Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

sticks and vino rosso go better than breads ticks and Foster 's, somehow. "People are all so friendl y,though: being a team based in Europe th ere 's always a lot more hangers-on th an last year, where we were effectively a British team with Colonial rid ers tra velling abroad in Eu rope wh ere nobod y kn ew us. Here it's a ll very social, espescially round our Iittle workshop. It 's in the back streets of Bergamo and we're living in the motorhorne next door to it. On th e other side is a - well , it's called a hotel, but really it 's a home of iIIrepute for tired busin essmen." How does the OW60 compare to last year's Suzuki? " No t a t all rea lly - it 's a completely different bike and so 's th is year's Suzuki. I wa s following Uncin i today, and th e Suzuki was streets faster in th e first three gears - but the Yamaha revs a lo t higher, as I said. Wh en I fir st tested it in Japan I didn' t like th e frame, so we asked them to make a new one wi th different head angle and stuff. They were a bit non-committal, but th en I think winning at Daytona got them a bit fired up; next thing we know there's a telex sayin g it was a rri ving in Argentina. It came the same da y I'd done 35 laps at Misano and co nfirm ed that we needed it. "Argentina was a shame rea ll y - I only got in one good practice session on the bike and th en it stopped ea rly in the race .and I had to walk back to the pits dragging th e bike behind me . No way I was go ing to leave it out there after they stole th e carbs off th e bike at Monza last year. Mind you , I've found them again - they're here today on a bike. T ell Suzuki I'll let them know who's got them if th ey buy me a beer - mak e tha t a vino rosso. " Buenos Aires was amazingly chea p - 9" long steaks, 3" thi ck for a couple of quid with a sa lad. Glad we got out before all that trouble started though - hasn't the New Zealand government declared war on them as well? The track was a bit short for a GP, but the surface and everything was great - wis h th e bike had lasted. " Day tona was very satisfying - if on ly because I rode the race exactly the way we'd planned it in adva nce , and it wor ked o u t. We aimed to lap a t 2:05 a nd hope the 500 G P bikes would wear themselves out - they di d. But the Hondas were a surprise - nobod y thought the motors would last at the speeds they were doing, but they did. It 's j ust as well the tires d id n 'tl Reckon that's th e last time a nyone'll win th e 200 without a tire change, though." Any hard feelings about the Suzuki bu siness? " No, that's all water under the bridge now especiall y with this set-up being so different. Coming from riding in a British-based team where I was do ing most of the work in terms of riding, but most of the effort was being channelled into the other rider - for obvious reasons, because he was better at Grand P rix racing than I was - it 's a big change. Mind you, I probably made more money than h im doing what I did, bu t it 's certainly nice not to have to exp la in why I'm a seco nd slower than he is when we're supposed to be on th e same bikes. Except we weren 't: his bike had all th e work done o n it - a nd rightly so - and I· was just along for the beer, so it seemed. "Now I've got my own bikes, and I'm doing what I want to do, wh ich is GP racing with th e odd international to make a few dollars, and with a team manager who understands what it's like to be a rider out there, because he was one of the greatest that ever lived. OK - you're right: I guess I'm rea lly happy that thi ngs have turned out fo r the best after all. Who'd have thought it?" • Nal/onal Hydron IncoflHJf8ted 1764 Roherslown Rd. Lancaster, PA176111 USA Flyin' Fero blasts 'em at Burr Oak The Burr Oak National Enduro is a blast to ride - but a bear to win. It takes a good rider who has complete control of his motorcycle in everything from tight woods to wide open fire roads. John Fero won the Lightweight AA class riding his Suzuki PE175 equipped with GSM Supel'bar handlebars. See your dealer for the handlebars used by race winners - GSM Supel'bar handlebars - available in steel or chrome-moly in a variety of bends, styles and colors. • SM No. Hollywood, CA KEN MAELY '"The Shoe Man" As k the rac er t hat we.r. one St ..15 .... $65.00 strap 11 .50 atJps' sn.p 12.50 T·Shirt $1.00 _ $65.00 Sires 6 10 13 0 wtdth A n PrICes plu s C.O.D. & POSlage . . . . . . PIpn . MotOf CYC~ COvet'$ Disc brak e., wheels, Hubs , lOI'ock " .., & mor e AIM .... , . . '--OY (714) T.J5.054O MAELY ENTS.. RT.2. BOX 75B _ _ Mtr. W.." eoron.. CA 111211 45

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