I hope i dont get booted from this forum for saying this, but i know all of you know how much passion i have for these bikes as much as the rest of you do, and i will do so until the end of me, my bikes or major parts supply!
But im writing this because i dont pay no attention to what the bike magazines say anyway, as i have rode weird and exotic euro bikes all my life that i always had to read the same negative stuff about and none was good! i read them though because of my love for motorcycles and to keep up to date with whats new in the world of them, gear and accessories!, but tests i take with a grain of salt, expecially if its not a brand like the big Asian-4 who get picked on just because there graphics are ugly!, but those companies right after there test was a four page advertising spread!, anyone remember any Cannondale Ads?
But really and come on!, what technology did Cannondale have and use that hasnt been tried, used or tested before in production or non-production prototypes since the creation of motorcycles!, the new Yamaha YZ450F (Along with many , many other off-road machines now!) is way more far advanced than the Cannondale was and it should be its 13 years later!, and there engine is nothing like the Cannondale engine, just some of the basic concepts from of it..but refined and perfected, But, if C'Dale lasted they also would have evolved into a better and more reliable engine and frame setup also!, How many patents does Cannondale have on there MC engine design? im not talking IPR's, thats not patents, But yes C'Dale holds several on the bicycle end!
Many other motorcycle companies (and yes, including Yamaha) way in the past has used reversed cylinders heads, cassette transmissions, seperate trans and engine oils, oil in frame, liquid cooling, fuel-injection, electric start, no-link rear single shock suspension, aluminum frames, front and rear disc brakes and the list goes on!
There is only one thing you can say that was original about the C'Dales...They were built right here in the good old U.S.A. and so was the production and pre-production WJ engines!, But even Cannondale started with there prototype which was just a conventional basic engine design by using a Folan/Husaberg hybrid shoved in there on chassis and layed out in design by "new world concepts" (Cycra!), But so did Horst Leitner founder of ADB-Avenger (American Dirt Bike) and then ATK (which stood for Anti-Tension Kutentraub, which was his AMP A-Trak anti-chain torque system) and his bikes was american made, had several innovations but still used someone elses engine...Rotax!, but it was labled as a American made motorcycle!, and there was a lot of Patented technology from others like Boyesen, Krizman just to make name a few that did change thing in the world of motorcycle engines!
But yes, I also agree when the C'Dale came out, the Yamaha YZ400 & Honda was the contender and the new hi-tech 4-strokes were different, harder to ride, stalled etc...and that was all in the beginning, not just C'Dales!, i still today from coming up and learning, racing almost most of my motorcycle riding life can still ride my Husky 2-stroke faster and easier and run circles around other 4-strokes or that i can ride my C'Dale or any other new generation 4-stroke!, now of course were not going to even compare any old XR or of the type 4-strokes to the new Gen!
But all of this is my Own personal opinion but also again IMO fact!, But again who cares what they or anyone says or said then or now about our beloved machines!