Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

i FOREST SITE OF COLORADO TRIALS_,_ o ..... Cll By Steve Suess and Lark Walmsley M DENVER, COLO., Sept. 27, 1970 u The Rocky Mountain Trials Association o (RMTA) held its monthly outing this (I) Sunday in the Roosevelt National Forest 1: 15 miles west of Fort Collins, Colo. ~ There were two separate events of w the day; one a Novice meeting in the d morning, the either a combined Expert Semi-Expert meeting in the afternoon. Ed Roderick (Gre), a Semi-Expert, placed fust overall. Carl Plehaty (Mon) placed first in the Novice event and Wiltz Wagner won the Expert class. The trials area chosen exemplified the terrain of the Rocky Mountain region. The only obstacle missing was :> u dry sand. The traps were ideally set on a stream in a small canyon. The .eigh t Novice traps, set in the mouth of the canyon, were moderately hard for beginrting trialers. The most courageous of the Novices was a 12-year-old on a homemade . mini-bike with a 50cc Honda engine. The bike was low-slung and was thrown repeatedly at the rocks and in the water. The lad amazingly finished the event completing all the traps. Quite a feat considering all the rest of the bikes were pukka trials excepting a lone Sachs. The afternoon Expert event was farther up the narrowing canyon and was dominated by slippery underwater boulders. About half of the 12 Expert traps demanded endurance and the rest required balancing and related skills. To prove the ruggedness of the traps only 31 cleans were made all day in 720 attempts. The only non-fmisher of the entire day was an unfortunate Semi-Expert who broke his top triple clamp. That attested to the hardness, bigness, and slipperiness of the rocks. It is popular in the Colorado area to name the traps. This time Radiant Ravine, Lovers Leap, and Gorges George were the most illustrative of the practice. Trialsmasters Norm Miller and Ron Potter did an admirable job of laying out well marked traps. The area was picked up afterwards and left clean with little evidence of the use it had received. The promoters of the event, the RMTA of Denver, Colo. is developing competitive trials and producing a group of Expert trialers. It is trying to obtain public support to ensure positive attitudes towards motorcycles and the use of the land. (Results on page 22) ,green platers Wiltz Wagner displays something unusual as Expert Trial winner. HuskiESWiTItVikiNGOil DOMiNATE BAjA. Even the high speeds of Baja couldn't break down Viking Oil. .;.:- OVER 250" CLASS: 1st·Silverthorn & Fetty (H usk y) also 1st bike overall 3rd-Smith & Martino (Husky) 4th-Roberts & Miller (Husky) By Elaine Jones First off my apologies for being TI, is starting to get the hang of things. neglectful of all the Novices but you At fust he would stick his foot out like guys wouldn't stop racing long enough he was checking the temperature of the to give a body a chance. ocean and wasn't quite sure he liked it. This season the new Novices have Stan Bateman is another one who is some standouts. Taylor Sisco who rides having trouble getting used to TI. the 125cc class came out and started Stan's sense of humor about himself wowing people immediately. By now, if more than makes up for it and he keeps memory serves, he has ridden himself the pits in an uproar. By the way, into a Perris Amateur rating. Greg White anyone interested in selling a trophy can is another 125cc rider who has get in touch with him as he is to that accomplished the jump to the Amateur point. class. Vic Hensley is the rider to watch The injuries have been fewer this in the IOOcc Novice class. He's season than ever before. Skip Gallagher becoming a real familiar face to the is sidelined with a compacture of his winner's circle. Rick Draudt, Jeff collarbone. This is supposed to be the Coleman, and Mike DuBont will bear most painful break you can get. John M some real close watching, also. Pryor never even got his motor back together. Campbell, who might weigh in at 80 He was on his way to Oregon when his pounds soaking wet, has held his own in van blew a tire and rolled, leaving him the 125cc class. He may not be able to with a back broken in two places, a get his feet on the ground but he has no demolished van and machine and tools trouble getting around the course and scattered around the countryside. He uses his size to full advantage. B.J. will be in a brace for quite a while and Hayden is also new to competition but won't be able to ride until March_ In the is making a reputation as one of the meantime he has gone back to school in goers. He also rides in the 125cc class. Portland, at Mount Hood College. The There are some riders who will be school offers a course in motorcycle graduating this year if they make repair. The bikes used are lintited to enough point runs. George Gillespie 350cc's. A lot of colleges in Southern looks mighty fine and has turned into California and elsewhere could take a an aggressive rider and it usually puts lead from Mount Hood. Vince Graves, him righ t on top. George does have a one of our super shoe big bike riders, is reputation as a tuner and he may just very ill with spinal meningitis. Since he equal it with his riding. has to be in isolation I'm sure he would The Stanford brothers, Toby and appreciate a note from any of you. The Terry are a big threat in the 250cc class. address is Riverside Community There are so many above average 250cc Hospital, 4445 Magnolia, Riverside, California. Novices that they are considering bunching them all together and letting The Hi-Point Season for Perris is them battle it out. Look to see Stew almost here and right now it's Cox, Skip Gallagher, Nate Ezell and Tim anybody's ball game. Each cc Division Abshier in these goes. will have a winner so hang in there Gene McKinney, a desert racer BOne troops. this little tube 01 additiYe••• .",. Avail~ble at your Husqvarna deaJer~ . Dealer inquiries invited. MED International, 4790 Palm Avenue, La Mesa, California . . (213) 784-8691

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