Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

.. i IA ~nhom Rider's Account ~ ~ b.l -.J U G In most enduros the primary requirement of the rider is not endurance but skill. He must be able to work his way over some incredible terrain without destroying either himself or his bike. The Greenhorn is d1!ferent. The emphasis is really on endurance. You start off very early from Pearblossom. It is a ni!le time to be riding and ten miles of dirt road gives your muscles a chance to wake UP. Then into some not very difficult sandwashes and some nice trail on your way to Hi Vista, the first gas stoP. Twenty-eight miles hadn't even put a dent in my gas sUPPly, but since 1 was there 1 bought twenty cents worth and lett for Four Corners. It was alreadY starting to get hot. The trail out is a nice one full of hoop-de-doos and ditches but nobody was riding it except me. There was an asphalt road running parallel, and everyone was hauling down that road at 50 per. 1 wondered how they knew where it was going and fervently wished for a check behind some bush. Pretty soon the asphalt ran out, and we were all together again heading toward Highway 395. There was some rough stuff that was affecting me more than most because I had started the run with a twisted knee. Some of those twisting, rock-filled sandwashes really got to me, but 1 was still running close to schedule at Four Corners. From Four Corners we were going to make a big loop out toward Iron Mountain. The Iron Mountain loop was almost all fairly d1ff1cult trail, getting UP quite !IJgh, and it was hot. Putting my foot down caused me a lot of pain, so I went falrly slowly over the rough stretches and caught UP when it got smooth. I'm sure some riders were confused as I passed them time after time on the smooth sections at speeds up to 80 mph. At the lunch stop I wondered about the advisability of going on, but the rest helped and, like most desert riders, I feel there is sometiuttg vaguely dishonorable about quitting while the bike Is still running. Leaving Four Corners for the second time, we went UP a sandwash that really tested the bike. It was unbelievably deep, and we were going uphill to boot. Lots and lots of bikes down in that wash. I was really thankful for good old thumper power because if I had had to work hard in that wash, it would have all been over. The next stop was a god-forsaken hill called the Gladding McBean mine. My wife had brought some gas in for a fellow on a Bultaco, but he never got there. She said the road in was probably worse than the course, and I didn't argue. I had liked that section. From the mine we went onto some trail that was a mixture of hoop-de-doos. washboard,large and small ditches, and wbatever else you can think of. It was tricky, and I was tired. I fell down a CouPle of times. I got into Red Mountain to find that my wife hadn't arrived but had sent me some gas. This was troublesome because I had broken a fool:peg and was unable to make a repair without my tools. The ext section was very bad, lots of those tight littie sandwashes and rock. When I got to Trona Railroad crossing I was worn out from riding without a peg, and the heat had really gotten to me, I just sat there, ignoring the schedule, wondering U there was any possible way 1 could ride the last twenty miles. I got on the bike but didn't have the strength to kick it over, so I kicked it with the compression release on and it startedl I couldn't believe it. Gree.llor. (Continued from Page 7 ) - - - - - - - - - wilen he and his machine went over a team, who continued with their tradition of arriving dead on the minute, two clift. He suffered a broken shoulder and several broken ribs. Rescue 3 was on abreast, in a column of four. The Harley hand to help with first aid. The last team makes an all out effort in the d1ff1cult riding was the section immediGreenhorn and has a Sl\PPOrt crew more ately out of Four Corners. From there appropriate to Daytona than Pearbloson in it was "easy riding" to the f1n1sh. som. Last year their efforts were sucA bit of unplanned excitement was cesstul, and they garnered the overall, generated on Sunday wh.en a somewhat as well as three class wins. At least unreasonable chick farmer reportedly one woman f1n1shed the Greenborn this took a couple of shots at some riders year. EWe Housman is not the first that he claimed were disturbing his woman to finish, but she is the only chickens. The riders involved could not woman finisher in recent years. be reached for verification, and the story Proto Tools offered several continjust might be one of the more imaginative gency prizes to class winners who disexcuses for a missed check. played the Prto J?ecal. They also supThe most colorful event of each check plied tools, advice and welding services was the arrival of the Harley-Davidson to the contestants from their service truck. The course was excellently marked, from all reports, and there seemed to be no gripes about timing or distances. Very remarkable job for a club with only twelve active members. 1II1bo's nUlDberl? W.st Coast Dlst. for II PENTON Motorcycles ~ __ Torsten Hallman Racing, Inc. Torst.n Hallman splclal d.slen leathers & racine equipment U.S. Dlst. for Tr.lI.bore Moto-Cross tires For dealer Info. write or call 5345 Tlmk.n St., La Mesa, Cal. 92041 1114) 460-1402 • (213) 894-9218 WARREN WILSON MOTORS MOTOaCYCLI The trail from Trona to Ridgecrest is one of the nicest I have ever ridden, the kind that just swoops UP and down hills and between giant rocks, really great to ride. It seemed to make the whole thing worthwhile. The next morning we lett Ridgecrest on some rocky fire trails and got into some rough riding almost immediately. At one point we were riding a very narrow sandwash and suddenly the arrows indicated a right turn at what was apparently a wall. When we got to it there was a tiny little shoot going UP at 45 degrees and about handlebar width. Wow. Even my Victor was working very hard in those washes and at the Garlock Road stop I retarded the timing a little so it wouldn't ping. More sandwash to Red Mountain and then up into the mountains. A fantastic view from on top. The road down required a lot of confidence. I twas very steep, and there was a sheer dop on either side. When we got to the bottom it was straight across the desert to lunch at Four Corners. Only 100 miles to go. From Four Corners we did another loop out toward Iron Mountain through very deep sand. My Victor had a tough time getting on top and wouldn't pull third at all. But then it was over. We were back at Four Corners and it was an easy fUty mile run back to Pearblossom except for a cOuPle of nasty hllls that finished a lot of bikes almost within sight of the finish. I did a glorious endo going down one of them and completely flattened my GI canteen. . Whhen I handed over the f1nal check card to one, of the members of the Pasadena MC, I reflected that they had done one fantastic job. The course was marked and measured to perfection. Their checking system, from a rider's view, was the best. A bit of d1ff1culty was experienced by some of the pit crews, though, who arrived at a check and couldn't find out whether their riders had gone through or were broken down. As stated before, there was nothing really tough, but 500 miles of crosscountry riding is a real test of end\Jrance. r.====//awasaki=::::;J Slllll-SlaVICI Headquarters BEACH CITIES CYCLES ~ulh 01 :'\orOOIl in St'puhpda, (·alil. 525 N. EI Camino Real San CI.m.nt., California 9000 SEPULVEDA BLVD. I-HARLEY-DAVIDSDN I Of Inglewood se U II 901 N. La Brea (near Spor's'ers Centiaelll 611-1609 &11-1600 01' Penton - Hodaka Yamaha - BSA Husqvarna Norton Mi'eo 8u"aeo ,e specialize in only Bultaco 1241 W. Orangefllorlle, Buena Park (114) 492-6141 BASSANI MANUFACTURING b,... i•• c....." S,.,;.II.,. WE'VE MOVED "" "C" FOU.UIIIU '-AlANf/. 714 630-1821 014) 522-6109 n~ "l(flcingCflstof "GOLD LABEL" POWER 800STER "EXCELZALL" SUPER fILM THE LOCAL ONES THAT AlE EVEIYWHflf More Cycle Racers Use "BlendzaU- Racing Castor Than Any Other Brand On The Market. Check The Rec

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