Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

10th Annual Laugh-in Trial Short on tribulations, heavy on giggles ~ 00 CN $-0 Q,) ~ By Len Weed 8 ORANGE, CA, NOV. 14 Q,) > o Ifall began many years ago at a small 5000 watt radio station in Fresno ... Or was that Ted Baxter? How about nine years ago at Saddleback? The motorcycle industry has been getting Z together ever since 1970 for a day of play in November. Labelled the industry's social riding event of the year, the Laugh-In (Top) Gene Woods mini-thumped his way to second overall. (Above) Bernie Schreiber demonstrates suspension unloading to an anxious audience_ (Below) Ride,'. Debbie Wilkins runs into trouble. 12 Trial is short on tribulations and heavy on giggles, how-have-you-beens, artful prangs and brew quaffing. It's the American version of the English Press and Trade Trial. Which figures, since the three who conceived the trail were Limeys. Mike Jackson, Brian Slark and Max Maxstead were all stateside working for Norton· Villiers, back in the days when Nortons, Triumphs an4 BSAs were very much a part of the big bike scene here. The trio coordinated with Saddleback's Vic Wilson and his partner, Cycle World publisher Joe Parkhurst. . The trial has had its ups and down over the yeaTS, with an entry list as high as 130 or as low as 36 in 1978. This year more than 50 climbed on the pegs seeking industry adulation, fame and glory. Today, Parkhurst, Slark and Maxstead remain as the main men at making the industry'S fun-in-thesun day happen. Early in the decade, the trial was held the Thursday before the TransAMA race at Saddleback Park. One of Parkhurst's prized momentos is a photo of himself cleaning a section checked by Roger DeCoster and Dave Bickers. In the daring days of yesteryear, the trial used to be followed by a slow race - see who can take the longest to get from point A to point B. In recent years the turtle trophy dash has been replaced by a hillclimb. World Champion Bernie Schreiber showed up this year and if they had held a slow race, we might still be out there. One of Bernie's tricks is finishing behind the start line in a slow race. He does this by unloading the suspension, bouncing and jerking the bike backwards. Former American Champion Lane Leavitt also put in an appearance. The pair put on a brief demonstration to publicize the 11th annual El Trial de Espana to be held at Saddleback on Sunday, December 9. That trial gives away a new Bultaco Sherpa as a lottery prize and also features some dazzling exhibition sections. That heavy duty trials weekend also finds VOTE's Expert Only Trial scheduled the day before at Littlerock. The two trials are expected to draw six of the nation's top eight ranlted riders this year including Schreiber, Leavitt and four-time National Champion Marland Whaley. Class C standout Dave Aldana left his skeleton leathers and lucky number 13 horne, but still won the afternoon hiUclimb, Maicoing past the big-bore four-strokes. This expertise won him the Eiger Wagar Award, a bottle of scotch donated by Parkhurst. Aldana's morning performance, however, did qualify him for the Myra Breckenridge Memorial Which End Is Up Award. Before turning in his hillclimb heroics he . had masterminded the worst trials score. Dave dropped 65 of a possible 100 points in 20 sections. By contrast, a couple of trialers posted the best obser· vation scores, dripping just six markers. However, those trialers didn't stand a chance of winning the trial. The Laugh·In works like most trials until they get to the final scoring. An amalgam of plus and minus handicap and bonus points are added to the section scores to detennine final . standings. A trials rider on a trials bike starts off with 30 poirits on his card. Ladies and riders over 40 get 10 points off. Other score shavers include five points off for riding a 1967 or earlier bike or competing on a four·stroke. First timers also get 10 points subtracted. An innovation this year was the creation of a section difficulty selection option - easier or tougher. However, when you have a class event like the Laugh·In, easy and tougher won't suffice. Poetic nomenclature is called for. The organizers came up with "Balls" and "No Balls" classes. This didn't seem' to phase Debbie Wilkins of Rider Magazine. Not only did Debbie bring a trophy with her, a bottle of brandy for the highest score by a rider on a street legal motorcycle, she also nabbed two for herself: the Jim Frahm Crown Royal Bourbon Award for best perforinance by an advertising sales person and a T ·shirt for best performance by a lady rider. The clothing prize was presented by National trials competitor Chester Hudspeth of Kawasaki. Debbie's Tshirt read: If you can't clean my section . .. please dab around. Max Maxstead played master of ceremonies. He also dispensed a few warm-up jokes before getting on with giving away the booty. In the interests of family oriented journalism everything but the punch lines have been omitted from the following recap: We better cover him up, he might get his bloody death 0' cold ... You'll never believe this, but I'm waiting for a train ... It must be him, I have a Honda ... I know, but I buried . him in a rented tuxedo. Max presented the Malcolm Smith Perpetual Award for best overall score - to DG's Too Peterson. Fitting indeed, since DG was the trial sponsor. Runnerup was former speedway champion Gene Woods. Gene also won the Cycle News Chivas Regal Scotch Award for best performance by

• Cover