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/125810
.... '" i Thlngs"'al Make.1 --~,...--~IIII!!! --~~ l1. ,... N - ell ~ ~ "Z '" ~ w Z W ..J tJ >tJ :0; A headlight that has a strong beam and an kward on-off switch. Plus a really fine DO sPeedo; resettabl.e by tenths. soft for a 160-pounder. Heavier springs are in order for a rider of .-..- or greater heft. It is set up about right for somebody of, say, 120 pounds. However, the shocks would bottom and then come right back and get working again instead of getting hydraulic lock and sitting down there all squashed up. Initially, shifting on the six-speed transmission that is part of the DKW "B" type engine was indefinite. It didn't miss shifts but it was sometimes balky, like there were too many gears and it couldn't decide where to settle down. Most of the time, shifting wasn't a noticeable process. You just prodded until the right gear for the situation came up. You should probably use the clutch, although the test riders didn't, once underway. It's a matter of habit, ya know. The clutch never faded. Even slipping it on steep uphill didn't affect later operation. The leading link front end is truly fine. It is definitely the way to go for cross-country. It also smooths out the bumps in the pavemen t. And it allows you to go faster into corners with better control on a motocross course since the braking ripples and stutter bumps aren't transmi tted to the forearms. The fron t end does tend to search or wobble over sand and whoop-de-doos but it is effectively self.righting. There is no feeling of loss of control. You adapt to it and go a little faster. Somewhat surprisingly, the DKW really slides well and the relatively light weight makes it fun to crank over and hot dog. The rear end comes around very controllably on smooth surfaces. The'handling is really hard to fault. It is pretty damn hard to drop the DKW. We never succeeded in losing it and think that you'd really have to work at it to throw it away under most circumstances. (OK, we remember abou t the Brooks' DKW in the 1000 but Cordis Brooks apparently hit a bridge abutment in the dark. We dropped into a couple of chuckholes in the nigh ttime and survived. Sure gets the adrenalin flowing, though.) . The basic running of the bike is very impressive. The reliability of the 123cc engine is mind·boggling. It gets qnite a few miles on a 2.9 gallon tank of pre.mix and the Metzeler 3.50 rubber on the rear wore quite well. The knobs stayed sharp . til' the end. We really expected to have the knobbies smoothed out with the combination of pavement, . desert, rock, and hill·climbing wheelspin.. Accessories are good on the bike. Replacemen,t of items, if it was our machine, would probably be limited to the front fender, which is chromed steel, and the footpegs which didn't present any problems this time but don't have much grip and tend to bend at the edges. Bultaco or Puch footpegs A hom that produced lots of laughs whenever used. It sounds like a dying bumblebee. would be ideal. The Enduro has Magura controls and levers, with the' little leather covers which, we finally determined, do keep out more dirt than they collect.• Waterproofing was up to a lot of immersion, both frequently and deep. This was a surprise as the exposed wiring loom below the not too tigh t battery cover, etc. wouldn'1 make you think it was that good an amphibious vehicle. It never missed a beat while paddling upstream and over what had been dry lakes. We didn't prepare it at all for water. At the end of the test period, everybody who had observed the DKW in action or ridden it were standing around shaking their heads with a silly grin on their faces. The engine and the electronic ignition are unsurpassed among lightweights in our experience for reliability and performance. No cri tical components broke or deteriorated to compromise ISDT·type running. If we gave an Engine of the Year award, it would go to this unbelievably strong, Bing-carbureted "B" type engine in the DKW. Neither engine nor carb ever did anything but run righ t under heavy loads and long, high revving. .ott's a test bike d1at the testers wouldn't mind spending their own . pennies to own. I t h~ a mud flap on the fronffender, you see. A battery that produces enough juice to keep the lights strong. A taill ight that doesn't eat bulbs; never failed Neither did the brake filament. Jo a's Raci~g C yeles eUL.T~CQ 2255 HARBOR BLVD. COSTA MESA, CALIF. 92627 CUSTOM PORTING MAIL ORDER (714)6464655 646·2428 / DEEK DETAILS DiSPLACEMENT 123cc BORE X STROKE ................................•.... .54 X S4mm CR 12:1 CARBURETION .....................•.•............... 27mm Bing IGNITION ..................•....•...••......... Motoplat Electronic TRANSMISSION ..............•............... 6-speed constant meshILLUMINATION 3S watt head and tail lamps INSTRUMENTATION Resettable VDO Speedo/Odometer SUSPENSION Lead ing link w/Boge shocks front and rear WHEELBASE ...........................................•.. S2 in. FUEL 2.9 u.s. gallons