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/126891
ore ~1 SieJIJut au # 1 ~ . TRAILER- - CAMPER SALES * EXCEL * TERRY * * * TAURUS MANOR GARAGE CONESTOGA * TRAVELEZE + Kitchen + Dinette. Large Refrigerator + Bedroom + Queen Bed. BEAUTIFUL UVING AREA + Bathroom + Shower + Roof Rack & Ladder. FULLY SELF CONTAINED. The chief of Harley-Davidson·s ra.cing department. Clyde Denzer. RAIL MOTORCYCLE TRAILERS AVAILABLE IN 1 TO 5 RAIL COMBINATIONS ENCLOSED CARGO TRAILERS 8',12',16' & 20' FLOOR LENGTHS FLAT BED & JET SKI TRAILERS 5TH WHEELS CAMPER 7'6" - 11 '5" 18'-40' FULL TRAILERS 18' - 34' SALES - (818) 787-33n 7854 Sepulveda Blvd., Van Nuys, CA 91405 MOTORCYCLE ACCESSORIES .------- CHRISTMAS SALERoad Racing Helmets SHOEI RF1 05 ARAI Supervent ARAI Des'igner Series on1v$I09.95 On1v$129.95 $149.95 Off-Road Helmets BELL Moto-4 $129.95 Kryptonite l.ock mod K4-MC ... Reg. $49.95 NOW $29.95 10 01 OFrr A"GIo~es, Lubes 70 r. Goggles, Tires, TOO MUCH TO LlSTI • COME IN or CALL for PRICEI PASADENA SUZUKI YAMAHA 2900 East Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91107 (818) 795-4129 SPECTRO OILS WEST California Deale,.. Call Toll Free 118001 D-I-A-L-D-I-L 52 ely-de Denzel': Ame,icari Racing Chief By Bruce Newton Clyde O. Denzer just doesn't act like- you would expect the chief of Harley-Davidson Motor Co. 's Racing Department to act. Belying that top Sergeant Ironsides--style crew-cut he wears, Denzer seems to lack the autocratic air of the legendary Dick O'Brien, from whom he took over the lOp job in 1984. In facl, as Denzer adm ii, i I would be hard lO be aUlocralic even if he wamed to be, as the H-D race shop boasls j USl four em ployees lhese days, counting himself. Thal's way down from lhe legendary days of the '60 , '70s and early '80s when lhe O'Brien-led leam swepl all before lhem on the Gnllld Nalional circuil, mo l nOlably, of course, on the nation's din tracks. Denzer, an engineer who joined the leam in 1960, had a laSle of running lhe race team in 198-1, after O'Brien retired. BUl it was not a classic eason for H-D. Ricky Gnlham and Bubba Shobert look one-lWO for Honda, while lhe Japanese company also clinched the manufacturers' championship. Allheend of lhal, H-D announ ed it wa pulling OUl of racing altogelher and Denzer and his learn faced lhe axe. However, a concened effon by lhe dealer nelwork saw racing Slay. if on a much-reduced budget. Thal's why the race shop is looking sparse lhis year. Even lht, learn's lWO comracled racers, Jay SpringSleen and Scolly Parker, had lO supply their own transponalion and mechanics for lhe privilege of being factory riders. To rubsah into the wounds. Honda once again won the Grdnd Nalional Championship, lhis lime lhanks lO Shobert. Denzer says he is nOl biller al lhe Milwaukee co~pany's decision lO pull OUI at lht· ('nd of 198,j; afln all, lht, I('am COSI 7:>0,000 to run Ihal season. Big- mane}' 1'01 a manufaclurer "'atkin!?: the financiallighlrope as Harley-Davidson is allhe momenL However, il slill did bi,e - deep. "I was hun by il and I could recogn ize lha l a 10l of other people were hun by it. Thal is always the case when lhere is any reduction in workforce," he explains. "There're people lhal you like very much and you've worked Wilh lhem for a long lime, lhey're friends instead of co-worker, so you hale lO see it. BUllhere wa ju lificalion in lhallhe company could nOl afford it. We tried al lhal time lO find major sponsors, bUl by the time we realized thal we were going to have such a CUl, we were lOO Iale in lhe Se'dson and budgets had already been established. So then lhe dealers gOl involved wilh il and prom pled managemem to reverse their decision and nOl drop racing allogether. " <)f course, Denzer's problems wouldn't be so bad if Honda' megabucks weren'l on lhe scene. In 1984, lhe new RS750 exposed HarleyDavidson's Velerdn racer, the XR750, for what il was - a 12-year-old design in need of an update. Denzer admils candidly lhal afler 1984 he didn 'l expecl a Harley lO win one of the presligious mileevenls this season, and if lhey did, il would be pure lucie BUl Springsleen's 40lh career win al Syracuse and Parker's victories al lhe Indianapolis day race and at Sacramemo indicaled lhal while on reduced budgel and manpower, the rdce depanment is slill in lhere. A lot of effort has gone into lhe