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/126332
---------------------------------------------------- - ~ - -- cold. Solving th e problem requi res a little minor su rgery inside the case cover , but we were lazy and wanted to go riding. Even after we started th e Qualifier , pushed it a nd popped it into gear , th e clutch wouldn't let go until afte r 3 ·4 minut es o f oper ati on . Reliability tria l rid ers, sho uld they ~ nco u nt e r t his problem . h ad be tter fix it. They h ave to get th e bik e sta rted a nd underway under its own power in 60 secon ds or get penal ized . Two things really sh ine a bo ut th e Can ' Am in actual use. The first is th e engine. Possib ly the best and mo st potent motor in the 175cc enduro class , it's got guts. There's even a little torque available b el ow th e powerband -enough so that you can gas it without killing it . The V·84 Bing carburetor did its job very clearly even when we did slip off the powerband. We did some slow-speed, twisting climbs up rock-stu dd ed grades and there was never any coughing or b lubbering from the engine even as we came close to a dead stop. Requ ired clutch use was m inim a l. Of course some of the tru ly challenging grades found in enduro co mpetition will require a faster ru n and subsequent bouncing off rocks , clutch slipping or both. If it's a truly challenging grade , with some deep sand or a bottleneck, pushing may also be required . Yes th e Can-Am's got a grea t motor, but it's only 175cc . Since it's a small motor, arid an energetic one , it's pipey. But the pipe , or powerband, is very wide and you can rev it till it turns red and still be producing ponies. The rang y powerband makes the Q ua lifier a very easy motorcycle to ride. Gear ratios are well spaced and generally well -suited fo r most applications . Some riders who do a lot of riding in very tight terrain might wish for a lower first gear, b ut first was fine . F the things we encountered. or Shifting was crisp and easy . The second thing that really shines is the pe rformance of the Marzocchi front forks . Darn ping and springing were right on the m o ne y. We bottomed them only occasionally and even then, it wasn 't the kind of horrendous clunk that send shoulder blades in the genera l direction of your ear lobes . The for ks are defin itely worth the extra two bills . Wis h we could say the back end works as well. The gas-bag Gabriel shocks weren't up to the job and a lot of abuse made it through to the seat. Accessory shocks will help . T he real solution , we feel. is an MX ·4 frame . Enduro riders shouldn't be stuck on last yea r's motocross frame . We hear that Can -Am's '79 Qualifier series will utilize the MX·4 frame , but that really do esn't help this year's Qualifier buyer. The brakes , front and rear , don't compare favorabl y with the Japanese models in this class . They are vague in feedback and really not as strong as they shou ld be . Possibly different material for. th e brake shoes would help . Riding position was excellent. aided considerabl y b y (this is a personal opinion) on e o f the best shaped set of handlebars e n co u nt e re d on a production motorcycle . They were really comfortable . The bik e gets our vote for the casual t rail rider and non -serious enduro riders. The Can-Am 175 is quiet , starts first kick every time, doesn't seem to req uire a lot of maintenance , and is easy to ride . The price tag, S1299 is reason ab le, even adding the extra S200 for Marzocchis. The serious rider/competitor is going to have to weigh the fantasti c engine and good front suspension against mediocre rear suspension and nor -quite adequate brakes. • Americans Strike Gold and Silver in Sweden at the 53rd I.S.D.T. American riders wearing KHW competition helmets garnered 5 gold and 1 silver medal in the International Six Days Trial Frank Gallo-Gold Kevin LaVoie-Gold I Ted Leirnbach-e-Gold Top finish ing American - 5th in 500cc class Jack Penton-Silver Jeff Hill-Gold KRW helmets congratulates these champion riders who represented the ~SA in the prestigious Trophy Team competition. Ride with the winnersride with KHW KRW /Trabaca Prod u cts 2970 E. Maria Com pton , CA 90221 213 -638 · 7814 HUNT ALUMINUM BRAKE DISCS 60% LIGHTER THAN STANDARD , DEALER PRICES USED BY ROBERTSEKLUND-AKSLAND AVAILAB LE FOR MOST M OTORCYCLES PLASMA PERFORMANCE PRODUCTS IN C. 1760 Crenshaw Blvd. Torrance. CA 90501 (213) 775-8319 19