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/125750
How could Bob Bailey do such a thing to BSA? have been saymg, 'Wait till next year, By David Swift wait till next year." Well, I've waited for Bob Bailey certainly did raise some two years but I'm not going to wait for hackles in the motorcycle industry last ·three." week. For thos~ who tuned in late, Within the next few days after the Bailey had the gumption to purchase claim an agreement was reacbed. The outright one of those sacred factory factory got the BSA. Bailey gets a new racers for the piddling sum of $2,500 Triumph engine with a lot of spares. and the owners, one who burted that Bailey also gets a new chassis, which is the machine was worth ten times the being shipped from England at this amount, were helpless, unless they writing. Oh, yes; Bailey also got his wanted to forfeit the $14,000 in prize $2500 back. The battle was won, but money and the most prestigious victory what about the war? in the history of American professional The American distributor is caught in motorcycle competition. the middle of it, in fact. Danny Macias Bailey watched John Cooper pull a said he had paid for some frames in miraculous win from the grasp of Kel England during the E.aster meeting and Carruthers in the last lap of the has yet to see them. Six of the eight Champion Spark Plug Motorcycle factory road racers are now using frames Classic October 1 7 and decided he was he termed "obsolete." If the factory going to buy the machine. The claimant can't get racing parts, how can a had finished last. privateer? When drilled on this lack of Bailey said he "came damned close" service by Bailey, Doug Hele reportedly to c,laim'ing Gene Romero's Trident men tioned that he had accidently earlier in the year but decided against it overlooked shipments of some things. when it became apparent that it would It was fortunate for Bailey that be unfair to Burrito's campaign for the Cooper and his machine did come over. Grand National Championship. Bob was ready to claim somebody's As Cooper took the checkered flag bike and it suddenly became very Bailey left the' restaurant where he convenient to go directly to th e viewed the finish 'and headed for manufacturer. BSA wasn't about to let Victory Circle. He found the right man, this one go because, among other AMA Western Regional Referee Raymond Kellem and shoved a piece of paper into his hand. Bailey carefully announced, "I have here a check to claim a motorcycle." K e llem remained businesslike. "Which one?" CHAPTER XVI-Cleiming Rule "The number 28 machine that John 1. All sanctioned meets I!xcept Hillclimb meets shall Cooper won with." Everything was ~ail~d$2%bo.~J~~nh~ch~e;i~~::~~~al~\~~::~; d fairings. according to the rules. Unsurprisingly, the BSA folks were 2. Any rider (claimant) cnn enter a claim for a nlO_ torcycle ridden in the same meet and class' in aghast. All that work down the drain for which the claimant has competed. A claim must be entered with the Referee after completion of a measly $2,500. They weren't hoping ~~~e~~~~:en:i~r~he~h~~t~~r3:e n~i~~rs to sell' the thing. Pete Colman, claimed motoreycle and take physical possession vice-president of the American of same. BSA-TRiumph concern, found a blank 8. A claim must be accompanied by cash or certified check, and the owner of the claimed motorcycle piece of paper and scrawled a hasty must immediately deliver the motorcycle intact, receipt which was witnessed by Bill together with clear title or bill of sale for same. Boyce, AMA Director of Professional 4. In the event more than one claim is received by the Referee with respect to 8 given motorcycle, Competition, Danny Macias, racing the 8uccessful claimant shall be determined by a drawing. manager for the BSA-Triumph, and 6. If a ridn -whose motorcycle has been claimed falls Doug Hele, .English racing manager who to comply with these rules, he shall foz;leit his flew over with Cooper's' machine. prjze money and his competition license will be automatically suspended. The time was righ t for Bailey to achieve the goalshe wanted to achieve. ' The BSA was valuable, very. It was 'already a legend-pipe, having beaten the great Giacomo Agostini the first two times it raced, and now it won a reasons, there were some experimental grueling 250-miler without so much as a parts in the clu tch that the factory was gas stop. Anybody -would jump at the anxious to check after the race. As chance to purchase such a machine for Bailey says, "I've had their undivided $2,500 and Bailey was prepared to do atten tion." . such a thing. It was more than bike-lust, Bob Bailey has a competitive machine however. It was guerrilla theatre. at a bargain price for the upcoming For some time Bailey and several season. Hopefully, others will demand other privateers have been boJlering for that factories that are holding back these parts that the factory team uses, parts and service will join bis crusade for ouly to be given promises and the year of the Privateer. If not, $2500 back-order sbeets. can go a long way. "For the past two years tbe factories Ontario's Crash Epic Photos by Bill Parks Luckily, the only injury sustained in the much publicized Ontario ser,ies of spills was to Reg Pridmore wh'o sprained a finger. But, by these series of photos, you can easily see that it could have been much, much worse... :rlli; • The action is just about over now as several riders finally succeed in taking the turn upright. Aldana (3) watches as the final fallen rider comes to a stop on the infield dirt.