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/126394
E • Motorcycle Industry Business Seminar ~ t 0') 1:' Open to all dealers and other motorcycle industry representatives 0') r-4 April 1-8, 1979 • (reservations must be made before 1·30-791 • • • • • Hilo, Hawaii • Tourprice $597.00 (from Los Angeles) ~ ~ C'I ~ r;S ~ I:: r;S -, • This tour includes - ~ • • • • • • • Jet A ir via United Airlines 747 De lu xe Hotel Accom modatio ns Rou nd trip t ransfers between airport & hotel Porterag e at your hot el Cocktail Party We lcome and Fare w ell Dinners City t our of Hilo • 4 Days of Business Sem inars For complete information & Free Brochure Jim Fortune shows fine form in his 75 Burr Oak-winning ride. how he does. If he gets stuck, maybe you'd better pick a different way across . or walk , the bottom first to check it out. There may be both deep and shallow spots. especially if a lot of riders have been there before you and had trouble making it. Look for the shallowest path that's free of large rocks , then ride in slow , keep moving, and go out the opposite bank fast. Use your feet to steady yourself so you don't fall if you hit a slippery rock or log that's submerged, It's better to get your feet wet than to dump yourself and your motorcycle completely into the water. Not only will you be soggy for the rest of the ride , but your bike might not even restart , If the riverbank is high, use a wheelie or throw the bike up . Just don't drop it back in the water. Not all water crossings are difficult. If it's shallow and sandy just bomb across. If it's deeper with a hard, fa irl y even bottom , keep your speed moderate so you stay under control and don't drown the engine with unnecessary splashing. Once you're out of the water and clear of the bank, test your brakes before you really need them . If they don't work too well , hold them on slightly as you ride so the friction will heat them up and dry them out. Sw am ps If you get stuck in a swamp you can expect to take a lot of time and energy getting out of the mire and onto comparatively dry ground. So you should do everything possible to keep this from happening . What should you do when you arrive at a swamp and find it filled with bikes and riders? The most logical and often neglected solution is to go around the darned thing. It 's not always possible, but if you look hard enough you'll often find a way, maybe 100 yards to either side or maybe as far as a half mile . But if the swamp is big and bad it's worth the extra distance and time to keep from getting stuck. If there's no obvious war. around , walk in and iest ilii boriorn firSt, then hop back on your bike and take the most solid track you were able to find , perhaps where twigs and grass will support you better. Use second gear and as much speed as possible. Avoid any ruts leading to stuck riders , and zig-zag your way across the ruts to keep from getting too deep. Use 110 percent of your ability and strength to get out, immediatelyl If you do get stuck, try to lift or drag your bike, one end at a time , to slightly firmer bottom out of the rut you've dug. Then restart the engine and walk or run it out. Sometimes suction on the wheel s makes even this method of escape impossible until the mud is dug away first . Be careful you don't dump your bike on the exhaust pipe side while the engine is off and you're trying to dig it free . Water may go right through the pipe and int o the cylind er , ending you r day of fun . Lo gs, branch es an d pipes One log or branch at a time is usally easy to cross unless it's pretty big. Just hit it head-on so it won 't throw your front wheel to one side, lifting the front wheel by gassing it and pulling back on the handlebars just as the wheel strikes the log. As soon as the front wheel is over , let off the throttle and back wheel will follow over. Your momentum does it . When you 've got several logs and branches together , or an endless supply of them in an area -of clear-cut logging, crossing these obstacles gets rougher because it's not easy to hit them all square, and you cannot usually find a way around like you might with only one log at a time. You still try to hit them head-on , though , even if it means turning the front wheel for another log even before the rear wheel has gone over the ~rst. If it's wet you can expect to fall a lot because the bark gets skinned off by the early bikes , and the bare wood gets like grease. It's best to ride the wet ones sitting down so you can catch yourself '" with your legs before you wipeout: Steel pipe laid on the ground or partially buried is similar to a log call (213) 886-1966 (Marti) or write: • • Cycle Tours, Inc. 10176 Mason Ave. Chatsworth, CA 91311 *addlebaCk *UZUki GUESS THE MILEAGE' GIVEAWAY South Orange County's Only Suzuki Dealer Offering now your chance to WIN a New 1979 SUZUKI GS 425!!! 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