Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

CERA Holds 'Bear' of an Enduro ----Golden thaf ;s By Ron Schneiders Photos by Ellen Schneiders LUCERNE VALLEY, CAL., Oct. 3, 1971 - Most of the expert California enduro riders competed in what the California Enduro Rider's Association claims as the World Championship 200·mile enduro. It was quite an event. This is the CERA's second annual Golden Bear and it was much better thao the first in almost every respect. First, it was an honest 200 miles. WeJJ ...a1mosL It was supposed to be 200.3 miles but a last minute course change lopped about four miles off the end, but it was still a lot closer than last year's 160 miles. Although the world championship claim is somewhat fanciful (since only Southern California was represented) the CERA is definitely trying to make the event one of true championship caliber. In line with this, they inclUded several "Special Tests" in this year's contest, similar in principle to those included in the ISDT. First, the bikes were impounded overnight so that the it's surpnslllg the number of optimistic souls who planned to ride a tough 200 mile event on what can most kindly be called junk. The most controversial of the special tests were three trials sections. These were very graciously provided by the Southern California Trials Association who both laid the traps and manned them. Each trap was to be ridden once and it was possible to lose up to five points per trap or a total of 15 points altogether. The checks are to be deducted from the rider's score just as if he were late at a check. Thus the trials were a very imponant part of the event for those in the top spots who might be expected to lose in the neighborhood of 15 points on time during the run. From a trials rider's viewpoint the traps were so easy as to be regarded as trivial, but the enduro riders found them to be anything but! Most of the riders managed to get through the first two without too much problem but the third one produced a series of spectacular faux pas. One would have expected the big bikes, the Triumphs and Nortons, to have the worst time with the trials, but such didn't prove to be the case. While they usually didn't clean the sections, ". ~" This guy looked pretty good in the trials section. His name's Bob Nickelsen. Think maybe he's done this before, a little bit? .... .I Farrell on his Oucati: He doesn't think the Golden B.ear uld make it as a District 37 run. engines would be quite cold. Then the contestants were given one minute to start the bike and ride over a "deadline" about 60 yards away. This might not seem too difficult, but there were a surprisingly large number of riders who had difficulty meeting this requirement. There was a technical inspection prior to the impounding. Riders who failed the inspection were given a ch oice of not riding, fixing the problem or signing a release absolving the CERA 'of -It That SeTA guy up on the rock is holding up five fingers meaning, "You blew it!" responsibility for retrieving them and their bikes. The inspection wasn't very tough. One fellow wh 0 was missing a front brake entirely (just a big gaping hole in the hub), was passed on the grounds that his bike was otherwise sanitary and if he wanted to ride without a front brake, that was his business. Rejected were bikes with the expansion chamber loosely held in place with bailing wire, those with worn out chains, frayed cables, and such. Again, Flops were frequent as desert riders tried to sleds through the traps. maneuve~ their , they did manage to get through with a "3" or (in rare cases) a HI". The riders who had the most trouble were ones on exotically tuned small bikes, particularly the small Kawasakis. Standard technique seemed to be: wind the engine to a!>out eight grand, pop the clutch, wheelie over the first rock, at which point the engine would die and the bike would crash ungracefully into' the rocks on the side. The pit crews really enjoyed the trials portion of the event and most of the riders seemed to thoroughly enjoy this new chllenge. One sure thing: if trials sections were included regularly in enduros, the level of riding ability of the . . average enduro rider would rise astronomically. The course itself was a good tough one. It was laid ou t in four loops of roughly 50 miles apiece and the difficulty increased with each succeeding loop. The first loop was easy with 24 and 36 mph schedules and plenty of road. The only1'ough part was a really loose hill on an old mining road which gave small bikes a rough time. There was a check righ t at the top, too. After a 17 minute gas stop came Loop 2 and some pound old desert trail. Whoop-- U

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