Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

By Tim Luikart ISLE OF MAN, June 3-9,1972 - Billed by the Isle of Man tourist board-as "The Magical Island", there is indeed an air of fantasy about the island during TI week. Every town is full of motorcyclists, every parking lot full of motorcycles. The island is a resort area, full of hotels and rooming houses. There are beaches, but the entire II days I was there, the temperature never approached where I wanted to sun bathe, or for that matter, take off any of my three sweatshirts. I met aNew Zealander on the ferry and he being as cheap as I, we avoided the traps; shared a room in a boarding house at a total cost of 13 dollars each. Great. Except for the fact that it rains a lot, was very chilly, and the British are just as a.slamant as the Europeans about turnmg off the heat after the first of May, it wouldn't be a bad place to spend a vacation. The people on the island love the TI races. Even having their major roads closed so often doesn't bother them. They all know the riders' numbers, what speed each lapped at last year, and what his chances are this year. An old fellow who had never owned a motorcycle complained to me that the only thing wrong with the TI is that there aren't enough of them. I can only compare this attitude to that of the Daytona natives. In the same vein, the police are really good people. They are seriously concerned abou t the welfare of the riders and the spectators, and they are gentlemen. Instead of shoving people away from a spot, they will merely say something like, "I shouldn't want to stand there as you may distract a rider's atten tio,n from the course and cause a crash. And you may even be hurt as well." Right-o. I spent an entire afternoon of practice watching the riders and talking to a policeman. His knowledge of the racers was fantastic, and his observations about other things equally interesting. He felt that the trouble in America, at least a good part of it, could be traced to the fact that so many people can buy guns so easily. It works for the British. The ACU had broadcast points at several points around the course, and these broadcast points were connected to the grandstand, and the whole system was aired over the Isle of Man radio station, live. Everywhere people were listening to the races. The bikes people rode to the island (had ferried over would be more correct) were just as interesting as the racers, and a good deal more personal. An tiques abound - in fact, there was an antique rally on Thursday of TI week. And they were all driven about, from vantage point to vantage point, right up until the Antique show. It's a real treat to see ancient leather bclt-driven bikes, with external valve trains, as immaculate as any brand new machine. The European motorcyclist, especially the British, fancies himself as a roadracer. Accordingly, the bikes are fitted with clip-on bars, rear set footpegs and con trois. There were even a few choppers, but not anything like the States. Most amazing is the way the British nurture their worn BSAs and Triumphs. They don't buy a new one every year or two, but revise, re-route or replace parts as they come off or break. And Europe has discovered Japan. H;onda Fours were plentiful, and had gdne through some in teres,ting alterations. Many had grown sidecars, some carried seven or eigh t gallon tanks. The street riders themselves are interestingly prepared. More foul weather gear is required. so Belstaff suits are popular, as well as full suits of leather. A rider's experience can be calculated by the number of different pins on his jacket. There were some A Week on _the Magical Isle of Man '" ~ CL .... N '" > 3 .., ~ w Z W ..J o > o outlaw rypes present, but no violence. Besides, ON ANY SUNDAY was showing at the theater, and no one can come out of that feeling nasry. I took my New Zealand roomie to the show on the first night. He loved it. So did the rest of the audience. He took me back three days later to see it again, and there was a line au tside the theater an Iiour before the show was to start that was three blocks long! The admission price had gone up 25%. The people standing in line were singing "Why are we waitinK?" to th~ tune of "Come All Ye Faithful." Beautiful. This year, the early morning.practices were eliminated, which made it a little more pleasant for the locals as well as the racers. Riding a roadracer at speed at 6 a.m. just didn't appeal to anyone. ~turday,' June 3. PrOduction races and 750 sidecars. Saturday was very cold, windy and damp, although it never did actually rain. For some reason, the races began at 5 p.m. with the 750 production bikes, followed two minutes later· by the 500s, and again two minutes later by the 250s. Ray Pickrell, on a new Triumph, ran away from the 750s, maintaining an even 100 mph average for the four lap race. His fourth lap was 101.60, for a new record. Three minutes and 14 seconds behind him came Peter Williams on a Norton, averaging 96.35 mph. The 500 production class also saw a new lap record, with Stan Woods pushing a Suzuki to a lap of 93.61 mph on the way to' his win at an average speed of 92.20 mph, just ahead of Roger Bowler's Triumph at 92.09. A CB250 Honda surprised the field in that class. John Williams rode it to a first place, but no records were set. Willlams won the 500 production race last year. His average on the Honda was 85.32 mph, just ahead of Charlie Williams (no relation) on a Yamaha with 84.06 mph. The 750 sidecar race began at 7 :30 p.m. in what was bitter cold. The racers left in pairs, at 10 second in tervals. Scoring is on corrected time, much as in an enduro. Early in the first lap, Siegfried Schauzu and Wolfgang Kalauch, who had started in the second pair had taken their BMW hack to the front, both on the road and on corrected time. They just opened up from there on, setting a race record average of 90.97 mph, for the three lap' race. It was Schauzu's sixth IT win. Sunday was a day off from racing, but .the weather didn't take a day off. Cold again. Monday was TI racing again, and the day was sunny and, as always, cold. At 11 a.m. the 350s got off, leaving in pairs at 10 second intervals. Much safer an I a mass start, particularly with the narrow course: in mind. The 350 is one of Giacomo Agostini's benefit events, and he proved it immediately. His three cylinder works MV was in front on the first lap. He is something to watch when he's i'n a hurry. Unfo'rtunately, he only hurried on the first lap. About one and a quarter miles from the start, at Quarter Bridge, he was still riding fast, and as he exited the tum, under full throttle, the rear wheel of his MV did- a little side step (four or five side steps, to be more exact) but he never even hesitated. Just waltzed on down the road. The rest of the laps were easier, he even had time to wave to the crowd exiting the same tum. -Ago gained abou t a second -a mile during the race, with his five lap average being 102.03 mph for a new race record. And he did it waving. It really is too bad there is no one to push him. Phil Read had been given a works MV to ride for the race, and he held second place with it until it broke, something almost unheard of for an MV. At 2:30 the 500 sidecars were off, in pairs again, as were all the races except the production classes. I must say that the sidecars are more fun to watch than the solos. The attrition rate is much higher, but the riders really work out. Klaus Enders and R. Engelhardt with a BMW rig were in a good race with Charlie Vincent and Mike Casey on a Munch. The Munch seemed fast, and it was a good race until the magnet fell off the magneto of Vincent's machine. Enders and Engelhardt were far in the lead, with 10 miles to go, and the trusty BMW quit. Siegfried Schauzu suddenly found himself in the lead on another BMW, and when they passed Ender's (Please tum to pg. 45)

• Cover