Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

IOO-MILE NATIONAL g o It> ~ w Z W ...J U >- U McLANE TRIES LAST ellA By Ron Schneiders CHARLIE'S PLACE. CALIF., Dec. 6, 1970 - "Twas the night before Last Chance, And all through the camp, Not a creature was stirring ... Except some dirty low-life motorcycle thieves doing some midnight Christmas shopping for themselves. Also not stirring, but very wide-awake, were some of California's finest who were practicing the almost lost police art of catching thieves. According to Dave Holeman, public relations officer for the California the noon gas check occurred somewhere Enduro Association. approximately ten between 9 and 10:30 a.m. Since it was persons have been arrested or are about not necessary to eat at that early hour, to be arrested by th.e California only 13 minutes was allowed, sufficient for gas and a swig of coffee and back on Highway Patrol. As of press time we to the second loop. have not been able to confirm this The second loop was not very report with the Highway Patrol. We different from the first, terrain-wise. We were able to find out that the went down Deadman's WAsh, paraLleled_ Ridgecrest Police arrested three the Navy Road (on the West), fooled juveniles who had stolen bikes from the pit area. These ding-a-lings rode the around in Christmas Canyon some, and bikes into the city of Ridgecrest and came out on top of Fremont Canyon were picked up by the police for riding which we took to Poso Wash which dirt bikes on the street. A routine check brough t us back to the start. revealed the nature of the case. Said enduro was run with This ding-a-Iings are currently residing in the professional competence. Everything Bakersfield Juvenile Facility, where this was right, with a capital "R". Marking writer hopes they will umain until was superb. Even the danger marking, they're old enough to collect social which most clubs screw up, was done to security. perfection. If there was even a hint of Meanwhile, blissfully unaware that error in the distance measurement or the police were doing something useful, the time-keeping, I couldn't detect it. some fhe hundred riders were dreaming The starting area (at Charlie's Place, on of (or having nightmares about) the the Trona Rd.) was ideal and all needed prospect of riding an enduro that was facilities were available. There was even advertised in the menacing the right touch of humor. Best example: understatement. "Be prepared to ride a at the top of a long, steep, rocky real enduro, it may not be as easy as the downhill there's a sign. "Cheer up. You one last month!" (The Jackass). The could be riding an Electroglide." start was warm for this time of year in Since this was a National the high desert and conditions were Championship, it was expected to be There was no dust, near-ideal. fast and tough. It was fast. The average absolu tely none, incredibly none. Riders speed for the entire .run was just about would throw great rooster tails of sand 22 mph which, considering that there in the air which would fall to the was virtually no dirt road included and ground with an audible clunk. And the that there were some very slow sections traction was unreal. (6 mph) is a very high average. Most non-experts that I talked to found it As we set off due east, straight into the rising sun, at a fast clip, it took a difficult to hold the schedule (myself included) but Ed Wight told me that fairly unimaginative mind to miss the Tom Penton complained, "1 can't ride image of traveling into that blinding sun this slow!" To which Ed responded, on a trail obscured with dust. It would "Force yourself." indeed have been " very different ball Bob Steffan, no slouch enduro rider game. As it was, however, we had a very himself, told me that he felt th.e nice, very fast. ride through Upper .....averages were tight. Most average Fremont Valley, and across the Spangler riders could not ride fast enough to Range of mountains. From there we dropped into Pipe Organ Canyon which keep on schedule. This made speed the we followed into Taegal Wash. This determining factor in this event." In his brough t us eventually to lower Spangler opinion, and he stressed that it was Canyon, which we more or less followed opinion, speed should not be the into the noon gas check. determing factor in an enduro. His Actually, depending on your number, opinion however is shared by the AMA. NOV 29TH San I Francisco Inter-Am A very tough 3 mota program at Cycle Hills saw 5 different makes of machines finish in the first six places. It was no big surprise that Andv Roberton 1370 Stormer! D was one of them. - h.ndl.....", -- tie also mdJcated that he tound the run to be extremely enjoyable, but a bit much for IOOcc bike. Another rider, Jim Smith, called us today and told us very proudly the he had finished the race on a Honda 450 Scrambler. He says he is sore all over and can't walk, but he thinks he'll live. Jim' was under the impression that he had a first, finishing on the heavy Honda_ Know what national champion Jack McLane rides, Jim? Yep. And he rode the Last Chance yesterday, too. After the run, Dave Holeman asked me if I had enjoyed myself and I replied enthusiastically that I had. It was sort of like a hare and hound without any dust and 1 really dug. it. 1 like hare and hounds almost as well as I like enduros. I mentioned that the weather sure was great for the run, and Dave replied that, "It was too good. Dust and less traction would have made the run a lot tougher." I couldn't agree as easily to that one. More difficult to keep the schedule, certainly. But the toughness has to come from the terrain and it just wasn't there . You have to have some sections where it is just plain damn difficult to ride a motorcycle at all, let alone at speed. It's what makes an enduro different from races and road rallies. Dave said that he wanted to avoid bottlenecks, which is certainly an admirable idea, but it doeSn't seem to

• Cover