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/126651
(Left) Top mileage makers Charly Perethian and Dan Hanebrink. (Above) Andy Baines, Bob Lebo and trophies. (Below) CB100 got 429 mpg, but was late. (Below left) Honda-powered threewheeler. Craig Vetter High Mileage Run 372 mpg: Rifle aims true. By Tod Rafferty Photos by Dale Brown and Rafferty MONTEREY, CA, JULY 16-17 They did it again. Last year the merry band of independents from Rifle Fairings squeezed 282 miles per gallon from a 185 Yamaha. This year, on the same bike, they pushed the number to 372 to win the annual Craig Vetter High Mileage Run_ . But despite the numbers, the 16 Rifle squad nearly became the Goliath this year instead of the David. The event began Saturday with a qualifying run along the Big Sur coast, with the top 15 mileage-makers transferring to Sunday's Nickel Race on the track at Laguna Seca. Carrying only five cent~' worth of fuel, the last entry sputtenng to a halt would take the top prize of $3000. As it turned out, two machines outdistanced Rifle on the track, but both suffered miscues to fall out of contention. The last bike to dry up, and the apparent winner at the time, was a Rifle-faired Honda 185 ridden by Matsu Matsuzawa of San Pedro. The bike, built by Vernon Gabbert and Kenneth Miyako from Honda Research of America, had made the final with 235 mpg. Naturally there was some surprise among the other contestants, since Rifle's qualifying average was 372. Where did those guys find the extra 137 mpg overnight? They didn't. What had happened was the old failure to communicate. Rider Matsuzawa, who speaks little English, did not understand that all entries were to drain their float bowls before the start. That extra ounce or so allowed him to travel much farther than the others, and when the mistake was realized he had to be disqualified. But the heartbreak award went to the team of Rick Montanaro and Eric Blickenstaff from San Luis Obispo. Their Honda 100, enclosed in a canopy of Dacron-covered aluminum tubing, turned in 429 mpg on the coast run. But they finished two minutes outside the maximum time limit. They ran Sunday's Nickel Race only as a consolation entry. However. "as the last bike carrying the proper amount of fuel to stop running, those two minutes cost them $1500 apiece. The most serious threat to Rifle's domination came once again from Dan Hanebrink's 130-pound streamliner, powered by a Honda 90. The miniscule teardrop logged 362 mpg in the qualifier, using one penny's worth more fuel than the winner, and chuffed to a stop on Sunday just a few hundred yards behind the Rifle bik-e: Lisa Lucke had third highest mileage on Saturday, pulling 255 on a Honda 185 designed by Robert Clarke. The swoopy little bike, which lookoo like a mini-roadracer for Luke Skywalker Jr., drew many compliments for its artful bodywork. Lisa had problems with the engine stallingoin the Nickel Race. At fourth in overall mileage with 252 was Matt Guzzeua on theSuzuki/Vesco Products GNIJt5, another stylish piece of work. Robert Rhodes of Santa Barba,a qualified sixth at 178 mpg, ridingia Yamaha 250 Exciter with a Rifle fairing. In seventh at 165 mpg waS la Kawasaki 250 built by Hurley W~ vert and ridden by his wife, Brenda. The fairing was made by Jerry Greer, who was also entered on a Honda SLlOO, witha 13-year-oldenginethat received no work prior to the e em. 'Greer logged 187 mpg on Saturday, but finished late after being pulled over by the police for going too slow. American Honda's high-tech 125 streamliner, piloted this year by Russ Collins, again suffered numerous problems. On Saturday a carburetor