I Did 120mph on My Bicycle...Uphill

The 1983 Yamaha IT-250K.
Another off-road bike that was basically an air-cooled, off-road version of the 1983 YZ-250K motocross bike.

I bought and owned one of those bikes.
It was fast, physically large, and softly-suspended.
For the places I had to ride it at the time, it was probably a bit too large in physical side for me, but, it was fun, nonetheless.
For a taller guy out someplace with lots of more open terrain where you could really open the throttle and let 'er rip (after the suspension was stiffened a bit), it would have been a missile.

I thought of this bike because I just read a thread somebody started on a message board asking why no more dirt bikes were made with air-cooling.
Why?
Because, for one, that would be asking the factories making the bikes to swallow their technological pride and take a big step backwards.
The Japanese motorcycle factories have a history of wanting to produce machines that are cutting-edge, not stone-aged.
These days, any dirt bike that's not liquid-cooled is a playbike made for riding slow and/or beginners and/or farting around in the back yard.
Period.
If they were to bring out a modern day version of the above IT-250K, I really wonder if it would sell in 2011.
People will always armchair quarterback about what the motorcycle manufacturers SHOULD be making, but when it comes time to put their money where their really big mouths are, will the same joker with the mouth actually buy it?
Probably not.

Why in hell were bikes like the IT-250K eventually dropped from production, anyway?
Was it because they sold every one they could make in record time?

Another factor is the ridiculous EPA/environmental regulations the bike must meet.
I think the regulations these days are so ridiculously tight for any new model, the bike would have to be choked-down in a ridiculous manner to pass.
You can thank this bogus environmental plan put forth by the rich elite aristocrats that started the UN, and continue to make worldwide policy for us to this very day.
Of course, the goal is fewer people and no fun like riding an IT-250K on public land.
They want no public land, and no motorcycle riding.
Period.
That's what they're implementing, one step at a time.

Sounds like a fun place to be, don'nit?

Off to jerk,
-John