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/125790
Yvon 'DuHamel is beginning to grow a moustache that makes him ,look like Ringo Starr. ' -- CD 1 ... • • • N CD Doug Swleck got off h'ard recently and broke hi's back. Some concerned cyclists are having.a ben.efit dinner on Saturday, July 9 'at Johnny' J's, 5926 Del Amo Blvd. in Lakewood from 2 to 10 pm. There will be entertainment and a raffle. Two bucks covers the whole thing. It will do everybody some good. * * ~ > :; ..., ~ w z W *,. ..J U One of our spies in J apan saw the 900cc Kawasaki four cylinder four-stroke. He got a chance to sit on it and ride it, so he says. It features a dual overhead cam engine that is set in the frame more vertically than the Honda 750. The tank is a very classic looking tear drop style. The whole machine is a bit bigger than the Honda, but laid out much the same. They should be sitting in your dealer's showroom by late September. It leads you to wonder: which will be quicker, the Kawasaki or the other Kawasaki? Actually this seems to have been conceived more as a touring bike. > U • • • Yamaha has their hands in two pots on the weekend of July 9. They are involved in the Inter-AMA Superbowl Motocross at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The other hand is deep into the AMA National which is a Yamaha Gold Cup in Salem, Oregon. Yamaha is to be commended for doing so much to support the sport. They are investing a lot of money. * * ~ .. ,.. , "" ," " ,, . * Team Hansen, who is contracted by Kawasaki to do the National circuit, has acquired a Seeley frame to house their 750 road racing engine. Paul Smart says that the Seeley frame is a considerable improvement, but there are those that have their doubts. Maybe it will appear at the Laguna Seca National on July 23. Incidentally, the Kawasaki 750 ridden By dingies, Horace, I've'decided to ride the Baja 1000 this year! ~:omMj:;~'h~at~~~::~~°';h:,es~~ Team Hansen machines. Hansen says that their bikes are "de-tuned." It may not be too long before the problem of riders melting is encountered. • • • If you get your paper a day late th is week it is because cur circulation staff got the day off on Tuesday, July 4 (see the calendar section) and didn't mail the paper out until Wednesday, the fifth of July (see calendar). However, if you didn't get your paper a day late you may ignore this. * * * American Motocross is moving to Buena Park. Address will be 7241 Orangethorpe which is the former Mitco Bultaco building. The happy day is July 15. Competition freaks, note. • • • National Scrambles Champ, John Gennai, is back on a motorcycle after a month's layoff due to an intestinal disorder and should be back to racing in a short time. The eighteen-year-old Ascot winner is to be on a strict diet for the rest of his life. I wonder if clams are excluded. * * * The recent exhibition of motorcycle racing at the Olympia Sprin IS at Laguna Seca was quite a show for the assembled 12,000 sporty car goers. Pat Evans and John Green really diced it up, at least until Green chose to stuff his Yamaha into a hill. The display of wheelstands by Green corning out of tricky turn nine raised some eyes in astonishment. The local drivers and turn workers don't often get to see such a demonstration. Besides the speeds that were fast, the noise was a might loud as much of the road racing is done quite close to the crowd. * * ,* Vegas' odds are running 9 clams to 5 coconuts that Barkfeather can handle the Pineapple Bender. * * * Ralph Springer, who does a lot of publicity for the speedway promoters, sent us some information the other day. We would tell you what it said only the envelope had come open in the mail and the contents had become detached. Something's happening though. • • • Despite what the managing editor of th is rag may have to say about night MX heroes, if you want the straight poop, ask Papa. Papa's Prediction for one of the top three at the Christians and Lions international dirt-slinger (Yeah, the Coliseum.) is Bob Hershey. When he's running right, he runs. * * * Kale Thorpe makes excellent brownies. (Contrary to what Papa Wealey says...Man. Ed.) r-., ..,. f !; ~ .I Pat Garrett notified somebody at CN that he has ten sections of mountainous terrain bordering on the Anza .Borrego State Park and some lumps of BLM land currently in escrow to be developed as a bike park. Entrance to the park is four miles southeast of Anza off Highway 71. Camping is encouraged and water is available. Only one catch. The red tape won't be cleared away til first of September. Plan your fall and winter riding now. * * CONTROVERSIAL STATEMENT OF THE MONTI-I: Gary Scott will be Grand National Champion in 1972. • • • Another new bike park and campground has opened up 27 miles of San Berdoo on 395. It's called Oak Hill Wheel World. Don't know too much about it yet, other than that it's open and ready for riders. * * * We've heard that the new Honda 750 Four has a significan t number of changes. Stay tuned to Cycle News for an upcoming expose thinly disguised as a road test. • • • Joel Robert has definitely made it five in a row; six overall 250 class World Championships. He took the overall top spot at th.e Russian 250 GP in Kishinev. (You remember Kishinev, ju,st West of Magnitogorsk.) He dueled with Mikkola and Kavinov, apparently, to take the win and clinch his crown. There are still four more GP races left in the 250 circuit, all in August. Look for Mikkola to take the next one in his native Finland. After that, there's no reason Robert or Suzuki teammate Geboers couldn't up their total of GP wins. This also means that the Japanese firm has clinched the manufacturer's championship, with CZ, Husqvarna and Yamaha following in that order. * * * Robert has reputedly confirmed, in person, that this was his last season in GP competition. He will ride in non-GP events next year to develop the 250 Puch. It's probably a wise move. What could he prove by campaigning again? He has already established himself as the greatest motocrosser of all time in GP competition with five straight world titles. He deserves the opportunity to rest on his laurels. Besides, this gives th~ rest of the gang a shot at the World Championship. Geboers wonld have had two world titles by now if Robert ha.dn-'.bbeea in- ,tobe. {alee. ... I . . . . . . -,. ~ ~ • • • • • AMA INS AND OUTS: Claiming the factory 250 Suzuki RH72 (valued at 1500 clams) from Robert or Geboers for $2500 at the Colisum Inter-AMA is IN. Getting it is OUT. • • • If it's the water that makes it Olympia, is it the clouds that make it Rainier? DISCOVE RIES DURING A NORTHERN JOURNEY: John "Light Brown" Lancione really handled the mixed bag of Inter-AMA riders wilh class according to our spies, who are everywhere. All motos were so close that a time screwup would have mean t position changes and some irate riders. (Ever been cussed in Swedish?) First moto went just 30 minutes, 8 seconds, others seemed to follow suit. The only Italian with a Texas accent does a decent job of bringing confusion out of chaos ...or something like that. * * * Yvon DuHamel showed that when combined with the Kawasaki 750 H2R he is a force 'to be reckoned with this weekend at Mosport in Canada. He won the 750 class 30-lap race by morc than a lap over Cliff Carr on another 750 Kawasaki. In third place was Englishman Percy Tait on the same 750 Ducati that Paul Smart employed to win at Imola, Italy this year. Bruno Spaggairi was running fourth on another works Duke when he crashed on lap 20. The Ducati people who were up there have their eyes on Daytona '73. In fourth place at the finish was Kurt Liebmann on a 750 Ronda. DuHamel lapped everyone but Carr for the win. Attention on deck! There will be no motocross at Lions this Friday night, as the entire weekend is being reserved for the quarter-mile boys with Friday dedicated to NHRA world record attempts. Go fast. Yvon is a man of many talents. He will give the Kawasaki 750 three its dirt track premier sometime soon in Canada. He is also playing with a pair of motorcrossers of the same make. Watch out, Brad and John. * * * • • • * * * Rich Thorwaldson had some _tasties to relate after his return from Suzuki-land. The new 400 Suzukis will be in this country in about a month. They are super-quick, super-light and, says Rich, they won't break. His opinion is that with the factory MXers from Suzuki, that any rider of talent who is on them in the next few years will be a cinch for World Champ. Geboers and DeCoster can probably continue to dominate, if Robert is out. • • • Desert Jeff Wright got off at Saddleback last Sunday during the CMC bash when being pushed by Looney Bruce Baron in the 125 go. Suffered a broken thigh. Haven't found out yet which repair shop he checked his body into, but stay tuned. * * * GET UP ON THE PEGS! Rich Bledsoe and Mark Eggars, SoCal's top two bogwheelers are giving a free Trials school for novice and amateur riders over at Saddleback this coming Sunday, starting at 10 a.m. The two trialsters are offering their talents without charge as a way of saying thanks to all the Trials enthusiasts in the area whose support enabled them to represent the USA in Spain last March. So unpack your tweedy cap and Norton rigid frame 500 and get over there. Good show, Rich rand Miark." • f' t ,.., .. '" 9''' • • • * * * ADVICE TO THE LOVELORN DEPT. Theresa Martin on Eddie Mulder: A year's pay for one nigh t. Wait 'til Eddie Mulder hears about this! • • • LOOK SHARP,! Drawings on cave walls indicate that prehistoric cavemen used clam shells and sharks' teeth to shave. * * * DIRTY OLD MAN and WOULD-BE MXers SECTION, Dept. B. The lady that appears on whatsisname's left in the Buffalo Breath ads is not very photogenic. She looks truly outasight, as opposed to just good, in person. Dream on, stripey shirt fans. • • • EVERYBODY WHO RIDES OFF-ROAD should attend the 0-37 meeting Thursday night at. 7:30 at the Poplar Street Recreation Center. Take the Golden State Fwy to Figueroa, right to the first light, left to the railroad tracks, then right ~o the playground. You've made it! It promises to be very interesting, exciting and (Who knows?) informative meeting. Be there or be square. a * * * Jody Nicholas is reported to have said that the Suzuki 750 Three racers won't run before Talledega. • • • Rayborn suffered broken valve springs L.Cl'\.I!den:"t lioin« austed. ' ••