1997 ATK 605 DSES

CALVMX Vintage motocross, Glen Helen

Yes, another ATK.  I have had 2 prior to this one.  A 94 605 which I mentioned on an ealier post, but I also had an 89 604 CC/MX.  The 604 I vintage raced for a bit, which was actually an awesome bike.  Had a 560 motor in it, kick only, but it felt snappier and seemed to want to rev more on the track.  I later found a crack in the case, and did have the money or time to get it repair properly.  This one I WILL find again.  This thing was trick, along with the MX seat and tank.  Only 604 MX I have ever seen in person, only maybe even 1 of 10 I have seen on the internet.  Sorry, I only have a picture of it with the CC tank.  Tme MX tank and seat made all the difference at the track though.

But back to this one, a 1997 ATK 605.  Second year of the odd ball one sided frame.  Every trick part you could ask for: electric start, talon billet hubs, talon sprockets, brembo brakes, WP suspension, 190W stator, linkless rear shock, super reliable motor, skid plate, and street legal.  This ATK was built after the company was acquired and moved to Utah.  This is another bike that seemed ahead of its time and pushed limits on design.

 As a dual sport I felt this fit me better then the 94 I had.  It went straight at high speeds, wheel wouldn't deflect, suspension stock was plush and would suck up whoops all day long.  It took getting used to in single track, it fells top heavy at real slow speeds.  Once you realize you need to keep your momentum up though, it would do pretty good.  I would be able to get into the flow of tight twisty trails, but it did make you work for it a bit more than a MX bike.  This is the only bike I felt comfortable on at VERY high sustained speeds in the desert.  I have ridden bikes that had a lot of suspension work, and even some of those didn't feel this good.  A lot of folks I talk to about these older ATKs have mentioned that this suspension combo seems to perform better the more you throw at it.  I will have to agree with them on that.

I beat on this bike for almost a year with no serious problems or issues.  I did everything from commuting to and from work, to single track, to desert.  I racked up several thousand miles on this bike in the short time I had it.  Then I was tempted with a deal I couldn't pass up.  A friend of mine was leaving the area and he was selling his 2007 KTM 450XC.  The grass is always greener on the other side, right?

Again, ATK is still in business out of Utah and parts are still available.  They are not producing a dirt bike at the moment, otherwise I would probably have one of those as well.  ATK actually has some of the best customer service I have ever experienced from any dealer, let alone the factory!  Those guys are awesome to work with.

Got a few more bikes to talk about before I get to my race bike.  Hopefully this is some good reading for you all.