Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

Suzuki World Cup Final Hodson on top of the world By Larry Huffman JEREZ, SPAIN, DEC. 9-11 Grant Hodson, a 28-year-old ex-rnotocrosser from Australia , was cro wned World Suzuki GSXR750 Champion after win ni ng both legs of th e inau gural even t held at the Circu ito de J erez track in so u th western Spain . The 2.63-mile roa d -course hosted the "Not the Portuguese Gran d Pr ix" ro und of th e 500cc World Ch ampion ship earlier this year, and is al so the home of th e Sp anish Formula One car event. Interestingly eno ugh, the GSXR event drew over 25,000 fans -w here, according to Suzuki spo kesma n Hank O ta, the F-I car race o n ly drew slig htly over 6000. The meeti ng was strongly supported by Suzu ki japan, who flew in most of their top VIPs from H amam a tsu incl udi ng the "father" of the GSXR, Etsuo Yokouchi, and over 300 h ighl y partisan Suzu ki dea lers. T he race was covered by the Sky Channel of Europe, whic h beams sport ing events to 26 co untries an d parts of Ru ssia. Stra nge ly enough, Ameri can Suzu ki elected to pas s on sending a team of American GSX R riders, citing budget restraints as th e reason. The only Am er ic an ra cer in attendance was Pepsi Suzuki's Kevin Schwantz, wh o was o n hand to sign autographs a nd participat e in a grudge match race with hi s soo n-tobe ex- te a m ma te R ob Mc Elnea. Schwantz won the contest, tak ing th e first and th ird races in the best twoou t-of-three format. T he d uo p ut o n a great show for the thousan ds of h ighl y voca l Sp anish fans, swapping . the lead back and forth as th ey drafted each o ther and engaged in gia nt, 100 mph wheelies as they accelerated ou t of th e corners, mu ch to th e cro wd' s' deli ght. The Suzuki Cup races saw 31riders from 16 different co unt ries mounted on identical GSXRs flown in fro m j apan and set up by factory mechanics, 'then assigned to eac h rider by lo ttery. The participants ranged from Hodson, an accessories manager for an Australian mo torcycle deal ersh ip to Phil ip pe Mou chet, the 1982 French Nationa l Endurance Champion, to Mike H odges, a farm wor ker fro m Eng land. It was, to say th e least, a varied assort me n t of riders. First p rize was $5000 U.S. p ius an additi ona l $1000 posted at the pre- , race banquet by Pepsi-Col a. The win ner would be decided in two 16lap h eats wit h th e. Schwan tzMcElnea mat ch races held betwe en th e heats to give the mechanics a cha nce to attempt to stra igh ten o u t bent eq uip ment fro m th e first heat cra shes. The first leg -sa w Hodson wi n , follo wed by Christopher Lindhol m of Swede n, Mou chet , Luis C. Mau re! of Spain, and a young Bri tish engineer named Ra y Stringer. The fina l leg of the GSXR cha mpionship sa w Hodson take th e lead im mediat ely, followed by Lindholm and Mou chet, Mouchet hammered on Lind ho lm for five laps - at o ne poi nt , the Frenchman a ppea red to ram the Swede in a fast sweeper until he fin ally ma naged to slip by, th en tried to close on Hodson. At abou t. the 10th la p, Hodso n slowed down and Mou chet bega n ree ling h i m in. Later , Gra nt exp lained that he had hit a pa tch of oil and fo und hi m self slidi ng sideways in every turn. Mou chet ra n off the track on lap 14, givi ng Lindhold the opport u n ity to slip by i nto second place. At the finis h it was H od son , Lindholm and Mouche t fini sh in g one-two -three, with Mau re I and S tr inger agai n fini shing fourth and fifth . All in all it was a very successful and exci ting race for Suzu ki japan: no rider serious ly hu rt, a large cro wd of excited and happy spectators, and extre mely close racing. And , as Steve Kenward , director of Hero n Suzuki o f Grea t Bri ta in said afterwards, " H ell , the boys from japan have got to be happy. Alter all, SuzukI won )" Resu lts SUZUKI GSXR CUP: 1. Grant Hodson : 2 , Christar Lindholm; 3. Philippe Mouchett ; 4 . lu is C. M aurel; 5. Ray Stringer; 6. Steve Dick; 7. Tony Arm strong; 8. Raimo vanemen, 9. Tedioli Giorg io; 10. Roland Kora nd; 11. Toni Rohrer; 12. Orban Patr ie; 13 . Klau s Liegi bel; 14. Motohiro Aih ar a; 15. Lars Ronne; 16 . Jean P. Hein dijk; 17. Ma. ar u Kidani; s 18. M ike Griffing; 19.. Geir Hestm an; 20. Genis Gelada. Chaney scores Santa Claus Enduro win Bv Bill Herndon L UCERNE v'ALLE Y, CA. DEC. 11 jordan Chan ey rode fast and hard to capture th e overall victory at the SCEC Santa Claus Enduro. T he Open A class rider, aboard a H usky, dropped just 1.50 points in the twoloop, 70-mi le event, edgin g the second place overall rider, jason Ingersoll , by 15 seco n ds. T hird '89 Buyer's Guide Moto Guzzi California III Ust Price , Displacement Engine type ~ N/A 948.8cc Air-cooled. V-twin. four-stroke Bore x Stroke ... . : ... 88x78mm Compression ratio . • • • ..'. .. 10:1 Carbu retion (2) 30mm De ll 'Orto Ignition " . . " . , ., COl Transmission speeds . . . , • .• , ., 5 Starting system , . . ,. Electric Fuel capacity . . • .. . .. . . . 6.6 gal. Wheelbase , N/ A Rake/trail . • ..... . .. . .. . • . N / A Seat height .. " , . , •• . . . .• 30 in . Front tire , . . 1 1 0 /90x18 Rear tire , . . , •• 120/90x18 Front wheel travel ... • .. • • , • N / A Rear wheel travel . .. .... • ,. N / A Front brake . , Dua l disc Rear brake , ., • ....... .. . . . Disc Final drive ,•. , Shaft Claimed dry weight " . . •550 Ibs. Mota Guzzi Le Mans 1000 List Price .. , , ,•, ,, $7995 Wheelbase ,., . ,. N/A Displacement 948.8cc Rake /trail ... . ... •. •... , ' . N / A Engine type . .. .• . . . . . Air-cooled• . Seat height .. . . , • • . . • • . . . 33 in. V-twin. f our- stroke Front t ire . . , , . , • • , . . 100/90x18 Bore x Stroke 88x78mm Rear tire '. •120/90x18 Compression ratio 10:1 Front wheel travel • . . • , . , .. , N / A Carburetion (2) 40mm Dell ' Orto Rear wheel travel ... . . . .. • ,N / A Ignition , COl Front brake Dual disc Transmission speeds 5 Rear brake Disc Starting system . , •• . , , . . Electric Final drive . , , . , • . .. . . • • • , •Shaft Fuel capacity • .. . • , .. . . . 6.6 gal. Claimed dry weight ... • . 473 Ibs. Moto Guzzi Mille GT List Price : $6995 Displacement , . . 948.8cc Engine 'type • .. . . .. . . . Air-cooled. V-twin. four-stroke Bore x Stroke . .. .. . . •88x78mm Co mpression ratio • . . . .• . • : 9. 2: 1 Carburetion (2) 30mm Dell ' Orto Ignitio n , , COl Transmission speeds •• • . . • , . • . 5 Starting system Electric Fuel capacity •. .. .. .. . . . . . 6 gal. 20 Wheelbase N/ A Rake/trail . , ., ., . " •. ..... N/A Seat height .. . • , . , , . .• , , . 3 3 in . Front t ire . , ... r , , , • , 1 10 /90x18 Rear tire . , •. ,. , • .• , 120/90 x 18 Front wheel travel. N/ A Rear wheel travel , • . . N/ A Fron t bra ke Dual disc Rear brake Disc Final drive Shaft Claimed dry weight ,. " . 5 50 Il)s.

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