Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

Cycle News 1977 08 03

Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles

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The entire Yamaha (United States) Motocross team will contest the final 125 National in San Antonio, Tex. on Aug . .14. Suzuki's Danny LaPone now leads the National Championship Points race with Broc Glover and Bob Hannah both of Yamaha in a close second and third. It will be interesting to see Karsrnakers on a 1251 Mike Bell won his second straight overall Support Class victory since signing with Team Yamaha. Bell, back on a familiar 250, dominated both motos for a 1·1 score and the overall at the 500 National in St. Peters, MO. The Laverda Owners Club (U.S .A .) has moved from Indianapolis to 6157 Mary Beth Co~e , Bartlett, TN ~8134. Warren Reid, Team Honda's lone 125cc "pilote", came very close to winning the overall in Canada. In the first moto Warren was knocked down as he lapped a Czech rider. After losing several places in the mishap, Warren remounted and finished the moto in third. The second moto was all Warren's as he took the checkered flag 22 seconds ahead of Andre Massant, who was a distant second. Results at the 125 Grand Canada on July 24, were: 1, Andre Massant 2. Warren Reid 3. Jiri Churavy 4, Pavel Rulev 5. Jorma Rautlainev 6. Mike Mcintosh 7. Jay Kimber . 8. Jim Manui 9. Dean McDonald 10, Jocelyn Berube 1·2 3-1 4-4 6-5 7-7 9-· The U,S. Treasury Department has decided to investigate charges by Herley-Davidson that major Japanese motorcycle manufacturers are dumping (or selling below fair valuel bikes in the United States. . The investigation 'is expected to take six months, so a decision should be announced sometime in January, 1978, The .official notice of the impending investigation said ", ..there Is Information indicating that the margin by which the dornestlc producer is being undersold by Japanese imports would be completely or almost completely eliminated were the apparent margins of dumping eliminated." In plain English, that means that if the Treasury Department decides that the Japanese manufacturers have been "dumping," then KZ1000s, Gold Wings, 8fId other Iarge-bore street bikes will cost as much as Harley-Davidson SporUte,. ($3.200-$3,4001 and maybe even Lowriders ($4.3501. It boils down to this :.if you want to buy a motorcycle at a reasonable price , you better buy it before January of .next year . Unless, of.course, your idea of a good deal on a high performance bike is a $~ ,400 Harley-Davidson Sportster, 8-10 All four motos won by Americans in World Championship Motocross ro unds this year wer e by ' Honda riders . Two by Brad Lackey , one eac h by Jim Pom ero y and Warren Reid . 2 Anybody who wants ,to read the best piece of "real-world" motorcycle-centered fiction ever published . should buy the September issue of Supercycle and read Chris Bunch's "By the Gun:' It's rated "X," but sure is a snappy piece of literature. Women motocrossers will be having a race in conjunction with the regular Seddleback Saturday Motocross at Seddleback Park in Orange, Calif. on August 6th. There will be a 125 Pro class with 100% payback, and sportswoman classes. Entry is $8 for sportswomen; $13 for Pros. Call Debbie Lutz. at (7141 637-7860 for more information, Continental Motocross Club's (CMC) July ~I motocross at Saddleback Park will feature a $1,200 purse. If that's not enough to get you up there on a dead run , there will be another infamous " Mini Pro class." It isn't for miniature pros , but rather for regular pros on minibikes. It's a $5 post entry, 100% pa yback affair, and entrants mustbe riding another pro class. If you have a minibike, but are not eligible for the Mini Pro class, show up anyway. The last time fCM C ran this class, some minibike riders made a bundle loaning their bikes to the participating ·pros in exchange for a spilt of the purse, Evel Knievel won over $500 in bets placed in the press box before the start of the Camel Pro Series TT held at Ascot on July 2~. Knievel bet that his rider, Gary Scott, would win for the fourth straight year . Scott did just that. The August issue of Car and Driver features a "shootout" between a Firebird Trans-AM and a Kawasaki KZ1000. Surprisingly, the car won. In a graphic illustration of the fact that car guys should stick to testing cars, the test rider took an amazing 234 feet to stop the KZ1000 from 70 miles per hour. That's about 75 feet more than our experience says a good rider needs to stop a KZ1000. Takazumi Katayama won th e 350cc cla ss a t the Swedish Road Racing Grand Prix , bea ting Kork Ballington and Patrick' Fernandez aft er Johnny Cecotto dropped out on the seventh lap with mechanical problems. Katayama is almost certain to be the sso« World Champion this year. The National 125 Motocross point standings currently are: 1, Danny laPorte 200 2. Broc Glover 190 3. Bob Hannah , 183 4. Warren Reid 140 5. Steve Wise 134 6. Pat Richter 119 7. Gary Ogden 105 8. Mark Barnett 105 9. Jim Weinert 88 10. Mike Guerra 73 Points for the National Championship are awarded from 25 points for first through 20th position which receives one point. LaPorte's 10 point lead over Glover and 17 point lead over Hannah is far from comfortable. The two Northern California International Speedway Qualifying rounds are over and 16 riders have been seeded into the finals to be held July 29 at Costa Mesa, Calif. Mike Bast topped the field with a perfect 24. point score. The other seeded riders are: Steve Bast, Mike Faria, Rich MacMurray, Bruce Penhall, Larry Shaw , Alan Christian, Duane Yarrow , Rick Woods, Mike Curoso, Dennis Robinson , Ron McGill , Steve Gresham , . Dennis Sigalos and Dave Faria. Scott Autrey, ninth in the world last year, was seeded directly into the final. Marty Benck and Matt Jackson are alternates. Last week Kenny Roberts was on the cover of Cycle NellllS. Six additional photos starring Kenny appeared with Gary van Voorhis' story on the inside. In the Sears Point coverage, a shot showed ' Kenny in the background, catching Dale Singleton and Gary Nixon. The eight photos of Roberts apparently weren't enough - King Kenny himself asked our man at Ascot why there wasn't a photo of just him in the Sears Poin't coverage. OK, OK. Here's Kenny at Sears Point. all by himself, as seen by the compatition. Australian Warren Willing and his ace California wrench, George Vukmonovich (abovel were denied entry to the disco club at Brands Hatch (England) the Saturday night before the recent (July 10) Formula 750 World Championship road race held there, Willing, Vukmonovich, and New Zealander Stu Avant were kept out of the club by bOllncers because they were wearing demln jean.. Willing finished flfth In the race won by Steve Baker. The Monroe /S&W International Motorcycle Olympiad is scheduled for September 17-18 in Southern California. Malcolm Smith, Larry Roeseler, Dicit BureIson, Mike Hannon, Jim Fishback, Tom Penton, Jack Penton, Bill Uhl, Lan Larson, Carl Cranke, Chris Carter, John Hateley and Rick Hocking have signed up for the six-evenr . two ·day happening. The contest, billed as being " to determine the world's best all-around motorcycle racer," will feature motocross, road race, drag race, short track, TT and observed trials competition. Each entrant must compete with one motorcycle for the events. One problem remains: the race _ date conflicts with the September 17 Toledo, Ohio Camel Pro Series half mile. Thus, the likelihood of getting the top AMA pros to compete is slim. Yankee Accessory Corporation has been appointed the exclusive Laverda importer for the United States. Laverda owners and dealars will be supported through Yankee's facilities In Schenectady., New York and Gardena, Calif. Yankee currently handles 0 ... motorcycles and Full Bore accessories. The infamous Dirt Diggers M.C. has announced that their Hopetown .Classic will be held at an un-named location on the weekend of November 5·6. According to Informed source., several breweries have expressed Interest in sponsoring the event. One rumor Is that the race will be held at Racing World. A public workshop concerning the fate of roadless and undeveloped areas of California Forest Service lands wiIl be - held in Santa Barbara on August 8 at 9:00 a .m. at La Colina Junior High School. The workshop, one of 18, will help determine whether or not vast areas will be designated "Wilderness," thus closed to off road vehicle use. Interested persons should contact the Las Padres National Forest at 42 Aero Camino, Goleta, CA 9~017 (805) 9681578 before the workshop date. Something new in the desert: California Racing Club (CRC) is trying an optional pro class at the . August 7. CRC race. Experts and Amateurs can race for money instead of trophies by signing up as a pro and paying a $20 entry fee. Points will still be awarded as usual. A 750cc Ducati won the Ninth Annual 24-hours of Nelson Ledge. road race held in Ohio on July 2324, The winning bike was entered by Group IV of Aahtabula, Ohio after the Lester Wheels team (last yeer's victors) blew an engine.

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