Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

rod through the cases, while the Finn's Yamaba motored on for the win. Is Saarinen really serious about retiring this year? * It's getting out of hand - really. Almost daily here at the CN offices, we receive word from some youngster that he is doing ..JIaring deeds by leaping great distances on a bicycle. Just today we leafed through three letters (pictures included) of "record seekers" who claim as great as 35·foot leaps. One individual said he wan ted to jump six cars while another said he's already cleared 3 VWs. All this is being done at a great risk for no ,money.·Whe.re'. it going to stop? We came out against the Lions Leap because it seemed to invite possible injury for a small amount of money ("I bet you can't.. .! bet you can't" tactics kinda ruled ou t the free will of the matter). OK, nobody got hurt but the leaps themselves were nothing near what some riders do occasionally in real competition. But, what happens? Back East, some local - ab, loco-promoter put up $10,000 for the first guy who jumped his 200-foot pond. Everyone of the "nearly made its" have been hospitalized for broken bones to concussions. Surc, the jumping part is easy but it's the landing that is so dangerous and it takes lots of practice and still d~sn't always work. Let's leave it with the professional showmen, Eve!, Joe and Bob, to do it with an the danger but, also, for all the bucks. * * * I don't like the way American Honda is giving me the runaround. Giving you The Runaround? You should see what they are doing to Wait til' Indian Dunes hears about this. Hot Dog! Cool Cat! Dead Duck! ' * * * Last week we had a picture of National Number 13. The picture caption said that it was Don Castro. That, of course, was an error. Everyone knows that National Number 13 is Gene Romero. The reason for the confusion is that all those members of Team Mexican look alike. * * assistance . .somebody apparently held his bike for him while he made some adjustements to it. The committee did not uphold the protest due to "insufficient evidence". Which means that DeCoster did not, in their opinion, receive sufficient assistance within the meaning of the FIM rules. Still a bit of a sticky situatiqn. Ake waS-Rot happy. * * * The Yamaha 350 R-5 twin may have reed valve induction for the 1973 models. It also may not have a disc, as was planned. The 250s and '350s with the discs in Japan were recalled due to problems with the metal used in the disc itself. A new alloy was used in an attempt to prevent disc "squeek". The trouble was that it also preven ted adequate stopping control.. * * * Look for Yamaha to market a 175 motocross machine, like their DT·2 and RT·2 MX, if there is a sufficient demand determined in the US. marketplace. * * * GENERAL HOSPITAL, OVERSEAS SECTION: Doug Grant, after recently getting out of a leg cast, left for England some days ago to work with Norton-Villiers, particularly Vic Eastwood, in developing a new AJS motocrosser more attuned to Ame.rican courses and styles. Sounds good so far. Well, Doug was out having a bash on a British motocross course last week; not racing, but getting it on with one of the AJS works machines and he came off, breaking his wrist and right leg. Giant bu,mmer. If Doug ever ge ts ou t of plaster long enough to get back up to speed, he migh t be very competitive on his lightweight works special AJS. Or else he's got to leam to heal faster. Or something. * * * * A...oyo Cyde Park in Devore, California used 84,000 gallons of water on their motocross track for last Sunday's race. It seems that their claim of a truly d u st·free motocross course is sl/bstantiated. The course is comprised mostly of sand and was in perfect condition. Ride it, you'll see. ' * * * FURTHER HASSLES AND EUROPEAN DISCORD: ~keJonsson is carrying his protest of the British 500 GP to the FIM at the same time Suzuki is rumored to be offering him bags of money rode in next year's GP competition. DeCoster is more than a little miffed. He was quoted in the British press as saying, "If Suzuki sign him, I shall leave. I do not want to ride on the same team with him." The Belgian-Swedish Cold War started last year when DeCoster barely beat Jonsson for the 500 class GP Championship and is getting hotter as the fmal rounds of this year's competi tion come abou t. Jonsson has lost all chance of winning 'the title this year as there are not enough GP events left to match DeCoster's performance, which included winning the West German GP, with Jonsson third. * * * DeCoster was on a new, even faster 370 Suzuki for the German GP. Is there no end to the always quicker yellow Grand Prix machines from Japan? * * * MEANWHILE, in CZECHOSLOVAKIA .. Jamo Saarinen won the 350 class after Agostini dropped ou t in an oil bath in ' that round of the Road Racing World Championships. Therefore the World Championship which Agostini though t to have well in hand by this poin t keeps eluding the quick Italian. Giacomo's four cylinder MV Agusta threw a con * * * * Kawasaki took the press in to their cOllfidence, previewing the 197$ models just prior to the Laguna' Se'i:a "ash. We promised not to divulge all the details until later (gotta give the monthly magazines a break), but here are a few hin ts: look for a brand new, super-duper bike of 900cc, air cooled, with double overhead cams, called the Z-l. Save your nickels and dimes until you ride the 250 Kawaski single dirt bike. Small-displacement multi-lovers, there is a new 250cc three winging its way to your dealers. Should be available about September. * * * * * * While flying to Atlanta last week, Roger Bear, Exec. Producer of the Motor Racing Network, spotted a fellow passenger wearing a Kawasaki T-shirt. Striking up a conversation with the man, who turned out to be Atlanta Kaw dealer Gleim Blatnon, Roger happened to mention the Laguna Sea Road Race National, which Kawasaki sponso.red. Blanton decided to go, stepped off the 747, bought tickets to Monterey and flew 2,700 miles to see the race. Harley-Davidson execu tives are abou t the most disarmingly modest gen t1emen in the sport. After Calvin Rayborn won the Lagune Seca National on an alloy XR, one of them re.marked to a bystander, "That Rayborn, he could make a wheelbarrow go fast!" * * * Cooper Motors, take notice!! Kirk Redding blew the super fast Open class Experts into the weeds during last week's District 37 scrambles. Mounted on a 400 Maico, Kirk came from a second row start to speed past ·the 40 inchers. He has held the District heavyweight poi!!ts lead for the past several months and looks unbeatable for the remainder of the season. * * * Bell-Toptex has the new super hot set up for those early morning or late afternoon races where dust is a problem. They have a flip up shield for the Star helme ts to which a duck bill visor can be attached. The trick: when the sun shines on the dusty shield and the glare makes it impossible to see, simply use the duck bill to shade it and you can see again. Same thing in mud. When it comes flying back at you, dip your head down and the top of the duck bill will catch the vision-robbing goo. And you really look racer-like. * * > * DeCoster's one (1) second win over Ake Jonsson in the British 500 GP was even closer than it sounds. Jonsson protested DeCoster's overall on the 370 Suzuki based on Roger's receiving outside .,',V . ;~~::~-,,""...... ~.,"'"... . ;',.."...' VD,'',T_ 1\""'•..e..- Hey. now stop bugging me! Can't you see rye got troubles of my own? CY..cle OHI! 'AAK "vtHUlI NEW'I'OAIt,N[WYOAK 10C/la !'HOltE 212 $79.1200 :Jr. John lJlletter, EdUor cy~le llewll tl'cet PO Box 496 Lone acech. California 90001 Dear '4r. Hucthr, Pleue find 1nclolJcd II t_picture O:llllucnce or our new A:J~oclatll ;)Iitor, Dale Boller, ra::d.l1ar1dn.c t-.1DOelt _itt- the rl,,;orou,. teat p:oocedut'e "rt1l1sed here at ~. The procedure, rOl'l:lUlatell b;r Gordon "Ount Rl"ullh" Jenn1n(;:e L-w, perfect.ed by Jeos -J neyer tasted din. I didn't l1k"eTho:Ias. was l:ivm anothe::' d1.l:!eno10n b,. uo. Bollet'. who not only oyer em ~he 1I.0~ore:rel. in queotlon, bu~ ~tpped V.,lr1ed 1t Itke • dOl> doec a bone and: MtllI't been able to f1nd i t 1n t-.o weeka of aeo.rch1nr:. Boller _c l ••t leen 11.lllpin::; thrD\l.Ch t.he yerdure of Jndion i)U."Ie. with • •etal detectot' and a eruteh. l:iv1nr, hand and lU"eI 1I1cnalo to a lo.r<,CI cont1ngent 1'1'01II the Ventura Cnane and l!o1lrt Co•• Inc. Very T~lf Y~o'n Itr',!'. ~ .bU.. _ Coojc (You can't ;00.11 off i f you l!ever Get On) Neiloon, t:dttor & ."' - ~ C) Pat Evans, the prominent Southern California AMA Novice road racer and holder of the ACA Number One plate seems to be hanging up his leathers. He wasn't at either the National at Laguna Seca or local road races in the past few weeks. According to reports from friends, Evans' father has decided to withdraw Patrick from competition and sell their quite sizable stable of racers. It is a shame to see the Evans family give it ap without ever taking a National victory. Obviously they could have. * en .- .: g. « II) ~ z w d >- U

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