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/125526
i Bon : ... ~ .. s 0; ! u . 0 en ~ lol Z lol ...;) U :>. u KANSAS TRACK HOSTS INTERNATIONAL MOTO-CROSS GUP A HODAIA SlDry By Dick Wript PIloto by Jell Wl1pt Riders wbo have not tried the trail blkes don't realiZe tbe1r poteotial In haviog a good ride. At the average Bare SCrambles, for example, where the trail bikes start ten minutes after the Open Class and 25Occ, the l00cc trail bikes have been able to catch IlP to the other riders half-way through the race, and by the end of the race, the first ten In the trail bikes bave been up In the seventies and eighties overall. The point Is thai It takes a good rider to turn a 250cc bike all the way on In tourth gear In the desert to use all thai available power. In the case of a trail bike, assum1ng you bave good suspension (a must), It Is possible to run 50 mues an hour In the open desert In fourth gear. The trick Is to know your bike, know wbat It wU1 do In a certalnldndofbumpor ditch, and always keep the eoglne In a gear where you can keep It buzzed IlP to power you over the rougb spots. After baving owned and ridden almost every IdDd of dirt bike, I decided to try my hand at the trail class with a new 90cc Hodaka. I put 200 street mUes on the engine before doIog anything to the bike, then I was hot to ride it In a desert event. The 11rst steps I took to get It ready were: (1) strip off all the lIgIIts, battery, and wires (tbis Is real easy, just don't pull the wire going down Into the mag). (2) Put Dlgger 1\.-70 tires on tront ltOO back. (3) Install a quick-turn throttle. (4) Change to 50-weight oUIn the forks. For the first cO\lPle of rides [ used the stock air cleaner, exhaust pipe, and stock 85 jet; I bad a good ride finishing In the first 10 each time. Nen I added a bigger air cleaner and upans1QD chamber, Girlingrearshocks, bored the engine out to 70 thousandths over and added a Pabatco big head with stock compression. For the conllng, I put In a 100 main jet, and dropped the needle jet one notch. This set-1lP warted real well for the amount of money invested. I was able to pull fourth gear In the sandwashes and open trails, which you have to do If you are going to run with the winners. TIle bike started running real good, so [thougbUt was about time to do something :. ., '. ., ,., • ,.' • ., • Pick lit a set of un fllat suit fOU. ----.--~ LolI&er flIlts with 1112 lacll rake From WUlIam D. Grapevine, president of the FIM-aftillated Pan-American Racing Association, comes news that an International Mota-Cross will be beld on November 5th at Aztec Park In sedan, pod • •entag. Kansas. Dick WriPt. autbor 01 the accomp.,11lC article, pracllca. what ha praaclle.. Ha.. ha boaoll. alOll,ln a Trail blke desert av_t. aboard bl. special Hodak.. with the tront suspension. I bad Eddie Crowell Cycie Sales Install a set at his lIgbt-we1gbt torks, which gave me 2-1/2 additional Inches at travel, two Inches of rake and real good dampening. This, to me", was the icing on the caIce, and I really was enjoying my "dessert" rides. I found that I could use the 95 main jet It didn't lqg lIle eng1De In fourth gear In the sand, and I would roll the throttle back once In a wb1le 011 along straIgbt-awayto let the engine cool, thus keeping the piston trom treez10g 1lP. Desert Dessert Then came the day of the 11ve-speed gearbox aDd all the goodies that go with it. I be1d off as long as I could, but being In the Expert class I bad to get ,., ,a . : . ,. • ,., ,., wbat the Test at the guys already bad. Needing a good machIn1st, I went to Inglewood to see Eddie Crowell again, and we decided on the following set-llP. We put on the new live-speed traosmistion "With wlde- range gears, put In a fourteen- tooth counter sprocket, and the new needle bearing rod assembly. We used the straigbt-cut drive gears, widened and lowered the Intake port aDd matched It UP with the Intake manifold, we also widened the exhaust port, but didn't lower it. We put on a one-piece, torty-su: tooth rear sprocket, and put the coU under the gas tank tor better cooling. With this setllP you'll have a bike that wU1 give you the full excitement of competitiOll with many conveniences that a heavyweight bike just cannot offer. A contract with Mr. Edison Dye confirms that such European stars at Tor&ten HaUman, Dave Bickers. Paul Fredrlchs and Joel Robert wU1 compete, as well as a team trom Mexico City. Riders from all over the U.S. are also expected to be on hand tor a chance to do bILtt1e with the best trom Europe. The Aztec Park track (location at the National FIM Trials Championship at the U.S. and the U.S. vs. Mexico PanAmerican Trials and MoW-Cross Championships tor the past three years) Is being completely revamped for the N0vember 5th event. One and a half miles per lap In length, the track Is expected to be one of the toughest courses In this country. More and better cOllcession stands, as well as additional rest room facilities, are also beJ.og built. 00 saturday, November 4, the day before the Mota-Cross, a Trials Is scheduled - more of an enduro, reallY - over several laps ot a 3-mtle course. Sunday's Mota-Cross wU1 start at 10 a.m. and end at 5 p.m. Tbere wU1 be National races tor riders who do not hold and International FIM license _ 30 minute heats In 125cc, 175cc, 25Occ, 350cc and Open Classes. MOIley and trophies wU1 be paid In each event. In the International races, there wU1 be three 30-minute heats for each at two classes - 250ce aDd 500cc. AgaIn, mOlley and trophies are to be awarded. For further Information COlltact WUl1am D. Grapevine, President, PARA, P.O. Boz 359, Sedan, Kansas. .0 .' :•. :.: :_: :. ... :-.: 0: ' Ul..i..ij ::::s: WINS CACTUS DERBY CAUfOlIf'A STATE CHAAlrlOIISHIP EIIDURO Octaller 1, 1H1 Sweepstakes: JOHN .STEEN 650 Tri '" IICDWI METISSf ORANGE SPEEDWAY The ACA flattrackers got off to an exciting start at Orange County last Wednesday night, Oct. 4th. Rick Woods, last years' champion flattracer, led off by winning the 250cc Trophy Dash. Rick has been conspicuously absent over the last tew meetiogs and prior to that bad done rather poorly, mainly due to nechao1cal dUt1culties. Rick says he has them sorted out now with the Installation at a new carburetor on that quck running Ducati of his. He wasn't quite as fortunate In the MaIn Event when he was foreed to reture atter falling between turns 3 and 4. The winner ot the 250ccc MaIn Event and the leader trom start to finish, was Bill CodY trom Laguna Beach OIl a Bultaco. B1ll has really been eating IlP the track the last several weeks. In hot pursuit was lIWe Ted Newton trom South Gate on a Harley-Davidson. Ted hadn't done too well previously tb1s year but left for several months and attended several National meets In the east, and upon his return to California has really shown wbat be learned In the east. RIght behind Ted came Cbuck saxton on a Honda. Chuck just returned after a long absence. H8 has been In Denver, Colo. wInn1ng many at the tlaI:tracJc events In thai area. Beb10d Chuck came an alltime favorite, Chuck Basney, also Honda-mounted. In the l00cc MaIn Event, Russ RobInsOIl bad lIWe trouble handling Dave Aldana and was able to also take the l00cc Trophy Dash. Dave did give Russ a lIWe tough time when he led In the 11th lap coming Into the final but going Into turn 2 Russ was able to get under Dave and go abead to win on his Suzuki. Following Dave came Gary Kearns on a new l00cc Y3maba twin. In hot pursuit on a brand new bike was Jim Doran with a reworked street Ita! Jet which appears to be a pretty hot lIWe machine. There will be two more scheduled flattrack events at Orange County Speedway this year, with the final championship event scheduled for october 25th. (Results on page 16) ALSO-Checkers Hare'nHound s-GJ, OC1lller., Ull !! Open Expert LON PETERSON llil Tn HI_ _ Metlsse DIS1I'IlIattdllf STEEN'S, Inc. Il 1135 W. Valley 81''", Alb.IIra, Callflraia o .,. (213) 289-4351 •' :¥. • • • • .- • • • • '.' '.: .'.. -.' '.' '.: .: .. '.: '.' :e:. . .. "Ii :-: '1l g Ii til .... lI'l ;:L

