Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

PUCH 125 Consumer's Test After owning a Puch (pronounced ''pook'') 125 for four months I have found th e machin e to b e more than I h ad bargained for. Although the general appearance is not an ythin g to get overly excited ab o ut, you can tell the workmanship is superior. The ma chine is relatively simple and strictly functional. The fiberglass tank and seat sort of mold together in a block shape. The seat is nicely padded and quite comfortable. The ch assis is of the bolt-together ty p e. This caused some worry that was soon forgotten a fter the first ride. It has proven itself to be as sturdy as an y conventional welded type. There is no skid plate to speak of, but rather six sections of tub ular steel with the two outer sections also acting as protection for both the shift and rear brake levers. Since I do not consider myself an y kind of expert, these have proven to be a nic e bonus ; to date I haven't been able to bend either lever. (I fall a lot.) The engine castings are flawless and . Puc h has won the contest fo r cylinder head size . The large sunburst fins keep the engine running exceptionally cool no matter if you're pu tting around or in comp etitio n. The fenders are alloy with a brigh t y ello w undercoating to prevent rust an d corrosion. Magura levers are standard and will b e appreciatedby any off-road racer . The Ceria ni front forks and Girling rear shocks are both proven suspension components so th ere is no q uesti on about their p erformance. The 3 :00 x2 I front ti re and the 3:50x18 rear tire ar e perfect. As soon as possible I found myself at the nearest bike p ar k to try this neat little machine out. This is where I found the first and only undesirable feature. After five or six tries at the kickstarter with 'n o res ul ts I fo und m ysel f loo kin g for a choke or tic kler. T he carburetor is enclosed in a vinyl cover. After unfastening the left side and tucking it out of the way, I found the tickler, gave it a few shots, and it fired right up. Refastening the Cover and warming the machine up , I dropped into the first of the six speeds. To my su rprise I found the engine p ull ed sm ooth ly from about two grand without sputtering. It accelerates at a surprising speed up By Bill Culp ~ w Z W ...J U >U through fourth gear . The clutch, typical of the oil bath variety, operates very well. Cruising in fourth gear, the Puch seems to ha ve all the speed necessary to keep up with any competitors . You still have fifth and sixth to go, for no th in g short o f fire ro ads that enduro fan s and desert racers love. The power range is relatively sm ooth . The engine will lazily pull bike and rider around at a crawl withoutloading up or complaining. A fairly wide power band an d the fact that is il n early im p ossib le to load up the carburetor, gives the rider room for mistakes. The gearbox is one of the bes t-shifting units I have ridden, even with six speeds. It works b est with the clutch but it is still easy to shift without it if the situation dictates. The gearbox is not fragile. Riding comfort, both standing and sitting, is excellent. Handling is positive and predictable. With the available top speed I would recommend that anyone riding this machine look far , far ahead and be prepared to make full use of the excellent brakes. . The Puch should be seen more and more in motocross and desert races . With my Puch, I am going to give both a try . r--------------================= ELTORO Staying away in droves By Buzz Bat y EL TORO , CAL ., Dec. 10, 1971 - Cold weather, th e h oliday season, too much racing, non-earing promo ters and officials wh o conduct an d sco re th e events? Whatever th e reason , and I ssupect th ere are ma n y th at sh ould b e d iscussed , a very slim en try turned o ut fo r tonight's USRC Mo tocross. Only 80·90 entries signed in for a sh ow th at h ad b een seein g 150-200 o u t to do th eir number . Howev er , those th at did make the scene didn't let th e small numbers slow th em d own. For th e second week in a r ow David Boyds tun started out lik e a rocket and won the first 25 0 Int/ Ex . moto o n his n ew Ajay . Bu t David seeme d to just drop o ut of th e groove, and as hard as h e tri ed he could n ' t p ut it all b ack togeth er ; h e settled for five sec ond p laces th e re st of th e evenin g, tw o in the 250 and three in th e 500 Int/Ex. for second o verall in b oth classes . Bruce McDougal looked just grea t as he ran second b eh ind Boydstun in th e first 250 Int/Ex. moto o n his Ymaha, and th en came on to win the next tw o fo r overall first pl ac e. Bruce McDougal. Power and tracti on a-plenty. No bogging. 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