vintage
factory
history
Building The 1975 Jim Hale/Mechanix Wear Honda CR125 Replica!
Here’s a build I did a few years back, replicating a 1975 racer for Mechanix Wear Gloves owner/legend Jim Hale. Jim was a great guy with a great history. Note the double tank wing he and his brother Nick designed for their tanks. RIP Jim.
FINDING MARTY MOATES'S KSI450 THUMPER!
SHINY HONDA PLASTIC IN 2000!
We were the first to bring you shiny reproduction plastic for your Vintage Honda back in 2000. Offering plastic for all Honda MR50/XR75/CR125/250/450/480R models from Red Racer.
Finding The Marty Tripes RC250 Claimed Honda!
In 2005, I found the 1979 Honda RC250 works Honda ridden by Marty Tripes, and claimed by John Roeder at Hangtown in 1979! The bike had been in a semi trailer next to his old Maico since 1979!
Finding The Jeff Ward FMF Mini Racers!
Here's Jeff Ward's personal Honda Mini Elsinore, and FMF Pro-Fab Suzuki RM80 Minis I found and restored back in the 90's! It was on display at the Hard Rock Cafe in Las Vegas. They were featured in the 1977-78 FMF Catalog.
Building The 1975 Marty Smith RC125 Replica!
The year was 2008, and I was looking for a special project to take on, and had an idea. Growing up with Team Honda’s Marty Smith being my hero, I connected with the 3-time national motocross champion to run it past him. Marty and I were already friends, selling signature t-shirts, and decal kits in previous years. So I called Marty one night, and asked if he would be interested in doing a signature Honda RC125? Marty was very interested, and was as excited as I was. I put together a game plan, and off to San Diego I went to meet with Marty. We went over all of the magazine photos from that summer of the bike, and its features. We agreed on the version of the bike we wanted to do, (they changed swingarms, shocks, etc. on the bikes that year a lot for testing) and to replicate the bike he rode in 1975 at the Mid-Ohio 125 USGP.
Over the next three months, I worked on making the parts, and finding the bikes needed to complete the 10-bike build for the Vintage Factory/Marty Smith replica RC125 Honda. Once the bikes were secured, and the parts were completed, I was ready to build. We priced the bikes at $10K each, and sold all ten in around a week. Marty and I, were both ecstatic! I completed the bikes, with them shipping to Japan, Australia, UK, and here in the U.S.
People have asked why I didn’t make the bikes a center port design? You have to remember, this was 2008. Most bikes were selling for $1,800 to $2,500. range. I considered doing these modifications, but it would have driven the price way out of the ball park, making them unaffordable for most.
Marty was always such a nice guy to work with. We did everything on a handshake. It was definitely a milestone event for me, and Vintage Factory. Marty and I remained friends until him and his wife Nancy’s untimely death in 2020.
This week one of the Vintage Factory/Marty Smith Replica RC125’s sold on Ebay for over $27K!
I’d like to think Marty was looking down, and saying, “Right on Scott!”
