Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

1983, and the sounds are not indicative that these two bikes have anything in common. Mr. Noyes, being from Europe, probably never heard the FWS and made the connection to the NR. Even though I never heard the NR in action, I'm sure someone has heard both the NR and FWS and could say for certain whether or not they were related. My calculator tells me that with the measurements of the piston in the article, coupled with a 48.5mm stroke, the result would be a Y-4 displacing 999.69cc. Using the correct formula for piston speed (the formula in the article, stroke X 2 X rpm divided by 60, gives millimeters per second, nOl meters per minute), 15,000 rpm combined with stroke of 48.5mm equals 4,774 feet per minute, just about ideal fcir a high performance four-stroke race engine. So, is this piston from the FWS? Only Honda knows for sure, BILLCRISAN Masury,OH WEST America's weekly motorcycle newspaper Sharon Clayton, Publisher Caroline Gmdry, Executive Secmary to tb~ Publisher Nancy Danger, Advertising/Editorial Assistant. Edltoriel Brown, SerUor Editor. Lance Bryson, Editor. Kit Palmer, Editor. Mau Hilgmberg, Editor. Dal~ Advertising Sitipjohnson, National Sales Mana~. Prau, Sal~. Manager. Mik~ Spmcer, Sal~ Mana~. Linda Brown, Advcrusing Goonlmator. Tina Ilowm, T~rry Graphic••nd Production ~M Bm_t, Graphic Artist. Lori Tyson, Graphic Artist. Marion Halashita, Typography.SMiIa Lanen, Typography. ~nm. G~, Laboratory. Mike K1in~, Controller. Doona Bryan. Accounts Receivable Coordinator. OcDeva Ilrpass, Assistant. Terry Dail~. Credit Mana~. Circul.tion Rb~ba Smitb. Manager. Michdl~ Hanna, Sarah Taylor, ~ie Walker, Lyna Hood, Assistants. Oeeler S.....nd Service Tim Ryan, Dl:aIer Sal~ Manager. W.ntAd. Robert Elliott, Want Ad Sal~. Servl• •nd SUpport Otri. Aiteh~. Rttq:>tioni... G~ory Hanson, S&:S. West 2201 Cherry Av~., Long Beach, CA P.O. Box 498, Long Beach, CA 90801- 0498 (2U) 427-7433; L.A. Lin~ 656-8844. E.st 4190 First Av~.• Tucker, GA. P.O. Box llOS, Tucker. CA 30085-0805. (404) 934-7850. Cycl~ N~.IW~t (U~PS 141-340) i. pubh.Md wMly ~Xttpt tm fint and lut week 01 th~ calmdar y&r lor S25 per y~ar by Cycl~ N~., Inc., 2201 Cherry Avm~, Long Beach, CA 90806. ~ cIaa. postage paid at Long Beach, CA. POSTMASTER: SencI form 3579 to Cycle ~. P.O. Box 498. looIg s-ch. CA 90801-0498. Subscription rat~: On~ y~, second class mail, $25; two y~rs, ~ond clas. mail, $45; three~, ~ond clas. mail. $68; 25 WM', $14. Forcign raro availabl~on~u~. Cycl~ N~. w~kom~ unsolici~.mi toriaJ material including .tori~, cartoons, photos, ~. Such malhial, il publishm, becontn exclU$iv~ property 01 Cycl~ N~ .. Such acu~ mat~ tm rial is subject to rtVision as is nea:ssary in th~ sol~ discretion or Cycl~ N~ .. Unsolicitm material which i. not used will ~ rdumm il accompanied by a sdl atIdrosed .lampm mvel~. All unsolici~ material will be handlm with ~sonabl~ car~, how~ver, Cycl~ N~s assumes no responsibility (or the saf~ty, loss or damage to .uch material. R~printing in whol~ or part only by permission of publisher. Advertising w rates and circulation information will ~ sent upon ~~t. ~ S.R.D.S. CopyriglotGll Cycle ~. Inc. 1884. Tr8demertl Cycle N _ regI818reCI U.S. hUnt Otftce. All rights . . .-..d. ON THE FRONT PAGE: Ron I_d. the letest 125cc Netlonel MX down Seddlebeck'. Benzej Hill. For e complete report on the race. _ p. 8. Photo by Kit '"-'mer. Turner 0. < Open letter to Senator Wilson ~AuUtanL Accounting I O.te Proce••ing ..... ... Thenks ag.in guysl At the California Racing Club's Hobo 100, I managed to perform a good one. About eight miles out on the second loop, my riding partners Ron "Gorman" Griffo, Gary Elmendorf and I were just zipping along, keeping on time. The speed average was medium, about 20 mph, and no problem. I glanced down at my instruments, looked up again and the trail ribbons had disappeared. Lost? Looking left down the hill, we saw the riders on the minute behind us go by. No problem - there's the trail. All of a sudden, one of those white, long-legged high desert rim rats reached up out of his hole and grabbed my front wheel. Well, over the bars I went I Moving to get up, I could tell that my left forearm was junk. Luckily, Gary saw me do it and rode right over. "You broke it, didn't you?" he asked. AU I could do was confirm it. Ron rode up, and then he took off to get help. Gary started to try and comfort me, and we just hung out until we saw that gorgeous 4x4 Rescue 3 truck pull up. The guys from Rescue 3 took great care of me and gOt me on the road to a hospital in a hurry. WelJ, after three operations and two weeks in the hospital, I'm on the downhill run to recovery. Again, I'd like to say thank you to Gary Elmendorf, Ron "Gorman" Griffo and the great guys from Rescue 3. JEFFBLIX Santa Monica, CA Correction I would like to clarify a point of information in the otherwise excellent write-up by Shirely Upp about the 0-37 HBMC desert race on March 11. Ken Oviatt is, and has been for the past year and a half, sponsored in part by BC Cycle Supply. Great ride, Kenl BRIAN MEYETTE Westminster, CA Wax peper champ] Congratulations, with reservations, to Kenny Roberts for his winning the Daytona 200 again. Reservations for his poor sportsmanship on criticizing the slower riders, none of whom had the grossly unfair advantage of full factory support, the fastest motorcycle, and unlimitedlinancesenjoyed by Roberts. I would suggest that Kenny ride this race again next year on one of the so-called slower so-called motorcycles so that he would not have to worry about the safety in passing that he has complained about. Let him ridewithhisequals. Who needs a 180 mph racer, or Kenny Roberts, for that matter? The rac~ at Daytona would be more interesting to the race fans with only those so-called slower riders fighting it out. There are undoubtedly riders on those slower bikes who could ride wheel-to-wheel with the wax paper champ. FRED J. MARSH East Windsor, CT If tl!ere were riders among that pack who could ride "wheel-to-wheel" with Kenny Roberts on comparable machinery, then they would have comparable machinery. The motorcycle industry isn't dumb ... Editor. FWS piston] I read the article concerning the Honda oval piston in your March issue with a great deal of interest. However, I think that Mr. Noyes is missing the boat in his assessment that this particular piston was used in the NR500 or some other Honda project that we have yet to see. This opinion of mine is based on my recollection that the Honda FWSI 000 was never seen in a disassembled state by anyone outside the Honda organizauon, Indeed, by anyone outside Japan. If this recollection is in fact true, then I feel that the oval piston pictured is from the FWS. Although most people felt that the Interceptor was based on the FWS by virtue of its Y-4 design, anyone who ever heard the FWSIOOO and the factory Superbike Interceptor can nOl rea 11y accept this assumption. I heard the incredible FWS at Pocono in 1982, and the Superbike Interceptors both there and at Mid Ohio in My wife and I, as registered voters, have noted with great concern the possibility of closure of portions of the Sequoia National Forest Domeland Area to O£f-Highway Yehicle (OHY) use. This land is currently included in your California Wilderness Bill. We realize that in this current day and age there is great emphasis placed on conservation of America's wilderness areas, but we also realize that there is need for multiple usage of available recreational area . For 10 years we have visited this majestic region of the Sequoia ational Forest and have always marveled at its beauty and serenity. We respect nature as an irreplaceable commodity and have always attempted to leave this area in a condition that is improved over that which existed when we arrived. We respect all existing rules and laws of this region and insist that our companion OHV owners do the same. _ In short we feel that this area is currently supporting multiple recreational pursuits in a manner that positively contributes to the well being of all Californians. For this reason we request that you consider that this forest area has actually benefitted from OHV presence (Trail rebuilding, trail drainage, reduced fire danger, etc.) and not pursue the implementation of the California Wilderness Bill. ROBERT C. ME NELL ANN C. MENNELL Redondo Beach, CA Oucati pens I'm trying to find a source for Ducati parts in the U.S. since their reorganization with Cagiva. Do you have information on where this source may be? P. HENNINGER Boulder, CO According to a Cagiva spokesman, Ducati owners can buy replacement parts through Ducati dealers, who are invited to contact Cagiva North America, 20030 S. Norman die Ave., Torrance, CA 90502 (213) 538-9337,..Editor. Published letters do not necessarily reflect the position of Cycle News. Inc. Send letters to Voices. BOlt 498. Long Beach. CA 90801. 3

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