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
'" - 1 MOVII! H . . . .•• N " '" l/l' ,; o Z ~ w Z W ..J () > () by Alice Rhea by John Huetter THE THRILL IS ON is on again. The original footage has been re-edited, with about 20 minutes of new film added and the result is good. The first time around, the fIlm was all nat track: Class C National racing pure and simple. That's great if you're a hardcore Class C freak but it can get tiresome to the casual moviegoer or even the motorcyclist who isn't all that much into half-mile. The new version of the film· is more of an entertainment than a documentary of a racing season, as the former version was. The theme and the film is still flat track but with a more human element added. You get to know Dave Aldana a little better, see Bart Markel and other famOUS Half-milers in the pits and in more casual moments. There is the roar of the engines drowning the roar of the crowd and the whole film seems to capture racing better. Perhaps no part of it is more down home, striking and familiar chord that bonds all motorcyclists together as the sequences with Aldana and -friend cow-trailing. The major difference is that Dave out cow-trailing is like most people's version of a nat out Hare and Hound. The real action comes as the camera crew follows the national riders from oval to oval, picking up some of the local heroes like Ronnie Rail and Jim Marmess. The in-between races at the non-national track for small purses are noted and recorded; probably the first time this elemen t of a professional racer's life has been filmed. The fIlming itself is good, but not necessarily for its technical excellence or precision. Th,ere are probably some Hollywood cameramen that can. do better. It is absolutely fan tastic from the standpoint of the viewer, though, because the action is right in your face. FuJI-lock slides in the outside cusion with a twenty-foot rooster tail and you are right there. The feel, the tenseness and the high drama of nat track with the best riders in the country. is captured. [t's clear the filmmakers dig bikes and extend themselves to get that "flat-out through the turns" feelmg. It's less crash-happy than "On Any Sunday" and more to the point. It's about halI-mile racing and, to a lesser extent, about some of the men who do it best. Aldana speaks for hinIself. J. N. Roberts is not going to win the Barstow-to-Vegas this year. O.N., if y,,-u go ou t and ride that thing and make .. liar out of me I will never forgive you!) We got so used to having J.N. win the race that all we do now is guess who is going to come in second. However; last time I talked to J.N. he thought that he would still be unable to compete at B-V time. Well, with J.N. out of the race it is anybody's game. I can't tell you how to win the Barstow-to-Vegas but I can tell you how to finish and what to do to preven t some serious problems. First get your bike ready. Now most of you know all that I am going to say, but you super·Novices better pay attention. There are two main reasons for not fmishing a long race: running out of gas and getting flat tires. To prevent the first is sinIple; take some extra gas with you. I assume you have a big tank on your bike, like three gallons. (No, feUa, your Trials tank won't do.) An extra quart of gas will get you a long way down the course, so find a plastic bottle ATTENTION DEA ER IF YOU'RE NOT SELLING CYCLE NEWS * First with Profit You make 14¢ on every copy sold. Plus you have full return privileges. The profit maker that cost you nothing. Minimum order is ten copies and we pay shipping (via 2nd Class mail). Your customers will come back for every issue of CYCLE NEWS. Each and every issue is filled with News of happenings in the two-wheeled sport. Motorcycles from mini to monster, coverage of competition events, all the AMA National Championships, local sportsmen events, local fun runs, tests of fact, new products, legislation, want ads, and a voice for readers. This is CYCLE NEWS. II ---;ay~:~~:::-~~;:~;t:~:;--D-~~c~~-:s~:~ store '~llIng CYCLE NEWS 0 Cycle News Dixie with the next Issue. I understand I I I I you will bill me monthly and I have fullretll'n privileges on unsold papers, by returning the price tag With my check for the balance. I wish to receive copies of: 10 15 20 25 30 35 I I I I I I 050 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Send CYCLE NEWS to: Name of store I I' _ Address City National and Regional Coverage L 0 Cycle News West (Check one, two, or all three) ~ti:te Authorized by -----------------Mail 10: CYCLE NEWS WEST, Box 498, Long Beach, Ca. 90801 ... . and find a place to strap it on the bike. Remember, if you use your spare gas, have the bottle refilled at your next pit stop; you may need it again. Tires. There is a lot of controversy over sjx-ply tires, con being that they are heavy and pro being that you can ride forever on a flat six-ply without it coming off the rim. Suit yourself, but do put in lots of air, at least 18 pounds. Some desert riders run as much as 30 pounds of pressure. Yes, you get a little rougher ride and yes, you lose some traction, but you also won't knarf the tube between the rim and the rocks you hit. For the punctures, run flat proof in your tires. Put it in before you get the flat, O.K.? The goop will ooze into any holes and stop the leaks. I once saw a tire which finally got punctured beyond help but when the owner removed said tire there were seven more holes which the goop had stopped. It works. Get the bike shaped so you know it is reliable. Check for worn parts and replace questionable ones. Make sure every nut, bolt -and spoke is tight. Clean the air filter and take the chain off and clean and re-Iubricate it. Races have been lost for wan t of a master link. I'm sure you are carrying a cou~ of spares. You also have a pair of pliers, a short length of chain and a mini chain breaker, don't your How about a little mechanic's wire. That might come in real handy when your handlebars come off. I know you have a couple of spare spark plugs. How about a plug wrench? Got a tow rope? If somebody is kind enough to offer you a tow the least you can do is furnish your own rope. In the dust and confusion it is possible that some of you will'get lost. S.G.V M.C. has given matches to each rider in the past, but take your own just iri case. At least you can light a fire if you have to spend the night in the desert. Take some water. I know you aren't planning to break down, but take it anyway, it will make your mother feel better. Take a road map of the area. Trim aWliY what you don't need; no sense in taking the whole state of Californi~ with you. . Take some money. It would be really terrible to get lost, find the main highway about dark, follow it into town, see a nice warm coffee shop and remember that you haven't even got a dime (well, 20t with inflation) for a cup of coffe.e. If you are really clever you have made arrangemen ts to have a friend, family member or club member get a motel room and you have the phone number in your pocket. Then with part of the money you have in your pocket you make your telephone _ call and sit down to a nice warm dinner while you wait for somebody to come get you. Carry some identification. Even if it is just a scrap of paper with your name and address and a person to notify "in case of emergency." Also put you! name and address on your bike. Then if you really get lost maybe some honest soul will return your mount. I hope all of you belong to clubs. If not, those better be pretty good friends pitting for you; they might have to come out on the course looking for you. Whatever you do, decided with your crew in advance and stick to it. No sense in having all of you spend the night in the desert. One more thing. Listen, dummy, don't send one guy out as clean up crew. What It he breaks aown . .Ita! r ou didn'~ think of that, did you? For the race: You hot-shoes, never mind~ I know you are going to Banzai the whole way. But you Novices, listen while I give a little motherly advice. You know you don't ride fast enough to beat the Pfutzenreuters or Smiths. You probably don't even ride fast enough to keep up with the Amateurs. But you can beat most of the people in your class if you will just ride to fmisb. No snappy wheelies. No flashy stuff through the pits. An amazing number of riders are going to break down, run out of gas, have flat tires or just plain run out of steam by check two or three. You just keep plugging along. You might not be able to win just by riding t6 fmisb, but by gum, if you don't finish you sure can't win.