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/125642
- With A Little Help From Our Friends ENDURO Season is here! Are you going to make do? ••••••••or make trophies? In Tennessee, aller harboring our motorcycle travelers from a downpour, Margaret Welsh and her children say good.bye to Judy and Darryl. Good people seem to seek each other out. By Darryl Skrabak BANGOR, ME. - The man in the red Ford had motioned for us to stop behind him, and now he approached us with an air of one performing a grim but necessary duty. "Just a word of advice," he said. "1 wouldn't carry this on too far if I were you. The roads are suPposed to ice up toDigbt." With that he returned to his car. "Okay," I said. "Thank you," Judy called after him. We believe him. The temperature was 30 degrees, and although we had traveled only ten miles since warming uP at the last town, we wondered it we could endure ten more to Bangor. We were freezing. Even though we had put on layer after layer ct clothing until we felt Ilke well-stuffed teddy bears, we found we were still not equipped to go motorcycling during Maine's first snowfall of the season. At last we pottered into .Bangor. We parked the Honda and went stumbling down the street on ice-block feet and into a restaurant, wbere we clenched our hands about steaming cuPs of coffee. We ordered a meal, and as we ate, knowing we were spending a few more dollars of our fast-dw1ndl1ng resources, we felt a little lost and very much alone. , .. • "\ r.: r .. ....; .. ~ Ugh. No motorcycle should have to look like that. Fortunately, the riders were offered a place to stay out of Ihe snow. In the face of the weather the 3,000 mUes back to California seemed insurmountably vast. And then wbat has happened so many times when the situation seemed lost during our ride from coast to coast, happened again. Judy noticed some young, hip-looking people in a nearby booth. She went over to them and asked if they could recommend an inexpensive hotel in town for the night. "You mean you only want to stay one night?" one of the COuPles asked. "Well, you can stay with us." And so we spent the night sleeping on the floor of a very tiny,one-roomapartment. Our hosts, two music conservatory students, have probably less means than we and yet they have been quick to offer a bit of wbat is theirs, a warm room and hospitality • Finding generous people Ilke that makes this trip much more than just a long sight-seeing ride. We have found them allover. There was the young COuPle to Grand Canyon, for instance, wbo had driven out from Delaware in their Saab. We couldn't find an avaUable campsite, wbat with the terrific numbers of people crowding in. The Saab COuPle saw our dilemma and shared their camp with us. In New Orleans we very much wanted to stay awhile, but we couldn't camp in town and we couldn't afford a botel. We met some people struggling to run a head shop. They had a spare room in their house and took us in. Without their help we would have mtssed the wonderful time we had in the Crescent City. While riding to Chatanooga from Atlanta we were deluged bY a tremendous downpour. We were thoroughly soaked. I had a phone number in my pocket a man in Atlanta had given me. I called. "My God, you mean you're on a motorcycle in this weather?" the man exclaimed. We had never met him, but he drove into town to find us, and led the way to his beautiful log cabin home wbere a huge roaring fire was waiting for us. We stayed with his family for two dayS, waiting out the rain and drying our stuff. They cooked us a dinner and we cooked one for them. It was nice. Other times our situation hasn't been so desperate, perhaps merely despondent. Then too, good things have occurred to lift our spirits. One of those ti'mes was after we had crashed in Kentucky. We were bruised and the motorcycle was hurting. We needed a place to rest and make repairs. We had learned Judy's stster mightbe in Virginia, hi tcbhlldng with her boyfriend. They were at a place called Troutdale. We couldn't find a Troutdale on a roat: atlas we borrowed in a Texas station. But there was a Troutville. We decided our Information must have mixed dales and viIles, so we sped off to Troutdale. In Troutville a Post Office man told us we were in the wrong place. There was a Troutdale after all. It was 100 mUes down the road, back wbere we had camped the night before. We decided to take a shot In tht! dark and ride back. We went to Troutdale and got directions to a farm about eight miles away. . We were lucky. We found our people, and it was a great reunion. We now have fond memories of Troutdale, Va. and the litile farm and the walks we took. Seeing people you know far away from home is really warming. I got the bike repaired and we left there in much better shape. For the most part the trip has gone Ilke that, mostly good times going Into bad and then a little unexpected aid. It's been a good trip, going east. Two days ago we reached as far east as we're going to go; Steuben, Me. Yesterday we turned around. Now we're heading west and back to borne. I hope we can make1lbackas well as we've made 11 out. Providing we can find some warmer weather, we should proceed with good prospects. At 11,000 miles the bike is still running well and we've got a new rear tire on it for wet weather. With luck and a little help from our friends, we'll make it all right. Three magazines tested the EI Montadero. Here are their impressions: CYCLE: "... the Montadero is strong and fast and new and shiny. We think it's great." MODERN CYCLE: "The machine goes as good as it looks. Plenty of power is available and it's tractable and easy to control. Couple this with outstanding handling and you have a real winner .. :" CYCLE GUIDE: "BULTACO has done it again. Not content with just one endure-type machine, they've released a brand new bike called the Montadero. This bike is a trail version of the potent 360 mote-cross racer. With a slight detuning of the engine, the addition of ·the lights, horn, and muffler, BULTACO has taken a beautiful racing bike and made it into a very desirable trail/enduro motorcycle ... So, all you Porsche and Ferrari owners, here's your type of machine. And yet, we're sure everyday peasants like ourselves can have our cake and eat it too. We might not be able to afford an exotic car but .it would seem likely any BULTACO dealer would sell us the Montadero . . ." NEW NEWS ENGINE Number of cylinders Bore and stroke Displacement 1 85 x 64 mm. Compression ratio Brake horsepower Alloy Cylinder head hand alloy cylinder with hardened Imer 362.8 cc. 9: 1 32.5 HP CARBURETOR " . " . .. . AMAL 932 IGNITION . . . . . . .. .. Femsa System GEARBOX ........•... 4 speed Ratios .........•.... I 0.53 CLUTCH TRANSMISSION Primary transmission SUSPENSION Front suspension Aear suspension II III IV 0.759 1. 1.26 . Multiple plates in oil bath Helicoidal pinnions and pinnion primary drive lIrtith shock absorber Telescopic with hydraulic dampiQg 16 1/2" travel) ...••... Swinging arm with hydraulic damping (3 15116" travel) BULTACO SERVICES, INC. P. 0.80. 101 Santa Cia,., California P5050 THE PLACE: Red Mountain, Calif. TIlE DATE: October 5. 1969 THE EVENT: 150 mile Jackass Nat. E:DdulO TIlE SCENE: Over 800 Riders.••tacllJe ruee;ed Call1orui a desert TIlE WINNER: BULTACOS ?? rider W. Stewart 3rd overall 1st A Ligbt- wetgbt CongratulaUons. ••and a beR"" 'WelI Done".