Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

, Jerry Greer (left) and ChuCk Guy left Agoura, California on November 2, bound for New York in this streamliner powered by a 185 Yamaha. Their objective? To get there using no more than 16 gallons of gas. They will try and average 210 miles per gallon on the transcontinental run. We'll have the details on how they did next week. Photo by Joel Breault. ,and 300 entries would result in a $30,000 purse. The drawing for starting numbers will be December 10, with registration and tech the day before the race. For more information, call Folks at 702/457-0343. Last wee.k we ran the point standings of the Trans-Cal outdoor series and there needs to be a few corrections. In the 125cc Pro class, Doug Bowers finished in the 1Oth spot with 189 points. In the 250cc class Bill Grossi finished in ninth' with 187 points while Richard Sands finished 1Oth with 184. And finally, in the 500cc division, Steve Rhyan took ninth ahead of Tim Locey, 215-202. During practice for the San Diego Supercross, the back of Warren Reid's jersey read, "It's a boy." Last week, Reid's wife, Cinda, gave birth to Alden Daniel Reid, a seven-pound, 13-,ounce baby boy, The baby, Cinda and Warren are all doing fine. The Reids have another son, age 2~ years. A pain in the wrist. Julie Tamm, one of Team Tamm's owners, said that their riders have been plagu~d by wrist injuries all season long. Two days before the San Diego Supercross, Chris Heisser broke his wrist and will be out of action for a couple of months. Todd Harrell, who broke his wrist in the fourth round of the Trans-Cal Series at Carlsbad, isn'tao lucky. Harrell will be laid up for at least six months. Earlier in the year Mike Shoemaker broke his wrist while Dan Conway sprained his. "Fried fish for breakfast and raw fish for dinner isn't what I call my style of living." That is what jim Holley had to say about his recent stay in the 'Orient. "There is no way I could live there. The beds are on the ground and it is too easy to get lost in the streets." Holley was going to sign a $50,000 contract with Yamaha to race in japan, but Holley turned it down. A little over a year after the serious injury he sustained in Europe, Donnie Hansen made his first Supercross appearance. In the first qualifier, Hansen pulled off the'course after a few laps and retired for the night. When asked later how he felt out there, his only comment was, "I'm just not ready ,yet." , A date change for the ninth annual Continental Motosports Club FourStroke Nationals, sponsored this year by Skoal Bandit, at CarlSbad Raceway was announced by CMC's Stu Peters. To avoid conflict with a rescheduled Supercross outside Tokyo, japan, the Four-Stroke Nationals will be December 18, 1983. IN MEMORIAM: Long-time desert/ off-road competitor Bill Friant. 41, was killed when he hit a concrete pillar after crashing on the road three miles off the start of the Baja 1000 on November 4. Friant, who is survived by his wife Barbara, son Kenny and daughterJoni, was well known as a veteran member of the Prospectors M.C., a campaigner of Puchs during the late '60s and 70s, and as a member of two U.S. ISDT teams during that period. Most recently, Friant had been working as a sales representative for Malcolm Smith Racing Products in the greater Los Angeles area. Malcolm Smith General Manager Jim Lewis said, "Bill is remembered as someone who had a great sense of humor, had enjoyed a lot of fun, and who died instantly doing something he loved to do the most." Services were held on Tuesday afternoon, November 8. It has been requested that in lieu' of flowers, donations be sent to the District 37 Legal Defense Fund. Cards and letters to the family can be sent care of Malcolm Smith RacingProduets, 850 Marlborough, Riverside, CA 92507. Godspeed, Bill... Honda has announced that they are expanding their motorcycle operations in Ohio to include engine production beginning in early 1985.. K. Fukatsu, senior vice-president of American Honda's motorcycle division, said, "The engine' production operations will include die casting, machining, and final engine assembly, Capacity will be 250 multi-cylinder engines per day on a one-shift basis or 60,000 engines per year," Fukatsu added, in a letter to Honda dealers, "Success in motorcycle sales has made possible this expenditure of $30,000,000 on engine production capabilities, The total investment in all of Honda"s U.S. production fadlities will reach $340,000,000." • After a one-year hiatus, the XR250R (above) makes a reappearance, this time with Honda's Radial Four Valve Combustion chamber (RFVC), a twin-piston caliper front disc brake and a claimed dry weight of 233 pounds. Uke this year's XR350 and 500, the 250 has dual carburetors for better throttle response. Honda claims that the all-new RFVC engine in the XR200R (above) makes enough power for the serious 'A' class enduro rider. A claim~d dry weight of 225 pounds, 10 inches of suspension travel and a close-ratio six-speed transmission back up that statement. Uke its larger 250,350 and 500cc stablemates, t"e 200 comes with a six-month warranty. A new addition to Honda's dual-purpose line is the XL350R (below). Uke the revamped XL250, the 350 is RFVC equipped. Features include a front disc brake and a gear-driven counter-balancer. '

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