Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

plugging up his silencer - was down on horsepower. He had LO push hi bike up a ramp and Out of the impound area. Shonly thereafLer, Ballard removed the washer. The first day featured three loops of mostly asphalLroadswith 12 checks. The first-day time schedule was easy for riders to maintain; they averaged 10-15 minutes early at each check, so late route penalty points were rare. Since the course was mostly on paved, curving roads, many riders had close calls with moving traffic. A rider from Finland plowed into car on a blind turn, as di,d U.S. Junior World rider Hoess. "I was on a real narrow din road with a lot of turns," said Hoess. "I came inro this one turn, and you couldn't see, bepluse of trees and stuff in the way. But a guy in a car came ,around and LOok up the whole road. There was a cliff on one side of tbe road, so I had no choice but to hit the car. I smashed ipro him, and the guy got kind of tee'd off. He looked out and didn't see the big dent I pur in the side of his car and didn't say any'thing. So I just kept going." Roeseler also had a close call with a diesel truck. "It's more dangerous on the frigging roads than it is on the trail," said Roeseler. "I came down thispne road and a diesel truck took up the whole road. I literally slammed on the brakes and slid up against a wall on the side of the road. I was praying that he would give,enough room. It was crazy." While beginning day fiveon silver, Toshi Nisbiyama, Japan's only representative, hit a car head on and was taken ro the hospital with broken bones and a concussion. Ballard, who won three out of five ISDE Qualifiers in the U.S. this year, had his share of problems on the first day, most of them mechanical. "After I removed the washer from the silencer," said Ballard, "the bike never really ran right. It didn't have enough . bottom end, so I had ro do a lot of jetting changes." In the first special test, Ballard continued having bike problems. "I had a lousy time," said Ballard. "I was having backing-plate problems. Every time I put on the rear brake, it would stick and the back end would slide out on the wet grass. I eventually got it fixed and my afternoon test »Vas reasonable." Later on, Ballard said his bike never really performed the way he wanted it ro throughout the Six-Days, ca using him to perform under par. Bruce Ogilvie, riding a Honda XR600 in the Four-Stroke class, had early hassles. "I got about 12 miles out of town," said Ogilvie, "and I got. a flat tire from a nail. I stopped, changed' it and still made it ro the next check on time." After that, Ogilvie crashed a couple of times in the special tests, which dropped him back in the standings. Bertram also suffered jetting, and transmission problems on the first. day. "I had to do some jetting changes on the trail," said Bertram, "and my special test times are a little slow, because the transmission was shifting roo soon." At the end of the day, just before impound, Bertram replaced the entire transmission without losing any time. Bertram started with a modified transmission, and switched back to a stock transmission, which he used for the remainder of the race. The first special test ended Australia's hopes for a good finish when l25cc Cagiva-mounted Jeff Dawson (1986 125cc AMA National Hare Scrambles Champion) crashed, injuring his knee and dislocating his shoulder. Depitecourse marshals telling him he shouldn't continue, Dawson hopped back on his bike and finished the special test and kept riding Nearly all the American riders pose for a group portrait in San Pelligrino shortly before opening ceremonies. on the trail afterwards. But the pain became unbearable and he passed out while riding. After that, he called it quits. Husky-mounted John Nielson, from Washington, became the first of only two American riders to drop out with mechanical problems. Competing in the 500cc class, Neilson DNF with a broken clutch. The American Junior World team lost valuable points Monday when Hough crashed on the road near the end of the final loop. Hough suffered cuts and bruises and a minor concussion. "1 don't really know what happened," said Hough, "I can't . remem ber. I don't know if there was a car and I had LO get over ro miss it or something. I think my back end drifted out going around a sweeping turn, and 1 hit the edge of an embankment, throwing me into the wall. All I can remember is looking up and seeing tools from my fannypack scattered all over the place. I guess somebody put me back on the bike, and the next thing I knew I was walking out of impound." The crash badly beat up his Honda CR250, and he was three minutes late to impound afLer trying to fix some of the damage. After points were tallied following day one, the Italians had a slim lead over the Czechs, followed oy the Swedes and the West and East Germans. The United States team was eighth. Day Two (Tuesday) The second day of racing turned out to be one of the toughest for the riders and the most controversial of the whole Six-Days. The loop was similar to Monday's loop but was reversed and slightly longer. As the riders left impound Tuesday morning, the weather was cold, foggy and threatening to rain. Hough managed to change handlebars and start. The first special test (the same one used Monday but reversed) was early in the loop and the track was very wet and slippery. Kadlec nailed the fastest American time with a 281.49 (seconds), while the fastest time of the day was Grasso, who had a 275.30 score. After the special test, the riders' were led through a narrow, tight and rocky goat trail that caused many rid- Charles Halcomb changes a rear Metzeler ecology tire following day four. Member of the U.S. Trophy Team. Halcomb finished ninth 125. ers to lose points, including a number of Americans. A bottleneck formed which affected riders with late numbers. Reed Bright (East Coast Enduro), said. "I just had to wait in line.lt was all uphill, on the side of a mountain, and covered with slick, shale rocks. By the time I got to the tOP and to the next check. I lost a route point." Bright was lucky to lose just one route point. Americans David Crain, Bob Bean, George Waller, Brian Mull, Ogilvie and many late-numbered riders lost even more time. After los- ing five minutes with a Hat front tire, Waller said, "I dropped 27 minutes on the goat trial. It was real slick and everybody was having to push. Me, David Crain, Bob Bean and others were held up. There were Limes when 1 just shut my. bike off, sat and waited." "We had a lot of trouble there," said Crain. "There was just no room to get through. You just had to wait." "I lost 12 minutes in that bottleneck, and I actually got through it better than most people," Ogilvie said.

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