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/125704
o 1 M~ 0: ..., " ~ w Z W ...J U >- U HONDA - MORE OF A GOOD THING Although the balance of the 1971 Honda line will not be introduced until late in January, the 1971 models already out give us a few clues as what it will unveil. One helpful clue is in the new 325cc Motosport twin - a ligh t (for Honda) 300 lb. dirtbumer that is aimed straight at the heart of the off-road market. Although Honda's expensive surveys have shown that strictly dirt-bike registrations are only a tiny percentage of the market, intial success with the Motosport models may be convincing Tokyo that there's more" here than meets the surveyor's eye. After all, most dirt bikes are not registered, and so would not show up in the conventional survey. We can hopefully look forward to more and better dirt-going mod_els from Honda in the future - perhaps even a venture into motocross racing to improve the handling and power characteristics of the.ir future designs. But depend on-mighty. Honda to"hedge its bets with full road equipment on everything outside of the minibike class. It does help sales. Also look for significant design changes on the popular 4-cylinder 750Kl. If Honda wants current owners of their fours to trade in, (and they do), then they'll have to make the new model at least LOOK different. HARLE¥-DAVIDSON NEW BLOOD IN THE OLD VEIN 750cc Honda 4-cylinder is basically unchanged for the future. America's beloved motorcycle manufacturer has all it can do just meeting the orders it already has. But that didn't keep Harley-Davidson from introducing the Super Glide - a stock chopper based on the familiar 74. Rumors of a brand new multi-cylinder Harley-Davidson keep cropping up, and they may have some basis in fact. But don't look for it this coming year. For 1971 H-D has put together an extensive line that ranges from the little 65cc Leggero up to the enormous 1200cc Electra and Super Glides. The ever-popular Sportsters have been punched out to a full 900cc and recently won the title "World's Fastest Motorcycle. " Look for the 750cc XR racing jobs to emerge from their maiden year into 1971 with most if not all of the teething problems sorted out as they try to win back the number one AMA plate. With Evel Knievel jumping the XR now, and Bronson reruns on tv, once again Harley-Davidson will be hard-pressed to supply enough of the popular big bikes to satisfy the American market. MONTESA - NEW 125 COMING Motosport 350 comes very close to being the first real dirt machine from Honda. Adding to its groWing line of sporting machines that inclu.des the 360cc and 250cc Cappra and LaCross motocrossers, the 250cc Cota Trials (which recently overcame the formidable Sammy Miller in a European championship) and the 250cc King ., Scorpion, Montesa has a new 125cc coming fdt'i.97 I . LooIcin«...-filte a mini~ture Cappra, with upswept exhaust, the as yet unnamed 125 is a single cylinder 2-stroke with a 51.5mm bore and 60mm stroke that develops mucho torque and a claimed 19 hp. at 7,500 rpm. It weights only 198 Ibs., has a simple 4-speed gearbox driven via geared primary and all-steel clutch in the dependable Montesa tradition. Look for it at Montesa dealers soon. KAWASAKI - NICE THINGS FROM NIPPON Although rumors of the fabled 750cc Kawasaki three have not yet materialized, late 1971 might still spring some surprises from the industrial giant. As it is, with bikes in the line ranging from a new 75cc minibike through the. 121 lb. Kawasaki minibike goes 40 mph. 10-speed (with change switch) lOOcc, the 175 Enduro, the 250cc Samurai and Enduro, the 350cc Avenger Twin and 350 Big Hom Single all the way up to the phenomenal 500cc Mark Ill, Kawasaki is pretty well equipped for the future. The Mach lII's tan'k has been smoothed to eliminate the recesses and (Please turn to pg. 14) H-D Baja - a winner wherever it races. Competition model Sprint is race-ready. King of the Road, the Electra-Glide is the world's largest, most luxurious motorcycle. • ••• tJarlell-Davidson Super Glide introdUC/lS custom chopper styling into the production motorcycle market for the first time.