Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

same thing and no o ne is will ing to cha nge a nythi ng. They all want to stay with wha t they've got, so th e bikes don 't ge t any better. We started from the bottom wi th nothing, so we did it righ t." Leimer 's first o rder of business when he started building th e AT K was to "get th e sus pension right," and tha t project was achi eved by go ing ba ck to the basics. "We kept all th e gimmicks o u t of the suspens io n. We try for simplici ty in everythi ng," Leim er expl a ined. " When I do so met hi ng, I use th e com mo n basics. Everyo ne else was usin g linkages, which ca used a lot of problems a nd didn 't do very m uch, so we did away wi th th a t. We have one shock, mounted directly to the frame a nd swi ngarm, and it o utperforms every thi ng else arou nd. . "On o ur motorcycle yo u can go out and ride fo r eigh t hours and come back wit hout a ny back pain beca use the suspension absor bs everyth ing. O n any ot her motorcycle you have to be a real ath lete to do tha t." Ano ther big plus in the suspens io n depart me n t is th e Lei tn er-design ed ch ai n to rq ue el i m i na to r w hic h reroutes th e chain over a ro ller system to overco m e the engine's sq uat-and-lift effect o n th e sus pen sion. This trick pi ece of engineeri ng results in what ma ny riders cons ider the best prod uction m o to rcycl e suspensio n aro u nd, bar none. " When yo u open up th e throttle, the rear suspension extends because of th e massive amounts of torq ue bein g app lied, effecLively sti ffening the rear sus pe nsio n to the point of bei ng u sel ess," exp lained ATK's Na tional Sal es Manager , Donald Leib. " T ry p lacing yo ur bike's fro nt wh eel against a wall , let o u t the clutch and try to com press the rear suspens io n - yo u 'Il see what I mean. It never rea cts th e sa me way and in a stock motorcycle yo u have to use a stiffer spring to ma ke the suspension work under engine torque. Our torque elimi nator places the torque at th e swi ng arm piv ot point and that make s it neutral in stead of letting it affect the suspension. " In spi te of so me impressive track times th at prove the worth of th e torque eliminator, the idea hasn 't cau ght on with th e major manufacturers of off-road motorcycles. " Most o ther manufacturers don't even realize wh at chain torq ue is a nd most of th eir en gi neers don't understand what our chain torque elim inator doe s," Leimer said. "We've had tremendous difficulty with th e Japanese acce p ting it. We went o ut with o ne major manufacturer and were getting average lap Limes two seconds faster on a co mp letely stock motorcycle with th e addition of a chain torque elim in a tor co mpared to their prepared race bi ke, a nd yet we still find resistance. This happens time after tim e. They wo n 't ch an ge anything, so their bikes won't ge t any better." The o nly except io n to this lack of interest has been by Can-Am , which star ted installing chain torque eliminat ors on its 250 a nd 406cc mod els in 1987. Adding even more to th e ATK's awe-inspiring suspe ns io n ca pa bilities is th e Leimer-designed fram e, whic h co mbines mo tocros s handling wi th well-manner ed , high- speed performance; it also doubles as an oil reservo ir. But th e a ttr ib ute s of th e ATK560 go far beyond th e machine's almost magical su spension and handling. Leitner has devel oped a co u nters ha It-mo u n te d rear d is c brake th at sto ps the big bike dead in its tracks by worki ng di rectly on the engine ra ther th an on the rear wheel. Leimer 's bra king system ge ts JUSTANOTHER GREATENDING FROM KERKER. Kerker Exhaust Systems are known for their great endings . So now we're offering the best part of a Kerker to those who don't want to replace their entire exhaust system, but would like to upgrade to the look and style offered by wearing a Kerker. Replacement mufflers, in flare, cross-cut, kick-out and turnout style are available for most modem machines. Finished in Kerker quality Chrome and wearing motorcycle aftermarketings most successful name , our great ending is an economical new beginning for older machines. Visit your authorized Kerker dealer for further system information. ~ TheSweelSoundolVidory. Kerker Exhaust Systems Canoga Park, Calif ornia 818-999-3060 The DuQuoin "Magic" Mile Camel Pro Series National Championship Presented by: Wm. H. King and the Illinois Motorcycle Dealers Association Sunday, July 26 . 2 p.m. lHEG"Mel. atALLENGE NEW IN '87 Six riders go five laps for $17,5001 TICKET INFORMATION ADVANCE Reserved Grandstand (includes free program) General Admission $15.00 $12.50 IMDA I 2000 E. Cornell I Springfield, IL 62703 (217) 753-8866 MasterCard or VISA accepted TICKETS AVAILABLE AT SOUTH GATE NO ADMISSION TO GROUNDS WITHOUT RACE TICKET -NO CAMPlNG-NO ALCOHOL- ., I

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