Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

~ " ~ '" [;; -~ > -=: '" ~ z ~ u ~ By John Huetter A couple of weeks ago a new record was set for riding a bike, alone, the length of the to:turous Baja Californi:l peninsula. I t was accomplished by a rider you bave probably never heard of; he's no local hotshoe or sponsored factory rider. The man who rode from the border crossing at San Ysidro, Cal. to La Paz in 2 5 hours is Larry Bornhurst. He did it on an essen tially stock Kawasaki 350 Bighorn (his own bike) with no factory support, no en route pit crews, no backup truck, no support riders. He received help from Temple City Kawasaki on parts and preparation, but he went alone. Larry conceived and execu ted the idea himself and set a new record .• Though he's not a big name, Ite is not new to motorcycling. He used to run sidecars in the late 1940's. He once won the Greenhorn and placed fourth in the Big Bear Run on an H-D 74. He's been down the road a few years on bikes and he showed, conclusively, with the record Baja run that he's still making it. Despite the fact that Larry set a new record, it was not a particularly easy run, nor was it made under ideal conditions. He fought rain for the first 250 miles south from Tijuana. The last reliable gas on Baja's west coast is in Ensenada, where the Baja 500 had started the day before. Larry had stashed gas at various places enroute when he made the pre-run, setting down his elapsed times and checkpoints just like an enduro. He lost an hour in the mud on an unmarked detour north of El Rosario and fough t freezing cold all across the Magdalena Plain. The cold slowed him to about 55 mph from a planned 80. However, most of the significant problems, including mechanical were encountered on the pavement. Larry estimated that he lost only about 15 minutes pff his scheduled time in the dirt. He rode the Bighorn because that's what he had. Stock gearing, giving an estimated top end of 80 plus, was used after experimentation with different gearing. He was so heavy with water, oil and clothing at the beginning of the ride that his body took a terrible pounding as he couldn't get up on the pegs that easily. He got'so'me help from the LA area Kawasaki Dealer's Association and TIJUANA 10 LA PAZ ..... • In 2S Hours Larry Bornhurst, astronomer and Baja solo ~::~ record holder. .... .-~~. '- -.~ . ' ... , The GEMINI bikes are the toughest machines around. Both the "BOSS 80" and the 80 cc MINI will take on any bike in their class for performance, durability, dependability and comfort. Any bike that can do that is one heck of a good bike. One of the greatest things' about the GEMINI's is you can have either of these great bikes and not lose an arm and leg paying for it. Isn't that the kind of dfft bike you've been looking for? Check out some of these facts that both the "BOSS 80" and the 80 cc MINI have: • 2 cycle single cylinder with rotary valve and oil injection system. • Kick starter. • 4 speed foot controlled transmission. I • Magrf'to type ignition. I Check out ". the detailed facts on the GEMINI "BO~S 80;", 80 cc MINI, and the 80 MINI's little brother, the 50 cc MINI. See ... San Tong Co., Inc. 15514 S. Figueroa Gardena, Ca. 90247 213/532·1780 Aretca, Inc. Fargo Ind. Park Box 2307 ~.J:"90. No. Dakota 58102 101/"82.0833 Cycle Centers, Inc. 1406 E. North Harvard TUlsa, Okla. 74115 918/932-1829 ,,,:""' ~... /... s'nO-Line Inc. 2923 W. Superior St. Duluth, Minn. 55806 218/628·2377 Northwest CyCle & Access., Inc. 1715 Pettygrove N.W. Portland, Or. 97209 503/227-6167 -. : :.~ ... .~ also picked up $500 in Kawasaki con lingency money for the over 900 mile ride. The chain and rear sprocket were wasted by the end of the run, probably due to the (for Baja) unusual mud cO!lditions encountered during the frrst part of the trip. The major mechanical problem occurred when a washer dropped under the oil pump operating lever. After fouling a handful of plugs, he had to stop and remove the stray washer after taking off the right engine case in the fading dayligh L With the stray washer removed, be pressed on, but the roadside repairs clearly cost him some time. After that be sorted a path through the remnants of the failed and broken Baja 500 equipment down to Laguna Chapala. The battery exploded in Santo Thomas which was, surprisingly, a good event since the ligh ling coil kept the load up and the 1igh tactually . brigh tened. Larry promises that next time, and there will be a next time, he will use a quartz-iodine light for sure. It gets very strange way down the Baja Peninsula after 14-15 houn of continuous riding. The cactus become redwoods and spooks lurk in the dark to swoop down on you. Mental and emotional preparation are the most important things in completing a long distance run, particularly alone in untraveled territory. The last stretch from Villa Constitucion into La Paz (somC:thing over 100 miles) was rough. The cold helped to keep Larry awake, a t the same time it numbed his body and stole all feelings from his fingers. Despite coveralls and long johns, cold was the greatest enemy. Hopefully it won't be as cold on the next trip. Larry pulled up in from of the Hotel La Perla at 2 A.M. and, after getting the time confirmed, collap sed in to a bed.. In an age of committee decisions and corporate personalities, the Baja solo run is one' of the few challenges left to an adventurous man. It takes a singular kind of individual to even consider such a venture and then do it, alone. There was no special preparation of the machine. He put on desert bars and ran a Full Bore trials tire on the rear. That was about it. The preparation was in the mind and body of Larry Bomhunt. He is an indivdual, but be is not a professional biker, by any means. He still occasionally runs in the desert, but feels he's getting too slow. He's encouraging his son in some desert racing now. You see, Larry Bornhurst is 44 years old and keeps pretty busy as Superintendent of the Mt. Palomar Observatory .

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