Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

Demonstration backs up lecture at the Bast/Maely school; the National Champ makes it look easy. Maely's signs, found everywhere at the ranch, kept students chuckling . "It's thet simple: ' Bast seems to be saying. It isn't. but he still can teach you how to do it. 22 we·attend-the-school-and-do-an-article· about it?" and the confirmation consisted of a simple. "Sure." When you're a rider and business agent as well, you've got to pick up the bucks where you can . The conversation Ba st 's went something like this: "It's $100 for the school. and you don't have a bike either - that's a problem . and rental's $50 a day - but if you each want to put up $50 . . .' We stood there listening, wondering why he thought we should pay to do what we consider work - doing an article - instead of taking the weekend off. "You can help out if you want help me push off bikes or something, just to be involved," Bast concluded when it became obvious there wasn't $50 between us, much less $100 . We ended up sitting in and watching the class, tak ing photos and notes . Later . in the afternoon, when Mike's "pa ying customers" were well underway in their program, he le t us try one of the bikes Ken had ready for him to demonstra te on . So, what you're reading isn't the testimonial of a successful graduate. It's more a list of ob servat ions by an impressed bysta nder. You have to make a total commitment. Yo u ha ve to make yourself believe th at the bike will work, that it will slide smoothly, that you will be able to control it . It's not necessarily true, but you have to go with it anyway, if you want to learn how it's done. Getting sideways for the first time happens coming out of a turn. "Crazy" Christian be damned, there's no way a beginner is going to be able to shut off his self- preservation instincts amply enough to stuff it into a turn backwards. But once you get sideways, it feels even better than you 'd expected . .. Mike Bast knows more about speed way than he can possibly explain to anyone. H e communicates well; in fact , he offers more information than any rider will be able to absorb at one sitting. It's worth taking the school a second time, and there were several riders there who will agree. Practica l information given students includes gearing specifications for all th e loca l tracks. recommendations of tire pressure, some tempered advice from Ken Maely concerning the diplomatic approach toward promoters, specific pe rsonal advice and criticism on your riding, complete basic how-to of speedway riding, tactics lea rn ed through Bast's experience as a top level rider a nd even a brief mention of physica l training. The d ays are long a nd filled with information. While Bast works with riders , showing proper lines and teaching control, J udy Maely operates a video tape machine. La ter , you can watch yourself, and flaws Mike described to you during the day become obvious. Learning to ride speedway is both exciting and frustrating. Sliding is like anything else you try to learn : At first , you do it right maybe once out of six times. Then twice. Then you scare yourself and drop to about once in 10. Just wish they 'd put that wall further out. Someone suggested that a dry lake would be a great place to learn . J ust start cutting doughnuts and expand from there. Beats the wall. "Anybody ca n use the whole track," Bast teaches while setting up cones or tires for riders to maneuver through . He emphasizes control, the ability to change lines, to take advantage of an opponent's weakness or find another line when the best one is blocked. He leaves no facet of speedway u nment ioned . "The throttle and your eyes will get you out of trou ble if you think," Mike says. There's no way to transmit the full im plication of that statement from one who 's experienced a lmost everyt hing that can happe n on a speedway track to one who's straddling a Jawa or Maely for the first time. Bu t if you know enough to ask a question, Bast knows the answer. And he probably will answer it in mo re detail than you'll understand. Sessions get short, first because the bike needs more fuel an d oil, secondly due to fatigue. No joke. Try doing knee bends, one -legged, with your righ: leg. After the first 50 or so when the muscle on top of your thIgh starts to burn - you'll know how it feels to rid e speedway. The only footpeg is on the right, and riding is done in a standing position with the right leg bent, the left foot skipping along lIghtly on one of Maely's steel shoes. A II your weight is on the right. By the end of the class, the top thigh muscle was twitching and we could no longer stand and support the body ioeigtu properly for sliding control. Time to quit . T he weekend ends, as you may have anticipated, wit h racing. Pu tt ing it all together and , as Bast puts it in h is notes, "getting used to riding in company." Round ing out t he complete start to finish speedway school, Ken Maely is qualified to certify riders for their speedway licenses. La te Sunday afternoon, those who feel t hey' re ready take the test, T hen they're on their own. •

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