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/125573
• ABOVE: Responding to the cry, 'Report lnd'an Raids Here,· this ri der takes up the chal· l enge. LEFT: Suspense I s evident as rider and crew await the start. MOTORCYCLE SUPPLIES Eastern motorcycle clubs such as MuskeeonM.C. show great professionali sm In the plll sentation of their events, such as this power holst which brou&ht all machines down fr om any posi tion On the hili. Buck oI Hazel Park, Mich., another BSA pilot, placed 6th. Mr. Buck inherited the title " The Old Man of the Mountai n" WIth the passing oI Howard Mitzel r ecently . The high- r evving BSA of Bowlby provided the new excitement to a sport that bas oIten resembled an antique motorcycle exhibition . The ancient Har ley Davidsons and Indian 74' S that used to dom1nate are being displaced by sophisticated new Triumphs and BSA's. But ce rtain sty les and prac tices remain unchanged as new machines are modified to Incorporate such "old-fashioned" features as left-hand throWes and girder for ks . "They may look old fashion ed,'.' says Gordy Mitzel, heir to Howard Mitzel 's secrets , "but don' t sell them shor t. Ever ything on these motor cycle s is for a purpose. Everything wor ks ." RACERS PIT STOP The r ight way to r each the top the quic kes t ls to keep the fr ont wheel slightly r ai s ed, approximately 1-1/2 fee t of! the s urface, and wheelie straight and clean the whole dis tance without touching the kill button. ProIesslonal Class A hillclimblng Is a sport In a class all by its elf, combining the bes t thr lll s oI drag ON THE WAY TO SADDLE BACK PARK BELSJAFF SUITS History's Perfect Challenge Mt. Garfield is a unique challenge to the proIessional hilllamers. The 10-foot starting chute at the bottom Is clay, which oIfers almost too much traction . The slope Its elf is firm sand and Its 60degree slant calls for a fai r ly high gear• So In or der to make a good time your motor bas to possess enough torque to break traction In the sticky clay and pull a tall cog through a whole lot of revs. You can' t shift gears when you are pllotIng 350 lbs. oI rocketing cycle up a bumpy 60-degree slope.Hillc1lmbers turn the throWe all the way on and leave it there, controlling their fuel - gulping engines with the kill button . To the rider's wrist Is attached a leather thong, connected to a " dead- man switch" so that If the hand comes of! the handlebar the Ignition ci rcuit Is broken and the motor stops. FOR TR IALS SCRAMBLES OR EVERYDAY MOTORCYCLING Gordy Mit zel (l eft) , heir to hlllcllmb secrets of late Howard Mitzel , la lks It over with 1968 Nallon al Hlll cllmb Champi on Earl Bowl by, Ohio BSA dealer. Bowlby took home $4000 for his efforts. GEAR UP fO WINTER R MOTO-CROSS SUPPLIES New 'O l d Man of the Mountain," Earl Ray· mond, fini shed 6th. racing, mota-cross, trlals and TT riding with a special flavor that nothing else can match• . Catchers in The Rye Strain of rugged hili shows clearly. 10% OFF " What goes up must come down" was never truer than In the case oI pr oressionalb1llc1lmbers. The Mus kegonClub, honcho' d by President Jim Snell , pr ovides husky members to ca tch the bikes and r iders who don't make It all the way, and a power hoist to lower the mac hines gently down again. It Is all very well oper ated and much oI the credit for the continued s ucc ess Is due to the Muskegon M.C.'s fine fac ili ties and organizatton, August 4, 1968 marked the 45th year that Mt. Garfleld bas thundered to the r oar of the cobby, fuel-burning piston r ockets. The firs t climb on the Muskegon mountain was In 1923 and It was promoted by the same club, Muske gonM.C. , that owns the mountain and keeps itfr es h for Its once- a -y ear National Champion ship assault. Mt. Garfield Is actually a gian t sand dune. Dan Raymond, founder oI the Muskegon Club, says that the hills used to be 330 Star! of 320·foot hi li which only one ri der topped In less than ei ght seconds. Each contestant got three tries at the tricky Mount .Garfl eld slope. fee t high. But in the early days winds and eros ion whiWed ten fee t of! the top. When the club saw its favor ite mountain blowIng away they bought it In the la te 1920' s and planted rye grass on It to stop the erosion. The firs t man ever to make It over the top was famous Joe Petrallin 1928. After that times got quicker until the club was forced to cut two ditches, at 100 and 200 fee t, just to make t h I n g s more chal lenging . All this history may sound like cham pionship mountain laming Is old stuf!, but there ls a new look on the slant thes e days that gives the grand old sport all the fresh excitement oI a space la unch. (Results on page 16) SUMMER CLEARANCE SPECIAL NGK PLUGS 7SC LARGE SELECTION Of RACING OILS H fMI . EAST OF NEWPORT F WY. 4200 EAST CHAPMAN AVE. (714) 638-2344