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/125789
A CON VERSA TION WITH THE YANKEE TEAM t II> CL ... N Ol v· By Ron Schneiders > 3 .., THE YANKEE TEAM PREPARES FOR THE ISOT PART I Ul ~ W Z The Yankee Motor Company is one of the W ..J U world's smaller manufacturing and distributing firms, one might even say miniscule when compared to the Oriental ~ U giants. Ye1 it has consistently fielded one of the best American teams in ISOT competition. Last year in the ISOT at the Isle of Man they were denied the Vase Team status but competed anyway as a Manufacturer's team and proceeded to turn in a better performance than either" of the official Vase teams, earning two golds and a silver. Although they adminedly cannot ride as fast as the blindingly fast land young) Pentons, they managed to snatch a victory from under the noses of the Pentons at Trask Mountain through a better understandings of the rules. At the Bad Rock Trial. the Yankee team was mounted on their own new machine, the Yankee 500 twin. They did well. collecting again, two Golds and a Silver, for third spot in the Trade Team competition. Since they are not well known in the West, I asked them for a CN interview. - They had just completed a very difficult 184 mile ride. They had not even had time to change from their wet Barbour outfits. But Dave Latham suggested that we find a sunny spot on the lawn. He, Charlie Vincent and David Eames sprawled in a semi-ei1'cle and talked of many things. Dave Latham, bespectacled, serious, occasional sardonic, defused some of. the questions that I probably shouldn't have asked, while exuberant Charlie Vincent sprinkled the area with liglrted conversational matches. David Eames, on leave from the Navy and filling in for Don Cutler on this round, for the most part just lay there Quietly ; - ' ~ Charlie Vincent experienced flat tires, about.the only major problem the Yankee team had in the qualifiers. Vincent: I just got a bronze. I had a flat tire. . enthusiastically whenever the talk turned to Latham: I didn't lose any route marks. I his father's pride and joy, the famous don't know about the bonus points. Berkshire Trial. . Eames: Yeah, that's the question on the My role turned out to be more moderator Gold right now, bonus points. than interviewer and the interview turned into a conversation which I invite you to share. Latham: It could possibly be two Golds and a Bronze, I think. CN: What did you think of this run (the CN: You guys are generally pretty fast Bad Rock Trial)? Latham: It was good. They did a good in the special tests, anyway, so you job. There's just a little too much road shouldn't have any worry about them. on it, and they've got to do a little bit Vincent: I always worry. better job of arrowing next time. Other CN: You had, what, two flats? than that, it was a terrific run. Vincent: Three flats. Like I say, they've Vincent: For their first time, I think got a lot of rocks up here! they did a great job. They haven't had • Eames: Told you, 25 pounds of air, at very much experience in doing this kind least. of thing, and the only way you learn Vincent: I put 28 pounds in the back about things like how to set up arrows tire. on trees, is to do it wrong a couple of Latham: I think maybe you put too times and get hollered at. much in, Charlie. You put too much in CN: Do you think they realize that they and the rocks just puncture it without it did wrong? even hitting the rim. Did you have rim cuts or did you have punctures in the Latham: Oh, yeah. These people are side of your tire?' very good, you know. They listened to suggestions, and I think they're willing Vincent: I didn't take it off to check it. to learn. CN: Normally you're running a lot more Ron: Did all three of you ride at Trask air in the Yankees. . Mountain last week? Latham: You have to run it a little bit Latham: No, Dave (Eames) didn't. harder because of the weigh t of the CN: How do the two runs compare? - motorcycle, you know. If we had the Vincent: This, I think, is a little tough~r Full Bore tires, I don't think we would te,rr~n: more rocks, more mud, but the have had this problem... road sections were what made it kinda Vincent: No, I don't think so either. easy, really. You had places to make up Why didn't we have the Full Bore tires? the time you lost '10 the woods. They're out at the factory? Latham: Actually, the real thing that Latham: They're back ordered at the made it easier was that the checks were factory. so far apart. Yau very often had 40 or CN: What kind of a spot are you fellows 45 miles, so if you did have any trouble, shooting for in the Six Days: Trade you had plenty of time to make it up. team, Vase team, or ... ? Most of the sections were only one hour Latham: I don't know what the plan is, long in Trask, so if you made a that'j up to the AMA. five-minute mistake, you were in CN: You've obviously got something trouble. Here if you made a five-minute that you'd like to do, though. mistake you had plenty of extra mileage Latham~ We'd like to go over there and to work back against that. win some Gold medals, that's what we'd CN: How did vou finish? _like. to do. That's tIle m<\in thing. It's up digging the scene but he jumped in Yankees or Ossas? CN: You do better on the Ossas, don't you really? Latham: Well, the Ossa's been out on the market a long time and, as everybody probably knows, when the Ossa first came out, it had its problems too. Now we have the Yankee. We've only ridden it in four or five events, and I think we're really doing terrific with it. When you take a brand new motorcycle that's just been produced and go out there like we 'did today. We ran these two hard days and all of us on (Please turn to pg. 39) to them what they're going to do. The AMA, it's their baby. Vincent: We'll do what we did last year. Last year we though t we should have a shot at the Vase team because we did better than the people who were given the Vase team. We just went over and rode as individuals, really. Actually, we pretended we ·were a Vase tearn to ourselves. Vincent: Yeah, we all stuck together and we done damn good. CN: Do you know what you'll ride if you p;et over? Whs:ther you'll ride ~'Bass22~1 ~~ 1117 Fountajn WaY:Anahelm, Cal. 9280 .....••.....••......••••.........•.. ....... __1 ...... _1" ~., ~~oo~oo COD /llAU1 ._.1.1' 20% COMMISSION 1 ... . 'HYlnD International ~ House 1267 North Wilton Place Los Angeles, California 90038 Phone (213) 467-3074 NO. 300 UTILITY CANTEEN $6.95 ... _ . .. . ~~\\ . ~\\\' U NO. 200 PRO FACE G'UARD $4.95 . " . ~ CALENDARS Designed for quick NO.1 00 TOOL Proof. 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