Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/127684
(Abo ve) In 1971, at the Isle of Man, Winters competed aboard a Honda SL125 and finished hi s first ISDE, earning a Sliver Medal. (Right) Here he Is In act ion on the litt le Honda fo urstroke. To th is day, Winters Is stili riding dirt bikes, on ly now on a Honda XR200. looked like u niforms - T-shirts just alike. But, once again, we had th e language probl em to d eal with, and w e d idn 't understand the money system." It was night when they reach ed San Pellegrino, Italy. "I looked up at the sky, checking on the weather, hoping it didn't look like rain," Winters recalls. "I told my friends to look up at all those beautiful stars. Then, it hit me; those weren't stars I was seeing, but lights in houses. "Before the race started, we went out on a test ride high up in the Alps on one-lane trails that scared us to death. We had magnificent views of villages below, but we quickly learned that we had to stop to look at any scenery." Later, while out on the hotel patio, Winters saw three Swedes with casts on the ir legs. "They liked the view alright, but they had run into concrete guardrails getting a better look." On the third day of the race, Winters' rear wheel-bearings went out. "Some people started calling me 'Three Day Leroy: I didn't like that a bit." In 1969, in Germany, Winters finished the Six Days and collected a silver metal. "Wow! I finally finished," he says, with a chuckle. By that time, most of the American riders were motorcycle dealers who had successful businesses. "We had something to support our vices," Winters remembers. "I owned a Honda store, and so d id Mungenast. Bud Ekins had a mo torcycle business and a m ovie contract." At the Six Days in 1970, Winters was traveling from Austria to Germany to a motorcycle show before d riving down to Spain. At three a.m., a car traveling 70 mph crashed into the car in which Winters and his fiancee were riding. Winters' car landed upside d own and burst into flames. He escaped with some broken ribs, bu t his fiancee died in a Munich hospital. "After a few days in the hospital, I dragged my body to the airport and managed to get to Madrid and then up to the race at El Escorial. But after one lap on a really nice 100cc KTM bike, I knew I wasn't healed enough to race." It was back to England in 1971. "The Six Days was really fun that year. Before I left, I called some VIPs a t American Honda, and they invited me out to Los Angeles. They furnished me with a SL125 Honda, and I took it out to Saddleback Cycle Park where I spent the day testing it. "American Honda air freighted it to the Isle of Man, but beca use of some mistake, it ended up in London. It was pa cked in a crate too big to fit on a plane, so I had to hire a box truck, and the driver and I drove to Liverpool. We set the crate on the dock, and the next morning, I ferried it over to the Isle of Man." . Winters had a great time. "The little Honda was so dep endable. All I did was change the oil every day and wring its neck. The. British loved my Honda and her four-stroke sound. The only tro uble I had was a flat tire, but I go t a tube slipped to me, so I only lost a couple of minutes in changing it. "The fi nal test ' was a road race. Motorcycles of all sizes were around me. Flag up, flag down. The 125 started on the first kick. I just left it wide open, through all the gears down the grandstand straight to a right-hand square corner. The big bikes we re sliding, bumping, crashing. But I held tight and left it on for about three more blocks to a right tum uphill. Malcolm Smit h passed me on h is 250 Husky. Then I saw a Czecho rider take Malcolm's front wheel out. When I looked down, I saw Malcolm spinning around, kind of sitting on top of his bike. Abo ut two miles la ter, Malcolm passed me an d gave me a big smile and a thumbs up signal. "That year I came home with a silver metal." American Honda flew Winters and a Honda 125cc to Austria in 1972. "I towed it on the back of my little N600 Honda car to Czechoslovakia. The 12Sec wasn't as competitive as the newer twostroke bikes . I managed to patch a broken rear brake and continue on, but soon I was out of the competition. Frustration again." In Czechoslova kia, Winters did some soul sea rch ing . "I was getting beat up, an d I was lat e on the trail and out of time. A lot of the best enduro 'and cross country riders didn't have the money or the mana gemen t to adequately represent the U.S. I decided it was time for me to quit." When Winters reflects on his Six Day trials, he says:' "I was in my prime for only a short time of my life. But I kept winning, even w hen I was too old. I knew I wasn 't as fast or as crazy as some of the younger bikers, but I could outsmart them or let them beat themselves. " As the 1994 Six Day Enduro in Tulsa approaches, Winters ~ys he has a gut feeling of being there, actually participating. "I can feel.myself walking into the impound area and pra ying tha t my tires aren't flat. I push the bike to the work area for the 10 minutes I have to work on it. My jacket is stuffed wi th parts . Wh ich pocket did I pu t the ai r cleaner in? Whe re did I p u t the new bra ke peda l? Will the hose clamp fix the muffler bracket? My heart is beating fast. My m o u t h is dry . I· m us t remember to drink more fluids. The re is a Swede on my left and a German on my right. "It starts on the first kick, and I am back in there, riding the Six Days again. "Damn! It sure is hard being a-.spectater." l..'" 43