Close ups Honda CR480 Twinshock Special text by owner / builder DAVE KRAMER

This is the open class bike that Honda should have built. Having a certain like for the red rockets, I set out on a quest to build Honda¹s answer to the 490 Maico.  I wanted to build something very similar to the 77¹ RC500 that Marty Smith and Jim Pomeroy raced. A conversation started online about my quest and I was directed to Joe Vanella of Oswego, NY. He had built three of these bikes and told me to get everything together and take my time. It took me two years. So far I can only account for 7 of these bikes, including two here in the PNW.   A 1980 frame was needed due to the 82¹ 480-exhaust center port design. Steve Clark had a few frames hanging in the Steilberg vintage cellars. Greg McManus was consulted for his production welding capabilities and many Saturdays were consumed with his expertise.  

Greg moved and fabricated frame mounts, CNC¹d custom aluminum engine mounts and mixed a 250/480 exhaust to fit the contours. An 81¹ Pro-Link swing arm was dissected and mounts for Fox Air Shox were designed and welded.   Ray Carlstedt was commissioned to build a heat-treated rear axle. Phil Denton Engineering of England fabricated custom stainless steel bolts to compliment the engine brackets. MX Bonz supplied a set of 5/10 degree trick handle bar mounts, while Karl Landrus fashioned a chain roller with a bracket that lowers the roller away from the swing arm.  

Fritz Guenther turned custom bushings for the swing arm and gave me great resources to fabricate many parts including the hand built stainless rear brake rod.   Parts from 80¹-83¹ make up this bike, including the 43mm Race Tech forks up front. The air box gave me the most fits, but I ended up constructing a hybrid of a 1980 CR125 box and morphing it into the back half of the CR250 box.  I laced a set of 82¹ wheel hubs treated by Performance Coatings with a heat dispersant. They also ceramic coated the pipe. Seattle Powder Coating did the frame and VMX supplied the plastic, seat cushion, cover and pegs. This bike complements my 1980 CR250 and I look forward to having as much fun with this. - DK

CR250R Model CR480 Special

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