Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

• E Pre-Christmas i IIa ~ ...... specials While they la~t-factory seconds All Bassani quiet pipes regularly $40.00 to $60.00 now $15.00 to $20.00 First come, first serve beginning December 20 8:00 a,m. through 4:30 p.m. Alloy fenders, side panels and tank will have plastic replacements as a standard option, along with Birt-designed pipe. The guy with the beard is E.C. hisself. No, the other beard. sosson, From' Wassel through Mitsubishi to Birt. to You Mlnufacturing 1117 Fountain Way Anaheim, CA 92806 (714) 630-1821 . Most pipes unpainted, some welding flaws, all pin holes have been repaired. Guaranteed to fit your motorcycle; just not the quality we demand for pipes selling at retail. Pipes for Yamaha, Kawasaki, Hodaka, Suzuki, Ossa, Bultaco, Honda and CZ. Rolf Tlbblin and Mickey Quade invite you to join them at Husqvarna International Training Center Tune up your bod and improve your dirt-riding skills!! Beginners to professional riders welcome. All makes of bikes accepted. Rental bikes available. Tuition fee of $175.00 covers all. We hope to see you there!! 4935 Mercury, San Diego, Ca .92111 or 714-292-0670 C~""" Coast Moto Cycle 2334 Newport Blvd., Costa Me!loa '114' h4'.RnnR 7141870-524. Molorcycje Corporation 172 Free'dom A.enu~ Anaheim. C.u'omia 92801 By John Huetter .Photos By Tod Rafferty It is ironic that one of the biggest conglomerates in the world, which is Japanese, has chosen an English motorcycle to penetrate the market for Japanese bikes. It is even more ironic that they should tum to a small American racing shop to do the mods and preparation necessary Lo .make iL competitive in the U.s. Remember. the usual approach is to have several dozen University of Tokyo engineers assigned to the problem. But this is the approach that Mitsubishi In ternational Corp. has taken with the Tyran 125 MX in the hands of E.C. Birt . Their marketing approach with the Tyran which is, basically, a 123cc Sachs "B" 6·speed engine in a Wassel frame and running gear, is so unique that it just might work. E.C. has designed a series of three. expansion chambers, some plastic fenders and sidecovers, a bigger airbox with a Filtron, cable-operated rear brake, and a variation on the positive stop and snail cam chain adjuster that incorporates features of both. He has also drawn up tuning and porting specs for three stages of tune of the engine - to match the pipes - which are available to the dealers along with the 125 racers, pipes, plastic, etc. Tbe idea is that you go down to your friendly neighborhood Tyran dealer, iden tify your skill level and type of racing you want to do and get a ligbtweight go-fast machine that is ready to go fast when it leaves the dealer - for under $1000. With the fantastic Japanese Big Three domination of the 125cc racer market, some kind of new approach was necessary. So far, Mitsubishi bas gone 100% for this approach of E.C. Birt's. He's the kind of guy who only likes to sell racers, anyway. On a crisp, sparkly morning at Indian Dunes Park, E.C. rolls two Tyrans out. He says, "I put this one together last night out of the box." Then, grinning conspiratorially, points to Larry Watkins' test bed racer. "I spent a little more time with this one." The differences, more than visual, will be obvious. WhaL kind of a beast is this Tyran thing in its raw form? Well, like most mass·produced bikes, or even so-called specialty bikes of the "Britisb frame Continental motor" variety, it needs some work to be a racer. That's where E.C.'s touch as tuner, bike·builder comes in. a Cornering is What this machine is all about. The Wassel-buil t frame is a lean·looking bend of Reynolds 531 tubing tbat allows up to' 54" of wheelbase. It is a full cradle double down tube design with some beefy-looking gussets and rods back around the frame-swingarm juncture. Tbe swingarm rides in Maico-type rubber bushings and adjusts at the pivot. Two shock mounting positions are provided for the stock Girlings. There is lots of chrome and alloy on the machine. Though some of it is destined to be replaced by a three pound savings of white plastic, it is a very sharp, f'clcan" 125 in appearance. The Sachs 6-speed with E.C.'. pipe is plenty poten t. Yes, it will run with the Hondas. Witb Stage I Bin tuning specs, as provided, it will run significantly faster. The Honda will need a reed valve or another $200 in the motor to stay with it. We noted this in a series of impromptu drag races. Wbat doesn't work on the bike are the brakes inside the polished light alloy conical hubs. The rod-actuated rear brake is either on or off, generating instant lock-up and engine kill. The. front one fades to almost nothing. Even after extreme adjustment, it goes from two-finger operation to three to four to missing the turn, if you're a front brake freak like both test riders. :rhe English continue to mount footpegs high and forward on the frame (or on the CCM and Cheney-BSA, on the cases). Why? To encourage you to get up on the tank? It doesn't work that way...at least for most U.S. riders. The hard, tapered seat doesn't contribute to good ridin.s position. E.C.'s reaction was to go to the cable-actuated rear brake, (It does give better feel and less wheel bop.), another inch of padding in the seat, and

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