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/125721
When you get over about this far, things go bump and scrape. Writin'around By Chuck Clayton FIRST ONE, THEN TWO! Until a few days ago, Southern California had no formal motorcycle dealer association at all. Then Tom Cosgrove's Motorcycle Council of California got officially going (March 23) and almost simultaneously, each unbeknownst to the other, for all we can discover, the Western Motorcycle Dealers Association was formed, with San Francisco's Dud Perkins and John Maynard Sr. 0 f Los Angeles, Gil Illescas of San Diego and Norm Reeves of Paramount sharing the helm. Both associations announced they would seek affiliation with the national Motorcycle Industry Council: Which presents the MIC hoard with the "Unusual, although not unexpected phenomenon of two different associations seeking to represent the same state. MIC planners have prepared for this contingency by zoning California into five parts. So that's two, and three to go. Next problem? one of my favorite handling tests, the 450 is all but unridable. A set of Girlings or Konis could improve the handling about 600% (rough estimate) without the addition of anything else. The 450's lack of racing breed shows up when it is pushed a little. Even with adequate shock absorbers (including springs omewhat matched to the bike; the ones supplied would be more suitable to something about the weight of a Sherman tank) the 450 still won't be a road racer. You can lean the bik'e over a fair amount on the right side, but going to the left is another matter. It feels like you ground out when you're heeled over ahout 15 degrees. The center stand is the culprit and if you're addicted to bending yourself around asphalt curves the cen ter stand has to go. Steering geometry is always something of a compromise and on the Honda they have chosen to make a bike that handles easily at normal speeds in normal attitudes. For flitting through traffic and buzzing over the freeway the Honda's handling (except as noted above) is nice. Even occasional forays onto the dirt are painless. Again don't push it. It's not a racing bike and the faster you go above 70 mph the less comfortable you'll feel. It will not hold a line when pushed through turns at near maximum speeds. (I can only report for sure on right hand turns. There's no way that anyone is going to get through a left turn quickly because of that center stand.) The peripheral equipment on the Honda is of good quality and more than adequate to the job. There's a nice, big stop-light/taillight and a fairly bright headlight. Turn signals go on witli a flick of your left thumb and, unlike a lot of bikes) you can tell when they're on. Behind the gold side panels are two large paper element air cleaners that are excellent if you don't take on solid water. They last a long time and filter very well. . The main selling feature of the Honda is the price. It's the most four cycle motorcycle that you can buy for under $1,000. It's a lot of motorcycle for that money, even at list. For a bike near that size with four-stroke reliahility and longevity, no one comes close. With the addition of a $40.00 set of shocks and subtracting one center stand its chief faults could be at least neutralized and the result would be a very pleasant general transportation bike. You'll love that electric starter. I found that at the conclusion of this test, when it was time to return the machine, that I was very reluctant to do so. I had rediscovered the pleasure of iCowning" a transpora.tion bike which I could use for going to the store, to work, to cover events and so on without worrying about whether it was run long enough to get there. I used it like I would a small car. It was never exciting, but it was convenient, lots of fun and quite safe. And it got better than 40 miles to • the gallon. For a lot of riders that's got to be just about the right prescription. . ... ORANGE,- CALIF. - Saddleback Park has scheduled what could be the largest motQrcycle hillclimb event ever bdd on the West Coast for Easter Sunday, April 11th. Called the " orth-South Matterhorn Championship," the meet will pit the finest hillclirnbers from Northern California against a record tum-out of Southern California riders. Saddleback President Vic Wilson is offering, for the first time, cash awards and trophies to winners of Sunday's Matterhorn 'Climb, and is personally picking up the tab to transport the North's bikes to Orange County. Featured for the event will be a quartet of special lOOOcc Harley-Davidson hillclimb motorcycles from Bakersfield. More spectator viewing ledges have been bulldozed out of the sides of the two hills facing the 650-foot Matterhorn Mountain, thereby providing an excellent view of the runs. Admission for Sunday's 'climb is $2 for adults. children under 12, free. Another "first" for Saddleback Park will be the holding of special Easter Sunrise Services prior to. the hillclimb, commencmg at approxnnately 5:30 a.m. Presented by several Orange County churches, the free sunrise services are open to all. Wilson invited local clergymen to hold the services at Saddleback in an effort to show the public that motorcyclists aren't all of the Hell's Angels-type. .... '" For the second straight year, Gene Burcham and his big &50 are Number One Enduro team in the lAtest! ****************************** PERM1SSl0N FORMS AVAIl..ABLE Those written permission forms for riding on private land that I mentioned here a week or two ago have arrived. Good 01' ORRA, the off-road·racing association, paid the cost of having them drawn up by an attorney and printing enough to send 20 free copies to every Cycle News dealer in the west. (DEALERS OTE: Forms are included in bundle with this week's papers.) The forms free the owner from liability and should make it easier to get thaJ "written pennission" to ride that the counties and cities think we are too uncouth to obtain. There's a portion of the form for the landlord to keep and a part to carry with you as you ride. Surprise a cop! See your dealer for a free Uwritten permission form" today. Write and tell us how you made out. We have a few copies of the form here at Cycle cws, which we'll send to as many requests as we can fill, as long as they enclose a self-addressed STAMPED envelope. ****************************** BUFFALO TIME APRIL 18 "Not valid unless riding a motorcycle" it says across the top of the tickets to the big armual Buffalo Feed and prize drawing at Calico, Calif. put on by three cycle dealers. After all, wh y should an ybody who doesn't ride a motorcycle get to feast on buffalo steak? There isn't that much beef on a buffalo. To make sure that tickets only get into the right (throttle) hands, you have to buy them from one of the three sponsoring dealers, Dave Mason (Mason Motors, Pasadena), Ed Kretz (Kretz & Son, Monterey Park) or Skip Fordyce (Riverside). There'll be no tickets sold at the Buffalo Feed which starts at noon, April 18 in the Calico Ghost Town. Aerospace engineer Gene Burcham is an ace timekeeper, but he also ~nows t~at it takes a dependa.ble, well-prepared machine to win enduros. More than that, to place c.onslst~ntly In the top. spots r~qulres a superior bike that is second to none for power and handling. HIS chOice: The magnificent Rickman, built from a Metisse chassis kit and powered by a 650 Tri~mph twin. Says Burcham, "When you're running late in rough country, you've got to have power, light weight and the best handling anywhere to get back on time. My Rickman doesn't let me down; it does the job and lets me co~centrate on th.~ clock and odometer instead of having to fight for control through the nasty stuff. It s the greatest! JUST LOOK AT THE TWO YEAR TRACK RECORD OF RICKMAN AND BURCHAM FOR CONSISTENTLY TOP PERFORMANCE 1969 7th Overall in National Enduro Points May SHAMROCKS ENDURO Sweepstakes June SOD-Mile Nat'l. GREENHORN 1st AH -2nd Overall October lSD-Mile Nat'1. JACKASS ENDURO Sweepstakes December LAST CHANCE ENDURO 1st AH -2nd Overall ·lst Team 1970 February March May September November December GOLD RUSH ~NDURO ISDT QUALIFIER ENDURO SOD-Mile Nat'l. GREENHORN SAN BERNARDINO ENDURO JACKASS ENDURO gO-Mile Nat'l. LAST CHANCE ~ ~v~~~o~~ _ 1&35 I.VAllEY .... 8. SADDLEBACK SLATES SUPER HILLCLIMB THIS SUNDAY 2nd A Heavyweight Bronze Medal 1st AH -2nd Overall 2nd A Heavyweight 3rd A Heavyweight Sweepstakes - 1st Team RICKMAN and Mellsse-motorcycles, kits and performance aeeesso"e, are d"tr,ou,ed on the United States by Steen's and sold through authOriZed dealers nationWide. See your local dealer. or send S 1.00 for pack of "Supergoodles!" Info. BUULDOO - ALHAMBRA. CALIFORNIA 91813 - rr~a.: ij213~ 289-1351 M~ a <( ~ w Z ~ ~ u