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/126057
methan iiId'the yean lIgO • We1had a race. ~'*1..1O" CUnl this minor al1arcation. The f chafed at 'the '-!lIn to sag, and worst of all she alWll,YS wore these'fragile Iitt! dainty little things looked cu1a, but I was forceif foream them out and IIIOft functiOnal units. Other than those i1ams and the normal ~ most caused by, pilot enor; _~ along \WII in our first year My rilodHir told me 'the first year is the hardest ..• first anniversary _ went through a rocky period when my eye y new OR 125 with red highlights. I almost separated from ' Elsie, but came to my senses after a long talk with a counselor Honda shop. of red'on the new bike's sidepanels and plates had me think· ing of pin-up bibs like Marty Smith's a11-Nd factory number. The stars . always get the dassiest tomatoes. I didn't leave her in 1975 and things got Seems that th'i;f!ashy new model ~ little more than a palnteii1ll1dY' compaNd to my trust-worthy green striper. We had bean throUgh alotsinee our first ride. It was impossible for me to thirik'of de~ one who hBd served me so faithfully and asked for 10 littl\l in nltUm; rings every third race and an occasional ird~ . _ _ BlIt ~ has to move 1111. My eye was caught by a solid red Mondi"'25 out lit the track a month or so ago. Must be another pain1ad up modet waS my first impression, but it-turns GUtta be the new 1976 rnodef.1 tossed and turned all night. My mind was tormen1ad with dOubt Ibout the relationship thllt I had grown sO comfortable in. e-Jy the next morning before Elsie could see I trIPPed etown to ray Honda dealer and brought home tIUI tomlIto red model. Pemaps it was my ego that forced me to drop Elsie for this new Ndhead. Out at the track all of those yenow bikes had been putting a couple more horsepower to the ground from the factory and Elsie was burning my salary up to keep her in new duds for our Sunday ~ . rides. It was a endless circle of new heads, ew pipes, new carbs; neW reeds and new shocks .. . My new 76 Elsie has-much better looking legs (35mm instead of 31mml, Bigger feet (3.00 front and 4.00 rearl, A sleeker torso (new swingarm, fenders, airbox, rear frame section, and paint! and Better health (stronger crank, 30mm carb, new crankcases and larger gearsl. Plus she is capable of competing with the -best of them (over.21 HPI. I take her out on the town every Sunday. We are the best looking couple on the block. Nothing can go wrqng with this new relationship. Or at least I didn't think it could. But she was a fickle little jewel. If you didn't stroke her gearbox just right she became unco-operative. If you didn't give her full rein on the throttle she could make a fool out ofyou in front of your friends. Suddenly her bad manners started to act up even when you _n1 treating her just rigbt. Often I wished for "'Y:old Elsie until I "' . me pii:lbtlm to~. TheSeliil~tfti A the tiortl-~ better: f a1lzWo1lnl1i ~!a1i .- 24