard
Waco, Texas
Actually, Pete, there are a lot of dumbasses out there who have no chance in hell of ever being able -- physically, mentally or otherwise -- to build any kind of custom dirt bike. They'll insist they have no desire, but they're lying. That's what we keep telling ourselves anyhow.
We like the ride. Of course, it's the homemade HEMI sticker that makes the bike...
