Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

Cycle News 1991 11 20

Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles

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eIN THE WIND e B yPapaWealey Scott Summers (Hon) clinched his second consecutive AMA Cross Country National Championship title with the overall win at the final round of the series in Greeneville, Tennessee, November 9. Summers, who also successfully defended his National Hare Scrambles Championship this rear, scored the overall victory over Duane Conner (Kaw), Scott Plessinger (KTM), newly crowned National Enduro Champion Jeff Russell (KTM) and Tim Shephard (Yam), who finished second through fifth , respectively. Conner was the runner-up in the final Cross Country Series point standings, and four-time National Enduro Champion Terry Cunningham (Kaw) finished third. Frenchman Jean-Michel Bayle (Hon) clinched the Chesterfield Masters of Motocross title by scoring the overall victory at round four of the sixround series in Monte Carlo, Monaco, November 9-10. Bayle won thefirstday of competition as Guy Cooper (Suz) finished second and Jeff Stanton (Hon) third. Stanton beat Bayle on day two and Larry Ward (Suz) finished third. With two rounds remaining, Bayle has an insurmountable lead in the Masters point standings over Ward, 40-15. Lams on and B rian Swink. Lamson will contest the Camel Supercross and I25cc National Series. Swink, the 125cc Eastern Regional Supercross Champion, will defend his title plus compete in Camel Supercross 250cc events held at western venues and in the 125cc Nationals. Ezra L u s k will contest the 125cc Eastern Regional Supercross Series and the 125cc Nationals. Former Team Suzuki members D e nny S t e phe n son and Larry W ard will stay aboard Suzuki RMs with top-level support rides. Both Ward and Stephenson, the 1990 l25cc Eastern Regional Supercross Champion, will contest the Camel Supercross Series. In the National Championship MX Series, Stephenson will contest the I25cc class while Ward will be the lone Team Suzuki rider in the. 250cc class. Tuf Racing's Ron Lechien (Kaw) scored the win at the Osaka Supercross in Osaka, japan, November 9. Suzuki's newest team riders , Brian Swink and Steve Lamson, rounded out the top three . More on Lamson and Swink's switch to the Suzuki team follows . Electronic timing is being used to score riders competing in the supercross events of the Chesterfi eld Masters of Motocross Series. Formula One carstyle "magic boxes" are strapped on the front number plates. The rider who . records the fastest lap in the main event is awarded a championship point in the Masters Series, and the computerlinked timekeeping also ensures that the race order is automatically amended at the end of each lap. The system also gives the interval between' riders. Perhaps it is no coincidence that the boxes are being used - former Formula One Champion Nelson Piquet is the co-promoter of the Masters. Just prior to the Osaka Supercross, American Suzuki officially announced its 1992National MX team lineup, The only returning member is 1990 125cc National Champion Guy Cooper , who will contest the Camel Supercross Series and the l25cc Nationals. Switching to Suzuki from the Peak! Pro Circuit Honda team are Steve Now that the 1991 Camel Pro season is over, Team Harlev-Davidsons Kevin Atherton has time to venture into forms of motorcycle competition other than dirt track racing. On November 3, the White Pigeon, Michigan, native competed in his first motocross race at Log Road MX Park in nearby Bronson, and swept the 250cc Suzuki GSXR750 is all wet H 2 .o. It falls from clo uds, it comes out of your showerhead, and now it 's in the Suzuki GSXR750's radiator. But hold your checkbooks, you can't buy one here. At least not in 1992. The longawaited, much ballyhooed. water-cooled Suzuki GSXR has been unveiled and will be available in limited numbers in Europe and Canada, but not in the United States. The changes don't stop with liquid cooling, however. The new 749cc DOHC, 16-valve powerplant is more compact than previous models . While retaining its bore and stroke of 78 x 48.7mm, the width between cylinders has been decreased by IOmm, the total width of the crankcase, including covers, has been narrowed from This cutaway drawing ~hows the new 490mm to 433mm. In addition, the crankshaft journal water-cooled 750cc engme, diameter has increased from 32mm to 34mm for higher rigidity; the starter clutch has been repositioned from the left side of the crankshaft to the generator-shaft side and the starter motor and the generator body are now positioned above the crankcase behind the cylinder. The slimmer, more compact engine has also been moved forward in the bike's frame. And, thanks to a crankshaft that sits some 27mm lower, the bike 's center of gravity has also changed. Other features include a new port design with a narrow 16-degree valve angle and a higher compression ration; higher maximum rpm; valves that are now actuated directly through the use of buckets and shims; a liquid-cooled oil cooler; transmission gears now feature a larger diameter; pistons have recessed wrist pin box es, cu taway skirts and lighter, thinner piston rings; a Direct Air Intake System (DAIS) which heightens cylinder charging by giving the fuel charge a more direct pa th; 38mm slingshot carbs ; Cool Air Induction System; lightweight four-intoone exhaust system; a new swingarm design for increased rigidity and higher exha ust pipe mounting; thr ee-spoke cast aluminum 17-inch wheels; slotted front discs; slightly higher handlebars (for a more upright riding position); and an updated frame using larger main frame and down tubes. . Suzuki is claiming a power increase of 10% with the new .GSXR750. Barstow-to-Vegas race routes dosed by- BLM he Bureau of Land Management will temporarily close the traditional Barstowto-Las Vegas desert race course, starting and pit areas to motorized vehicles from November 27 through December 8. The .BLM's move is identical to a closure made last year in an effort to prevent protest rides. Public lands north of 1-15 in the Alvord Road area northeast to the Nevada state border will be affected. "Historically, we have had people attempt to ride from Barstow to Las Vegas when no event was approved," said BLM California Desert District Manager Gerald Hillier. Four individuals were convicted in Federal court of violating the BLM's 1990 closure, while two others pled guilty before a local magistrate. There is a maximum $100,000 fine and/or 12 months in jail if convicted of violating the closure. Citing continuing concerns about anticipated impacts to desert tortoise habitat, difficulties in managing participants and overall costs to the public. the BLM denied an application from AMA District 37 to hold the race in December 1990. AMA District 37 appealed that decision to the Interior Board of Land Appeals, which a££irmed the BLM 's decision in May. Individuals can seek an exemption from the closure by submitting a written request to the BLM's California Desert District office at 6221 Box Springs Blvd., Riverside, CA 92507-0714. T Expert class, winning both motos, "I cou ldn 't figure out the starting gate and I was last off the line in both motes," said Atherton. "The first turn was a fast left-hander, though, so that was it for the other guys! " And while greeting the checkered £lag first is nothing new to Atherton, reading children's stories is. On October 23, he was the star of "Local Celebrity Day" at jim Town Elementary School in Elkhart, Indiana. "I told them a lot of racing Stories, and capped off the day . by reading them The Adventures of Brer Rabbit and his Friends," said Atherton of the day he spent with a class of first graders. "I had them trained by the end of the day. I'd ask, 'What do we ride?' and they would yell, ' H AR L EYDAVIDSONI' " The D ragbike! USA We ste rn Finals that were rained out in Phoenix, Arizona, on October 27. will De rerun over the November 30-December I weekend. All two-day tickets will be honored for the Sunday portion of the drag meet at Phoenix Raceway Park. For more information, call 315/7351661 or 602/241-1100. Clay H arbin , the WERA Southeastern Regional Novice Champion in four classes, was injured in a street bike accident on Thursday, October 31, and was unable to compete in the WERA Grand National Finals. Harbin suffered spinal injuries, but is doing well and recuperating at home. Cards and letters can be sent to him. c/o Cycle Nuts &: Bolts, 4146 E. Ponce de Leon Ave., Clarkston, GA 30021. America will be represented in the November 23-24 Macau Gran Prix road race by Don ald Jack s , Chu ck Graves, M ichael M a rtin , B rit t Turkington, Rick Shaw and Rick Herndon. Shaw replaces Canadian rider Steve Crevier who had to withdraw du e to injuries: and H erndon replaces Mike H arth who withdrew after a falling ou t with team owner Hank Dow. The team is managed by Henry DeGouw, manager of Florida 's Moro so Motorsports Park, and sponsored by Hi ll &: Delarnain, The team will depart for Hong Kong on November 14. A vacation stop in Thailand is pl anned after the race. Th e new W ood -Rotax liquidcooled 600c c e n gi n e was approved for AMA dirt track competition on October 24. According to the AMA, " Dyno testing was required of the engine as part of th e homologation process to determine if intake manifold restri ction would be needed to main- tain a competitive balance among engines currently in use. Horsepower figures obtained through the testing demonstrate no need for intake restriction at this tim e. The AMA reserves the right to initiate intake manifold restrictors at a later date should they become necessary." Former Triumph factory race team mechanic Pat O wens, who is now a member of the Los Angeles Community College Board, is seeking support at a public board meeting on Wednesday. November 20, ' at L.A. Mission College in Sylmar. According to Owens, at issue is the retaining of the third £loor of the new Distri ct headquarters as rental space and that funds generated by its rental be used to restore cu t classes on the nine campuses in the District. The Chancellor is now trying to use the £loor in question as office space. Owens says your-appearance at the meeting will support quality public education, education that your tax dollars pay for. L.A. Mission College is located at 13356 Eldgridge Ave. in Sylmar (just north of the 210 freeway at the Hubbard off-ramp. For more information. call Owens at 213/225-1687. After enjoying one of his most Iinan-, cially successful Camel Pro seasons in 1991, Will Davis has announced that he will team with tuner Dennis Town for the '92 season. Davis will campaign a Honda RS750 owned by Craig Rogers and Charlie Aruda. "I 'm really loo king forward to racing it," said .Davis , referr ing to the Honda that was previously raced by the late Steve Eklund. " I' ve never ridden one before. and I wanted to give one a try at some point in my career. " Davis rode Eddie Adkins owned /tuned HarleyDavidson XR750s the past two years. Adkins said he is talking to several riders , but at this point he isn't sure who'll ride his bikes next year. Two-hour, two-man team E ndurot h ons will return to the Santa Clara County Fairgrounds in San Jose, California, beginning November 24. A two-mile scrambles course will wind inside and around the famous San jose Mile ova l. For more information, contact Bill Spen cer at 408/436-8228. A 16-rider American contingent including Kevin Atherton , Ronnie Jon e s , D a ve Durelle, J ay Spring steen, T e rry Poove y , Mike Hale and Ste ve Morehead will head for Europe this winter to compete in exhibition short track races held in conjunction with the Bologna Motor Show in Bologna, Italy, December 4-5.

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