Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

either sick or travelling up hill; the flow of traffic is between 75 and 80 mph, trucks drafting and passing each other like racers at Daytona, with cars and our motorcycles being pulled along in their wake. We're confident no officer will nab us when he's got a choice of five trucks immediately ahead of us and another three just behind. Gas mileage drops to 37 mpg, but we don't care. In Albuquerque, Cook buys me a McDonald's McDLT for my 32nd birthday. It's 75°. ••••• Instruments include the usual speedometer. tach. fuel and temperature gauges; stereo's LCD also reads time. Voyager XII (Continued from page 9) ing, by the way, three-piece, bolttogether adjustable affairs) and in a pouch nextLO the passenger's backrest, with a whip antenna. An aULOmatic system increases volume as road speed and wind noise increase; another system switches from radio to tape when a radio signal gets too weak. A dual-, stage centerstand to make it possible for one man to heft the VDyager XII, and a sidestand interlock to make it impossible to start the bike and ride oCf with the stand down. What the Voyager XII doesn't have is an on-board air compressor for the air suspension, self-leveling suspension, a cruise control, inflatable seats, linked brakes. The Voyager is, in a sense, a dresser that's not over-dressed. It's light on the do-dads as dressers go, and, as a result, it's relatively light at 770 pounds with a full tank of gas. • •• • • 12 Straight down the two-lane highway towards Wichita, steady at 75 or 80 mph; Cook has a prototype Escort motorcycle radar detector, and we're confident we won't be surprised by the police. The fuel gauge hits empty after about 170 or 180 miles; believe the gauge, and it usually takes between four and five gallons to fill up, depending upon cruising speed. The first tankful, in Salina, Kansas, takes 4.9 gallons after 187.5 miles, for 38 mpg. We're a lillie slower on the next, 172-mile leg because there's more traffic; the figure is 42 mpg. The ambient temperature is 37°F. It's an odd feeling when your shoulders are on fire, your legs are lukewarm, and your toes and fingers are going to sleep from being so cold. It turns out that the latest nylon-andleather Hondaline gloves with Thinsulate insulation can't keep hands warm below about 45° F. Ditto Fox Racing USA street boots worn with rag-wool socks. At a gas station, I pull off the Fox boots and slip on Manx artificial-fleece-lined rubber rain boots. But when we get going again, my feet aren't any warmer. It's dark by the time we turn right at Wichita and head for Liberal. The only stations the radio will pick up play country music. One station tells me that the temperature is 40°; it feels almost balmy. Cook is leading, at 70 mph. I drank a Dr. Pepper in Wichita; now, an hour later, I'm debating whether LO stay in formation or pull over immediately for a pit stop. It's too uncomfortable to keep going; I chop the throttle, hit the turn signal and pull 0[[ the highway into a deserted lane, planning to quickly get going and catch Cook. By the time I roll to a stop, Cook is halted, too. Only he's 300 feet further down the road and a police car is pulled in behind him. As I watch, the officer gets out and starts writing him up. The police car had been rolling LOward us; Cook had been hit by instant-on radar a t a range of a cou pie of hundred feet, moments after I rolled off the gas. ••••• The Voyager has extremely tall gearing, turning less than 3000 rpm at 60 mph and less than 4000 rpm at 80 mph in top gear. The bike chugs along up and down hills at that rpm with no problem, and it feels normal to shift at 4000 rpm when running up through the gears. Cruising at80 mph feels effortless, but it takes a downshift for authoritative passing from 60 or 65 mph. Theengine is very smooth at all speeds, and the seat is fantastic. Rev the engine up and it makes a lot of power. At the dragstrip, the Voyager willLUrn the quarter mile in 13.11 seconds, reaching 100 mph. That's about 0.2 seconds and about 3.0 mph faster than a Honda Gold Wing. But, as we found out when we borrowed a Gold Wing for a day's comparison, in a top-gear roll-on from 60 or 65 mph, the Gold Wing, which is geared lower, pulls away convincingly. The Gold Wing fairing also offers beller protection with less turbulence, and its mirrors have a better field of view, allowing the rider to see directly behind as well as LO the sides, without a third of the mirror image filled by the rider's arms and elbows. The Kawasaki has a smoother engine and a lighter clutch pull, but the Honda's suspension is more compliant. The Kawasak' is also more affected by crosswinds and pavement rain-grooves, requiring more small corrections at the bars to stay on course. •••••• , We're more subdued when we leave Liberal the next morning, March I, heading to Tucumcari, New Mexico, where we'll pick up 1-40 for the run into Albuquerque and beyond. The radio goes crazy trying to pick up a station and shifts madly between FM and a Thompson Twins ta'pe Cook has loaned me. I realize that I hate Thompson Twins, but the rest of Cook's tape collection is from new wave artists I've never heard of. At Tucumcari it's a wonderful 70° and we unplug electrics and pack layers of clothing into the saddlebags. Cruising speed is down to 60 and 65 mph, gas mileage up to 42 mpg. We're poking along the Interstate when a string of trucks blasts past; we pick up the pace. It's suddenly obvious that the only vehicles travelling at or near the national speed limit are Gasoline vapor from somewhere underneath the Kawasaki's false tank swirls up behind the fairing when sidewinds hit the Voyager just right. There's a catch tray with a drain built around the gas filler neck, to catch any overflow, and the tray doesn't seem to drai n completely. That migh t be the source of the vapor. Then again, it might come from the evaporative emissions collection system. But whatever the source, the vapor is annoying at best and an eye irritant at worst. Our test Voyager's ignition key worked in the saddlebag locks but not in the travel trunk locks. It's supposed to work, but somehow the wrong travel trunk must have been bolted onto the bike. Cook's bike had the same problem. The small compartment built into the left saddlebag's lid has a lock. But the lock vibrated loose and fell off somewhere in Kansas. The non-locking compartment built into the right saddlebag collected water even when shut, a fact we wouldn't discover until after arriving in L.A., where we washed the bike. ••••• Rain threatened en route to Flagstaff, but although we travelled on a wet road, rain never fell. Frost covered the bikes and the pavement the next morning, and there was snow alongside the highway. As always, the bike started with a single push of the electric starter, on full choke. The truck convoys were travelling at full tilt, and the highway was largely downhill. The two factors seemed to cancel each other out; despite high cruising speeds, mileage was up to 44 mpg. It turned out that ignoring the fuel gauge and not looking for gas until after the low-fuel warning light came on worked; the light came on at about 210 miles; reaching 242 miles only took 5.5 gallons, which means the 6.I-gallon tank should be good for about 260 miles at our speed. The frost of Flagstaff was long gone by the time we reached Kingman, Arizona. I t was hot going across the California desert, and engine heat from the Voyager didn't help, although we'd find later (with the help of the borrowed Gold Wing) that the Kawasaki dumps less hot air on its rider than does the Honda Gold Wing. We're running at 80 mph down a steep grade outside Barstow in the company of five trucks when everybody stands on the brakes. A California Highway Patrol Mustang almost overshoots the whole convoy trying to get slowed down; the officer gives us a hard stare, then cuts two trucks. out of the convoy and pulls them over. As soon as we're over the next crest, smoke starts pouring from the stacks of the trucks and we're hitting 80 mph again. Dense fog shrouded the Los Angeles basin as we rolled through Victorville and down out of the high desert. An hour later I rolled into my driveway, 1639 miles and 47 hours after leaving Lincoln. It was just in the nick of time; I had to pack for Daytona. • Spears, Bogovich take Rocky Ridge By Keith Biddle IMPERIAL, PA, MAR. 16 Racing at the Rocky Ridge Riders facility was highlighted by double wins by Hondamounted Andy Spears and Kawasaki's John Bogovich at the muddy circuit. The day remained cold and cloudy with the temperature in the low 40s and no additional rain, allowing the track to dry out by the second half of the program. Youth class action saw Bogovich get stiff competition from his peers in the Senior Mini class with Dan Blackham doing battle despite the handicap of a rash of problems suoh as unceremoniously removing a footpeg, brake pedal, and torque arm in a bermed turn. Gibsonia Cycle's Mike McDonald also worked overtime to recover from problems LO earn a strong second overall performance. Completing the top five in the LOugh class were Roger Molnar, Dave McDeavitt, and up-and-coming Eric Wesche. The Super Mini class, pUlling the best of each age division head-LOhead, saw Bogovich up to the task by fending off repeated attacks by Dave Yezek, Mike McDonald, Brian O'Shell, and Gibsonia Cycle's Chris Greenhouse on his new Suzuki. Extra effort in the 60ccclass was required LO overcome the thick mud as well as the competition with Jason Allworth, Steve Loveday, and Honda-mounted Anthony Paoletti putting in a shining performance. Steve's brother Syd showed the way in the Expert class with the 125cc overall win after a terrific seCond moto duel with Shane SIOlher. Loveday and his Bohn Cycle Yamaha led for three quarters of the race with Siother shadowing his every move. A slight bobble in a turn by Loveday allowed Slother LO slip past. Then a mistake on Slother's part let Loveday repass on the final lap and hold on for a hard-earned win. Northgate Honda's two time District5 Open A number one Joe Javersack opened his season on a winning note by taking the second moto after a crash-induced fourth in the first contest provided the necessary determination. Ed Mihoces, James Queen, Lance Bailey, and Dave Rocco battled to complete the top five in the Honda dominated class. The Novice classes saw Gerard Hazlet put in a fine ride on his Husqvarna to nail down the win in the Open division while Ray Santi showed the 250s how it's done after looping his bike at the start of the first moto when the Yamaha somehow found a lot of traction on the slippery ground. • Results lZ5 A: 1. Syd Loveday (Vam): 2. Shane Siother (Hon); 3. Robert Felmlee (Kaw). 250 A: 1. Rodney Phillips (Vam); 2. David Santi (Vam); 3. Craig Brooks (Kaw). OPEN A: ~. Joe Javersack (Hon); 2. Ed Mihoces (Han); 3. James Queen (Han). 125 B: 1. Andy Spears (Han); 2. Brian Eger (Han); 3. John McDeavitt (Kaw). 125 C: 1. Larry Klein (Vam); 2. Jay Malott (Han); 3. Tom O'Brien (Han). 250 B: 1. Andy Spears (Han); 2. Norman Bish (Han); 3. Dale Kennemuth (Han). 250 C: 1. Ray Santi (Yam); 2. Glenn Allison (Kaw); 3. Kevin Stewart (Kaw). OPEN B: 1. Gerard Hazlet (Hus); 2. Tim Dohm (Han); 3. Horlis McDowell (Han). OPEN C: 1. Gerard Hazlet (Hus); 2. Tim Dohm (Han); 3. Horlis McDowell (Han). . SR: 1. Charles Orr (KTM); 2. Dave Rocco (Han); 3. John Miller (Han). 65: 1. Jason Allworth (Kaw); 2. Steve Loveday (Kaw): 3. Anthony Paoletti (Han). 85 JA: 1. Dave Vezek (Kaw); 2. Jeff Decker (Suz): 3. James Parker (Kaw). 80 INT: 1. Chris Greenhouse (Suz); 2. Eric Arlet (Honl: 3. Dennis Williams (Suzl. B5 SR: 1. John Bogovich (Kaw); 2. Mike McDonald (Suz); 3. Roger Molnar (Kaw). SUP MINI: 1. John Bogovich (Kaw); 2. Dave Vezek (Kaw); 3. Mike McDonald (Suz). SCHBV 125: 1. Dan Blackham (Yam); 2. Dewey Hauser (Han).

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