Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

dug up all the English newspapers and showed them that he had never been beaten in the ra in , that made them think a little bit. It was essentially a program to get Kenny to where he could get the maximum exposure. At that particular point, the first race , Venezuela. Kenny was their premier 750cc racer , but Johnny was their premier 500cc racer because he had done very well . So Johnny, being the direct factory rider, had the latest, trickest stuff almost all year. Anything they considered development would go on johnny's bike before Kenny saw it . After it was established that Johnny had no chance of winning the championship , and it was pretty obvious that, barring some really unforeseen circumstances, Kenny probabl y would , then Kenny had the latest of everyt hing. That was about the third GP . H e got the good stuff about the . third GP, and from then on it was . equal." Big-Bore Superiority. Technical SimpUdty. The 1979 Mateo Magnum Enduros. Kenny Roberts took a long time to sign his contract for 1979, causing a lot of speculation. Cla rk 's expl a nation: "W ell , we started negotiating ' in Sep tember at ou r de aler show and we th ought we had everything pretty well worked ou t; we did a t that particular point. Kenny came back after he was World Cha m pion with some other sets of demands, so we had to renegotiate. It was just a whole bu nch of little details that we worked out. " Las t year we set up a program ...here there was a K and K Racing Corporation, and three partners in lhat. Kenny, Kel Carruthers, and myself. We all had shares in it . I was Ibis company's Yamaha representative in K and K Racing - their way of rontrolling it. The contract, mind )(lu, was given straight to K and K !.acing, and K and K Racing paid all Ibeir expenses. So, although the bikes were from the factory, it was essentially a YMC (Yamaha Motor Corporation), U.S . privateer effort. Well , towards the end of the year, when I started going back and forth to Europe every other weekend, it was obvious to me that that wasn 't the best way to do it . "This year everybody is individually contracted to me. Kel has a contract as chief mechanic , and Nobby Clark and Trevor (Tilbury) are contracted as mechanics, and Kenny has a contract as the rider. So it just took a little longer to get it. It was a little more difficult, but at least there's a logical progression of the way the chain of command works . Where before, if I wasn't there, Kel was kind of the boss, but not really, 'cause if Kenny needed a decision made about something, Kel did it but he d idn't really have the horsepower. So, when things got into an y sort of disagreement , which they never really had , things started getting a little tense towards the end a nd everybody was starting to get a little frazzled. Then I started going over, trying to keep everything on an even keel. That's basically why we did it this way this year. That's what's taken it so long to get all together. " . Ga ry Scott is frequently involved in a controversy. He wanted a new TZ750 at the start of the 1978 season. Ken Clark didn't sell him one and the reason follows : "What happened ~ was that last year was the first yea r that I was d irectly in control of selling the T Z750s. They were sold befo re on a first -come -first -served basis, which is not the right way to do it. You know , here's a guy . that 's got all the qualifications in the world to ride a 750, and because he's late on the phone, some dub racer that is going to use it twice a year; gets a brand new bike, or some dealer orders four , three of which might go out of the country, which is not the object of th e sales , and side number panel ; rugged rear fender with ta il light: a new double wall pipe with s park arrestor: long range gas tank; center s tand. chain guard and more • •• you get It all a n the Magnum Endures at your Malco deal er. The Magnum Endures are here ... all·Maico, all-new, all-Enduro more of eveI)'thing except weight. It's the most refined advance ever in a single model year. JIIIore Horsepower A new Magnum engine packing more HPs with the famous Maico powerband. a lightweight cranks haft, ' 79 po rting, arid a five..speed wide-ratio gear box. JIIIore Dependability The countershaft s procket is moved back to the swingarm pivot point eliminating twelve chai n links and chain tensioners . There's new air forks up front and dual rate s pring mounted gas s hocks In the rear. JIIIore EadaJ'O Pedo.......ce A new command mod ule with s peedo meter, hom, headlight and front numberplate; GP ~~~~ [lj]JJ]glJ ~ 1256 Pmg..... Rd.. SUfok. VA23434 ' Rt. I . _ 2 11. Antlodt,IL 60002· 110 E. TERRYKIT ~ CA 91502 · Canedo - 64 HeoIyRd.. Bolon, a... Mickey Fay·& WASCO Frames Win Houston TT ! ! I 'II· l- k ( ) '\, I I '\, I ) 1) \ \ I I' ~" I '\, (, I '\,1 1 ~ () K I IIr ~ ~K I()I ~U ) \ I P~ I I I ()K There were several Hondas at Houston, bu t Mickey chose WASCO ! New Kits for '79 with Adjustable Travel Frame & Swingann made with high -quality oval tubing. Steering head & swingann pivots ride in large diameter Timken bea rings. Gives great torsion al rigidity. If you 'd like a high quality, winning fr ame like Mickey's contact: WASCO Frames Can we build one 4904 S. 164th Sea ttle, WA 98188 foryoul 206-242-8878 MaI. Travel Yam aha YZ 250 / 400 '78. '79 Yamaha IT 175/ 400 '77 , '78 Yam ah a IT 175 '79 Yam ah a IT 250/400 '79 Kawa saki KX80 '79 Husk y '77 , '78 Yam aha & Suzuki 80 '78 Yam ah a & Su zuki 80 ·79 . . , Suzuki RM 125 '77, ' 78 Suzuki RM 250 /400 '78 s.u,..,. Ave., 12" 10" 9.25 " 10" 8 .S" li S ' 7.5" 8.S" 10" 10" Kits also availa ble for most other bikes Write for free literature Out of state call . toll free 800·854·4691 90 day money back guarantee Dealer or Direct addle back uzuki South Orange County's Only Suzuki Dealer Open 7 days a week 23034 Lake Forest Dr., Laguna Hills, CA 92653 ~'-J~T~C= I 714-n 0-6701 ~ T t~,u~~~~~a , ..... Pomona Valley Kawasaki t--I 1170 W. Holt, Ontario, CA 714-983-5988 714-623-1204 , " , " C = , i The Gringo EBn~uro returns to aJa Rosa r ito Beach March l l- i..- _ i I i I see calendar _ _ •••__ ~ lAlLI" ~, ~ ,"" ,... .f ·0 . P.O.BOXl18~ti,. i~\. ~ '. Axton. VA 24054 703 1650-3030 • ~ Alrbox '75 thru ' 79 Reach fllter from top· s1d•• cIoeed I I ...... Performa?ce Pm s CATALOG UE 750Kits. .. AVAILABLE Electronic Ignition SOON Mikuni Carbo Kits Stock Parts Muffler& Exhaust SEUR~~CE Engine & Frame Lucas & Amat We carrythe complete JRCeng. line HI-Pipes Available FIM style IJidepa.. .. '79 BULS are herel UPS Mail Ord er Larg e parts inventory • __ I ...... - FOR TR IUMPHS ONLY - _ •..; 21

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