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/126851
eCan-Am Commitment: No change too small itwillhelp ouwin" Twice W orJd SOOccMX Champion JeffSmith is Can-Am 's product manager. "T his flexibilitylets us put improvements into place that other manufacturerswouldconsider toosmall to bring the wheelsof industry toa haltfor. "But they'reoften bigenough changes to make thedifference between winning and losing foryou. "Here's a look at someofthe improvements we're making toCan-Am motocross and enduro bikes for 1986." 1 986handlingimprovements: "Last season,JohnMartin and GeoffBallard rode a number of events usinga remarkable new fork designfrom Manocchi. "This new M 1usestheright tube forcompression damping. The left handles rebound control.Instead of 'The reaction time ofmostbig corporations is soslowyousometimes wonderhow theycan remember whatitwasthey were reacting to. 'That's whatIlike bestaboutthe way Can-Am isstructured. While we'repartofa large international company ,thewaywework in themotorcycle division isidealfor thedevelopment ofcompetition machinery. "'he have a nice,tight,easy-tomonitorracingprogram inthe National Hare Scramblesseriesthat letsus quicklyevaluate contemplated changes. And our built-byhand production line ispliable enough to immediatelyincorporate anychanges wedecide to make. theusualcompromise settings,each sidecan beset up individuallyfor much better quality travel. By using appropriate oillevels andviscosity ineachforktube, the rider can customtailor theaction. "This 42mmforkcomes onall '86s.Onthe ASE's we'reusing itthe way Ballard andMartin did...with Continued... More Power to the Open-minded privateer! Some people, once theyget a taste ofpower,can never get enoughofit. These peopleare called Open class riders and they come inmany guises. Thosewho come toCan-Am are no ordinary power freaks. These connoisseurs appreciate the quality ofpower aswell asits quantity. And,yearafteryear, Can-Am is good atfinding more ways tosatisfy them. T the 1 ake 986versionofour 500 MX. It has been treated to carefullyconsidered exhaust port and pipe modifications that be Can-Am Rider: low do you tellthe .rivateers from he factory team? lotofpeoplethink thatthe more toney you spend oncompetition, ie more competitions you'llwin. They're probably right. The waymost factory teamsgoto ie races you can't helpbut be npressed.The mobile workshops. hewell-drilled technicians.The tiers who flyfi rst-class from event )event. Our factory teamisenvious.With ieir rusted-outvan anddrive-therend-do-it-yourselloperation, it's ard totellthemapartfrom some an-Am privateers.In bothcases, rough the competition budgets laynot bebig, the percentageof ornpetitionsuccesses certainly is. Our factory riders allbutdorniateNational Hare Scrambles.And ieyve made a disproportionately iud noise inthe National Enduro eries. Can-Am privateers have captured at leastsixState and District,as wellas fourCanadian Championships. Not to mention dozens upondozens ofmore local successes. Surely there's a lesson to be learned here: to be trulysuccessful when you go racing, spend J ess money. But spend iton the reliable performance ofCan-Am. Somehow,we don'tthinkthe otherfactory teams would go along. , .. " , "" stretch out its fine, fat powerband andallow ittorevhigherdown the straight. The Can-Am 500 ASE has also been refined. With exhaust developmentofits own,along with subtle carburetion modifications, its bottom endpower delivery is now better suited to the depths ofthe forest. And theSonic 560 MX four-stroke. A broaderoverlap camshaft lets itstart more easilyand rev more freely. And its new 38mmMikuni flat-slide carburetor gives its poweroutput a crisperedge. Know,however, that the attraction of our 1986 Open class bikes goes well beyond these power refinements! B eaware oftheir radicallyimprovedbraking systemusing Grimecafront discs and a reworked single leading shoe rear. B impressed, too, bythe e remarkable, new Marzocchi MI split, function forks.TheQuad Link II rear suspension revisions. The deep-breathing,one-piece airbox.The new, large capacity roto-molded gas tank.And the literallydozens ofother improvementswell-calculatedto keep youintrophies. Whichever ofthese Can-Am Open class machines you choose tocompete onthis season,you'll find the medicine you need tokeep your craving for power under control. After all, there'sno better therapythan winning. able powermanagementyou need toweave yourway through the forest like a 250. Yet itoffers the extrameasure oftorqueand tractionyou needto takeon longhills, loosedirtand deep sand. When you want to take on the Who did we havein mind woods with a vengeance, one when we designed our ofthe threeOpen class 350ASE? Can-Am warriors shown Open classers who think above will equipyouwith all thetools you need to tromp the competition. Buta lot ofenduroriders thinkthatwinning the Open class requires a more subtle approach. Now Can-Am has crafted it foryou. Ournew 350 ASEdelivers the lighterweight, precise handling control and predict, the bigbikes have grown too bigfor the riders. 250 riders who will admit they've grown too bigfor their bikes. And especially for any rider who is looking forthe bestway tohaulina raft ofoverall wins. The new Can-Am 350 ASE. The cleanestway through the trees. TheNewCan-Am 350AS£: An Onenclassbike for 250 riders! ' "" . " ..