Wind
America's
motorcycle newspaper
Volume XXIV
Sharon ClaYlon, Publisher
Mike Klinger.Comptroller
Skip Johnson, Associate Publisherl
National Sales Manager
Jack Mangus, Associate Publisher/ Editor
Rheba Smith. Circulation Managl!'T
Caroline Gendry. Executive SecreUJry to
'hI' Publisher
Editorial
Kit Palmer. Associate Editor
Paul Carruthers. Associate Editor
Farren Williams, Associate Editor
Mike Larson, Assistant Editor
Edwina Mangus. Calendar Editor
I
Advertising
Terry Pmu Sales MaruJger
Tim Ryan, Saks Manager
Mark Thome. Sales ManagnMike OlUrch. Eastern Sales Manager
ThOffi"-lS R. Gonler, E4.stern Sales Manag,.,
Linda Brown Weslnn Ad Coordinator
Carla Borden. Eastern Ad Coordinator
Cathy Comlo. Aduerlising Asst.
Linda Von de Veld. Advertising Asst.
Graphic. and Production
Ginger Mach,ado. Production Mannger
Malcolm Wilson, Graphic Artist
Diana HiJgenberg. Graphic Arti.st
Peggy Smith. Graphic Artist
Marion Hatashita, Typeseltt!T
Carolyn Bmnham, Typesetter
Dennis Greene. Lab. Tech.
BOB SlRKEGIAN
Citrus College
Azusa, CA
Accounting/Date Processing
Donna Bf)'an. Accts Receivable Coordinator
Geneva Repass. Assistant
FrJn Hamwey, Credit
Circulation
Samh Ta)'lor. Assistant
Alma An~uiano. Assistant
Cheri Chapm,m. Assistant
Mari13 Adams. Assistant
Want Ad.
Debbie Winkil'r. Want Ad Sales
Dealer sala. and Service
David
Mell,
Dealer Sale.~ Mallager
Servica and Support
Chris Aitcht'son. Headquarters Receptionist
u..-onard Herring. ServIce ami Support
National HeadquarhWs
2201 Cherry Ave.. Long Beach. CA 90806.
P.O. Box 498, Long Beach, CA 90801-0498
(2U) 427-74~~; 21~/636-8844.
Eastem Office
4190 First Ave.• Tuckl"r. GA. 30084; maiJinjlt
address P.O. Box 805. Tucker. GA 300850805. (404) 9~4-7850.
Cycle News (USPS 141-340) is publisht'd
weekly except the first and last wttk of the
cak'ndar yea.. for $52.00 per ye-dr by Cycle
Nt'ws.lnc.• 2201 Cherry Avenue. Long Beadl,
CA 90806. Second class postage- paid at Long
Be-dCh. CA, and additional mailing officc:s.
POSTMASTER; _form 3679 to Cycle
N..... P.O. Box 49B. long Buch. CA
90801-0498.
Subscription r.iles: One ye-dr, seCycIeN..... lnc.1987. T,8demarie. Cycle News registered U.S. P.tent
Office. All right. reserved.
SPA Consumer Audit Division Member
ohip Appli8d For December 1986.
4
4
ON THE FRONT PAGE: Is the
1987 Honda CR125R even
better than last year's CR125
class king? See page 20 for a
CR 125R test. Photo by Kinney
Jones.
Higher education
Yamaha has donat.ed motorcycles
and equipment to the Citrus College
motorcycle repair programs. We are
very grateful for all the motorcycle
industry's donations and support as
they help us update and grow in
technology in our programs.
Our Tuesday night class deals with
basic moLarcyde mechanics and
maintenance and are aimed at any
person who wants to increase their
knowledge of motorcycles in general.
Our Thursday night advanced class
is for those people who are already
mechanics or former students of other
motorcycle programs. I would strongly recommend this class to anyone
who is interested in becoming a
motorcycle mechanic.
Ci trus College offers easy and fast
class registration, usually within one
hour, plus no bumper-to-bumper
freeway traffic or parking problems. I
do hope anyone interested in either
class wi II act now and not be left out,
because we fill both classes very
quickly_
GP blues
Each year that goes by I suffer by
not being able to be present at Grand
Prix races. The next best thmg, of
course, is reading your coverage of
the particular race the following week.
I was.wondering, though, if there's
any way to se.e the race, i.e. is there
any cable channel, such as ESPN or
the like, that telecast the events?
KEVIN M. DENMAN
W. Covina, CA
We suffer with you, Kevin. To the
best of our knowledge there's no
planned live telecasting of GP races
set for this year . .. Editor.
Thanks from Down Under
Being away from home, family and
friends for a full season can be hard at
times. jenny and I would like to
thank all the people who have given
us a home away from home in so
many different parts of the U.S.
Thanks to Patti and Barry Higgins
in Georgia, Tommy and jerry in
Alabama, Terry and Bev from Redding, AI Baker from' L.A., the Ballooniry Browns from Wythville,
Marsha and Charlie from West Virginia, the Hawkins from South Carolina, Dave and joie from Minnesota,
and anyone else who kindly loaned
us garages, workshops and showers.
Special thanks to my sponsors for
their tremendous support: Can-Am,
Scott USA, Dunlop, Arai, Hi-Point,
Cycle South, Rat Racing, Silkolene,·
and Carolina Tool, and to Cool Ray
for keeping the Dodge going.
Sincere thanks to all the lSDE riders and support crew members for
accepting me as part of their team. It
was much appreciated.
GEOFF BALLARD
Winmalee, Australia
Ballard, who rode as a member of the
U.S. ISDE team for the past several
years, says Can-Am has informed
him they won't be sponsoring him in
'87. Ballard says unless something
comes up before FebrUfJry, he'll probably represent Australia in the '87
ISDE which will take place in Poland
... Editor.
They made it happen
As I sit around bench road racing
this winter and reflecting on the past
year of racing, I have realized one
thing and that is that the people who
constantly maintain and improve the
high quality of road racing events are
the people who run and report the
events. Without these people, the
fun, excitement and competition that
we experience every racing weekend
would not be a reality. I am very
thankful that these enthusiasts enjoy
motorcycling because with their high
motivation it is very possible that
they could be earning more money
elsewhere.
I would like to thank Bob Applegate and Randy Marrs for the very
fine articles that we enjoyed reading.
I would also like to thank the people
at WERA; Roger and Peggy Edmonston, Bob Applegate, Richard Chambers and the rest of the AMA CCS
crew; Privateer magazine; and, of
course, Cycle News for a memorable
1986.
Finally, I would especially like to
thank my sponsors: Shoei Helmets.
Racing Engine Service, D&D Exha ust.
Roxy's, Kenneth Auto Sales, and R&D
Contractors.
DOUGLAS R. TOSTEN
Fayetteville, PA
Read before you sign
The new AMA professional racer
license application has a new paragraph under the release indemnity
agreement. The second paragraph
states, "I know the risks of danger to
mysel£ and my property while participating or assisting in motorcyclingevents and while upon event premises, and relying upon my own
judgement and ability, assume all
such risk of loss and hereby agree to
reimburse all costs to those persons
or organizations connected with sanctioned events for damages incurred as
a result of any injury that I cause or
receive."
Certainly, in one unfair sweepAMA
has solved their insurance crisis, along
with that of the promoter. You, your
mechanic, and sponsors might lose
everything you've worked for, but
not the AMA as they are protected.
ROBERT L. STUMP
Westerville, OH
Published letters do not necessarily reflect the position of
Cycle News. Inc, Letters for
,publication must be typed and
double-spaced; letters must in.elude the author's correct name
and address; unsigned or anonymous letters cannot be usad;
due to the volume of mail no
letters can be returned or acknowledged. Send letters to
Voices. P.O. Box 498. Long
Beach. CA 90801.
(Continued from page 2)
a $60,050 purse, $30,250 in the GSXR750 Final and $29,800 in the GSXR1100 Final. The GSXR750 Final winner will receive 7000, and the GSXR1100 winner $8000. First through 20th
place finishers in the GSXR750 Final
will earn money, whiletheGSXRllOO
Final will pay through 13th place.
The top five GSXR750 racers from
each participating sanctioning road
racing club will be invited to the
Final at Riverside as will the top
three GSXRIIOO racers from each
participating club.
Participants in the GSXR Final at
Riverside will be allowed to run
aftermarket exhaust systems which
carry no more than a $300 suggested
list price per the manufacturer's
catalog. The pipe must be available
through retail outlets and be readily
available to the public. Vance &Hines
will supply pipes at no cost to GSXR
riders at the Finals who wish to avail
themsel ves of the offer. Vance &Hines
will also provide tech assistance, such
as jetting information. jetting information will be sent to all qualifiers
prior to the GSXR Final.
Associate sponsors of the Suzuki
GSXR Final are Bates, KaJ-Gard,
Shoei and Vance & Hines. Kal-Gard
has announced they'll award a GSXR750 to the winner of the GSXR750
Final at Riverside.
The first club-hosted GSXR races
will take place at southern California's Willow Springs Raceway on
February 14-15. Willow Springs
GSXR races will be sanctioned by
AFM South.
A complete schedule of Suzuki
GSXR events will appear In our
Calendar section next week.
_
AMA Hare and'
Hound Series
expanded
ByAnneand .
Tom Van Beveren
The AMA National Hare and
Hound Championship Series
will be expanded to a nine-race
program in 1987.
The National Championship Series was AMA-sanctioned for the first
time in 1986 and received so much
support from riders and race organizers that it looks almost sure to become
an annual event in years to come.
According to Roger Ansel, amateur activities manager for the AMA,
the AMA met with organizers of 1986
championship events and other interested people late last year to arrange
the 1987 race schedule and to discuss
the se.ries as a whole.
"We had some problems in the first
year," he said. "It was a new series
and when something is new you
always anticipate some problems. We
got together and tried to eliminate
the problems and we think we've
done so. We think that the things we
are doing for the next series will help
everybody."
Ansel said the biggest change for
1987 is. the addition of two extra
events.
"There wi II be nine events for
1987," said Ansel. "We're repeating
the six events that were held in 1986,
and we're going to have the Arizona
event that had La be cancelled late in
the year. That club will try for a location within the U.S. for 1987 so they
won't have the insurance problems
that caused the cancellation at their
last location in Mexico.
._
