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/125878
J J UJ '" a. :;; 5 UJ z « J Gonna' get married, hee, hee .. . Tom and f iancee Kathy Hunter sp read contagious good humor in the paddock. -. - Tom Beny: All kidding aside • •• • The word "b ullet proo f" is t he on ly way to descr ibe t he m. With a new and different look from any bike on the market today. No tr icks, no gimmicks , just exce llent ex ecut ion of sound, proven design principles. This year's Puch 125 and 175cc Moto aoss and Six Da ys Replica models offer somethi"9 for everybody. More mod em , lighter, lo wer seat. Wider bars and jmproved handling, all outgrowths of Puch 's very successf ul European Motocross Grand Prix and grue ling I.S.D.T. racing progr ams . For mor e details. see you r loca l Puch dealer or write for a free brochure. Te ll t he m Baron Von Puch sent you . NO FRILLSOR DO-DADS.... . PUCHS ARE BUILT TO TAKE PUNISHMENT. , By Lane Campbe ll Chunky, irrepressable, often flamboyant, Tom Berry is living proof that a serious racer can still have fun at his profession. That Tom is serious, sored, racmg Racing there's no do ubt. Unspon("Wish I was.") Tom's is bankrolled by Berr y Enterprises, a job -ord er machine shop which he works with Dan Murrell, his business p artner and head tuner. Most recently, he finished sec o nd Junior to Skip Aksland in the Ascot sum mer standings. Of all th e Ascot Juniors, he 's co nsid ered b y many to be th e best racer, with the em phasis al ways o n the word " racer." He's ne ver afra id to ge t in d ose, and he goes after eve ry p osi tion he can pic k up in any h ea t. If Tom finishes further do wn th e o rder th an he feels he co u ld have , he 'll co me into th e pits boiling mad at himself, ready to pinpoint ex actly where he made a mist ake. Ye t th e black mood can't last lo ng, for o ff th e track, Tom Berry's natural go od h u mo r is im poss ible to keep suppressed . Once last year he pu t a hass ock o n th e seat o f his race bi ke, got on t op of it , ben t ov er, gra bbed the bars , and ro de it aro und th e track. Why ? In a word, wh y n ot ? During intermission, he saunters over to th e wall , shakes hands, signs p rograms , chews th e fat with fans and frie nds. If he's not ac tively co nce rned with mechanical C' mo n, Tom, be serious a m inute. Berry: Qu ick, take the picture . I can't hold it much lo nger. condi tion of his Yamaha, (wh ich IS seldom, a tribute to Dan Murrell's easygoing thouroughness) he Can usually be found in the infield visiting, psyching the opposition, or downing with h is large and happy-go-lucky pit crew . Next year co uld a big year for Tom, if for no other reason than he 's getting mar ried to fian cee Kathy Hunter January 16. He'll be an Expert in dirt tr ack in 1975, but has the whole route to go y et in road racing. "I want a road racer. I went to Daytona this yea r, rode a 250 Yamah a air cooled . It was fu n . " Will he keep his 750 Yamah a ? " I'U use it , plus we 'r e goi ng to bu ild a couple more. May try to ge t a Har ley . .. " (then aside, with a d ig in th e rib s to Murrell ) " Harl ey 'll do more fo r you th an Yamaha . .. Kiddin g aside, Tom Berry sel dom does wh at yo u 'd ex pe ct o f th e average rac er . Whe n he learned tha t a Cycle News report er w as doi ng a pro file on hi m, he suggested, " Why don't you ge t the t op t en Asco t rid ers an d d o a p age on them to gether ?" That 's di ffere nt. With his two-sh ade bro wn lea thers cu t to lo o k like a coa t an d tie , and his silk scarf streaming in th e wind , h e shouldn 't be hard to spot next year when he gets an Expert numb er. Look for him . • PUCH DISTR IBUTING CORP. WEST* 9825 Mason Ave. Chatsworth, Cali f . 91311 Phone: (2 13) 882-8860 -Ex clusrve Disrri bur ion Wesr of the MIssissippi . Daaler In quir ies In vit ed TRANSPORT YOUR BIKE IN STYLE WITH ACCESSORIES BY TAYLOR Berry the racer's race r, usi ng a 350 Honda to put it to a combined field at the Lancaster Short Track , last month. A complete line of custom va n. truck and m i n i..t ruck ac ce sso ri es 76 4 2 Cla iremont Mesa Blvd . San Die go . Ca liforn ia 921 1 1 phone 7 14/292-0270 designed just for. motorcycle owners . Everything fro m a t ie down t o a eomplete c us tom package is list e d in the 197 5 ca talog. Send $ 1 .00 t o day. BUDDHA Salem's Motorcy cles, Inc. ~-r.~ .enterprises 1.Ur.Jg~o 1 ~. 109 60 Ho le A venue 3839 N . 7th St. , Phoe nix , A Z 8501 4 Riverside, CA 92505 602 -265·7977 714-689-3166 ~ ~'7 ~ 11