Falta Centerport Build

I got the bug to build a centerport CZ after seeing Clay Setzer’s 400 Falta machine up close at a show in Long Beach, CA. Then I began to devour everything I could about these rare factory race bikes that began with Jaroslav Falta and Zdenek Velkey testing and racing the ’74 chassis set-up. During this learning process I found out the 980/981 centerport was never released for production models until 1977 when it became designated 513/514 series. By now they had morphed into a long travel chassis among all the other machines being offered in the later ‘70’s. The pre-’75 era is what really interested me though, so, the mission was etched in stone, the project would begin by finding a stock Falta Replica to start hacking on.

The other important aspect of this story is I found out Jaroslav Falta had been robbed of his 1974 World Championship to the Russian KTM rider, Guennady Moisseev, taking second place after the FIM convened the protest in Italy. Harry Everts secured third place.

So, included in the company of my favorite motorcycle pilots is JAROSLAV FALTA at the top of the list whom I and thousands of others consider the real 1974 FIM World 250cc Motocross Champion! "For me, only MALCOLM SMITH ranks equal in sportsmanship and sheer talent overall in the dirt bike saddle."

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Perfect '75 Falta specimen for the build.

       

Let the cutting and reconfiguration begin.

       

4140 tubes and brackets welded up ready for paint.

       

       

Stock 980.5.000744 motor gets the CP treatment and is completely rebuilt.

Things are coming together. Tank repaired, seat pan modified, shocks rebuilt and more.

       

       

       

       

       

All done and ready to race.

Numeral 2 is traced from a photo of Faltas 12 bike at the 1974 MX Worlds shown below.

After the build was completed, I had to figure out a way to either get the bike to Jaroslav Falta for some photographic fun with the man himself, or as a last resort which I was completely honored to have happen, ask Falta to sign the front number plate. Well, it turns out we were able to get the momentous occasion on video, and of all places, in the Czech Republic, at the vintage CZ races! Bertus and Glen McClellan just happened to be going over to Czech on one of Bertus parts trips to the motherland which he does 3 or 4 times a year. He was able to tie the trip in with the races where we knew Falta would be attending. As a result, and with the help in translation by Henri Gref, a long time CZ racer/builder who is himself a native of Czech Republic and friend of Falta, the signing and video below became a reality. This truly is a hallmark occasion in my CZ experience, and I hope you enjoy and can appreciate the generosity of these fine gentleman of our beloved Vintage MX sport... EJ

VIDEO'S

FALTA signs Numberplate from E J on Vimeo.

Czech television documentary link below.

Sorry, no English translation.

http://www.ceskatelevize.cz/ivysilani/10337597303-motokrosar-stoleti/21147129803

CZ-250 centerport Resto-Mod

I had been laid up in bed with a badly broken left leg for a few weeks when I began putting together a new project bike that would incorporate all the bells and whistles yet maintain a vintage flavor to it. The bike had to be special and unique to satisfy my taste buds in this regard. This would be a “center-port” build from scratch. I wanted the bike to look and be set up differently than any other CZ out there.

This would be a special bike as a racer and a collectible piece in a single unit. Centerport CZ’s are rare and highly desired among those that just have to have something akin to a factory works bike. So, here it is after 7 months of planning and building. The bike is basically a 250cc reed motor with a handmade center exhaust port exiting the authentic Falta cylinder like the works bikes. The frame is a brand new 513 series unit with a custom made 1975 era rear sub frame assembly grafted onto it. Has 8" of travel up front, 5" in back through premium Ohlins shocks and a whole lot of neat parts in between. Billet triple clamps are Czech made from the motherland as well as the 8 oz all aluminum rear brake plate. Reed valve is a tried and true DH 4-pedal reed unit coupled with a 34mm Mikuni and boost porting. Electronic flywheel ignition by B.U.S. fires the plug magnificently. Engine starts on first kick every time! Excel rims, Buc's spokes, Pro-Form Racing pipe and a premium CZ chain. Nice slim alloy fuel tank and a new Bertus period correct seat assembly top off the old school look of the bike.

Everything is brand new except the fork sliders, hubs and engine cases. The bike runs better than stock with a little extra pep. Five speed 250 Falta gear ratio transmission that shifts like butter with a dry clutch. All in all a great little CZ in which I thoroughly enjoyed building.

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The resto-mod is birthed at the famous Bertus CZ shop. The collection

of new parts begin to gather on his display case full of cool CZ goodies!

       

The rear fender loop and swingarm/shock arrangement is done.

Rolling chassis is mocked up to finalize fittment of sub-components.

Note the Pro-Form Racing pipes.

       

Czech made billet triple clamps                         B.U.S. electronic ignition

       

34mm Mikuni with DH-4 reed

                                                                 

       

Authentic Falta fork spring preloaders

       

       

       

Motor is brand new top to bottom!

       

If you are curious what the frame color is, its Penske Red. The same color

spec'd out for Roger Penske's past Marlboro Indy cars.

Video by EJ

*** The resto-mod ready to race ***

Hopetown GP Reunion, 2013

The 2^nd Annual Hopetown Grand Prix reunion put on by the Zimmerman brothers, Mark and Randy at their company Specialty Fabrications, Inc., was in one word “Amazing.”

If you wanted to see and mingle amongst every kind of Vintage MX and other motorcycle displayed, and all the great personalities in the sport worldwide, today was the day. Joel Robert, Roger DeCoster, Torsten Hallman, JN Roberts, Rex Staten, Brad Lackey, John DeSoto, my motorcycle racing hero - Malcolm Smith, Preston Petty, Gary Bailey, Rick Johnson, Marty Tripes, Troy Lee, the Jones brothers, Tom White and on and on… A complete, over the top assembly of dirt racing of all kinds gathered here including the Zimmerman's private collection of rare race bikes and a fabulous collection of Triumph's. If there was such a thing as dirt racing heaven, this was it!

Old S’CooL was blessed to have 3 restored machines on display at the show. From what I could tell they were enjoyed by the guests.

I hope you enjoy these video's of the Reunion and a 1967 race at Hopetown, the site of the original -

"Corriganville Movie Ranch"

Ray "Crash" Corrigan (R) on the ranch set. John Wayne center.

Post your Hopetown GP experience in our comments block below

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1974 CZ250 Centerport GP

36 years later, factory CZ pilot Rob Norrgard’s CZ250 center-port is done!

I was approached by the current owner of this rolling CZ chassis that had been stored in his garage some 16 years or so. He said he saw my website with a center-port CZ on it and wanted to explore building this special CZ of his. The story is he bought it from a CZ factory co-pilot in San Diego that also left it sitting in storage from back in the day. This riders name is ROB NORGAARD. So being curious, I called up Marty Tripes, ex factory CZ racer and asked if he knew Rob. He said "sure do EJ, I’ll get his number for you." Marty emailed me the contact info, I called Rob up and we had a nice conversation recounting his original intentions for the bike.

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Rolling chassis upon arrival.

Back in the mid 70's, Rob wanted to build a personal race bike with some factory features including a chromoly frame and swing arm but family and life consumed his time and it never got built. He purchased the chromoly chassis kit from a fabrication shop called “The Frameworks” in Orange County, Calif. It included the swing arm, coffin tank, chromoly brake pedal, CZ handlebars, alloy airbox and seat pan.

For the power plant which you see here, Rob chose a 4 speed 980.2 sidepiper motor for durability and had a cylinder converted to a center-port arrangement. He hung some Akront rims on it with a pair of sidepiper front forks and an S&M double pinch lower triple clamp. The roller sat in Rob’s garage nearly 19 years until the current owner bought it in 1993 and stored it another 16 years! The new owner and I got on the phone and began the planning and decision making process to revive Rob’s old CZ to new life and I think we have done a very nice job. We wanted to maintain the GP flavor of the bike to some degree over the more stock looking CZ’s. The fuel tank angle on the frame has a lot to do with this as well as the new GP style seat.

NOS 1974 special CP Falta chromoly frame back from powdercoat

        

The frame (s/n FW RJD GP 001) needed some attention even though brand new in that it was missing the side number plate mounts, rear hub was off center by ¼” to the countershaft sprocket requiring a spacer. We wanted to have the Falta Replica chamber mount look and feel so I removed the black frame styled pipe hanger and fabricated a new one. We had to relocate the rear brake reaction arm mount point up front for a longer chain tensioner. Then after powder coating the frame, it was noted the top steer bearing race had enlarged quite a bit. A new built up race had to be fabricated and pressed in the new hole. If you look close you will see that the upper half of the steering yoke is taller than a stock Falta yoke by 1” with no structural support to prevent the hole from growing under 400 deg F oven heat.

The frame cradle is a full 2” taller than a stock Falta chassis measured from the backbone to the swing arm pivot. Not sure if this was per Rob’s personal specification or The Frameworks in-house design. Stock CZ fiberglass seat pans will not fit on this frame, so the alloy pan had to be used and a custom seat foam carved out to suit. The seat cover with tuck and roll flat-top was designed by myself.

       

The powerplant is equipped with a B.U.S. electronic ignition system housed under the classic and rare "sharkfin ignition case," setting the motor off with style. 4 speed bullet proof transmission, JOK head, Mikuni 34mm carb, and basically a stock and fresh top end.

       

       

       

       

       

The Chromoly CZ and owner at the 2nd Annual Hopetown GP Reunion, 2013.

 

She runs like a champ ready to throw some dirt…