Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

That I'd seen all the world's best museums, but never saw anything like THIS before. It was that time of year again , when th e manufacturers came to show us their newest stuff. When they fly in the company brass with all those tedious sales 'charts and quirky slide shows, then feed a roomful of press wearing stick'em name tags. You got it! The annual obligation. Oh, sure, there were flashes of cheerful reun ion and good fellowship at first. But it slowed to a long afternoon of rehearsed presentations riva ling even a hypnotist's results - in some trite theme restauran t high on a hill look ing out on in terstate jams. A gridlock fo r traffic and mind alike. It go t to be dow nr ight depressing. .Veritably aw kward, uninspiring to say th e least. And I was starting to have th is sad, bad daydream that motorcycling had lamentably abandoned its roots. That somehow it had forgotten riding's raw gusto, rep lacing it with statistics and a fatal languor. I figured, hey, it's no damn wonder our motorcycle industry is having such tough times of it .IOW. Wh ere was th e old blaze? What happened to th e lost war cry and laughter of recent better years?It all seemed now. so serious and bean conscious, stale as my cheesecake dessert . T hen suddenly - Miraculously! - a gl immer appeared, em anating from something that 's been there all along. The 1990 bike parked right next to my table had begun to glow. T o radiate light! The sheer 'art of it reached out to me like a flame. And my focus went to it as if it were the finest of sculpture. T he big drab banquet room faded, its voices trailing away to a strange sort of silence. And only this one motorcycle existed - in those next few moments it was A ll Existence. Miche langelo o r R od in might have done no better. Si lver-on-silver it gleamed by its own finesse, such drama tic w heels and .stunning ex hausts. Scu lpture th at works, that moves! T hat's w hat it is! A modern virtuoso had designed th is brand new piece; as fine and elegant as time's best trophies. And the artist was there, in th e room, a part of the show. A legend who lasts, a rider destined to keep our motorcycle love affair kindled and burning for years to come. None other than Willie G. WIND: All the latest g~ssip and race results 2 MILE: Parker on the right track at Springfield : 6 MOTOCROSS: Cooper, Lechien score wins in Ohio National 8 Parker, Puzar battle over title in Britain and Ireland : 14 INTERVIEW: MXer Trampas Parker, the next American World champ? . . . . .10 HARE SCRAMBLES: Lojak grabs the ' . gold at Millville National 12 ROAD RACE: Mertens, Vieira top World Superbikes in Austria 15 LOCAL RACING: Summer race action heats up 16 CALENDAR: Future events 22 WANT ADS: Stuff for sale 28 DRAG RACING: Mafaro moves closer to crown at Englishtown : 38 ON THE FRO'NT PAGE: Ron Lechien scored his first National win of the season at Kenworthy's Motocross Park in Troy. Ohio. (Inset l Jeff Ward (Ieftl hands over the Number One plate to Jeff Stanton. who clinched the 250cc National Championship at Troy. Coverage begins on page 8. Photos by Kit Palmer. William Edgar -----------------------------------------------------------------, , SUBSCRIPTION ORDER FORM Name_---::--::-:-.,..,..-,=-.:-::-:-::-= ,.,JP LE A S E PRINT elf ARl VI _ Address _ C ity . Order Date: State -<-Zip _ _ OK, please start my subscription to Cycle News and send me the newspaper o every week for one year (50 issues) for $35.00 o every week for two years (10 0 issues) for $65.00 o six months second class (25 issues) for $18 .00 Oneyeor (50 issues). 2nd closs Conodo or Mexico ond on other foreign countries $75 .00 (U .S . f unds) . o This is a renewa l o Please b ill me o Enclosed i s check or money order Charge my 0 V isa 0 Mastercard • cae Signature MC /V isa # _ _ ~ Expiration Date _ First class and airmail rates available upon request. _____________________________________________ ~ Send to : CYCLE NEWS, Inc., P.O . Box 498 , Lo n g Beach , CA 90801 -0498 / (213) 427-7433 ~3

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