Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

president, will speak to the masses assembled for the picnic and activities that start at 10 a.m. October 28. It all takes place at the Crystal Springs Picnic Area in Griffith Park. Doug has more information at 213/781-9908. Suzuki has won the 'first FIM Formula 750 road racing championship. Barry SllMne did it on a watercooled triple, taking sec:ond at Mon1juich in Spain. Bet you thought that the National season was all done and the points were all settled and laid to rest. N oop. Scott Brelsford demanded a hearing on the Atlanta National Mile - which you'll recall was called because the track was so dusty. It was decided that the race would pay National points and Scott Brelsford was awarded the dubious distinction of winning a four lap National where the competiton pulled off rather than endure stupid, dangerous track conditions. After all the shouting is over, Ken Roberts emerges (by our tentative, unofficial reckoning) with over 2000 points. Here's how it looks: I. Ken Roberts 2014 2. Gary Scott -1241 3. Gary Nixon 887 4. Mert Lawwill 839 5. Don Castro 812 6. Rex Beauchamp 701 7. Gene Romero 584 8. Dave Aldana 546 9. Scott Brelsford 543 504 10. Dick Mann 492 II. Jim Rice 12. Kel Carruthers 489 13. Chuck Palmgren 437 14. Yvon DuHamel 433 395 15.Jim Evans 16. Gary Fisher 391 17. Randy Scott 375 306 18. Dave 5ehl 305 19. Steve Baker 20. Terry Dorsch 258 MARTY TRIPES, THRILLSEEKER. "Thrillseekers", the TV show, was at the Superbowl and chose as its subject last year's winner, Marty Tripes, who _ also this year's winner. They decided to make the show two segments because they had chosen the winner. The first segment is coming up on mstations at m- times: San Diego, KFMB, October 29 at 7:30; Los Angeles, KNBC, November 4 at 6:30; Seattle, KIRO, November 4 at 7:00; Portland, KGW, NOft11Iber 10 at 6:30; and Bakersfielcl, KERO, NOllllmber 15 at 7:30. Can pregnancy be considered poilu tion? Mike Marsh, who took fourth overall and first Amateur at the Cheek Ch_, didn't have an easy time of it. The night before the race, Mike arrived at his sponsor's, Guy Louis, to pick up his Husky. He kickad it ovar and one of those freak things happened, the kick starter broke. They worked until 3 a.m, putting the bike together. Mike still had to drive to the start, so you know how much sleep he didn't get. Pretty spec:tac:ular. Probably nobody built the old four·stroke singles as fast and mean as AI Gunter. He is now building strong 250 and 350 four-stroke Honda singles. It's another indication that the four-stroke revival is just about over as a phenomenon and with us as a general part of the scene. AI has ~ new shop full of all sort of impressive go-fast equipment at 711 West 16th in Costa Mesa, California, and if his new big singles are anything like his old ones, hang on. Look for a CN dyno test of one of the Gunter-ized 350 four-valve Hondas. Everybody knew they had potential. We believe Willi Bauer' was at the Yamaha banquet honoring n_ AMA Grand National Champion Kenny Roberts. Almost evar.ybody else was. HE MAY RACE FOREVER - AND WIN. A few additional notes on one of the U.S.'s greatest motorcycle competitors, Dick Mann. Probably not too many people thought about it but Bugs was the only person in the country to qualify for the InterAm international motocross series, qualify for the 1SDT team (then nobody would give him a ride) and finish in the top ten in AMA Grand National Championship competition. I t's becoming an increasingly inescapable fact that Bugs can do anything well on a motorcycle that he sets his mind to. Rumors of his retirement have obviously been premature. Standardized Japanese-built forks and shock absorben will soon be available in the U.S. for just about every machine on the markat under the "Red Wing" brand label. The cOmponents are made by Marubeni which makes a large portion of the original equipment suspension on Japanese moton:ydes. NoW whether this is good or bad depenels on how well you like the original suspension on yO1M' Japanese bike. / All you bicycle MXers who have been wondering what became of the races at 7th and Bellflower in Lo.ng Beach, be advised that the new site is at 7th and Studebaker. A new 8-week series begins November 3, with lots of MX goodies to be awarded at the end. The catdernan's staeI hoof award for Bast 8elIf Barbecue of the Year goes to Kan and Judy MaeIy. After years of Americans trying to achieve the physical shape and skill to match the European riders in 45-minute GP motos, the Czechs have now proposed that the World Champion Grand Prix for motocross be contested in three 25-minute motos. The ostensible reason is to increase crowd appeal. However, CZ has picked up a lot of good places, including wins, in the longer 45-minute motos simply because the bikes have kept running when others quit. It seems they are unnecessarily giving away the advantage of their own machinery. The 25-minute motos would also p!'t even more emphasis on a good start rather than the other skills that make a good motocrosser. However, it is a quicker overall program to run off two 45-minute motos in an afternoon. The proposed measure will come up for a vote at the FIM congress in Madrid this month. 500 class machines) and the Trophee des Nations (for 250s) for the last two years in a row. He led the four man Belgian team to victories each time. He was also World Champion both those years, of course. We don't know what else to say. The Moton:ycle Association of the Stete of Sonora, Mexico is having their annual "Gran CarranI de Motociclismo" this coming 17-20 November In the town of Hermosillo. The association president RodoIfo Soto has extended a general invitation to all U.s. motorcydilts and, p.-ticularly, dubs to attend this evant. The invitation was extended some months • but we just got around to translating the Spanish. This event 8pp.-antly includes in-the-street road r acing, a short track and a motocross/scrambles, though we won't swaar they11 all actually happen. You can write to Rodolfo at Yanez 167 y 6ta. Privada de Yanez: Colonia Modelo, Hermosillo, Sonora, Mex. Phone: 3-75~2. Some staffers heve been to Hermosillo and it is one of the d~, most modern cities in Northern Mexico. Allow about 12 houn to drive there from the LA. area. Sure sounds like fun. IArriba! and all that. According to statistics that the Department of Consumer Products and Affairs (which seems to be a new government bureaucracy) has released, bicycle riding is the most dangerous thing around, accounting for over 350,000 injuries that required hospital treatment last year. Discounting the "official" AMA insurance statistics and other eyewash, that makes motorcycling sound a lot safer. But you don't hear too many people complaining about how dangerous bicycles are. They clearly have a better P.R. man, Eric Cheney says he can only afford 3000 British pounds to sponsor John Banks on the Cheney·BSA in SOOcc World Championship rounds next season. It colts about 8000 pounds (approx. $20.000) to contest the entire circuit induding a couple of bikes, travel, atc. Clever mathematicians will note there is a 5000 pound difference in those figures. The balance John bopes will come from a special fund set up to sponsor him and the only four-stroke still competing in World Championship motocross. Britain keeps trying to keep its head above the waves. The Dirt Dipn' Grand Prix at Hopatown is the last one remaining for sportsmen on the 1973 calendar and the last time the famed evant will be run at Hopetown. We hope the Dirt Dipn will assign start rows and numben strictly on the basis of receipt of entry so the ridiculous situation of 325 Bultacos lined up behind 500 Triumphs in the same race won't be repaatad. Ordering of bikes by cc displacement just doesn't make sense with the smaller two·strokes putting out more honepower than their larger four-stroke competiton. Nor is it fair to riders who mail in early and still have to eat dirt from the back row. It's potentially dangerous, too, as the faster bikes accelerate past the older thumpen at the start. MX TRIVIA (ASTOUND YOUR FRIENDS AND CONFUSE YOUR ENEMIES!) Roger DeCoster has won both the Motocross des Nations (for Doug Bingham of Side Strider is organizing the Second Annual Sidecar Rally, which will benefit M.O.R.E. Jim Manning, M.O.R.E.'s articulate vice KISS THE FLAG OR DIE, COMMIE! Many of the FIM representatives and member national federations were not very favorably impressed with the AMA's management of the recent ISDT in the U.S., despite a lot of American mutual back-slapping. To quote directly from the very correct, polite language of the Bulletin of the 1973 F1M Congress, "Many questions will undoubtedly arise from aspects of the organization of this event. (The ISDT) Many of the difficulties, understandably, were due to the new organizers experiencing difficulties themselves or not fully appreciating the exacting requirements of the I.S.D.T." Nobody around here thinks the FIM has any special insight into great truths but maybe the AMA ouWlt to figure out what they did wrong before we all get carried away congratulating ourselves. Everybody has something to learn, including the non-U.S. federations. - o . C"l ... .g ... o ("l One of the most influential motorcycle designers of all time passed away late this summer. His name, Edward Turner, is known only to a few cognizant enthusiasts. He is the man who designed the Triumph Twin, which has remained basically unchanged in concept and layout since 1937 when the first one appeared. Mr. Turner subsequently joined the Ariel company where he was also the man who designed the Ariel Square Four. It is almost impossible to name a man who had such a marked influence on motorcycles as a single individual. He was chief designer for BSA-Triumph before retiring. We're waiting for Preston Petty or one of the plastic goodie companies to _ out with plastic bones and plastic joints for motorcyde racers. Sure would be handy. We understand that the so-called "UFOs" sighted over Ohio are actually spy ships working for a leading motorcyc-Ie publication that has previously been accused of spying in that area. Cycle News is now trying to get a machine for the first published te,st. Any motorcycle manufactured after 1987 must have a sound level, of 70 dbA to meet California standards. Somebody should piCK up the entire American flat track circus and export it to Europe for a tour. They'd freak out over it, having never seen anything quite like it. DIRTY MOVIES: There will be free films about off-road riding offered at Bamacle Bill's, 1846 Huntington Drive in Duarte, California, on October 30 at 8 p.rn. Motoc:rossers, desert riden, and enduroists will all be featured on the silver senten. The Hawaiian Road Racing Association has gone AMA. Their first race under the new regime will be on November 4. Alas, Hayward Speedway is gone. It's gates are dosed and it has been torn down. The National Motocross Association, a fairly familjar club in the East, has joined with Escape Country to co-sanction all their events. There will be local, regional, and national events. Attention Cycle News Thieves: Yes, the ones who, at 8:58 p.m. October 16 bashed in a Cyde News rack in a daring raid in front of the CN off"lC8 in Signal Hill, than dashed intti a Yellowish van for a getaway; _ found out who you are. A crack CN staffer inside the building got yo.. licanse number. We're going to get you for busting our rack. Now aran't you sorry for your decadallC8 ? 5

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