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/125500
~ SHAIROCK'S By John Shedd ENDURO FROM DESERT SAND TO MOUNTAIN SNOW If we _ulll lIIe pages If Wellstrs lIIetiOIlafJ .. lIIe len. WE,· we will ftlllllle .rll • c..• wust. sa,s tbat lllis . .5 lIIe allilllJ 1: .. last, CIIItl ell',.... I .. 1IIi" . . Niall llidl" 8ft a -lIrCJde ~ •• ..... . . la Ill.... 11II a 1Ien.II~pll .. lie coulll ., III" ..... These three attributes are the essence of a motorc;ycle enduro. When you sip up fortbis type of motorcycle sPOrt. you and your machine mustlast for Quite a few hours over many miles of very difficult terrain. No matter what you encounter. you must continue on and do yOur best to see that you and your machine remain in one piece. The seventh annual Shamrocks enduro produced more than 104 teams; made up of some 400 riders who felt they could endure all that the Shamrocks. the desert and the mountains had to disb out. In 1966. there were less than 200 entries for this run and only eight of these were trail bikes. This year. the number of trail bikes took a big jump. There were more than 100 entries in this class. The Shamrocks said that a large number of these small bike riders were making their first enduro attel1\Pt. Slush 81 Snow The course was laid out Quite well and included many varied and difficult riding conditions. The marking of the course was excellent and gave the new riders a good break for their first run. The Shamrocks were out at dawn laying out and marking the run. The rain. which didn·t stop until late Saturday night. prevented any of this from being done the day before. The rain was an advan-" tage to the riders. because there was absolutely no dust. Not only was the absence of dust a bit unusual. but even more unexpected was the presence of snow. Wben the Shamrocks marked the second loop in the early morning hours. they found themselves knee-deep in soow as they topped the mountains. By midday most of the snow had melted. but the riders found a bit of slusb to muddy things UP for them. "CI ::r '5"" Recent rain made lar Ideal deslft rlclne. ., PI..., 01 tradlon .ad no dust. First Loop Since the Shamrocks had a much better turnout than they expected. they formed several teams with as many as six riders. Three riders is usually the norm for one number. but the Shamrocks managed six Quite smoothly. Shortly before 9:00 a.m.. machines and riders began to form a line in a drainage ditch whicb paralleled Highway #14, fifteen miles north of Mojave at Cinco's Restaurant. Many spectators lined both sides of the gully. awaiting the start. At 9:01 the first team pulled out. The riders proceeded north alongside the highway for about 500 yards and then turned right and walked their machines across the highway. The first loop covered about 45 miles, and it was the only one required for the trail bikes. i RI der pmsa at checkpolat to have hi s ,card stalnped. hop"ullJ not too uri, ..d not too lat.. It's wise to travel In pairs, to pace onelllCltller or on. auts"ce II needed" MAlec 360cc EXPLOSIVE POWER AND SPEED BEATS THE BIG BIKES WITH 3&8ccfs SUPER, POWER AND LIGHT WEIGHT, PLUS GOOD HANDLIN&. 56 Indt wheelbase. Front lark ~ Inch uavel. Plttsburl, CaUl. TT·Scralllbles April 2. 1967 Expert Class GENE CONAUT·· 360 lUliCO 1 st 500cc sacramento Scrambles April 2, 1967 1 st 500cc Amateur Class JIM SAITONE - 360 IlAlCO (and ... 2nd a_all aplast the 65O's!) Two w.,s 01 traveUol doMIIIIII •• _ e ..,". to walk tIIeIr 0I_ts.