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/125832
Mik......... ~ff Charlie Marshall TT & Short Track Corona Rc:wy. Corona, Calif. Oct. 10. 1973 Ceri...is would slide out in the corners rether than hold on the selected line. TT SCRAMBLES MINI BEG INT Greg FAulkner Jeff Hall David Detemple MINI80 COMB Pat Richmond David Jenkins Ricky Hoffman MINI OPEN Jim Hall Jim Ball Mike Slieia 100 NO Tim DOWd Donald Ray Tony Popp 100 AM/EX Mike Minnig Robin Richey Rlcharll Shook 125 NOV ROber~ Goodwin' Steve chllll"fll Mark Williams 125 AM/EX MlkeTIII~1I Girlings recoiled after landing from the jump making it difficult to feel exactly when to get back on the throttle. .. .~ KONI dampers seemed to complement their performance better than they did the S&W shocks themselves. We were tempted to add a fifth category of evaluation: something like acceleration out of cobby comers, or power to the ground, but it would have so heavily favored the pair of KONIs we tested that it was discarded. Interestingly enough, this area of performance proved to be the main distinction between the j<.ONI and the Girling as they were really comparable in other areas. We'll now make some big, hairy, general statements about longevity based on shock dyno curveS we have seen and actual experience in competition from first hand sources. This is not in tended to be a scaled rating, particularly since there is clearly a wide variation between individual sets of shock absorbers of the same type. However, the S&W, Boge, Curnutt and KONI will normally maintain their established level of performance: good, bad, or indifferent as indicated elsewhere in this test, for an acceptably long period of time and certainly for the duration of most competition events, except possibly the Six Days'. The Arnaco, Girling, Ceriani and Betor have shown that th.ere performance will deteriorate significantly with extended usage. In short, they don't do the job as long as the shocks in the other category will do the job, Again, this IS irrespective of whether they start out doing an acceptable job in the first place. Arnaco claims to have 'solved their quality control problems and are now producing long-lived dampers. That has not been our experience with them. The Betors' longevity seems to vary widely from set to set. In general, they "go away" pretty quickly and have to be rebuilt. In terms of general performance: improving ride, handling and control the Betors were not a bad shock except for the fact that they bottomed, which gave us the idea that they were undersprung and, they broke, which led us to believe that quality control was still fairly spotty at the Betor. factory. A stress crack occurred across the top keeper of one of the shocks after about 20 minutes of riding and the top of the eyelet broke completely off. Upon removing the other shock, a virtually identical stress crack became apparent even though that shock hadn't 'broken ... yet. We were generally favorably impressed with the performance of the Betor but if you get a bad pair, you're out of luck. On the other hand, as long as they last they are pretty decent shock absorbers and do the motocross stunts acceptably. That's how the eight leading proprietary shocks stacked up unde.r a controlled conditions test. We hope the results we discovered will help you to make a more intelligent and informed decision when you go to buy your next pair of shock absorbers. The one overwhelming conclusion that we couldn't escape is that almost everyone of the types we ran on could stand to be improved. There have been big improvemen ~ in rear end suspension for off-road motorcycles. We hope that the manufacturers will accept the challenge to advance the state of the suspension art for off-road bikes to where you, the buyer-rider-competitor, deserve it to be. Tom Doty 200 NOV/AM/EX Steve Bales HalCheetwood Ranlly Hoggarll 250 NOV AI Glover Steve Bankston Greg Zehner 250 AM Don waffle Dewey seaver Clint Palmer 250 EX Dan McWhorter Hal Cheetwood Jer~ Mulkey OP N NOV Honda Long Chris Beck R. G. Stone OPEN AM/EX Brian Tolson Bill Carpenter D. Butterfield SHORT TRACK PEEWEE Ron Hattendorf Charlie Taylor MINI COMB Jeff Hall Terry McCleary David Detemple MINI 80 COMB Pat Rlchmonll M.,k Scroggins Evan Evans MINI OPEN COMB Jim Hall JOhnn~ Sigala 100-1 5 NOV Robin Richey Steve schilling Frank Ridlon 100·125 AM/EX Mike Minnig Tim Dowd Mike Tillwell 175-200 COMB Hal Cheetwood Randy Hoggard St....e Bates 250 NOV Paul Eggleton AI Glover Kelly Morriston 2S0 AM Don waffle Bruce ReynoldS Dewey seaver 250 EX Hal Cheetwood Brian Garcia Terry Griner OPEN NOV Fred Scurlock Jim Brown K~ Johnston o EN AM/EX Ed oale~ Dennis orter Randy Smith Motocross Solano Eagles Argyll Park Dixon, Calif. Oct. 14. 1973 by Reese Ultz 100 NOV DIV I Jeffrey Stewart Rick Salinas Jimmie Wooten 125 NOV DIV I Rocky McAllen Eric Hodel Wayne Phillips Dave Parks 125 NOV DIV II Tony Bouseal Scott Henry Jerry Dekay Jerry Gatton 125 NOV DIV III Mark Christman Kenneth Boswell Pat Paya Ricky Marin 125 NOV DIV IV John Baca BOb Christman Glenn Jennings Wayne Johnson 125 AM Doug Reynokts Mark Means Fred Mooney. Jr. Geor~ Honey 125 X Henry Halbach John Webb OLD TIMERS AM Norb Brown Ken Williams David Chandler Pit Wilson 2S0 NOV DIV I Leonard Biss Suz Hon Hon Kaw Kaw Vam Kaw Kaw Kaw Yam Hon Vam Han Bul Bul Bul Yam Bul Vam Yam Yam Oss Mon Bul Yam Vam Vam Mal Mal Vam Kaw Hon Hon H,on Hon Hon Hon Hon Hon Kaw Kaw Vam Vam Kaw Kaw Vam Bul Bul Bul Bul Vam Bul Vam Bul Vam Bul Vam Vam Mal Vam Kaw H-D - Danny ChandIe' Ran~ Burton Jim arazzo. 250 NOV DIV III Charles Halcomb Scott Hickson Barry Jensen Mike Tillman 250 NOV DIV IV Bob Bradford Mike Marsh TOd Clm Glenn 5 ef.t 250 AM Mark Varrow William Carnes Joseph Genovese Alfred Baumann Jeff Shurtz 250 EX Dani., Leet DanUe Turner William Prato Brian Jodry OPEN NOV DIV I Joseph EscObar Larry Johnson R~.rHall OP N NOV DIV II Gary Cooper Mike Avilla Bob Phinney OPEN AM John Thompson Bruce w;r'nman OPEN E Je11re~ LoU John leu AUen Yarrow Chris Willems Motocross Desert WMels M.C. Rosamond, Calif. Oct. 14. 1973 POWDER PUFF Denise Metevler MINIDIV Russell Elde Mark Byers Ladell Elde Ron Bowman Mark Larnkjaer Terry Ducker 100 DIV I Ralph Dellvs Steve Ambrosini Charles canterbury Make Lendt 100 DIV II Lee Ellie Don Frank Dave Peterson 'Tom Smith 125 sR Brad Eyre Bruce Jones Georae Faber 125 IV I Mike Keen Mike !>hlvelY Bill Sundstrum James Da...enport Kent Weiss ROd Brand 125 DIV II Mark Barnes Jim BasQuez Paul Marconi Milrtin Mosley Tom Cooper Phillip Berry 2S0 SR Roy Knight Ron Crabel Rancg Lewis 250 IV I Greg Wlnnel Jeff Hunt John Bumgarner Tim Hensley Bruce Farnum 2S0 DIV II Bob Knutson Jeff Winkel Mike Marmon Don Smith Del Telford OPEN DIV I Keith Mertz Mike Keen Courtney Pereira Paul Hale Tom Church OPEN DIV II Laymon Cattls Don Ronningen Troy Hollis Rusty Miller Dennis HIli NRA Motocross Valencia, Celif. Oct. 13. 1973 by The Shadow 125 BEG Rusty BI~9S Joel Coo , Tim Lanam 100 JR Steve Had ley Mitchell Shook 100 BEG Glenn Shuman Jim Meyers Denis Freezner 125 JR Ell BogllS Mark Hughes Lance Hormak Kent Pilrkinson OPEN BEG Burk Tollstrup Jim Eberle 2S0 BEG Mike Shively Jim Tlndley John Ewart Larry Wlnze'er 250 JR Roger Booth Gary Ritts Carl Marx OPEN JR Tyler Tollstrup John Fenton Nell Joy 250lNT Mike Sheets oil...e Krlkac Russ Hoffman 125 EX Mike HIli Fred Joenak Sandy Termln HOOLIGAN RACE Bob Ehart 0·36 Point Standings Sept. 17. 1973 Short Track CRe Motocross OCIR East Irvine, Cal. Oct. 14, 1973 by The Shadow POWDER PUFF Annabella Wood Madelene Almeida Stacy Bell 80 MINI John Bless Kurt Sofka Jr. Terry Woolwine Ken DeBlasio 60MINI Kurt DeBlasio Tony Barbacovl OLD TIMERS NOV John Underwood 8111 Troop Phil Hendry Suz Pen Vam Vam OLD TIMERS EX Vam Chuck Berry Spike Duncan Vam Joe ~rson Hu. Manny Dauber CZ OLD TIMERS MASTER Gre J. L. Siebrandt Mai Paut Clark Dic,k Smallwood Mal 100 BEG Vam Adolph RodriQuez HOd Mike Williams Robert Kiker Hon 100 BEG UNDER 16 Danny Van Auken Hon Doug Remp Hon Kurt Sofka Jr. Vam Davee Collins Pen 125 NOV Mike Hlrrls Hon Pen Tell Brobeck Jay Arn.tt Pen Hu. Steve Hester 125 NOV UNDER 16 Hon Alan Smith Paul Christensen Hon Dennis sexton HOd 125 BEG Edward Moore Hon VZ Keith Sizoo Pat Baallllia Suz TZ'S"BEG UNDER 16 Yam Terry Woolwine Mark Weida. Suz Hon Mark Keifer 250 BEG Vam Dan Gaxiola Yam Bob Trettin Stew Olson CZ Hon Bob Highsmith Vam Br~n Matthews OPEN BEG Aian R. Olson CZ Anthony Villa Suz Vam Dan C1at.ton 250 NO Hon Manuel Dauber Hus Kevin Anderson Vam Greg Stone Hon Dennis Grace OPEN NOV Vam Bruce Johnson Vam Dick Brown Lee Evans CZ 1251NT Rick Wiseman Pen Hon Allan Tilford Mark Ruelas Suz OPEN EX Bul Pete smith Monte Mahan CZ Hus Michael Jackson Bradley Baaughan Hon Hon Hon Hon Hon Kaw Steve Pyle Jim S.Julnier Douglas urson Bruce L~n 250 NO DIV II Gre Hon VZ Hus Hon Vam Inll Vam Vam Vam Ric CZ Hon 1. Larry Drew 2. Dennis RObinson 3. Terry Otton 4. Jerry Ko~ 5. Manuel Crummett 6. Butch Davidson 7. Rick HOCkin: 8. Steve Eklun 9. Mark Smith 10. John Guglielmetti 11. Kirk Tardiff 12. Lowell Moural 13. Ted Davidson 14. Fenn Pervier 15. Ron Kole 16. Dorian Jewett 17. Kelly Mcisaac 18. Georr Kalamaras 19. Chuc KOIe 20. Dana Perri Suz Bul Vam Vam Vam Vam Yam Vam Hon Pen Vam CZ Vam Vam Hon Hon Hon CZ Hus Mal cz Hon Bul Hon Hon Bul Pen Bul