Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1960's

~ Russ ~ Darnell Looks At Euro e's Motocross Pros ~ . 1:: r.r " ~i'-/' lilli' / . . j Russ D •II • well lie the Allerlc.n best quellfled III provld. Insl,hls Into the sty'••nd tec:llnlqu.s of tile professlon.1 European lIat_Oll rIC.s. H..... RUII (number 24) Is shown r.cln, with Arne Krln,. I.llow HUlqv.n. t••m m.1IIber aNi 1969 W.,d Champion. By Russ Darnell SInce tile first appearance of tile European Motocross stars In this country, American riders and equipment have progressed a long way. But tile Europeans still trounce us badly on tile race circutts. The answer to tile question, .. Why", is what this article is about. FirSt, everybody said tile European champions are factory sponsored riders, so of course tIIeir bikes are much faster. Bulll When these guys come to the U.S. tIIey come for a vacat1on, so they bring mostly standard hikes because tbey don't want to spend any time working on them between races. Too mucb empbasts is placed on tile machlnes here. We are beaten by professional motocross riders from Europe, and NOT by tIIeir bikes. I would be w1lllng to bet tbat If all our foreign friends were put on 125cc machlnes, tIIey would still beat us If we rode 500'5. This is not an easy admisslan for me, because I race agalnst tIIem. American motocross bas evolved quite a ways up to now, but the differences between "them" and "us" are stUI lIPparent. Take' tile matter of appearance, for Instance. I w1ll use tile Swed1s.b Husqn.rna Team as an example, because I travel y.otth them and am more familiar with tIIeir routine. The Swedes arrive at tile track on race day, and tIIey are almost always dressed alike. They all wear tile zippered coveralls tbat are so popular In Europe. These coveralls don't make you go any faster of course, but all the racers In Europe wear tIIem because tIIey have a wide variety of uses. 'Ibe ODe-piece suit has elastic at the legs and cutts so they are perfect to wear for muddy races. I have three pairs so I can just change before each leg of a motocross If it rains. You can't ride hard unless you are comfortable, and tIIese sutts contribute a lot to rider comfort. Their primary use is keeping your clothes clean whUe worktngonyour hike, but I sometimes work out In mine as well. TOrsteD Hallman told me tbat many people asked about this type of suit at last year's Inter-Am Series, so his partner Lars Larssen is nor ImportIng them to this country for sale. Aside trom appearnce, the Europeans are different In many otber ways. In tile field of cycle preparation and betweenrace malntenance tIIey far outclass tile Americans. When tbetr macb1Des are The Only Way To Fly Plutzenreuter Give. 'Ern Fit•• C.M.C. MOTOCROSS 11/23 260 Junior Cllss: 1st- UITJ Pfutzenreuter (Bultlco pars-C) rolled out of the truck In . the pits, tIIey are ready to go. No pre-race, hurrted mechanical work is necessary. Between motos each hike undergoes tile following process: the chaln is oUed, cables, spokes, axles, handlebars, tires, controls, and forks are checked, fuel is topPed off, shockB Inspected, and the hike is cleaned as much as possible. When tile machine is ready, lll!-Ch rider cleans his belmet and goggles, changes Into a fresh set of coveralls or clean ridlng shirt and he is then prepared for the next leg of tile race. The American riders are Just beginnlng to catcb onto this necessary motocross preparation. In the race itself, people watch tile foreign flyers, and tlleir m1Dds fall out! The riders are psyched out. "How can we ever hope to stay witll these Gods of motocross?" , is tile common wau. I gotta tell you the answer. It's stmple. Man, there ain't no way you can go like they can..,yetl It takes time to develop riders of their caJ1ber. Now, let me try to clear up anotller myth. The guys we see are the best the world bas to offer. . Not all the European riders go like tile ones tbat come to the Inter-Am races. Our best American riders can go to Europe and compete fstrly well at an International level. Grand Pm racing is anotber matter. I would say tbat witllIn two years tIIough, we w1ll have riders capable of scoring G.P. points. To do tbat one must fln1sb In the top ten at a Grand Pm event. The European Motocross riders do not go faster because of greater courage eitller. Far from it. U raw courage bad anytblng to do witll it, several of our U.S. boys would be World Champions tomorrow! In general, people don't give the Europeans enough credit for what they really have: balance, timing, conditionlng, and experience. Experience is tile key word. European Motocross has been developing for twenty-five years. We have bad only three or four years of it at the most. I th1nII: we do pretty well In sPite of whatlwbo we are ~ agalnst. We are developing riders now, and In the future years 1'm sure we w1ll be able to do mucb In the Inter-Am International races. fsti.at," 1969 C,de Registrations (Collpll.d IIJ U.S. D.pt. of Tr.spolt.tlon F..... I HI,hw.y Admlnlstr.tlon) R.,lst.red St.t. Estl/llllt.d 401,402 123,393 114.274 106.490 93.795 91.097 75.632 64.679 64,851 60.832 60.091 47.127 41.982 37.070 39.384 38,081 34,717 34.336 33,329 32.833 29,965 30,917 447.600 132.600 125.720 115.300 98.600 93.930 79,360 68.110 66,110 64.940 61.100 48,690 45.050 40.200 40,180 40,100 37.740 37.240 37,220 34.890 30.500 30.500 29,940 29,870 29,130 28.110 27,900 27,810 24,500 23,980 23,230 23,300 20,460 18,330 17,550 17,680 17.200 14,980 13,750 12,680 10,400 10.050 9,840 8.120 7.910 7,100 6,858 6,4liO 5,558 4,020 3,150 1961 Califomia Obio Penn!\Ylvania Midlipn Texas Illinois New Yom Florida India.. MiDDesola Wisconsin Washineton Iowa Ore &On New Jersey Missouri Oklaboma Kansas Georcia Nortb Carolina Tennessee Massadl usetts Colorado Kentuclly Alabama Louislana Virctnia /\rima Maryland CoanecUcut West Vi rglnla Idaho Nebraska Montana Arkansas Utah New Mexico Nevada Mississippi Sou tb Carolina Hawaii Nortb Dakota Soutb Da1Iola New Hamp.ire Alaska WyomiDC Bbode Island Maine VenDOIlt Delaware DisL or Collllllbia 28,548 27.389 27,293 25,140 25,088 25,460 23,470 23,:lOO 20,270 ' 22,627 19,113 17.032 16.050 16.651 15,014 13,262 12,186 12,458 9.646 9.421 9,583 7,035 6,216 6.843 6,712 6,374 5.291 3,661 2,937 1969 WOODLAND,WASH. TT 251A Main 81 TI'IIIIIJ DIU: lst- Ed H_I (Blltlco p.s.g) JI,._ .A Main 81 TI'I""J Dlsb: 1It- Clllct (BIItlco landldo) CARSON CITY, NEV. MOTOCROSS 125cc Cllss: 15t- Mike McGoWin (Bultlco ~herpl S) 250cc AmI Expert Cllss: lst- Blzz BuseJ (Blltlco ~ 2nd-Stan StantOI (Buhlco PurSallg) FOR YOUR NEAREST BUILT ··TO· GO DEALER BULTACO WESTERN BULTACO AMERICAN, LTD, 10929 Chandler Blvd. 2765 Scott Blvd. No Hollywood, Calif. 91601 Santa Clara, Calif. 95050

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