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/125497
. Ramblers' SKILL Scramb es .... : a.. By Douc RidmoDd The RicaoDd Rulblers Motorcycle Club, iD RichmoDd, Cali"~ aia, do DOt hold the opiDioD tIW a sclUlbles bas to be a Oattrack witla a few extra tIInls aDd aD itty-bitty j_p - to put it biDdy, most of tlaeir eveats are oat-uHDt sIrill ud skull eveats of the kiDd that TorsteD Han.u prefers. 1110 sUIt of tIIo first 250ce Eapert IllOt_roSS. The attrillon rato was - . . - • orl&lfta' flold of 5 was w11lttlod dowII lD 3 far 11I0 tIIlrd IIYOftl. The Flying Swede would have been perfectly at home at the Ramblers scrambles held March 5. for this time the scrambles course led up and down hills. through gullies and along a grassy slope - the only fairly fast portion was right at the finish line in back of the clubhouse. The course was a long one; it took about 2 minutes or so for a lap if a rider kept his wheels under him. and sometimes a lot longer than this to get to the top of the first hill. The weather was just right. sunny. shirt-sleeve weather (if the shirt was a Pendleton) with a gentle breeze blowinl< off the Bay. It was a pertect day for spectators. and there were about 500 enthusiasts who paid admission. and l'd guess easily that many more freeloaders. Several of the hill sections were so wide that the riders had their choice of route. and a rider's finishing position. as likely as not. was determined bY just which groove he picke~on one section. if he took the easier. longer route down he would be unhappy to discover he had lost so much time he may have dropped five or six positions. And on another. if he took the fast. direct way straight up the hill he might not be able to climb the hill at all! Photographer's Dream By no stretch of the imagination w~ this a fast course. and many of the riders had severe troubles with their super-tuned scramblers because if they slowed down to get traction the engine would come oU the boil and if they twisted the throttle too briskly they would break loose - it was the usual thing to see some poor devil drop back down the bill a few feet with the rear wheel spinning furiouslY. ease off. kill the motor. and have to wrestle the bike around and go back to the bottom and start over again. This was where the neariyostock machine. or the out-and-out enduro rig. came into its own. There were dozens of crashes-one of the better riders told me he would like to get around the course just once without falling off so he could go home and brag to his wife - but due to the low speeds the crashes were mostlY of the step-oU type with ill.iuries confined to the egos. And it was a photographers dream - if aphotog didn·t get dramatic action shots he either didn·t know his business or was out of film! (R esults 00 pace 16) DouC Richmood Photos Rlcht hero Is wIIerotho flold starts llllbunchin.. 11Ioso 250cc novlcos .0 supposed lD be plftl uphill lD tIIo rlchlo Don Stover Iuds Biscuits Verblsclo down 11I0 hili Into Tho Gull.,. RlcH01 111.. IIkotllls won 11I0 &50ce Ibln and tIIo 5w.... st...es I1Ir Don, wlt_ Biscuits a close second betll 1I111Os. This _III Is STEEP. 'ow Iboy Callfarala scr._les rlders pin lIIelr oxperl.nc:e on flat tracks wltll a oxtra curves and a J..... Hor" s wIlat happoas wIIon ,.al curves are .countered by tIIo .wary. For your new 'UN., SEE· p~~ 2707 - •• lst Street Santa Aoa, Calli. ~ YIMIHI ~ HARRY FOSTER MOTORCYCLES 10425 SO. VERMONT AVE. 754-2811 caTCHLE55 HODAIA SALES, PARTS· SERVICE EDDIE CROWELL 10... 27 P,aule.lngle_ood OR 3-9573