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/125817
The ace Cycle News Test Research and DeveJopmen t staff has managed to make a Kawasaki 750 stop wobbling, much to the bafl1emen t of luch notables as Gordon Jennings and Clarence Neilson. California Kawasaki in Santa Monka did some trick stuff (beyond the usual swing arm kit), but kept the stock shocks with only slight modifications. We can't tell you what ex~t1y was done to it (aside from the motocross bars), but we can get some high horsepower people to testify that it works. OUR WEEK WAS RlliNED when we learned that Brian Newberry, who has been running Norton-Villiers for the • past year, is returning to England. Around here he will be sorely missed. His occasional humor-fIlled visits were enjoyed by all. We c~mmented that, since the Norton 850 that we just received from him for test didn't leak oil, perhaps he was being called back to the home office to make the newly merged-with BSAs and Triumphs stop leaking. "Yes," said Brian, Hour relationship with Castrol has·fallen off severely." Our sadness at his parting was diminished a little when we saw the lovely young lady he was traveling with. G.ood show! • • • Which reminds us of the story we heard about a design meeting at Norton. One fellow suggested that since people were .0 ver-tightening the nuts on their Isolastic mounts, the nuts should be painted green. Then they could include a statement in the owners manual that read: Ulf your nuts are green, don't touch them." • • • HALJBUT: That seems to be the code name of Kawasaki's new 400cc three cylinder two-stroke street bike that wilI replace the 350cc S-2. The new bike will be called the S-3 and will use the same chassis as the S-2, probably because Kawasaki is very happy with the .."ay that it works. I t will look like this year's 500cc Kawasaki. The gas tank is the same style but is black with a red panel and white pinstripe. AlSo coming is a . 500cc four stroke twin (Code name "Clam" because they're staying so tigh t about it?) with a single overhead cam. Not half a Z-I, though. The 350cc four stroke is still over the horizon, but it shouldn't be too long. The reason that I'I~III.I &\ ~ the 350 became a 400 was th at a computer told that that that's how it should be. Apparently, they're very pleased with the results. Our spies are still trying to figure out about a four stroke single, however. Somewhere, Kawasaki has a steam powered bike, too. * * • • • Last week we mentioned that motorcycle warranties only apply to the original owner. Well, it ain't so with Suzuki. If the machine was maintained under the original warran ty terms, and is still within warranty period (12 mos./12,OOO miles), Suzuki.will transfer the warranty to the second owner for a fee of $10. If the used machine is purchased from a dealer, he will usually pay half the transfer fee. * • • • • Nationa.l Advcrtil\ing Director: Tom Culp Cycle Ncwl\ West and Headquarters P.O. Box 498, Long Beach California 90801 (213) 427'7433: L.A. 636-8844 TELEX 0.673474 4190 Firsl Avenue (404) 934-7850 Cycle News, Central Edition (512)476·7571 $12.50 $22.50 $30.00 $.50 Publishoi weekly except the first and last week of the ca.lendar yo..r by Cycle News, Inc., POSt Office Box 498, Long Beach, California,. Second Class Postage paid at La ng Beach, Calif. Editorial stories', canaan, photos, etc. are wdcome. Addressed, stamped envelope assures return of editorial matter. Reprinting in whole or part only by premission of the publishers. Advenising rates and circulation infonnation will be: sent upon request. Sec .R.D.S. Copyrighti"Cycie News: Inc. 1973 a.1I righrs reservc.d * • • • All you owners of water-cooled Yamaha road racers may think you have something that pretty closely duplicates the factory's road racers, but you are wrong. Teuvo Lansivuori weighed his TZ·350 at Assen. It weighed 195.8 pounds! His 250 weighs one and half pounds more because of weight • • • Despite a mortality rate of 65 to 75% the Viewfinders Grand Prix Trophy Pick Up has been postponed from Friday, July 13, for one week until the 20th. StiJl to be held at the Glass Blowers Hall in Saugus. For funher info call (714) 645-4178. * * * An interesting sidelight on the Superbowl last Saturday night WlS the trophy presentation. Though Pomeroy was only second he got a major hunk of the winnings. Marty Tripes was not permitted to kiss the trophy lady. His girl friend said so! She is apparently also jealous of· Marty's mother? Anyway, Pomeroy made out just fine. • • • Also nexi week, see chills and thrills as Papa prepares for the Big Time. Find out about the secret life of a uzuki 185 twin and what the Bad Guys did to it. Find out if motorcycling as we know it s tiJl exis ts . * * • -- THREE MORE GOT SNUFFED on that killer curve at Monza, I taly where J arno Saarinen and Renzo Pasolini 1051 their lives just weeks earlier. The three latest victims, all Italian 500cc Juniors, got it in the same crash. • * • European motorcycle racing suffered only one death per year from 1967 to 1972. With Sunday's deaths the total since '67 now stands at eleven. • • • The production road races at the Kawasaki Superbike International road race a t Laguna Seca on the last wee kend of this month and the ones at the Pocono are sort of a pilot project for some people. They hope to have the lightweight (350cc) and heavyweight (Open) classes to become a regular feature -of all National road races and possibly 10 replace the present Novice and Junior races. * • restnctlons in that class. Agostini was aghast. His 350cc MV four weighs 235 pounds. The results of the Dutch TT at Assen are listed in the results section. You know Agostini was working. He won the 350 class. Phil Read won the 500 class and looks to be the nex1 world 500 champion on his MY. • • * • • • If you want another road racing surprise, try this one. A 50cc Van Veen Kreidler was clocked at 120 MPH at the Belgian GP! Jan de Vries did the riding and also posted a one lap average speed of 102.78 MPH. 1973 Maico motoreycles narrowly squeezed under the 88 db limbo bar of California off-road noise tests and are now eligible to wear the coveted Green Sticky. • • • Also look for Kawasaki to take an idea from their road racers and rubber mount the engines on some of their new bikes. There is some racing trickle-down. • • • Gary Jones' ride on the 450 Honda at the US. GP was the first time that Honda, win ner of I 8 world road racing titles, has ever contested a motocross Grand Prix. Look for a European team next year. • • • The Cheney BSA thai John Banks rode at the U.S. GP will remain here for him to contest IntertransarAMAs with. It is a new experimental model with changes to cure the oiling problems that Banks had been having previously, and it probably took some guts to decided to spend all that money to bring it over. • • • i lL ~ 0> .... ~ 3' i .., w Z ~ (J Andre Malherbe, aboard a Zundapp, WlS > tJ the winner of the July 1 Spanish 125 World Championship Motocross round . We will have a complete story next week, and the specs of the new Penton 250. Plus the usual stuff on the IntertransarAMA, National, etc. The new Yamaba trials machine, TY 250, should be available in America late this summer. Mick Andrews was instrumental in developing the new bogwheder. • • • Motocross has finally come to the attention of the geleral press. Reports on the US. GP at Carlsbad surfaced in such diverse sheets as the LA. Times, San Diego Union and the Saigon Post (?). Even popular pop sports sportswriter Jim Murray gave the sport some ink last week, describing MX as "a cycling event which combines the best features of a channel swim and a plane crash." • • • WHY DO WORKS ELSINORES HAVE RED SILENCERS? Because motorcycles should scream and not be heard. • • • Internal Specs • • • 1118 West 6th Street Austin. Texas Subscription: One year, second class mail 2 years, second class mail 3 years, second class mail Single copy price • * KILLER BEND Kawasaki is experimenting with cooling engines with liquid metal, sodium usually. The advantage, they say, is that the engine can be kept at a constant temperature. If it is set for 275 degrees it stays 275 degrees, not 250 or 300. Tucker, Georgia • It was refreshing to see the Superbowl promoters announce the actual, honest attendance figures of 37,974. * L.. dletance 3.5' mllN * Cycle News, East-Dixie Edition • • • The AMA Professional Short Track racers make a stop at Medford, Oregon quarter mile oval on the way to the Salem Half-mile race slated for the next night, July 12. The Medford races will be held Thursday night, July 11 giving the traveling pros two chances to make money. Prize money is set at $900 or 40% of the gate. Ranked riders like Allen Kenyon, Rick Hocking and, hopefully, others in the National Ratings will appear. Medford Raceway is located on Sage Road. Warmups start at 7 PM with racing at 8: 15 PM. * MOIZA CIRCUIT /If'" 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 Halashita : TypograPher Melvin Phelps Assistant Typographer Dave Crowe Collectlon Manager Grace Camp Accounting Man~r Barbara Bebeck Accounting Assistant Chris Kolbet : Accounting Assistant Garnet Dunn Accounting A5Sistant Services & Support Michael Colikas "Ken Lee Services & Support Squeeky Haynes " .Services & Support David Pauli Services & Support Kathy Fraser Receplionist • MISTAKES: In the results from the Tooele, Utah, Inter-AMA we had John Franklin and Ken Fowler finishing second and third in the 500cc support class. The correct names for those two positions are John Dallaire and Bob Harris. Sorry, guys. America's No. I Weekly Motorcycle Newsp.per 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 • Contrary to what Honda told us and what we told you about the 125 '5 Honda ElSinore's price tag, it isn't $950. It i.s instead $750. Easier to swallow? Gulp. Polish speedway riders are pretty good, and they proved it by thrashing a bunch of Russians in a reeent World League Speedway. '" NATIONAL: Mile long scrambles in Colorado ....•........•..•.....6 LOCAL: Half·mile long flat track at Ascot .............•...........8. MILITARY: the Seventh Cavalry 10 TAR BABIES: Rude rising at Riverside 12 MINI CHAMPS: the Walrus mini thing _ , 14 SECTION: Northerly _ .. _ _ 16 SPEEDWAY: the Week that is 18 ARTICLE: Living through the freeway 22 SUPERBOWL: Super Tripes 24 SECTION: More North -: 26 QUALIF IER: Isdt 33 RESULTS: Are you a weiner? 34 CALENDAR: Read all about it 37 TECHNICAL: the KTM gets E.C.'d ....................•..•......42