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/126038
NORTHERN DATELI E The Chicken Enduro: "Everybody expected a fun enduro" By Mike Kinsella CLEAR CREEK, CAL., MAR. 14 The Pathfinders Motocycle, Club of ' Fresno put on their annual Chicken Enduro in the rugged San Benito Mountains. Most riders expected a fun enduro , a kind of cas ua l road ride. Things turned out differently. The day began badly . The Pathfinders showed up an hour late :rt>d soon found it ne cessary to postpone the start until nine a ' clock. Angry riders milled aro und asking ' each . other wh en things were . going to start and when were the route sheets going to be handed out and how could a change on the entry form be made when no one from the club seemed to be aro u nd? Eventually th e club members got their stuff together and the first riders left th e pit are a to begin trekking over the 95 mile co u rse. A large portion of the course was laid out over the old silver mining areas whi ch cover the landscape. These areas are very high, barren ridges of powdery, loose soil and the trail would run up and down and along the top of these ridges for hours. The downhills were easy since there was so little vegetation that a rider co u ld bomb down in fourth gear in a straight path to the bottom without radical ch an ges in direction. Going up was a bit of a problem fo r some, especially the small bores, but generally it was a matter of gassing it and keeping up momentum so as not to bog down in the flimsy topsoil. The second loop turned ou t to be a real shaker and breaker for the perhaps overconfident and a little tired riders. Now the ground was rougher and broken with ruts and whoop-de-des. The trail led more and more through handlebar-high manzani tas 'bru sh . The path was so tight and twisting that it was hard to line up a bike with a .long wheel base for the turns. Riders be gan to hang up in the undergrowth, people began to center punch the back wheels of each other's bikes and shoulders began to ache with the constant strain. The manzani tas seemed to go forever; 40 of the last 50 miles must have been hacked out through the bush. More and more riders pooped out now .and took shortcuts backto the pits. At las t the trail led down a dusty ridgeside to . the eighth and final -chec kpo in t where there was a tie breaker section for those who still had the energy and inclination to keep going. For most it was over. It had turned out to be a very good enduro and if it had begun a little badly it ended with a lot of riders knowing that the ten bucks to enter was well spent. • Results will be available soon. ; .' s IIlI 2: t 1.0 r--- O'l ,....; ~ .1.0 l-o 0.. < .. A day for firsts By R. D. Woods LA GRANGE, CAL., MAR. 14 Three riders enjoyed their first wins today. Mike Hurst (Hon) took advantage of traffic to go for his first win in the 80cc Mini Novice class. Dean ,Coca (Yam) rides two classes but had never won on his 125 until today . He got the holeshot and led all the way. Anthony ' Price (Suz) waited until the second lap of his race, then put his TM 250 into first place and stayed there for his first win. Ted Davidson returned from Daytona and showed his professional form by _ winning the 125cc and Open Expert events. Jim Cunningham is also accustomed to doubling, but ran into stiff opposition from Scott Baker. Cunningham did win the 80cc Mini Expert Main but had to settle for 35