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Imagine the ability to change from a 250R cylinder to a CR500, or a CR250 HPP cylinder, or a Pilot, a Polaris 400, or a 92-01 CR250. All without expensive case alterations, and switch back just as easily. Imagine the ability to run a 79mm stroke crank without any additional case mods. Imagine being able to repair clutch actuator chain damage in a matter of minutes. Imagine a shift shaft that rides on needle bearings for buttery smooth shifts, and the ability to run a 17 tooth front sprocket.
Imagine no more! While there are other billet case manufacturers out there, no one can offer all the features that these cases provide. Patent pending features that you will find nowhere else, and the versatility to build virtually anything you can dream up. This is innovation….not imitation. This is the ability to Build Your Own Beast!!!
A project three years in the making, born from the collaboration of three very talented individuals who’s sole goal is to create the best products available, and brought together by another with an unmatched dedication to sport of ATV racing.
A man who single-handedly redefined mini motocross, his son with an unbelievable talent for engineering and design, a West Coast ATV building legend, and the creator of one of the most recognizable brands of ATV accessories in the world. These men put together an idea to help prolong a legendary racing machine, and all those years of work have led to this!
Bud Maimone’s reputation in the world of motocross is second to none. His drive was born out of frustration with the big motorcycle manufacturers and their inability to produce a capable race machine for his son to compete on. That drive led him to create a mini motocross bike that turned the racing world upside down. In just a few short years, Bud’s Cobra was THE bike for upcoming riders to be on and was the dominant bike at Loretta Lynn’s and every other racing venue nationwide!
Rob Selvy’s name may be one of the most recognized in the world of ATV racing. From clear back in the day when three wheelers ruled TT and motocross tracks, Rob was building machines for the privateers to compete against the huge factory backed riders. And Rob’s machines didn’t just compete. They stood toe to toe with the best the factories had to offer. Rob’s influence in the development of this project is evident in everything you see. His dream was to keep the 250R alive for many years to come. It is so unfortunate that he never lived to see it to completion. But it is his legacy to which this is dedicated.
None of this would’ve been possible without the devotion to the project of one man. Brent Maimone, the once young boy who was the first to throw a leg over the Cobra, is now the young man who put in countless hours in front of the computer screen bringing the ideas of Rob Selvy, his father, and himself to life. Brent’s desire to create the absolute best product available is evident in his work. He is proud of this project, and he damn well should be. Anyone can copy, but it takes a special kind of person to innovate and improve. Nobody else’s products can even compare.
It wouldn’t be fair to talk about this project without including Mike Meade. Mike is the man behind AC Racing, the builder of nerf bars, bumpers, grab bars, and countless other products. He’s been involved with ATV racing since it’s earliest days and has more connections in the industry than one could imagine. Mike has been working out of Bud’s shop for a number of years, and he is the man responsible for introducing Bud and Rob to each other. If it wasn’t for Mike, this may have never seen the light of day.
I have been fortunate to have a front row seat for this project. About three years ago, I got a call from an unknown number that happened to be Bud Maimone. I knew the name, and having been around our local race scene for years, I knew the extraordinary story of the Cobra and its success. Bud clued me in on what he was working and on asked if I had some spare engine parts that would help him with the development. Turns out Bud would also need a test mule for this endeavor, and I just happened to have one of my old GNCC Lonestar 250R’s buried in the corner. It had been sitting for almost four years waiting for an engine rebuild. Now Bud had the test machine he needed, along with some first hand input from an old, washed up racer!
After all the testing, design and redesign, and more testing, along with countless teaser pictures on the various 250R social media pages, the ESP (Exotic Sport Products) 250R is finally ready for the public to get its first look. And what better place for a debut than one of the most famous ATV races in the US, the 53rd annual Pine Lake Nationals in Ashtabula, Ohio. A track where some of the best riders in the world, both past and present, will show off their talent. And the perfect place for the 250R loyalists to get a look at what will be powering their machines for years to come. And if this gets you excited, wait until you see what else Bud, Brent and company have coming for the greatest ATV ever built.
For a little bit of Bud and Brent Maimone history and the story of his Cobra, please check out the link below.
https://racerxonline.com/2021/07/29/30-stories-from-the-ranch-the-last-great-y-zinger
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