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/125670
450 RIDE TOUGH RAMS ENDURO l By Ron Schneiders MOJAVE, CALIF . May 3, 1970 - The Rams M.C. enticed 450 riders Into the hot, high desert for a very well-run, super-tough enduro. Although the advertisements said entries would be 11mlted to 700, the Ram's reputation for tough runs, the weather and competing events eonsptred to keep the entry much smaller. The camp10g area was a wide-open spot just of! Highway 14 and Hart's Road. The Instruction sheet given to each contestant said quite Plainly, "There are NO danger marks on th1s course. Three llnes across the road or an arrowpointlog downwards slgnlfles a cUsaster areal" and those who cUd not heed th1s only sIlghUy exaggerated warnlng were ef!1clenUy pulled by the boys and/or equipment of Rescue 3. . One rider, who rendered hlmsel! unconscious less than three miles from the start, awoke to flnd a bright red flgure bendlng over him and concluded that he had gone on to his just reward! The first loop went north, parallellng Highway 14 for about 20 mlles, then turned southeast and flnally r eturned. It was standard desert fare - mUes on end of hoop-de-docs and unbelievable amounts of dust. The schedule was 24 mUes per hour most of the way. How tough that loop was depended upon who you talked to. One expert commented that It was " s o easy It wasn't worth rldlng." But over 100 of the novices ( and maybe a few experts) never made It to the second loop. The second loop started of! 10a southerly cUrectlon . and made Its way, 10 a rather convoluted fashion, down past Red Rock Canyon and then east toward Rand before returolng to the start. The last six mUes were the same on both runs. The first twelve mUes ran up and down some twisting, torturous canyons that were really tough. Often no more than handlebar width, and filled with rocks and rock steps two feet high, these canyons wiped out a lot of contestants. A rider who had trouble 10these canyons first had to pull his bike up Into the rocks Sometimes there just Isn't enough room for both boots and a molon:ycle t oo. The Ram's Enduro will go on record as being one of the roughest In recent years. so other riders could pass and then his bike from becomlng a downwardcontend With the formidable heat before bound rocket was a thrill a m1oute. At he could get moving again. The Prosthe end of 25 miles (as far as thls rider pectors M.C. used part of thls course got) there had not been a single stretch 10 the I.S.D.T. qua1lficatlon enduro. of " easy ridlng." AccorcUng to those Coming out of the canyons the riders who cUd flnlsh, there was no relief unW were faced with an unrelenting series of about eight mlles from camp, Nobody uphllls and downhllls coupled with razorthat I could f10d thought the second loop backs. Many of the smaller bikes came was easy. to grief on the uphllls, which were not The total length of the course was 95 miles, The Rams did an excellent job 10 only very steep and long, but which were strewn with those momentum-killlng laying out the course and setting up the rocks . The bigger bikes had their trouevent. There was johns, food trucks and bles on the downhllls. W atchlng a small emergency services at the pit area. The rider on a big Triumph trying toprevent course ~ very well marked and quite varied, considering the area 10 which 11 was held. (It would be nice to see a tree once in a whlle, or a little mud, however.) It's a good bet that the wlnner will be Number 10. Preston Petty, EdcUe Day and Bob Steffan were all ridlng on that number, although not as a team! They were all close to schedule at the observed checks. Approximately 225 f1oished the run, and the Rams were looking forward to a tough afternoon getting the nonflnlshers and their machines out of the boontes, f Two ,ood rea~ons to stop b~ Valerian's thi~ wee.: I. The Suzu.i rc-qO Blazer Z. The Suzu.i TS-qo Honcho A 4-and-4 trai l bu ster th at doesn 't .A S-speed dese rt buster built to take know when to quit. on the1 00's. Optional kit ups hp to 18! You 've go t to ride it to be lieve it. You 've got to r ide it to bel ieve it. Yo u 've got t o be here to r i de it . You 've got to be at 10673 West Pico Boulevard (at Overland) to be here. Yo u 've got t o·be he re to r i d e it. You 've got to be at 10673 West Pico Bou leva rd (at Overlan d) to be here. oo~~?~~~,,~!~:"~td. Los Angeles. Calif,?rnia 90064 - Telephone: (213) 475-4541 Sales - Se rvice - Accessories - Parts - Rivetts Champion Leathers HusaVARNA' JAWAlCZ· SUZUKI' PENTON' MZ' MONTESA' ZUNDAPP· MINI·TRAILS open monday through saturday