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/126773
Desert ace Dave Miller has regained consciousness after his tumble at the Lama 125 on April 28. Miller is faced with a longterm recovery. When the therapy is complete, doctors hope he will be fully recovered. ~y p~p~ \Vf~LfY California Assembly Bill 2497, which would require helmets for motorcycle riders and passengers under the age of 15 and a half, passed the Assembly by 64-6 vote. It now goes to the State Senate, where it will first be heard by the Senate Transportation Committee. If you have feelings about the bill - some say it could be the first step toward a full helmet law -you can drop a line to your State Senator care of the State Capitol, Sacramento, CA 95814. Honda's Freddie Spencer scored the win in the June 11 round of the 500cc World Road Racing Cham'pionship Series, run on the Paul Ricard circuit in France. Yamaha's Eddie Lawson passed Hondamounted fellow American Randy Mamola on the last lap to take second, while Raymond Roche finished fourth on another Honda. lawson still has a strong lead in the points, with 81 to Spencer's 57. Roche (51) and Mamola (42) follow. Anton Mang won the 250cc GP over defending World Champ Carlos lavado; Wayne Rainey was sixth. Over 330 American Honda employees recently tried out Honda Aero scooters during a company get-acquainted program. Up to 80 people per day were bused from Honda's Gardena, California headquarters to the Ascot Raceway parking lot, where instruction and test riding courses were set up for experienced and inexperienced riders. According to Honda spokesmen, the company feels the scooter market will greatly expand in the future, and the employee enthusiasm about scooters would ultimately payoff in increased sales. Not everybody working for the company took part; Honda employs about 900 people in Gardena. Northern California's Ted Gansbergel' appears to be shooting for the honor of the world's fastest and slow. est rider. The Expert trials rider took an unfaired, unstreamJined Honda 750 to a new speed record of 218.443 mph on EI Mirage Dry Lake on May 6. This is also the fastest speed ever run on the lake, besting Don Vesco's run in a streamliner by II mph. Kawasaki Ninjas finished 1·2·3 in the June 8 Production race at the Isle of Man Classic TT. Winner Geoff Johnson won the three-lap, 115-mile race in one hour, four minutes, 30.4 seconds for an average speed of 105.282 mph, a new record. Runner-up Barry Woodland set a new one-lap record of 106.48 mph, and Howard Selby finished third. "I've been in a lot of races where the wind was blowing harder than it was here, but of course those were all sailboat races," said Road America National winner Mike Baldwin in describing weather conditions at the Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin,. event. Nebraska Governor Robert Kerrey, Kawasaki Motors Manufacturing President Takehiko Saeki, Kawasaki Heavy Industries President Kenko Hasegawa and Kawasaki Motorcycle Division Director Dr. Hiroshi Ohba examine the 500,OOo.h Kawasaki to come off the assembly line at Kawasaki's Lincoln, Nebraska factory. This is the plant's 10th year of operation; bike #500,000 was a 1984 Ninja. 2 The Formula One Road Racing Series Point Standings after the June 10 National at Wisconsin's Road America show Mike Baldwin leading with 25 points over Nick Richichi and Rich Schlachter, both at22, followed by Kenny Roberts (20), Wes Cooley (17), Freddie Spencer (16), Eddie Lawson (II), Randy Renfrow (11), Doug Brauneck (10), and An Robbins (8). • • The Honda road racing team transporter at Road America had a pair of Interceptor-based Formula One bikes parked inside carrying the number plates of Ricky Graham and Bubba Shobert. The two will make their Camei Pro Series roatl racing debuts at the June 16-17 laconia Classic at Loudon, New Hampshire. s. •• , •• Honda's Eddy Lejeune won the June 10 World Championship Observed Trials round held at Watkins Glen, New York. Protests following the event altered the finishing order originally announced. The jury heard the protests and awarded the win to Lejeune who picked up 31 marks on the day. Second with 34 marks was ThierJY Michaud .(Fan), while John lampkin (Fan) was third with 35. Bernie Schreiber (SWM) won the National Championship round that ran with the World Championship event. Brian Young (Fan) won the Sportsman National on Saturday. A friend (who wishes to remain anonymous) of one of our staff members JUSt completed what w 'II call the One Lapof Okinawa. Hecircumnavig-ated th 454 square mile island, which is located about 500 miles southwest of Japan, in four hours. 26 minutes and 31 seconds, covering 229.7 miles at an average speed of 51.75 miles per h.our. If that doe n't ..II ". k ~_ ... impress you, consider this: "You've never seen slicker roads (coral base). more traffic lights. slower speed limits (25 mph maximum), or dumber driver. No one thought I could do it in less than eight hours. It would take 10 hours in a car, minimum," said our man in Okinawa. Any challengers out there in the Ryukyu Islands? Team Honda's Bob Hannah had the cast taken off the wrist he broke in the May 13 Atlanta National MX on Friday, June 1, but his doctor found tHat the break hadn't healed and a new cast was put on the wrist. -The multi-time National Champion MXer faces at least three more weeks on the sidelines. Australian Geoff Ballard (C-A) POSted the best individual score in the Michigan Three Day ISDE Qualifier held in Rose City on June 8-10. Ballard, the 250 c Intent class winner, topped Team Husqvarna's Mike Melton for the overall win, 2406 points to 2411. Ballard's better time in the acceleration test on day three gave him tbe win. Melton was the Open Intent class winner, followed by teammate Kevin Hines at 2429. Larry Roeseler (Hus) topped the Four-Stroke class with a 2557, while Randy Hawkins (Hus) was the winner in the 125cc Intent class with a 2600. Complete coverage next week. Through a combination of equipment problems and very poor service from AT&T, the AMA has l\iI{)T()RCYCI~ l··IriOOSTRyLj CUANGES Engaged Speedway racer Ron Blanton and Bev Hensler, to be married at rnland Motorcycle Speedway in San Bernardino, California june 20 at 7:30 p.m., just before the racing starts. Quit Rider magazine after one year, four months, Associate Editor Paul van Zuyle, 23, to become Associate Editor of Cycle Guide magazine. Promoted Dirk Vandenberg, 34, from Assistant Manager to Manager of the Motorcycle Product Research Department of American Honda Motor Co. Promoted Bob Doornbos, 39, from Manager to Senior Manager of the Motorcycle Product Research Department of American Honda Motor Co. Reappointed T.o a fouryear term on the California Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Commission, Yamaha of San Luis Obispo owner john Motley. Born Michael john Gaedke, june 9, to Harley-Davidson Racing Department Supervisor john Gaedke and wife Vicki. Sold His share of Westlake Suzuki, Chris Crowell, 34, to become eastern sales technician for Kerker. .