Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

The Jeffe.rson National Hillclimb was won by Carl Wickstnuld (Tri) with a time 6.18 seconds_ Larry Smith topped the B riders with a 6.94 aboard his Indian. that it wasn't a 750, it was a 350 duai overhead earn 'triple.- Upon further questioning, he revealed that it was, in fact, a twin. The same one that was on all the covers of the monthlies a few years ago. It never went into production (crankshaft problems) and the only working model (all the ones on this side of the Atlan tic were wood) was sold to a dealer in England named Shell for an ou trageous price. John Banks clinched his fourth 500 British championship on his Cheney-BSA. His lead over other Britishers is so extensive that he need not even compete in the final two rounds. In order that Americans may make a good showing in 1974 international trials events, Sammy Miller will be holding a trials school at Saddleback Park on August 25. Only 25 Experts and Masten will be allowed· to participate, but it will be a heck of athing to watch. Contact Saddleback Park or "Cyde World" magazine. Strangely enough, Joel Robert has chosen not to ride the 250 Trophee Des Nations in England. Instead, he intends to coach a Puch ISDT team here in the U.S. of A. However, he does intend to compete in the 500 Des Nations in Switzerland. GETTING PUT OFF: The staff muckraker finlllly gave up on an old promised interview with Uncle Spiro . that faded around the time the broken Watergate inudated Washington. Last _ k he traded it for a tootsie pop and an interview with a dude in a position more rel!!vant to questions concerning E011644. Stay tuned for details. Seems like one form of motorcycle fun and games that apparently doesn't occur much in California is the field meet. You know, where you take your Hawg or Honda 90 and ride boards, eat hot dogs hung on strings, see who can ride the slowest, and generally have a good ole time. . What will the new BMW be? Stay tuned (and serviced) for details. Well, uh, hubba, er... the Calendar kid (dam upstart) was reading over Papa's shoulder then takes off and comes back with this flyer for a field meeL It occurs on August 26 at 11 a.m. See the Calendar. ' Barry Goldwater has resigned from the Sierra Club. He stated that he felt the Club wasn't uinterested in anything but demonstrating Sierra Club muscle." DEADLINE: August 31, 1973, is the deadline for written comments, observations, opinions and broadsides on the EPA proposals for restricting motorcycle registration and 0rration in the L.A. Basin (see page 20 . Write to the Environmental Protection Agency, Region Nine, 100 California Street, San Francisco 94111. Linda Reed notified us that in one of the Peoria, TT captions we had Eddie Wirth m isnam ed as Scott Brelsford and she was right. Thanks, Linda. Sorry: Eddie. LAST CHANCE to get aboard the lSDT charter flighL For $196 you can help support the U.S. effort and get a round trip ticket in the bargain. The f1igh t leaves LAX the morning of SepL 15 and returns on Sept. 23. Fare includes bus transportatio)1 to and from Dalton. There is room for motorcydes on the plane. Deadline for reservations is August 22; details from Mundia Travel, (213) 381-6125. Triumphs are outlawed in the Arab countries. Why? Because, of course, the Israeli police ride them. In the Arabian countries the police ride BSA's. editor's having trouble talking today becau18 his razor got into a high speed wobble and cut off his lip. The The CMC road races at OC1R this last weekend had a trophy girl, a fine idea. But when they got to one of the lightweight races, a youngish teenager stepped forward to take the winner's gold, grabbed the trophy, and backed off. "Don't want to kiss the trophy girl?" he was asked. "No," he said apprehensively, "I don't think my mom would like iL" His name was not Dave Aldana. GETTING CLEAN: Yamaha says that they have a (very) low em1ssions motorcycle nearly ready. The ~ory has been working on the project for nearly three years. It should be in to production, sources at the factory say, within a few months. Their Wankel won't be available until 1974 and wiil be housed in a completely ~ frame (maybe a monocoque?l. Yamaha showed off their 700cc TZ-750 road racers at the Fuji 100 road race in Japan. The factory says that 200 will be produced by January, thus making them legal for AMA competition under the present formula. Ke1 Carruthers has already tested it on this side of the ocean. He has installed a long swingarm to correct a front end lightness at around 170 MPH. It weighs about 400 pounds and has just a tad less horsepower than the 500/4 road racers that Yamaha is racing in Europe. The 500 may be available in 1975. GETTING OUT: Yamaha has stated that unless they are convini:ed the European circuits are safe, they won't contest the GP road racing circtiit next year. After winning the fourth FlM Formula 750 round in his home Finland, Yamaha rider Teuvo Lansivuori (who they call ''Teppe'')' fell and broke his wrist during testing at Brands Hatch in England. He will be out of business for about a month. ¥Vhen motorcyde.s are outlawed, only outlaws will ride motorcydes l?I. Terre Haute Half-Mile Postponed TERRE HAUTE [ND., AUG. 12 A heavy downpour lasting all of 20 minutes washed out the Terre Haute National Half-Mile just after the completion of time trials. The rain caused the track surface to deteriorate to such a state that resuming the program was impossible. A conference with the' riders set Monday, September 3, as the date to re-run the race, as no other available dates were open. Unfortunately, September 3 is the day after the Talladega road race. Folks in terested in National points will be doing some heavy duty trucking. HOT TOP OF THE MONTH: We were reminded, while talking to Cook Neilson the other day, of something that all owners of Japanese and other major brand motorcycles should know. J .C. Whitney s~lIs genuine factory replacemen t parts for as low. as dealer cost. Remember, the standard mark.up is 100% of what the dealer pays - and the dealer generally pays a lot. (F or example, the plastic air c1eaper covers on Honda CB·750's cost you about .$17.) J.C. Whitney apparently cuts out all the middle men.. There are even cases of dealers buying from them. It's one answer to outrageous price of parts, prices that may not seem too outrageous to persons who use their bikes just as toys bu t which are sort of violent to riders for whom a bike is the only source of transportation. Fabian rides a Honda 450. The Malibu Country Club, nestled in scenic Encinal Canyon, will host a big three day bike orgy on Labor Day weekend which will include MX hillclimb, wheelie contests, bicycl~ races, and, naturally, Lady Godiva. We hope she wears a heIrne L See the Calendar for more info. Save water, motorcycle. shower with your Lew Buchanan tells us that, contrary to what was seen in Cycle News recently, the DOT was never headless, and its chief dude Was never indicted for burglary. Somebody got a sub·administrator mixed up with the Secretary of Transportation. You know how it is... you've seen one fed, you've seen 'em all. If you are thinking about going to the ISDT (a fine idea), you m!ltIt think about the charter fliltlt from Los Angeles and San Francisco which leaves for eight days on September 15. The announced closing_ date is supposed to be August 15, but we bet that you can get in after that date. Cost is $196 which doesn't include room and eats. Information is available from Mundia Tours at 213/381-6125 or write them at 3727 West Sixth St., Los Angeles, Ca. 90020. Only five weeks until the ISDT. You're riding your motorcycle in the California Desert, and suddenly from over the horizon comes someone wearing "ah 'Eisenhower' style dark brown jacket and pink-tan gabardine trousers". Even though you don't know this figure from out of the West, what do you do? Jump on your H1R and ride away, as the staff blunt dart suggested? Come now, is that any way to treat one of the eight newly hired California Desert Rangers? Whatever happened to the famous Cycle News column ''Wrenchin' Around"? You know, the one with the monkey writing about working on bikes, or was it with the monkey working on the editor's bike? Anyway, the monkey responsible says "I ran ou t of time... it became 'Wenchin' Around'." The hit of the New York motocross weekend was apparently the demolition derby held in a bunch of ten dollar cars in Weinert's junkyard. Contestants induded Lackey, Weinert, and the Grossis. It was reported to be a dream come true. Last week we told you something abou t a Triumph 750 triple with dual overhead carns. The nex t thing we knew, some guy from the advertising department was running.in he~e sayinp; We understand that the Claremont Grand Prix is shaping up nicely. GETTING SMALLER: Sometime in the not·too-distant future, if the authorities that be see fit, Honda may market a 50cc Elsinore. There are a couple of them running around Honda now. Why not in time for the Mini Nationals? GETTING LOST: This weekend we found a nifty place for a hare and hound. Not your everyday, run-of-the-mill hare and hound, mind you. This orie should be between Sammy Miller and Malcolm Smith. Sound strange? Try trail 35E01 near Kennedy Meadows. Oh, and bring your block and tackle. While speaking of Kennedy Meadows, people who might be interested in helping to build trails in that area might contact the URA. GETTING PLASTERED: It would be a dandy idea jf you dido't ride your motorcycle in the desert area around Plastic City. It seems that the Navy is now using the area for bombing practice, and judging from news stories lately, they need all the practice they can get. The Navy has already bought one lucky chap a complete new pi~kup/camper rig...his old one was hit by a bom~ about eight miles off targeL Now you're getting the idea...stay eat of Mississippi and you 11 be safe. We got two Yamaha dirt racers today. An MX·250 and a YZ·250. Different? Hooo, boy! Not even the cases are the . 'same. It will be a while before Yamaha lets us release the test, but hang in there. Bauer Wins Belgian 500 By John Huetter NAMUR, BELGIUM, AUG. 5 In Namur, Belgium Willi Bauer (Mai) won both legs of Belgian 500 GP while DeCoster took second and third for second overall. DeCoster still maintains a very slight lead with two rounds left to cont~d: Holland and Luxemhourg. Amencan Brad Lackey finished a disappointing 15th overall, having to push his Kawasaki across the line in the final moto. Regular mechanic SteveJohnson was not present to wrench for Brad as he remained in California to prepare the Trans-Am bikes for this fall. Also: Hans Maisch (Mai) broke his collarbone in Belgium and is Imished for the season. ID Q.t ::? 5!? N g

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