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/125840
While thought was given to ruling two-strokes out of operation, fuel increased in price or sometimes was not available at all, the Dept. of Interior's Bureau of land Management continued with their plan for restricting and/or prohibiting use of large portions of the American Southwest desert. They maybe could have spared the effort but they sure spent a lot of tax dollars keeping taxpayers from using public land. 12 drawbacks. But they are a s ards applying new, or current, technology which hasn't happened in a while in the two-wheeler industry. 2 The Benelli Six. (7) The Champion: MIKE BAST 14 NATIONAL SPEEDWAY CHAMPION t-lis Chain Lubricant: "PI 1" The "Energy-Crisis" - however real (It kind of is.). or fabricated (It kind of is, lOo.) - will ripple through the coming months as a downer such as motorcycle sport has seldom seen before. It could be bye-bye to weekend racing. A downer with a capital "0". 8 Dick Mann's lack of support and under·rated "team" status on what were generally conceded to be slow bikes was not befitting a two time Grand National Champion who can still win at any time. 13 3 The Environmental Protective Agency rulings that two-stroke motorcycles could not be ridden in certain major metropolitan areas were very close to being a giant downer, especially since the badly-informed, questionable benefit legislation reflected a general inability by government agencies to do any decent planning in regard to pollution, fuel usage and the role of the motorcycle in American transportation. The law was saved from being a complete downer simply because it wasn't implemented but it showed how they're thinking in Bureauracyland. Cal Rayborn went faster than Saarinen at the Imola 200 but was on the slowest bike there. 9 National motocrossers having to race every weekend from January to December of 1973 proved to be drudgery. Oh, my aching forearms, rear end, knees, etc., etc. 10 What really went down was the dollar. The • d evaluation of the Merkin greenback compared to just about everything in the world (except maybe the British pound) made any imported motorcycle - which except for Spor~sters and ElectraGlides means any motorcycle - a lot more expensive. More dollars for the same machi(1e ain't a bargain, no matter how you slice it. 14 The Yamaha TZ 700. It has shown itself to be the fastest thing ever on an asphalt circuit but a lot of not so skilled road racers ~ay be scraping themselves off the walls. 4 5 The British motorcycle industry. Bad Iy conceived, manufactured and designed motorcycles. Unfortunately, they are still too numerous to list individually. 15 CAN'T TELL No Americans were allowed to ride in the World Speedway Championships due to inflexible Speedway Board rulings and the AMA-SRA conflict. Scott Autrey and Rick Woods should at least have had the ·chance. Who knows? They might have been able to eliminate Sczcakiel before ~ J he faced Ivan Mauger. Dealer and Dist. inquiries invited. 11 Rotary engine motorcycles. Yamaha, Suzuki, and Hercules all have them but they burn too • much fuel fairly dirtily, are heavy, hot, and seem to have a number of _~!t~h~e!,!r.""!"".,IL-~_......,..,,;....._..,..,=-======L. 1 The only projuct of AMEA.caNP" COMPANY 8909 W. Olympic BIIld - Suite 118. Bell8rly Hills. Ca. 90211 (213) 3 ~