Issue link: http://trailridermagazine.uberflip.com/i/1445637
February 2022 358 The air-cooled, rotary valve design was bulletproof, and their gearbox was magic, with shi s like a hot knife through bu er. Clutch pull was rugged, but it would soon make a man out the limp wristed. Funny what s cks with us from our childhood. I fondly remember the sound of the very first Can- Am I laid eyes on. It was a 1974 125 T'NT (Track 'N Trail) and it belonged to a guy I soon became lifelong friends with, Steve McNulty. Steve's Can- Am was registered for road use with blinkers and all. He'd rip around town hi ng the local trails while also riding his bike to school. The sound was unique, a whirring tone, and unlike most dirt bikes of the day, it was quiet. Whisper-quiet. At the me, I was on a Hodaka Wombat that was set up for NETRA events and it went pre y good — or so I thought. One a ernoon, Steve let me take his T'NT for a spin, and man, what an eye-opening experience. Although his bike was quiet, it packed a brutal, mid-range punch. Since the Hodie was my first real dirt bike, I hadn't experienced anything quite like the Can-Am's performance, and yes, I was impressed. At the me, the Rotax power plant of the T'NT line was the same as their motocross- er, the MX-1. The T'NT was a motocrosser fi ed with street-legal ligh ng, and, my gawd, did they rip! Having been a fan of Can-Ams for literally decades, I've owned quite a few from 125s to the brutally powerful 500MX. Being a woods rider at heart, I've found that the Qualifier series is my favorite, going back to 1977 when another riding bud bought a new 1977 175 Q from former Trail Rider adver ser G&G Cycles in Salisbury MA. G&G was a magical place for a kid of 15 years old. Along with Can-Am, G&G sold Husqvarna and Hercules, and their showroom was always packed with shiny new mounts. It was during a visit to G&G that Kurt first laid eyes on a new model, the T'NT 175 OR (Off Road). The OR model had an all business look, similar to a Husky WR, with a small diameter headlight with a cool brush guard and a ny rubber flap tail light tucked out of harm's way. Topping off the look was a genuine cowhide tool bag filled with most everything needed for basic trail side repairs. Incredible-looking bikes of the day. With a handful of old 'Hams in the stable, I began searching for a 175 OR. Since it was a one-year-only model, with produc on figures of less than 500, ORs rarely pop up for sale.