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/125807
ro .. ... ... '" & RESE N ~ z ~ w Z W ..J U :> u Ake in his moment of trlumph-·champagne, Miss Road Atlanta and trophy. ISunda';·--they didn't look like a standard production Maico. Dennis: The wheels, frQllt and rear, the frame is completely stock. Steel frame, the same thing that comes off the production line. We used to cut the frames to alter the rake, but it is now left alone. The frames are painted grey which is misleading. The only thing changed are the handlebars and gastanks. Jim: Each mechanic has the ability to go through and say this cylinder looks a little better than this cylinder, this part is a Httle better than this part. They're very carefully put together, but basically they're stock bikes. Dennis: We did change to a small Unfortunately Maisch was disqualified. clutch though. But we race what we sell. CN: Did you talk to DeCoster? Why was he so slow yesterday? Ake: He wasn't fast enough. Jim: Would you say yesterday that on that track you had a better machine? Ake: I think Maico suspension and handling are maybe better. CN: Was the track considered rough? Ake: No, but it was tricky and fast. Dennis: On that one fast straightaway at the bottom of the hill, it looked like it was a fast straightaway, but if you stood on the road and watched, you would see everybody that came through there was different. Everybody with the exception of Hans and Ake. They would just go through there so smooth, and everyone else would be going every which way but straight. . CN: the Americans are getting better. How many years do you think it will be before an American can beat the best European? Ake: It depends on which track it is. But if Americans should go to Europe, then it would take a lot of more years. The best they should do, to make the tracks here in the U.S. more like the Europeans;,so they learn more, because they are more difficult. Dennis: I think one thing, that the promoters here are trying to lay the track out strictly for the spectators. Jim: No, I don't agree with that at all. I just think it's a matter of ignorance. If the spectator can't see the track in its entirety, it should be at least made. possible for the spectator to walk around the track. If that's not possible, then I think you've defeated the purpose of having an international meet there because you can't expose enough people to close up, hard sell motocross. Ake: EuropeanS 'I track, you can't cover the whole track.Giuseppe: In Italy they have a lot of new tracks and they have a commission that goes around and they make approval of the track. Ake: Yes, they have in Sweden also. A national federation has to look at the track and see if it is wide enough and so on. Dennis: What would you sum up as the big difference in tracks? Ake: There is more full speed and turns and rough. And more choice of where to go. So I was really surprised when I heard that Gary jones won this 250 series. (ED--Inter-AMA.) I could not believe that. CN: Gary jones was pretty fast Sunday until his cycle broke on him. Ake: Yes, I saw that in the first mota when he was running second or third. So then I saw on that kind of track where there is much full speed, then it is possible. . Jim: I think in this past summer series the Europeans came over here like before, thought they could uncrate a couple of bikes and win easily. CN: Don jones says that his sons practice for two hours every day on their bikes. Do you guys practice and do anything to stay in shape? Ingham Is a promising young American. Ake: 'Yes we do. But I don't know if I believe that. To ride two hours a day, then they must be much better; at least they would keep going as fast in the end as the beginning. Dennis: I think those boys came a long way in a year's time. They weren't near as good a year ago as they are now. I know definitely that their father makes them run. Last night when we were in the restaurant, old man Jones was talking to DeCoster and he was tellinK him that his two sons, Jimmy Weinert~ Marty Tripes, they all rebelled against him. They said they're tir~f'-pf ~nning sevenl miles every day. "We're tired of this bull. We're tired of getting up every morning before breakfast, running, riding a bi ke for two hours every day, so we quit." So old man jones, if you look on one side of his trailer, his name Coach is marked off. He said, "OK, if you guys quit, I quit." CN: Do you run? Ake: I do, but I don't do it every day. I think that many Europeans tell stories that they practice three, four hours, but they don't. I would like to, but I don't. Jim: Torst~n Hallmann gave a school the year before. He said that he had to do this and rode this and ran that and did so many exercises and this is what he had to do, but he was sure the only exercise joel Robert had to do was the moving of a beer glass up to his mouth and back. CN: What will be your total outlay of cash before you get to the end of the Trans-AMA series? Dennis: It is going to be in excess of S10,000, not counting the price of the vehicles, cycles o....parts, but the price of things as you're going along. Probably $18,000. Bel Ray also gives us some help. If it keeps us in the game another year, it will be worth it. CN: Ake, are you going to win the series? Ake: I hope so.