Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Cycle News 1980 01 16

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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o 00 C') terror as fellow office workers took the Pro Cruiser for a spin around the office. Cycle News walls, or more precisely, a railing on the outside of the building, took their reven~ and left the Pro Cruiser with a broken rear brake lever. (Men, if you're looking for some place to send the bill, check the masthead under "Managing Editor.") (1 recommend DeHandlers ... Managing Ed.) Gas rnilea~ during the test exceeded all expectations. In fact, a gas receipt turned in with an expense account labeled "Pro Cruiser test" was sent back to its originator with the words "nice try" written over "amount due." Suffice to say that Pro Cruiser owners will spend little time in gas lines. Another outstanding feature of the bike is its brakes. This was the first bicycle we'd ever encountered with drum brakes, and they worked exceptionally well. In fact, where there was good traction, it was possible to stand the bike on its front wheel by grabbing a handful of clutch - oops, excuse us - front brake lever. The five-speed transmtSSlon, a Shimano derailleur wide ratio freewheel with Unaglide 600 chain, worked well during the test. The bothersome toe-up, toe-down shifting method common in the motorcycle industry has been done away with in favor of a handlebar· mounted, thumb-operated unit. The diamond frame is made of chromoly and should be indestructible. We use the word "should" only because of horror stories told by co-workers with teenage children. Overweight test riders couldn't bend it or break it during our test. One thing about a bicycle is that the engine is a stressed member, even without being bolted to the frame. The handlebars were a bit wide for our taste, but it wasn't our bike to take a hacksaw to. One other feature we should mention is the Pro Cruiser's ability to meet or surpass just about any upcoming or still·to-be·thought-of EPA noise or emission regulations. There you have it. A sturdy playbike with deluxe features. We're not too familiar with the bicycle industry, but we'd guess that it occupies Rolls-Royce status in its class. It also carries a Rolls- Royce price tag: $489. Manufactured by: Lawwill.Knight Ltd. 25155 O'Neil Ave. Hayward, CA 94544 415/582·1588 • If you must go faster, think first how you'll look in plaster. 15

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