Before we get too far a short history lesson is in order. Rewind your mental clock back to 1975. If you’re too young, well ‘That ’70s Show’ was pretty much real life. I was a moto-crazed five-year old and my dad was racing a 175 Can-AM all over Ontario and Western New York.

The funkiest family on the block, even my mom rode a dirt bike. Her Honda MR175 Elsinore was perhaps a prettier trail bike, but the more agricultural-looking Can-AM was a real enduro race bike. I may have worn dorky socks, but at least I had a big number-one on my 16” sidewalk bike! Sometimes it was 111, the number of my favorite flat track racer Johnny Parker; it just depended on how much electrical tape was left on the roll.

Spode in training. Because I was still waiting to get a minibike of my own, I practiced popping wheelies all day long while making motorcycle noises.

Back then all the fast enduro guys rode Can-AMs. My dad (third from left) and his little crew called themselves ‘Team Can-Can-Can-AM’, since it was comprised of three Canadians and an American.

Fast-Forward 30 years. I was by then offroad editor of Inside Motorcycles and editor of IMX. We were doing our annual giant motocross shootout at RJ Motosport Park. Test rider Oscar Gaetan showed up with his AHRMA-winning Can-AM…

Gaetan made the mistake of letting me ride it that day. I say mistake because not only did I promptly lose interest in all the new bikes I was supposed to be helping test, I also rode his bike through at least two full tanks of gas. You couldn’t pry me off that thing. I had an absolute blast! Ed Gatner Photo.

When I learned Can-AM was the featured make at the Ormstown Vintage Off-Road Festival this year, with guest star former Factory Can-AM rider Jeff Smith, my Can-AM stoke went into a frenzy! I had to get my hands on one for Ormstown…and I knew just where to look!

Dad’s old Can-AM finished it’s life in the mid-80s, sliding around in circles on the ice. For over 20 years the bike leaned against the wall of Dad’s garage, quietly collecting dust. My begging and whining finally paid off, and about a month ago the Can-AM made it’s way to my place for resurrection.

Gaetan hooked me up with Kevin Annette of Vintage Parts4U. Turns out my Dad and Annette sort-of knew each other from off-road racing in the ’80s. Annette later got into vintage racing. Seeing a huge demand for parts he opened Vintage Parts4U in 2006 as a sideline to his machine shop. Business boomed right away, taking him by surprise. Most of his customers are aboard the ‘73-75 ‘white tank’ models, which are state of the art for that era. He has customers from all over the world with Can-AMs, right up to and including the ‘Armstrong Era’, when Bombardier farmed out production to Armstrong in the UK before they ceased production completely.  He can get or has in stock any part for any Can-AM, as well as most other popular vintage bikes. Vintage Parts 4U also makes parts to improve the performance or reliability of the older bikes!

Annette’s personal race bike turned out to be a 175 TNT, just like the one we’re building. Apparently the lure of the light, fast ‘cheater 125’ was strong back in the ’70s…as it still is today, evidenced by all the 144cc big-bore kits you see on 125 motocross bikes!

Back home I pulled apart Dad’s old bike. Lots of former race damage became apparent, like several broken spots on the frame.

The engine is in remarkably good shape. The top end is fine, but it will get new crank seals, gaskets and a new clutch assembly. A differently-geared MX-version clutch will replace the TNT model, and a lighter flywheel is ready to try as well. We might even clean up the porting a bit…gotta give the old girl some zing!

We were warned Can-AM stuffed the oil-injection tanks with coarse foam in the ’70s to keep two-stroke oil from sloshing around. Over time that foam degenerated, plugging up oil pumps and causing many owners to revert to pre-mix. We decided instead to stick with the oil-injection system and get that gook out of the frame by opening a hole in the backbone.

Had we dared to start the bike we would have killed it once the two-stroke oil pump sucked up this huge wad of muck. If you plan on restoring a Can-AM you must do this!

The frame is now patched up, along with the other broken spots (like under the footpegs…no wonder my Dad’s neck hurts now…) welded up. Jim Hunt at Cycle Improvements/MX Tech is going to do the suspension, rebuilding the scrawny 35mm forks and short travel Koni shocks. The whole idea of racing the exact same bike my dad raced in ‘75 is just about the coolest thing ever and has my stoke-level bouncing off the rev-limiter! We’ve got a big box of parts and a whole bunch of ideas, so stay tuned to www.offroadmotorcycles.ca as this project comes together.

You can contact Vintage Parts4U by visiting www.vintageparts4U.com or calling 905-532-0366