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/126349
early demise. This effectively removed any pressure from Watanabe. and up until the final two rounds. when the realization dawned that he could actually capture the cha m pionship . the little Japanese ace was alwa ys outwardly se re ne . re la xed and un troubled . In stri king contrast. the Belgian meddled anxiousl y with, his am ply proven mach inery. while th e am icab le Gera rd was constantly downcast by mechanica l prob lems with the uncannily quick watercooled Yam a ha . Rahier opened in style wit h two wins in Aust ria . but W at anabe's emergence was hinted at with a seco nd race victory in It aly befo re Ron d took com pelling comma nd . Both the Belgian and Du tch rounds featured those deep . sandy conditions in which he excels. and four brilliant wins pu t him in the title lead. until a broken steering head side lined the Yamaha in France. The determined Dutchman never reall y recovered from thi s blow . and his su bseq uent retirement from both West German motos with engine .,failure three weeks later effec tively put paid to his challenge. Rahi er had reg ained top . slot in Fra nce. but W atanabe was never fa r adrift and when the Belgian 's poise was shaken by a broken chai n in Switzer land's first moto , Akira took the win . and wit h it a slender adva nt age. which he was never to relinquish . For Gaston. that Swiss setback was proba bly the moment at which he lost 'a title he had held for three yea rs. but the dim inutive 32-yea r-old veteran is not finished yet . and int ends to re turn in 1979. He possesses an immac ulate. technicall y exac t. yet flexible. ridi ng style. and is ido lized in his home cou ntry . He is popular th roughout Eu rope and the Uni ted States. Certain ly next year's series will benefit greatly from .his continued participation . Th e strongl y-built 21 -yea r -old Gerard Rond , on the other hand . will probably hit either jhe 250 or 500c( championship trail . leaving Yamaha the unenviabl e task of finding a highly accomplished replacement. Britain's 1978 efforts were onc e more spearheaded by the gallant. single-handed Roger Harvey. this year mounted on a Beamish Suzuki. After a shaky start. Roger began to obtain some encouraging results . his rides from the back in West Germany being especially memorable . though the pile-up which robbed him and Geoff Mayes (Kawasaki) of sixth and seventh spots in France on t he final lap was a particularly unkind trick of date. Geoff. who ha d previously scored an eighth pla ce in Belgium . was unfortunately put out of action with a broken wrist as a result of the cras h. a nd his place was ta ken for th e rema inder of the season by Mick Geo rge. mo unted initiall y on .a cantankerou s Villa before succu m bin g to the plea su r a ble reliability of a stock uzu ki. Harv ey hi t seventh place in Switzerland's roasting d ust. less than a second down on Czech ha rd -man Miroslav J irk a (Cl ). and one week later took a superb sixth pla ce in Poland. Sadly. Roger had to miss th e penultimate round on his favorite Spanish track . bu t:came back to hold fifth pla ce in Czecho slovakia before a puncture cru elly halted his sizzling struggle with Corrado Maddiii on the works Beta . leaving him with fou rteenth place in the final championship table. ' The Englishman is an immensely popular figure on the 125cc Grand Prix circuit. and it is hoped that a fac tory contract might transpire for next year. and tempt him to remain active in what is undoubtedly his best category. • o l"'""'I 10 day return privilege Shipping freight prepaid to your door anywhere in the Continental USA "HUSKY" 12" Swing x 36" Centers Precision Engine Lathe . HUSKY 8Y.z" x 22" Table Travel Precision Milling Machine *. 0 \ %Sp indle Hole ~ H P Reversing °R·S Spindle - Cast Base Motor 100 Vohs - CUIS40 Amer ican and 37 Mrtri c Threads ° 12 Spi nd le Speeds eNo. 2 M ~ . T'ai lstock 06 1i " ' Ja w Chuc k e Precision Down Fen! *8" x 30 " T.ablf: °9 Speeds *3 ~ .. Spindle Travel ° l li HP 110/ 220 I Ph Motor - Nr t Wr ig ht 1144 Ibs. .. · Swivd Head *Mach ine Lit e OS" 4 Jaw Chuck - Stead y Ro t *Follow Rest - SI« I Stand *S'· Face Pla ce $1995.00' Dealerships Invited $2595.00 10" x 24" HUSKY Lathe $1995.00 6" ' Ja w Chu ck 4 Jaw Chu ck . - Stcad y R C'5t • Face Plate . Sled C a bin et - I ~ H P 110 Ph Reversing Mot or . ~ /4\~ '-" \;.I . ~ RACING MOTORCYCLES USA Mtr. in cl uded Tool &: Cutter Grinder $1595.00 Write or phone for brochure Carson Valley Machinery Sales 500 Fairview canon Cir y, Nevada 89701 ·702-883-5056 Sammy Tanner DIStributing Cooeer Parts DIST RIBUTO R Dealer Inquiry Invited 20872 Currier Roed Walnut. CA 91789 Bench Mills from $950.00 Drill Press 5 Speed ~ HP $199 .00 (714)598.1985 (714)595.9100 WIHI-TECH 2139242111 520 McG LINCY LANE . CAMPBELL, CA 95008 (408) 371-1221 23