Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

C\I 00 (j') o ~ Freddie Spencer's winter test sessions have gone well . Both the bikes and Spencer seem ready to do well at Daytona . (Continued from page 26) ...And a few more By Chris Carter 28 Freddie Spen cer also talk ed to Engl ish journa lis t Chr is Carte r, and so me of the to pics of discussion has been excer pted from tha t interview an d appear below ...Ed it or. On riding the World Championship Series for Honda " O ne of th e factors wa s th at 1 ge t o n well with the people at H o nda , bo th in Am eri ca an d J apa n. Things would have to be n ot workin g well for me 10 thi n k of switch ing, a nd th e o p pos ite is th e case. " For th e past two years we h ave develo ped a go od workingrelationsh ip with th e people at Honda, a n d th at h elped m e mak e my decisi on. I want 10 win every ra ce I go in , for Honda , a nd myself : ' On th e lour-stroke NR500 road racer " T he four-stroke proj ect will carryon, an d 1 hope 10 be able 10 do a lot o f work o n th at . Certainly 1 enjoyed ridi ng the N R, even though si tting on th e grid a t th e Brit ish G rand Prix 1 kn ew th at I h ad 10 ta ke five more steps th an anyone else. There wer e a lot o f p eopl e beh in d and, a nd I knew I was going to be fort unat e 10, one, ge t th e bi ke started. and two. ge t into turn one a nd n o t be last." " O ne of th e p ro blems wi th th e NR was th at th e engine was big in co m pa riso n 10 th e rest o f th e bike. so it wa s impossible 10 get th e weight far en ough forward . That made for steering problem s co m ing o u t of corners. but that was som eth ing yo u co m pe nsa ted for. Even so I think th at I co ul d h ave gone fast er o n th e bik e. giv en time: ' " Do n ' t as k me wh y th e o ther guys wh o rod e th e 1 ' R did n ot h ave a ny results. I ca n' t spea k for th em , I ca n o n ly speak for my self. but I do kn ow th at is very easy to lose heart wh en .you have been ridin g a bik e wit h th e same p roblem for so me tim e. Afte r a while yo u just rid e th e m ach in e arou nd ra ther th an race it : ' " In raci ng yo u a lways have to keep improvin g . A bike is never p erfect. Th ere's alwa ys so meth ing you ca n do to improve it , a n d I ~e1 th e same way a bo u t m yself. I'v e sti ll got a lo ng wa y 10 go." " I do not feel th e NR p roj ect was a failure. Perh aps th e H o nda factory beli eved th at after three or four years th ey wou ld wi n, bu t I kn ew th e ot her J apan ese factories wou ld be workin g hard 10 sto p tha t. It wa s not a failure, but I do beli eve th ey made the ri ght mo ve in switch ing to a twostroke for '82." "The stuff th e factory learn ed from th e N R500 is amazing. You o n ly have 10 look at the new V-oj Hon da we will ride at Daytona 10 see ho w they have a pplied that th ere, for exa mple: ' I On h is 1982 dirt tra ck effort " I ex pected th at we mi ght have so me teeth iru p robl em s because th at 's wh at us ua lly happen with a n ew bike. But we did bet ter in ou r firs t yea th an Ya maha , for exa m p le. 'a nd if Honda doe well in dirt raci ng in '82. 1 kn ow 1 will hav played my part in it." " I tried it o nce and 1 fail ed . 1don 't regret it. bu 1ca n not see dirt tra ck raci ng gell ing back up 10 ' level wh ere it will be worth it , n ot fin anciall y, bu from a ca reer p o int o f view." " Befo re, 1d idn ' t know wha t it took to go 10 th 26-race series, particul arl y wh en yo u hav e troub l with th e bik es. After doin g so much road racin j I' m not su re 1 want 10 ge t involved in a ll th a aga in." On th e future " I bel ieve th is year will mak e up [or a ll o f las year 's d isappo intm ents , a n d in a ny case yo u ca n ' let things like th at ge t yo u down . If 1 had 10 s to j racing ri gh t now 1wo uld be very satis fied with m career from wh at I've go tten o u t of it:' On copi ng with Eu rope " Tm a dap tab le, a nd th e o lde r yo u ge t th e ma r a dapta ble you beco me. T he o n ly thin g I'm gain 10 m iss is my favorite drink, Dr. Pepper. Perh ap I'd bette r ship a tru ck loa d o u t there ."

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