Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

.... * l M .... ell • • * • > "S .., ~ W Z W ...J tJ * • * NOT ONLY THAT: Jimmy the Greek is making odds on the contest, and his number one pick is_ ..Rolf Tibblin! Other best bets from the Greek are H~ikki Mikkola, Jim Pomeroy, Marty ~npes and Gary Jones. John DeSoto is listed as a darkborse (no pun intended) possibility. Place yer bets! O· >tJ * The Superbowl will have special races for Old Timers and sidehacks. We were scanning some of the bikes that arc coming out of Japan the other day. There is an RD-125 coming from Yamaha. It is a scaled down version of the RD-250/350 with a disc, reed valves and the whole works. The RD-250 spOTts a disc, of course. Kawasaki will probably import their 750 four (64mm bore x 58mm stroke, 69 HP claimed) which looks almost exactly like their 903 four. It is interesting to note that Kawasaki has put dual discs on their 650 twin (the old one that they used to import, but now only sell in Japan) but that the 903 still has a single disc. Honda has a 125 street bike with a disc. There was no sign of the new trick enduros that we upreviewed" last week. Do you know what a Honda "Dream" is? Maybe not. In Japan they call the XL·250 single the "Dream". The king of the hill also has a new two-stroke, of course, the PM-50, a moped. • • • John Ulrich, political bikie extraordinary, has obtained a TL-125 from Honda to take to a Sierra Club meeting to demonstrate that not all off-road vehicles have to be obnoxious. It is better to try to make friends with those who oppose you than to try to overcome them. * * * The ISDT Trophy Teams from Sweden, Holland, France and Italy' will be riding Monark motorcycles. • • • SUPERBOWL POOP: Rolf Tibblin has been_ commissioned to redesign the L.A. Coliseum motocross course to make it "real" MX. The circuit will incorporate an u ph i lI.into-the-stands/downl\iII-ski jump that sounds scary. The former 250 and 500cc WOf1ft Champion will also ride the event. * * Oregon MIC dealers are refusing to buy anything from "the small minority" of accessory manufacturers who are guilty of offering noisy exhaust systems. • • • Fuel injection and superchargers may make an early appearance on showroom motorcycles, thanks to the new demand for clean air bikes. Both are said to help make exhaust-breath kissin' sweet. * * * Attendance at the U.S. GP was an "estimated" 40,000 bodies at the Carlsbad, Calif. course. Twenty thousand, mebbe ... 25,OOO max would by niy guess. What's wrong with that for attendance? • • • Joe Parkhurst, who has a Trans-AMA coming December 2nd to his Saddleback Park, took aerial photos of Carlsbad during the U.s. GP. Says he'll count the cars in the parking lot, multiply by three and know pretty accurately how many people really were there. * * * At 40,000 paid admissions the U.S.G.P. promoters would have made a cool quarter-million dollars. What if the Internal Revenue Service reads this? * .* The 0.1d 500 four Husky that Rolf Grand MarVlall at have won 75 races * * stroke single cylinder Tibblin displayed as Carlsbad is alleged to in a row. * * An article in tbe British press appeared under the headline, "N ixon Breaks His Duck at Loudon". A "duck" apparently is a string of bad luck in Bntish. • • • * a'I~I·II.1 ~ Cycle News West and Headquarters P.O. Box 498, Long Beach California 90801 (213) 427-7433: L.A. 636-8844 TELEX NO. 673474 * * * Gary Nixon will win Loudon again in 1976. He has won the event three times wi th each win coming three years apart (1967-1970-1973). Of his sixteen National victories, six are on pavemen t. • * • The new leader in the 500cc World Championship road racing points standing is Kim Newcombe of New Zealand who finally won his first GP in Yugoslavia after MV and Yamaha withdrew for safety reasons. It was also the first victory for the 500cc Konig that he rode. He has 31 points to the 27 held by Phil Read (MV). The late Jamo Saarinen had 30 at the time of his death at Monza. In the meantime, Dieter Braun (Yam) broke the absolute lap record during the 350 race. The record had been previously held by Giacomo Agostini on the 500 MV. However, Janos Drapal (Yam) won the 350 race while Braun got caught in traffic. Braun was the winner of the 250 race. Kent Andersson, who seems certain to take the 125 Championship, was the 125 winner. for the fifth time this year. Jan de Vries was the 50cc winner after the other two leaders, Bruno Kneubuhler and Jan Bruins, seized their engines. * * • • • We were disappointed to see that Mark Brelsford's name wasn't on· the list of all the people that President Nixon doesn't like, like Steve McQueen and Joe Namath. * * * Many poten tial buyers of used bikes seem unaware that the warranty only applies to the original owner. • • • $2,000 gra'1d prize-winning poster submitted by Sheldon S. Wasserman, crea·tive director, E. H. Brown Advertising, with layout and artwork by Brown art directors Bill Polston and Arnie Pirsoul. Wasserman also won 1st place in the "professional" division topping entrants from 1 8 states and Canada in the AMA Car·Motorcycle contest by The Iowa Motor Club. DOO-DAH, DOO·DAH: Leisureteeh has opened up one California's..horse racing tracks for a $5000 non-National mile on September 23. "Golden Gate Fields" in the heart of San Francisco will be the site and the race will be called "National Champions' Challenge". This is the first thoroughbred track to be obtained for motorcycle racing, and the promoters 'hope that it will replace the Sacramento Mile. * * * FURTHERMORE: Ac~r WiII~m Shatner (Star Trek) will be the celebrity host, and thespianjbikers such as' Jim Amess, Lee Marvin, Keenan Wynn and Harvey Mushman are expected to attend. Tickets for the big bash can still be had by writing ~ the Sports Arena Box Office, 3939 S. Figueroa, L.A. 90037. and they will hold them for pick up. But you better gas it. * Internal Specs Cycle News, Central Edition 1118 West 6th Street Austin, Texas (512) 476-7571 $12.50 $22.50 $30.00 $.50 Published weekly except the first and last wcck of the c3;lcndar year by Cycle News, Inc., Post Office Box 498, Long Beach, California. Second Class Postage paid at Lo ng Beach, Calif. Editorial stories, cartoons, pho'cos, Ctc. are wclcome. Addressed, scamped envelope assures return of ediwr1al maner. Reprinting in whole or part only by premission of the publishers. Advcrtising rates and circulation infonnatioo will be scnt upon request. See S.R.D.S. Copyright C'lCycie News·, Inc. 1973 all rights reservcd 7 10 12 11 NATIONAL: San Jose Mile LEGISLATION: The MIC on the EPA " The EPA on bike smog PRO SMOOTH TRACK: Ascot ' _ _ MOTOCROSS: Mammoth Mountain First Inter-Trans AMA at Salt Lake _ Local _., _.................• _ SPEEDWAV: Around and around and around SoCal PRODUCTS: A visit to the F~II-Bore factory GRAND PRIX: Finding the View ~ _ DESERT: ORA TEST: Honda's amazing 125 'crosser __ . . . .. . •ROAD RACING: The Sears Point 250 miler _ _. _ The CMC's Tar Baby _ SECTION: North _ OPINION: Writing Around :32 CALENDA~~~i~ :~: 13 16 34 14 18 20 23 24 26 _28 30 .::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: CARTOON: MX cat with photographs _ 40 * * BAD IDEA: There may be a movement afoot to ban the Yamaha production road racers. I t would he an absurd idea, completely eliminating the privateer. A privateer can buy and conceivably win on a Yamaha 350. Did you ever try buying or duplicating a Kawasaki Suzuki, or Triumph road racer? Eve~ the Harleys arc hard to get. The claiming rule migh t see some usc, though. • * * * * * A bike rider from the Divisions of Highways gave us a ring to tell us about a little problem concerning both you and them. It is illegal to put race markers within 100 feet of the center line of the road way. So far, he told us, they have been trying to ignore the signs placed on separate poles, but they are forced to remove them from public highway slgns. So, if you keep your markings off well to the side and on you r own poles, they'll be a lot more likely to still be there on race day. ·Arthur Browning aboard a Triumph won the Welsch two-day trial. The Triumph team was also the high point team with three gold medals and two silver. • • • There is a big FIM South American motocross upcoming in Peru. It is just for South Americans. Motorcycle Sport is finally coming alive south of the equator. * * .* If you have any interest in one of those bizarre Monark monocoque road racers, maybe you can get one. It only weighs 209 Ibs. and claims 88 BHP from the three cylinder 500cc engine. If there is enough interest, the importer Inter-Trends, 3001 Red Hill Ave., Costa Mesa, Calif. 92626, may import some. • • * MAKE IT RIGHT: Some turkey named Badragger (or something like that) said in his story that Columbus was Jim R ice's second Eastern National in the past two years. Wrong. He ran three dirty tracks back east in '72. Another super blooper that appeared in the Columbus coverage was the caption underneath the photo of Beauchamp and Ted Newton. Newton was identified as Corky Keener, and it was stated that later Beauchamp was involved in a bump-rne-fall-down with Roberts. The one who was actually involved with Roberts was Dave Sehl. Oh yes, Rice's tuner is named "DeMay" not "LeMay" as some creative editor imagined. * Cycle News. East-Dixie Edition 4190 First Avenue . Tucker, Georgia (404) 934-7850 Subscription: One year, second class mail 2 years, second class mail 3 years, second class mail Single copy price • • • Early arriving Saturday morning race fans were treated to a new addition to the AMA's Loudon program: The Run-What-You-Brung Track-Drying Derby. Early leaders were Steve McLaughlin (Mustang), Kenny Roberts (Econoline), and Dave Welsh of the AMA. The chance to get in a few hot licks even got AMA starter Duke Pennell rolling, causing ref Charlie Watson to remark, "All AMA officials are frustrated racers." * ~ National Advertising Director: Tom Culp :m Scott Autrey has .become the first American to score British League maximum. America's No. I Weekly MotQrcycle Newspaper Sharon Clayton Publisher Tom Culp General Manager Edna Mewton secretary to PubliSher Too Rafferty Managing Editor Art Friedman Editor Dave Schoonmaker Associate Editor Howie Fowler Advertising Manager Wendy Blanton Advertising Assistant Rheba Smith. . . . .. Circulation Manager Cheryl Steinberg Circulation Assistant Chuck Clayton Production Manager Rosalind Quinn Production Assistant Hector Aguilera Lab Technician Marion Hatash ita . . . . . . . . . •Typographer Melvin Phelps Assistant Typographer Dave Crowe Collection Manager Grace Camp Accounting Manager Barbara Bebeck Accounting Assistant Chris Kolbet Accounting Assistant Garnet Dunn Accounting Assistant Michael Collkas Services & Support Ken Lee services & Support Squeaky Haynes Services & Support David Pauli Services & Support Kathy Fraser . . . . . . . . . . . . • Receptionist Super-quickie T.C. Christenson snapped 8.71 ;UD at the Beech Bend drag strip m Bowling Green, Kentucky aboard his twin engine N or.ton. This is a new NHRA record and the speed was 166.97. * * A little more on the Sehl-Roberts fracus at Columbus. Dave Sehl passed the victory stand and pointed a finger at Roberts while blistering some ears with his Roberts directed commen ts. Larry Palmgren summed up the reason 'for Sehl's get-off: "When three guys go into a one or two man groove side-by-side, somebody has to lose. Sehl lost and that's racing." • • • Ronnie Rail ran the Columbus National and then donned his Barbour jacket and rode home to Mansfield, Ohio. Neat. * * * Gary Fisher didn't ride Columbus but had some comments about the 700cc four cylinder two stroke Yamaha that he just returned from testing in Japan. "They handle almost as good as the 350 and, man, arc they fast! Look out next year!" • • • One of the nice things about working for the AMA must be the chance to go touring in England on other people's money. Also other people's motorcycles. (Continued to page 14)

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