VOL. 56 ISSUE 8 FEBRUARY 26, 2019 P87
fact that the Yamaha FJ1100 was commercially avail-
able back in 1984, as was the Harris XR69 chassis as
it was being used with the GSX1100 Suzuki motor, so
there's no reason you shouldn't be able to combine
the two and be allowed to compete.
These Yamahas, Suzuki XR69s, Suzuki Katanas
and Honda CB1100 motorcycles piloted by the likes of
Hayes and Metcher look like racers from back then,
but that's about it. The motors are pumping out north
of 160 horsepower at the tire—sometimes far more—
cost an absolute fortune to build, and are lucky to last
the race meeting. Most don't get to the end of the four
International Challenge races without some kind of
serious mechanical drama, with the pits looking more
like a wrecking yard with engine parts strewn all over
the place than a modern race pit. At the really pointy
end of the International Challenge, the money spent
easily rivals those of top-level superbike teams.
Yet despite their fragility, the racing from these
beastly bikes is absolutely world class. Morris was the
star of the event, taking two wins before his gearbox
started jumping out of gear in race three, causing him
to finish third and ninth in the final race and miss out
on the Ken Wootton Perpetual Trophy for the high-
est point scorer in the IC to race-three winner Steve
Martin by two points.
After many years of trying, Team USA scored their
first race win when Josh Hayes finally had a bike under
all three teams, they never
existed in the first place.
Rapp, Gilbert, Hayes, Prid-
more and Pegram all rode Ya-
maha FJ 1100s bored out to
1250cc in Harris chassis, all
of which never raced in the
early 1980s. The rules for the
International Challenge are
based off the Period 5 For-
gotten Era class and Period
6 Formula 750 and 1300 up
to 1984, which includes such
bikes as the Yamaha TZ750.
The grey era stems from the
(Right) Old
buddies with old
bikes. Pridmore
(left) was initially
the fastest rider
for the U.S., but
Hayes picked
up the baton
after lap one
of race one.
(Below) Team
Cycle News gets
a run on Bob
Rosenthall's
beautiful
Matchless G50.
A third place in
race four was a
nice way to pay
back the favor.
