Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

Cycle News 1979 03 14

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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uki. Steve Mclaughlin will be in there. Ort. - the talent of the greats and traps the med iocre in time-wasting caution. Turn . four is the infield loop surrounded by spectator cars . piles of people everythere, life. color. The rider can pay not attention to any of it ; he has to shoot at turn five. the exit bump. and ~etting a proper drive out onto the bowl. This takes him high up on the wall . gaining height and thereby energy that can be used to ease the difficult pull from fifth gear up int o top . sixth ratio. Now he has to concentrate absolutely ·for the chicane. that little switchback added to the back straight to slow machines down. Again - there is heavy braking from maximum speed. but this time there is a difficult compound bend to get through . and the exit speed will determine the entire course of the run down past stanfinish . Come out slow and the whole drive will be lost. Trap speed will suffer . time will be wasted. and the lap will be a slow one. Get out fast and on to the bowl well-place and the whole lap succeeds. Shift points must be made in such a way as to keep the machine accelera ting in the next higher gear. Winds vary at Daytona. and often reverse direction. Riders have to know what to do to cope with these conditions. Daytona is not simple. The bowl has been repaved. but this alone cannot make the race faster. No sane rider would ride the bowl on panthrottle; the risk of seizure is just too great. The new pavement will make life easier for tires and other components because of the reduced pounding. The infield is as before. polished by the scrub of thousands of race car tires in endless events. It is always tricky . The stakes are high in every way. Riders stand to make reputations here. Factories wrestle dominance from each other. Any engine trouble is big. expensive trouble. And a fall at high speed. though very ra re, is not to be thought of. Here is a rare combination of tensions and your are going to enjoy it even if it hurts, Watch these races. There is a lot to be learned. • _ ( P'.. ~ # •• - ... • ~ .I dust filter. New fade-resistant finish, in red, yellow or whitt. Five-snap Halman-type visor Distinctive Bell graphics. . Sncl1 75 and DOT approved. . Bell. new Mota ID is the first in a new hebnet generation. Made to protect all riders who like to win or play ~ hard, come hellor high water. BeI1 Hdmets, Inc.• 15301 Sboemaker • • LL Ave., Norw3Ik, CA 90650 : . 31. ..

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