Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/102325
VOL. 50 ISSUE 1 JANUARY 8, 2013 between the two classes by anything like a comfortable amount. They're too close. Something will have to be done. And Dorna are the people to do it. World Superbikes are going to have to get back to their roots. They already have electric starters, and pretend headlights. Given their other freedoms in engine numbers and so on, it doesn't make much difference - except that if you fall off, it's easier to get restarted. You could suggest they should have sidestands, and even center-stands. But they'd just scrape on the curbs in the corners, even if they did put the bikes on street tires. Luggage capacity? Now you're talking. It'd soon put the Supers in their place (and any uppity riders too) if they had a set of panniers and a top-box, perhaps with a load of regulation pizzas in the back. The link to the road would be even stronger. Then again what's the biggest difference between streetbikes and racers? Streetbikes have two seats. Sorted. Superbikes will have to carry passengers. Now you have a real production-based series. And someone to chat to if you get stranded on a far corner of the circuit. To return from the absurd, however, it is a knotty problem. The progress of engineering has somewhat overturned the old truism: racing improves the breed. Truth is, top sportbikes are nowadays so good that the breed often improves racing. BMW's new electronic suspension control is just one example: such controls were banned in GP racing more than 15 years ago, an early blow to the credibility of any true value to the full-race prototypes. Does this mean that Superbikes will have to be made slower than streetbikes? The knockon effect is too dire even to contemplate. There is only one sure fix. Combine the two series. Dorna has the power to do that. The way things are going, nobody should rule it out. CN P99 LOOKING BACK 40 Years Ago January 16, 1973 A soggy Combat Wombat was splashed on the cover of Cycle News 40 years ago to start off the 1973 season of riding. The photo accompanied our hop-up project story on the Hodaka off-roader… A.C. Bakken won the sixth annual Ponderosa Championship off-road race in Lancaster, California… Local motocross action saw Rich Tharwaldson topped Rex Staten and Jimmy Weinert at Saddleback. Monarch-mounted Marty Smith won the 125cc Expert class over Penton rider Bruce McDougal. 30 Years Ago January 19, 1983 The CMC Golden State Series got underway at Saddleback Park and Danny Chandler, Bob Hannah and Mark Barnett came away with the Pro-class wins… On the east class, Karl Jordan, David Bailey and John Finkelday warmed things up at the opening round of the Florida Winter AMA MX Series at St. Pete… We tested the new, all-white, twin-shock 250 and 500 XCs from Husqvarna… Danny Storbeck moved up to the 125cc class and topped the motocross action at Lake Whitney. 20 Years Ago January 13, 1993 We featured the Yamaha YZ250 in action on the cover 20 years ago to accompany our riding impression of both the new YZ250 and YZ125 motocrossers… Yamaha unveiled its first semi support vehicle for its motocross team, made up of Damon Bradshaw, Doug Dubach and Jeff Emig. The rig replaced the team's previous three box vans… We announced that Bobby Moore would replace Mike Healey on the Bieffe Suzuki for the 250 World Motocross Championship. 10 Years Ago January 8, 2003 Chad Reed was featured on the cover for our season preview of the 2003 Supercross Series… We reported that seven-time Supercross Champion Jeremy McGrath was going to announce his official retirement from racing after his short stint with KTM… Chad Reed won round two of the THQ World Supercross GP in Holland… We remembered the man of speed Don Vesco who had passed away the previous month.