Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1960's

~IPEOPLE PLACES THINGS} Innovative Sonny Angel ~ ~ INJURIES MAY RETIRE HALLMAN By u >.. u J B1ll Pettlgrew Torsten BaUman, three time 250cc World Motocross Champion, might be retiring from professional racing due to back Injuries. Torsten has been plagued with a bad back Injury since early last season when be crusbed a disc In bls spine. He re-injured bls back at the first Inter-Am race In tile fau of 1968 at Pepperell, Mass. and was at tbat time unable to continue the American series. Since the '69 World Championship season started In Eurape In February, be has bad to en1lst the servtces of a professional masseur that bas traveled with blm from race to race. Doctors just last week ordered tile "Flying Swede" to take a two week layof! and then to compete In one race In Belgium. He Is at that time to go for an examination. If the outcome of the examination Is 1».d, be wUI retire from racing to further bls business pursuits. "BETOR IS BEnER" The principle and most critical part of a competitive Motocross macblne bas San., S_,. Ancal ab_d bls four cJllnder Norton. Not a Hcrat factCIfJ bike, tha four was built bJ aslne a Brltlsll auxlllarJ pawar unit. Photo and Story by B1ll Harmer For !bree quarters at bls 44 years, lfau-! City Motorcycle Dealer, Sormy ADpJ: bas been booked 00 bikes. He stlIilild rid1Dg In 1938 and bepn racing motorCycles In 1948 when be rode a VIncent u the old RosamOlld Dry LUeSpeed TrIals. He cont1nued Drag Rac1ng and SJll+I Tr1als Into tile early 50's, rid1Dg V1Daents and Triumphs. In' coUaboratlon witil J1m Smitil of San DIego, be created tile first f1berglass rac1ng seat and rear fender !bat narly an track rac1ng cyc1lsts use today. Alter rac1ng In many road races and sett1Dg a new world speed record at 144.69 (142.96 average of 7 runs) on a VIncent In 1955, It became evtdent to So1JDy tbat some metilod of cutting down wtnd reslstlnce was necessary if more speed was to be attained. So, In 1957 be designed and bullt what was to b1s knowledge tile first flberglass racing falr1ng. ln Its first test under rac1Dg cOIId1t1ons, be won f1rst place ill a road race at San Gabriel, Ca11fornta on a Norton Manx In 1957. Sonny went to EurOP.:l In 1951 and stayed until 1953. He toured the continent rld1Dg some 10,000 rn11es on a Trlumpb and worked for a time in the VIncent factory. Upon bls return to the States In 1953, be opened a motorcycle shop In National City and ls stW doing business at the same location, band11ng Norton, Ducat1, Molo-Guzzt and Ve10cette motorcycles. He raced tile flrst Yamaha at tile ls1e of Man In 1960, but the Yamaha of tilose da,ys was a tar cry from today's soPblsticated motorcycles and be was able to flnlsh only !bree Japs on the mAcblne. SoIIIIY l1kes to tb1nk tbat tile d1ff1cult1es HODAKA WORKSHOP MANUAL be eJrPerteoced and the suggestions that be made to the factory may have helPed the manufacturers In deve1oP1ng the tlne rac1ng cycles tiley bu11d today. SoIlllY ls DO loDger an active race rider, but he calls 00 b1s experience to help a lot of yOUDg riders witil tuning problems 3l1d is seen trequently In the pits at local events. He still likes to tour on a motorcycle, and recently built a four cyUnder bike for bls own use. Using a Brttlsb four cyUnder a1D1l1ary power unit, be surroUDded It witil a NortoD f.tiler bed frame and nowbasaWODderful]ysmootll- ' riding and good baIld1hl( motorcycle. Among b1s exilIDded motorcycle tours, SOIlllY fondly recalls tile Harley-DaVidson trip f1rst from San DIego to Flor1da, tilen up the East COIISt to Canada and flnally the long haul back to San DIego. He also rode a BMW to Mexico City In 1959 and made tile triP more comfortable by using one of b1s own fairings. He bas also ridden the length of Baja and back on a Matchless and ls now planning an October triP to Mexico. He wtl1 ride down the Baja Peninsula, crossing by Ferry to MazatIan and on to Mexico City • SoIlllY ls married and the proud fatber of !bree, daughters. Hls wtfe, Cbr1st1ne, helps out In tile Cycle Shop, keeping tile books when her household duties wtl1 permit. Sonny ls so entiluslastlc about the sport of motorcycUng tbat It rubsoffonanyone who talks witil blm. A good III.tured guy witil a quick smile. be gets a dreamy look In b1s eye as be flips !brougb b1s well-kept scrap book of pbotos, butwben be snaps back to the present and begins discusssing the future, somehow, you feel tbat Sonny Angells going to be m1xed up In tile motorcycle game for a long time yet. Pa1».tco says the Hodaka WorkshOP Manual Is one of the most carefully planned and designed technical publications In the industry. 1b1s single volume 15 devoted to both tile Ace 90 and Ace 100 models. Durably printed on beavy stock, the manual measure 7xl0 Incbes and weighs nearly two pounds. The Manual Is written in a language that even the less mecbanlcally oriented owner can understand. It begins witil a discussion of the basic principles beblnd two- stroke engines. The bulk of the manual Is devoted to a chapter on eacb component. First Is a tecbnlcal drawing of tile unit, accompanied by a description of the unit and its function. A section on adjustment procedures follows, then a section on "cautions", followed by tile disassembly/reassembly/repalr procedures. Drawings and/or pbotogrgpbs illustrate eacb step. The book Is complete, comprebens1ve, easy to use, mak1ng it a must for au Hodaka owners, and now aV81lable from your local dealer at a suggested price of $6.95. Please add 75~ for postage and bandling when ordering from Pabatco, Box 327, Sherman Rodad, Atbena, Ore. 97813. to be the bandUng cbaracterlstics and tile Betor line of suspension components bas to be rated among the best on the world market. The small model fork bandles 21" wheels with ease and allows a full 5-1/2" travel. The large Motocross fork comes witil a conventional mounted axle or for a small addit~.onal price tile forward mounted axle ls ava11able. Rear shock absorbers come In five models for motorcycles and !bree sizes for m1n1-blkes. All motorcycle sbock Absorbers are five way adjustable and are completely chrome-plated. Re-bulld kits are avallable for all five models of the motorcycle shock absorbers. Prices on forks run from $84.95 to $129.95, sbocks from $10.75 a pair to $29.95 a pair. Readers may contact AFS DIstributors, 229 East 1b1rd Street, Lewlstown, Penna. 17044. MINT 400 SHAPING UP A major alteration In the 1970 MInt 400 Del Webb Desert Rally was revealed with the announcement that motorcycles will run separately from four wheelers In tile $50,000 cross country desert classic scbeduled Marcb 22-24 next year• Bikes will share equally in prize ' money as one of four divisions planned for the competition. It was further learned a perpetual trOPby has been established simUar to tile existing four wheel award. Tb1s troptly wtl1 be given to the first overau motorcycle finisher. The annual winner's name wtll be engraved on the four foot b1gb perpetual trophy to be kept on display at the MInt, wh11e a replica will be awarded the winner. Offic1al entry blanks, rules and regulations will be ava11able October 1. Interested parties may contact the MInt Hotel, Las Vep.s, Nevada 89101. VISITORS WELCOME AT HILLTOPPERS OPEN HOUSE The HWtoppers Motorcycle Club- one of Southern Ca11fornta's most active competition clubs - wtl1 be bolding open bouse at 2255 Cerritos Ave., SignalHill, Cal., toacqualnt newoff-the-road motorcycle enthusiasts with the advantages of belonging to an organized club. The HWtoppers have been ill existence for over twenty years and their membership boasts some of the top names ill Sportsman and professional competition. Although active particiPation In scrambles and desert events ls Important, the club emphasizes Informal Intra-club events sucb as field meets and plain old fashioned boondocldng. The efforts of serious club competitors are recognized by the HWtoppers. All entry fees paid out by a club member wbo enters an event is refunded If (a) in scrambles, be places rlfth or better In his main event or fifth or better overall In his motos, or (b) be places seventh or better In bls class In desert events. Anyone Interested In starting out on the right foot In competition will find a wealth of information from the club's veteran riders. Scbeduled at meetings wtl1 be Informal chalk-talks on bow to set up your macblne for sare bandUng, necessary protective gear, how to read the terrain for desert riding, how to read lime, go-fast lips for that extra 1 or 2 horsepower, riding tecbnlques, first aid and other valuable advtce. Club membership ls especlally important at a desert event. Besides an etflcient pit crew on band, mid-race casualties are taken care of by clubs for tilm members when no one else can reacb tilem. If a rider should break down out In tile m1dd1e of nowhere, be can rest assured nooe of bls fellow clubmen wtl1 even tb1nk of leaVing the area until be ls back sare and sound. (HWtopper scouting parties have been known to be out searcblng until late at nigbt retrlev1ng lost members.) It's good to know your buddies are always on band In case of trouble In the desert. When business ls over at meetings, everyone unwtnds. There are poker runs, parties, fleld meets, competition (and other) movtes, spacbetli feeds, cash drawings and more parties to round out the club's social scbedule. The distaff side ls always included In club actiVities, and wives and girlfriends find less and less reasons for their old man not to go riding when they are included In tile fun. The ladies migbt come borne covered with dust after a day of flU1ng gas tanks or marldng score sheets but for some reason it doesn't seem au that bad. Besides, tile club parties and after meeting get-togethers more than make uP for It. So whetiler you're a new "street/ scrambler" owner or a long time Intile-rough rider, stop by the HWtoppers any ThursdaY, 8 p.m., at 2255 Cerritos Ave. In S1gnal Hill and get acquA1nted. Maybe you'll tlnd just the group you've been looldng for. HARBER BREAKS ARM IN PRACTICE Farrest W11son reported today !bat Paul Harber fell during practice on August 20th at tile Ramsden Heatil track near Braintree In Cbe1sford, England, breaking his arm In two places. Harber wtl1 remain In England for the duration of Jim Wilson's stay tilere. No other detalls were available at press time. MANY IN CONTENTION AT ASCOT Contention bas never run deeper as motorcycle riders compete In Friday evening's American Motorcycle Association meet at Ascot Park. Tbe winner's circle bas bad more Victors than In any recent campaign. And tile profusion of riders capable of flagging down f1rst place continues to grow. Among those wbo've taken top money this season are Sborty Seabourne, Lawndale; Sammy Tanner, Long Beacb; San DIego'S Mel Lacber, Dave Smith of Lakewood, Tom Rockwood, Gardena; Dave Aldana, Santa Ana, and Jimmy Odom, Fremont. Rockwood, only a first-year expert, will be after bls second straight main event win and third of the past month. Seabourne ls always tougb, as witness bls position In f1rstplace In the standings since early In the year. Tanner bas won 387 races In bls long and brilllant Ascot Park career.

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