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/125740
;: ... 'It-p.lttetfett-co 1 1tee ;;ltNI'eM ~ Z>~4. '1fIue'4, W ..J U ~ ~ut 7u4teu ;;k.4, St4~ 'J1de!u14Utu14te By Ron Schneiden ELFIN FOREST, CAL., Aug. 15,1971 - One of the more important sporting ,events of the world was taking place ·here today, but almost nobody knew about it. Even some of the competitors were unaware. Trials are like that. Imagine, if you will, the top champions of Southern California including the Numben One and Two, one of the top riden of Northern California, ~ane Leavitt, here to add fuel to an increasingly serious rivalry between the North and South, and the national champion from Spain, the country that spawned the modern trials mount, Ignacio Buho, all competing in one event! It's like the all-star game in football, only more in teresting to watch. But for some reason, people don't watch trials. Following Bulto, Walker Leavitt and the other champions were just a handful of people, mostly personal friends. Other amateur triab riders rode their own even t, oblivious to the strullliJes of titans. The Plonkers hoated today's triab. using neat Elf'm forest near Escondido as a:.base. Three sets of traps were laid; a set of 7 for women and kids. a set of 9 for amateurs and a set of 12 for Experts and Masters. The MasterIExpert traps were primarily set by Fernando Belair, an Expert, and they rode four complete loops, not rmishing until amost dark. Among the more interesting traps were: A section with two huge logs across it. The logs were just about one wheelbase-length apart and most of the riders were going over the fIrst one and rmding their front wheel butted solidly up against the second while their rear was still high up in the air. The sensation of the rrrst round was young Mark Eggar who managed to get a "1" on that section while' everyone else including Bulto and Leavitt were getting "!I"s or "5"s. Eventually most of the Masten got at least one clean on the secti'on. which is a good indication of the determination of those guys. The Masters seemed to regard a pair of sections (9 and 10) called "Fernando's Staircase" as the most difficult. These were in a rocky ravine which went relentlously uphill for about an 1/8th of a mile and terminated in a near vertical, sandy off-camber "u" tum. I don't think anyone cleaned both sections but please don't write any nasty letten if I'm wrong. One section looked fairly simple but contained a monstrous slippery boulder that 1hrew everyone off-line for a proper exit. Many of the Masten elected to take a "!I" on this section and paddle through, rather than risk the seemingly certain "5". This is often the smart decision but it is paradoxically not the decision of champions, who must try to "clean" every se,ction where there is even a remote chance and set the standard continually higher. Ignacio Bulto, a champion, tried to clean it and fell, hurting his leg slightly. There seems to be a tendency developing for trials to become somewhat faster and two sections relected this tendency. One section was a hill with a steep finish through a pair of rocks. The approach to this section was a very steep downhill. The idea was to accelerate downhill, get into !Ird or 4th so that you'd get to the top with enough steam to negotiate the rocks under control. This section actually looked wone than it was. The other section was also a hillclimb that was probably 14 of a mile long and a mixture of broken rock and very loose soil. Belair said he put the end of this section as far up the hill as he thought any of the experts could get. He misjudged: most of the Masters not only cleaned the section but continued up the hill This was the normal method of negotiating this section: Jump the first log (above), then fall betWeen the first and second (below). The Trials was tough enough to satisfy anyone: Ignacio Bulto is one moment away from disaster. Jeff Koski negoti THE SUPERBOWL OF Every sport has its SuperbONl, WxId Series or Stanley Cup. Now motorcycle racing has the Champion Spark Plug Motorcycle Classics, October 13 through 17 at o,tario Motor Speedway. This is, by any measure, the biggest event in the history of motorcycle racing. Don't miss it. THE CHAMPION SIIAIU( PLUG QA5SIC The longest, richest, most important Expert-class raad race in the history of modem motorcycle racing. BSA versus Harley versus I-Ionda versus Kawasaki versus Suzuki versus Triumph versus Yamaha. Afull 250-mile event featuring over 100 of the lop professional riders going full-out after $4QOOO (the richest purse in motorcycle racing). And there's more than money in the balance. The Classic carries more national championship points than any other race (the 1971 national championship will probably be decided in this single race). Be there, Sunday, October 17. The Champion Spark Plug Classic. There's never been anything like it. THE CHAMPION .....oNAL MO"I'OC::MSS . We've custom-built the toughest Motocross course you've ever seen right inside the big 2Y2 mile oval at o,tario Motor Speedway. I(s designed to give the kind of punishment only the top riders and best bikes in the world can live with. And irs designed for the spectator: This is a motocross you can really see. But that's not allYou get a bonus. 01 the same day, for the same price, you11 see a 125-mile Junior/Expert combined raad race O'Ver the Champion Classic course. Saturday, October 16. The excilement of mo1ocross and the speed of raad racing, both for the price of one. ClDME ALL FIVE DAYS If bike racings your thing, maybe you should spend your vacation at the Champion Classics. Besides the big weekend races, you'll be able to take-in three days (October 13, 14 and 15) full of practice, qualifying, and flat-out Novice and Junior races. Plus one of the biggest motorcycle shows in history. Right on the grounds. Dozens of manufacturers'exhibits