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/125600
Built for Serious Moto-Cross By Cycle News Staff With the Increase in serious molocross competition across the country, the cry for seriously set-lIP moto-cross equipment is being felt by many distributors of competition motorcycles. Ossa motorcycles of Spain have come lIP with a 250 molo-cross racer for '69 with some desirable additions to flll the competitors' needs. Outside appearance finds detail striping on the red and gray fiberglass seattank combination that adds to the overall look of the 250. Now we get to the what- makes-it- go material. Ossa has incorporated an electronic 19n1tion system that appears to be problem free; we wouldn't suggest holding the plug wire and kicking it over, it puts out 40,000 volts. The IRZ 32mm double needle carburetor gives the 250 all needle bearing engine all the atmospbere it needs withouthaving to re- jet for altitude change as often as other makes. With a bore of 74mm and stroke of 60mm the total engine displacement Desert Endo By Nick G. Raina Whirring wind, pounding wheels, Front-end high, light and handling, Greaser bushes, just a blurr. A jagged jump, a sudden drop, a tighter turn, all crossed-up! Weightlessness - wondorous and weird! The ground come's up, tuck and roll. A piercing pain, will it 'stop? Dust and noise, the 'shaking roar, all pass by, close and far. Patch' em up, clean and tight. Next week, another fright. OSSA 250 TEST comes out at 244 cubic centimeters, with an engine rating of over 30 hp. The Ossa was found to get more usable power to the ground than some of the other popular 250's on the market; this should prove to be a deciding factor in future races. It pulled strong from down low fln the revs all the way up through the entire range. Mid-range power is exceptionally good. We managed to run the Ossa 250 off against some of the popular 360' s In an out-and-out drag race and were delightfUlly surprised to find It would pull right along with them. In fact It pulled away from several of the big bikes in a fittyyard drag in the dirt in three consecutive runs. Not bad. Wheelbase is about 55 inches, and the bike seems to handle well In open desert and on the molo-cross circuit. The Ossa 15 also an excellent slider; no tendency to high- side or drop out from under the ,rider. This fact alone would be a reason for it's success on local TT scrambles tracks of late. Telesco front forks with seven Inches of travel are used with three different spring rates available. We had the softest set on our test bike; with a 150-pound rider aboard they seemed a litUe spongy. Rear suspension is handled by the flveway adjustable Telesco rear shocks that are a1so available with three different spring rates. These shocks can be rebuilt with a $5 kit available thro:ugh Ossa dealers. An interesting feature found on the Ossa dirt bikes Is a shock absorbing sprocket on the engine side. The spring and cam actuating unit will absorb shock coming off a jump with the power on, thus saving the transmission from possible damage. Included in the base price of $815 are a variety of options - including a 19" or 21" front wheel, high or lowfrontfender, and a high or low tuned pipe. Along with the above, one rear and one frontsprocket Is sl\PPlied with extra jets for the IRZ, t0015, and an instruction manual. For you tech boys the transmission He Always liked Bikes Best gear ratios are as follows; first, 244: 1; second, 164:1; third, 122:1, fourth, 1:1. This proved to be an excellent ratio for molo-cross with the power range that the 250 develops. ,The 2-3/4 gallon tank should handle all molo-cross events with ease, and all but the longest of desert runs. The handling department was good, but could have been better it this test rider would have had the correct spring rates SAlIS-SERVia PART~· ...... ,.) BSIW - I I - THE TWO-WHEELER A SUZUKI - I ~ Reatly .. InmHiate Deliv.,y! 8&7 W. Colton AVI. San Bornardlno, Calli, (714) 115-3445 ~ A conservallve, bul _y sklllid dirt rider, Dick SIlIothers enjoyed tile roiling Dana Point, Calif. bill s where IIg. .nt for bl s comed)' show wu fllmld. Circle Spear Cafe - TIle family motorcycll milling place Cor...r - 230th & W. Hwy. 138 uncut. area Fine Food & Cold Drinks Pbone lVallabll far Emerglncles • Dlr. later. 5 10 138 Hwy-Approx.1&1hml. - I I All NEW 1969 .o'on,efe Trailers 2&3 liie Trailers S169. to $299. (2J3) 619-8833 r:~~~~~~4 S eJ'U6U4- about selling YOII' product, ,_ Cycle News Is serious about publisblng Ibl latest nlws of reader latereat, with tbls In mind, we onnounCI our IIrst splclal Issue of the year, covering tile first AMA Nationals of '69 season, In tbe Astrodo. ., plus the Grlpslers' Elalaore Grand Prix. Advertising space In tbls Intlrast packed luue 0plns Immldlately. Don'l dllay Do It Today. Space closes Wednesday Flbruary 12, 19&9. Dlacover lar yourself Cycll Nlws advertising Is for the serious. Our raadera are s.loas aboul your product. :".:-.:.-:~~~:--.:..-:~~ Dickie Smothers, the smarter half of the singing sib11ng rivalry that comes over your tv screen at 9 p.m. every sWida7 night, bas a "lhlng" for motorcycles. He owns three of them: a BSA triple, a Yamaha DT-l for the dirt and a BMW with a Steib sidecar, . Here we see him trying out a new Montesa street scrambler while filming an episode for an upcoming Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour. Smothers was accompanied by his friends Dan Gurney, Swede Savage, Farnelli Jones and Richie Ginther - all car racers and cycle enthusiasts, like himself. The Montesas were lent for the occasion by Montesa Motors, InC., the U,S, distributor. And you know what? 1bat Smothers brother can really ride! on the test machine for both tront IlDd rear units. Rider position 15 good, but handlebars can Play a.blg role in tb1s department and we had tochaDgetbeODeS supplied to fill our needs. Tbe bars SIt>plied were not the stock item, but a set used by an employee of Yankee Motorcycles. Footpegs were d tbe fo1d1Dc, springloaded variety IlDd we like tbem. The Pirelli Molo-cross 'ruIlber ~ worked as well as any. Northwest ManufacturlDg Co. 14312 SlIadroftl Ave., Ha""'" ~ pta '~ " c.. Dick Mann, National #2, Is involved In developmlnt on tbl Spanlab Oua and la alse "Ir lDp rider. ~ tJ...et S-lII.a aad frleada llNIl a blf-doan 3&0 Moat.... for a day of fUll aad fllDllae- and hi paid for It, too. TIle a _ a wore shot far thI FI--,2 allow, 9 p.m. - ~ ~