Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Riding passenger: Hanging it out at 130 + - definitely not monkey business By Lane Campbell I earned the ride of my life by saying the word "monkey" at an inappropriate moment - i.e., when sidecar owner/passenger Jack Han was listening. Be warned, Nmonkey" is a California word that tends to set a non-Californian sidehacker's teeth on ed~. At any rate, jack cast pilot Bruce Hart a knowing look and su~ted, "Perhaps he should take a couple of laps to see what it's all about." Still suited up from riding Wasco's 500 thumper, I was in one of those ''I'll try anything once" moods. It was only after Han began explaining the passen~r's job in detail that I began to realize what I was ~tting into. "First off, every move you make has to be slow, deliberate and planned. You can't jerk around, because under acceleration, this thing is sensitive to every twitch." Lind added, "If you make a sudden, unexpected move on me, it can throw us a good 10 feet acrOlll the track." Hart was down on the platform, now, demonstrating the basic positions. "For right turns, just hike out over the pilot's backside like this. Don't be shy; he's used to it. Then, in left turns, because this is a 'rear exit' chair, you don't have to do the radical hanging out you see on some other rigs. Just ~t over here like you're making love to the wheel cover, stick one knee out if you wish, and brace with your inside foot. "Going from side to side, always shift your grips in sequence, like this," as he talked, his hands moving method· ically from grip to grip. "Never make a move without at least one hand in a firm grip. If you fall out, the pilot may never notice you're missing until it's too late to save himself." In other words, I'd do well not to screw up. I looked pleadingly at Lind. "Go easy on 'me, Bruce; I'm an old man and out of shape." He nodded. Fortunately, Lind has a solid sense of self-preservation. Heck, he's almost my age. Nothing left but to help push off and jump onto the platform. I did my best to hunker tight down on my knees behind the radiator cowling as we accelerated hard out of the pits, but my stomach kept ~tting in the way. Tried a tentative, slow move up over Bruce's back on the right·hand turn one, felt OK, then hand·over-hand down to the left for tum two, a lS00 sweeper. Going fast enough now to get a real bite on that one. Bruce did a firm, predictable rollon that compressed the next short downhill chute alarmingly. Then we were on top of the first hairpin, braking hard, with me on my knees, my involuntary twitch. Stay still, dammitl Fully cranked on, tum one is now a fully committed 150 mph kink to the right. Got to be very slow and deliberate, anticipating the half-blind comer that's on us with a rush. Then down flat again, fighting against the brakes, as Bruce has to ~t us slowed well down before committing us to tum two, a left-hander that demands acceleration to carry us through. (We're "left chair," so rolling off or braking would make us turn right.) My arms are really pumped up now, my hands throbbing with the effort. My breath is coming in harsh gasps, and I barely make all the grip shifts in time down at the hairpins, scaring myself thoroughly as my hands almost refuse to work. I go back to a single death-grip for the remainder of the lap, except for turn nine where I've got time to ~t out and down well in advance. Then it's back down tight for the straight again. When I can spare one hand free, I pound Bruce on the back and flex my fin~rs at him - a signal (I hope) that my grip is going. He nods. We do a cool-off lap as I start to breathe easier and roll in dead-engine. Three laps. My knees are rubbery as I rise to my feet. Wow. Three laps, and I'm wasted. Oh, to be about 10 years youn~r and in some kind of shape. What a ridel • 0Cl 0') First off, we'd like to commend all the young Suzuki riders who participated in the Fbnca City Nationals on ajob well done. And. we'd like to congratulate the 7 riders who rode their way to National Championships aboard Suzukis. Congratulations to: Byron ClaytonPee wee Modified. Mike Healey-83cc Stock Intermediate (12 years and older). Jeff Frisz125cc Stock Intermediate. John Hemme125cc Stock Modified Intermediate. Kyle Landrum -125cc Modified Expert. Stuart Cotton-25OCc Intermediate, Ron Fossen250Cc Novice. Good luck to all in 1982. 33

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