Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/126607
r »: w -in-ii{rig"ih"e"Etiropean( ~orld)- " " championship two years running on the 250cc Ossa he deve1ped. Ossa continued to market th e bike as th e MAR (Mick Andrews Replica ), but development slowed after Andrews' departure. The factory sold virtuall y the same bike for about three years. Th en , in 1976, a 302cc machine tagged th e 350 was introduced. By then , Ossa trials sales in th e U.S. had slipped noticeabl y. Ossa's problems compounded in 1977. The factory attempted toadjust to their shrinking market. Management wanted to cut the labor force. The union said no. (Workers in Spain reportedly have virtual lifetime tenure on th eir jo bs.) Ossa, still solvent but seeing the handwriting on the wall, filed for voluntary bankruptcy. The facto ry was turned over to the workers. They received a loan of about $2 million from the government as well as a dispensation to do the same thing management "had wanted to do reduce the la bo r force. Since the turnover production has been stable. . Back in operation , Ossa signed Andrews . They a lso added homeland hero Tony Gorgot in ' 1979. Gorgot gav e th em a co u p le o f Spanish ch ampionships, a win or two in world champion sh ip co m pe ti t io n, a n d pl enty of devel opment input before leaving to join Montesa this year. Back here Ossa distribution ha s seen a co u p le of cha nges in recent years. Ossas were im ported from 1966 to 1980 by J ohn Taylo r, wh o had been a Bultaco im porte r a t one time. Taylor, wh o more or less pioneered th e concept of specialized off- road mo torcycle boots. still im ports th e Full Bores th ro ug h his Yankee Cycle . Compan y. T a ylor tr ansfe rr ed Ossa import rights to Ron Saum (who is now the SWM importer ) during the summer of 1980. Then the Slater Brothers, already involved wi th import ing Laverda motorcycles, acq u ired the rights from Saum last su m mer. The new importer, Slater Brothers, is hoping to turn around th e dwin dling sales of recent years. Ossa America, Inc. has been formed to , handle Os sa di stribution (enduro. motocross. a nd tri als bikes ) and spare parts. both pa st and present. (For more info. contact Ossa Am eri ca, In c.. P .O . Box 746, Kenwood, CA 95452. 707/833-2622.) The cu rre nt 350 T ri a ls model is yellow, but a paler shade than Yamaha o r Suzuki h ues. Ossas have always had a d istin ct ive look and the cu rrent mod el is no exception. Instant eyeca tche rs a re th e sna ke-type exhaust system a nd hi gh-mount la id -down shocks. . The 350 sports a sturdy p las tic (ra ther th an a lu mi n u m) skid pl at e which is a n integra l part of the frame. The dual down tub es bo lt into p lace, facilitatin g rem oval of the p ipe. The rea r end o f th e bike is d ist in ctive in two respects. First, it's tall because th e rea r fender is mounted noticeabl y above th e rear fram e loop rather th an £lush to it. Second, the rear end of th e bike is quite narrow because th e bottom shock mounts a re positioned o n pedestal s a bove the swingarm . G ro und cleara nce is exce ptional, close to 14 inc hes . Current ly, most tri als bik es ru n 12-13 in ches. Foot clearance. as mi gh t be expec ted, is al so o n th e tall side. The pegs are more than 16 in ches above the ground. (Abo u t two in ch es taller than a Bultaco.) T hese changes are co m p lete a KEN M A ELY "The Shoe Man" Ask the recer tNt wura one can-am® From Performance Cycle Featu ring 5.... 5 _ ' " .00 strap " .50 IUP8" t1l' 1p . 2.50 _ T-shirt $7.00 _ .00 Sizes 6 to 1J 0 Mdth A ll Prices pl us C.O.D. & Postage . . . . .. PIpee* M o tOfCVC covers Ie -'- OtSC brakes . wheels, Hub s. Sptockets, & mor e t.......... , 17141735-0540 MAELY ENT S.. RT. 2. BOX 7SB 8li3O Bedford Mtr. Way. COro.... CA 91720 1981 250MX 6B At Super Prices Factory rebate a llows us to reduce p rice by 50% Also 1982 Enduro crossers: 125, 175, 250 & 400cc 1982 SOOcc SONIC MODELS IN STOCK PERFORMANCE CYCLE 1010 North Olive, Anaheim, CA 9280 1 (714) 991-7210 ~ r r can-am ~ I DEGUMMED RAC ING C ASTOR OIL ,\\AII,\\A Maxima Perfonnance Products ~ Wd't .114 · EI C",on. CA 92020 1401 1714, 442 ·9723 ·35