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/126894
-- - - - - - - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - divide it into your own. Dilute all victory claims bythis number. The Winds of Change Rule Ifyoucan't get reliable results information,oreven ifyoucan,take a good look atwhat has been done to the bike since last season'scampaign. Ifthe changes are small, the manufacturer is probably refininga successful machine. If the changes are major,he'sprobably re-designing a failure. BigNew Features are tempting,but could blow your season. Leave New Technology testing tothefactories. You're a Privateer, nota pioneer. N thatyou knowthe Rules, here's whatyou ow should know aboutCan-Am for 1 986: ...continued time racinginsteadofwrenching. And yourmoneyonsomething besides enginerebuilds. That's oneaspect ofCan-Am that has neverchanged. And while we've finetuned ourfat powercurves over the years, what we've concentrated You need twothings to besuccessful onwas improving our handling. The payoff for youisthe new atmotorcyclecompetition.Ability Can-Am bikes for 1986.The same and money.The proportions can vary. And havinga lotofonedoes not incredible performance. Thesame bulletproof reliability.And now,with lead inevitablytotheother. Whenthefirst Can-Am bikes explodedontothescenea dozenor soyears ago; they seemed a prayer answered forriderswith lotsof ability, but littlemoney. Here was a motorcycle that was blindingly fast. Yet itdeliveredthat perf ormance withabsolutebedrockreliability. Youcouldactuallyspendyour The Can-AmC reed: We never forget whowe build bikes for. The Can-Am Test Bed: The Can-Am Look: Anotherglorious day in the labomtory! There will never be a perfect motorcycle. But the closer ours gets, the harderit is to make better. So, after the suspension designersand the engineers and the powerspecialists at Rotax have had theirsay,we reallyget down to it. Inour laboratory . Obviously, the only place to ' develop a motorcycle is where our customers ride it.That's why, every year, oursmallbutdedicated band oftestersattacks the National HareScrambles circuit. Hare Scrambles competition is the absolute worst ofboth worlds. It combines the speed and handlingrequirementsof motocross with the punishment and manoeuverability demands ofan enduro.And it offersus a tough, compact learning ground to find waysofimproving our bikesthisyear. So thatyoudon't find them nextyear. GeoffBallard,John M artin andCan-Am Product Manager Jeff Smith spend theirweek-ends ridingtheirbuns off allover the country. Thentheyspend their weeks examiningand analyzing the results. Ourgoalis to learn, not to win. But lookwhat's happening! Last year, Ballard picked up the National Hare Scrambles title with Martinthird ,Jeff Smith winning the SuperSenior crown. This year, at last report,John and Geoffhad sewnup twoof the top three places. And Jeff had taken SuperSenior fo r the thirdstraightyear. Are they doing something wrong? Or everything right? theirQuadL II rear suspension, ink Grimecadisc brakesand remarkable 1front forks, it newMarzocchi M seems like theygo whereyouwant just bythinking them there. Whilethis kindofprogress was taking place atCan-Am, mostofour competition had adifferenttask.The . SearchforM Power.And,in that ajor quest,reliability hasall-too-often beenleft lyingin the dirt. Can-Am development has progressed from the point where it helpedto have factory talenttorideour machines.Someofourcompetitors have proceeded to thepoint where youalmost need factory moneyto maintain theirs. From the privateer's point ofview, thedifference issignificant: we haven'tforgotten whowe buildour bikes for. size).And hiding behindJohn's waterproof nylon, lined Can-Am riding jacket isa 100%cotton Can-Am T -shirt. (The really excellentwhite leather boots are byGaerne). Can-Am riders areproud to be YourCan-Am dealer has allthis Can-Am riders.You can tellthat nealstuff orhe'll get itforyou. And, like riding your Can-Am itself, it's ' bythe way they goonandon praising their bikes toanyone who not anexpensive way tolook good. listens. Orjustby looking at theirgear. Geoff Ballard wearsthe new racing jersey andsatin Corduranylon pants.Theyboth have "Can-Am" written proudlyall over them. John M artinisnot wearing the nylon meshventedCan-Am racingpants butthe sameCordurapants as Geoff (in a smaller Aperfect way to show your true colors.