Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

SECTION Dickinson ONE By John y mate Myers (I'd say "My buddy Myers:' but it doesn't roll off the tongue as sweetly) had our local ials community laughing, smiling, hoking back tears of mirth, and laughg once again for weeks recently. In ct, I'm smiling right now as a write It started like this, for me anyway. m sitting in my car at a traffic light one vening, dreaming up trick mods for my ncient twin shock Yamaha, when ossy, one of the gang, jumps out of his ar, three ahead of mine in traffic, runs wards me grinning maniacally and houts, "Heard about Myers? He's ecked his Bultaco... and his truck!" Bu t I heard no more as the lights anged and Possy disappeared. "What sort of horrendous crash had e lad been caught up in?" I wondered. Myers, a semi-retired trials rider, ad, in a burst of exuberance, recently tered a National Twin Shock Chamionship Trial, along with a whole unch of us local dunces. But he had aned his regular little Honda TLR to nother buddy, so he dug out his old, .thful Bultaco Sherpa for the occasion. ince the Bult hadn't been run for a ood 12 months, he had another rush of lood to the brain and decided to go for hour's practice, one night after work. When he failed to show for the ational- and rumors were still spreadg like wildfire - a couple of us decided detour and visit old Myers and find t what was going on. Now, correct me if I'm wrong here, ut wasn't it Ed Hertfelder who eamed up that hilarious, often copied 'cle that began, "Did you ever...?" As "Did you ever drive 50 miles to a race d find out that you left your bike back me?" or "Did you ever kick start a old Star with the ignition on full vance and break your leg in three ces?" Well Myers, as he told us sheepishly, d invented a whole new scenario. We tened wide-eyed as the story unfold. "I'd finished practicing and went to ad up the panel truck:' he said. "50 I ipped the Bult's throttle to lift the ont wheel into the truck and somehow lost it. I just stepped off the back and the Bult loaded itself - right into the truck. Only it didn't stop there. The front wheel smacked into the driver's seat and just climbed up on it. For some reason the throttle was jammed on about a quarter open, and the generous Bultaco flywheel did the rest. "Up the front seat it climbed, then with the tire in contact with the roof and unable to go any further, the back wheel took over. It kept pushing on up through the panel truck's roof, pulling the roof panel away from the windshield while at the same time twisting the bike's frame into a knot! "It took me a half hour to lever the bike out - and it wasn't my truck, it was my brother's," concluded the woeful exBultaco owner. I don't know what you would have done on hearing that story, but I can tell you what we did... we laughed. I wonder if Jordi Tarres has ever done that - or if Jeremy McGrath is ever likely to? They may have the mega trucks and the mega bucks, but what price do you put on entertainment like that, I ask? The thing is, like the rest of us, Myers is no kid. He has been trials riding as an adult now for 20 years. And he was good. He was a factory Italjet rider and once clocked seventh place in a World Round in Ireland (on a Bultaco) no less. And still he can't stop riding. Will the superstars of today still be doing crazy things on bikes in 20 years? I think not. I I was invited by Cycle News to pen the odd report from Europe, 1 only ever read the items about your top-elite riders who were forever bitching over this money and that deal, and retiring because the factories weren't good enough for them. I dimly assumed all Yanks were the same. Recently, though, reading through your local motocross and trials reports, I discovered that most of you are just like me and Myers - you just can't get enough of bikes and don't really give a S'H about which superstar rides for which cigarette/beer/clothing company. Ride on! Just to re-inforce my personal position, I rode a Pre-'74 scramble last year on a borrowed CZ 400, slid off almost instantly and had my backside gouged to a depth of two inches and a length of four - requiring more than several stitches before the blood ceased to flow, thanks to some fellow competitor whose machine features a bacon-slicer footrest not seen since the days when Ben Hur drove a similarly equipped chariot. Now, I wonder how many pro racers could survive that without a visit to their bank manager, personal physician, shrink and toy shop. And probably in that order! Me? I'm just off now to play on my bike - with Myers in his recently converted convertible pick up truck. And if I'm asked back on to this page, I might even tell you how it went. can name many ex-World Trails Champions who seldom go near a bike now Bernie Schreiber and Eddy Lejeune to name just two. Trials riders have traditionally been a friendly, totally approachable bunch motorcyclists first and last - as happy at a club trial as on the World Championship stage. They have held out the longest on the superstar syndrome. Long after the road racers and motocrossers have disappeared inside their fantasy transporters and cavernous, zipped-up, buttoned-down awnings, our trials heroes remained 100 percent accessible. Recently, though, things have been changing. And just one thing has been driving that change - and there are prizes for guessing the reason - money, money, money. The advent of the indoor trial was the trigger. Big bucks came first, and the subsequent big trucks were followed sadly and inevitably, by big egos. When Martin Lampkin was World Champion, I could ride a trial alongside him every other week and both of us got a good laugh - although he got more than me. When Jordi Tarres was champion for the first couple of times, we could chat informally before or after a trial. These days, there is the dreaded awning to face, and if you get through the awning, there is the inner sanctum to breach. And when you finally do get to the holy of holies, how the hell do you talk objectively about trials? I totally lose touch with reality in such situations, and so, I suspect, do the riders. Which brings me back to me and Myers! We both still ride trials not because there is money in it, but because we love it. Although I must confess that I did collect $30 last year for winning my club's Wednesday Night Championship - Twin Shock class, of course. 50 I guess that I should declare myself as a professional trials rider. I know for a fact that it is $30 more than at least one self-styled Pro rider earned in Britain where, sadly - just like in America daddy often foots the bill to prop up junior's ego. Why am I writing this? Well, before John Dickinson lives in Northern England, and has been an avid trials enthusiast for most of his 42 years. A former editor of Trials and Motocross News - the British equivalent of Cycle News - and Off-Road Action Magazine, Dickinson has been reporting on the World Championship Trials Series since 1980. Needless to say, "Diclw" is one of the sport's most knowledgeable and enthusiastic reporters. As a matter of fact, Dickinson recently volunteered to have his head shaved in order to help raise funds for the British Trial des Nations team. As he put it, "Not a lot of hair, not a lot of cash. But all for a good cause." ... Editor. LOOKING BACK.II YEARS AGO." LY 14, 1970 ational dirt track points leader and the eek's big winner years ago, BSAounted Jim Rice r:1IIiI!~ ade it two in a w with his win ~Iii!!i= the San Jose half .t• . e. Fastest quali- ilM er Jim Odom ~~~~-:::::....-.-.J Id off the charges of huck Palmgren to finish in the runnerspot...Europeans invaded California d dominated two days of motocross cing in Los Angeles and Sacramento. earheaded by Heiki Mikkola, the opeans dominated the International otos with American Bob Grossi holdg up national honor the best he could tting as high as sixth in a few otos...On the international front, Joel obert stormed back into the title hunt ith a crushing double victory at the Occ Motocross Grand Prix in England. Igian Roger DeCoster raced on a ack" machine as he was without his works CZ that he had returned to the factory, but still managed to finish second on the day ... Harley-Davidson's number-one rider, Mert Lawwill, set the fastest time in the trials of the year and won the main event at Ascot. Moates - winner of the previous week's It was enough for Stanton to clinch the U.S. GP at Carlsbad - was unable to fin250cc championship and take home ish the first moto due to a broken $50,000 of the $125,000 Camel points frame...In Valkenswaard, Holland, sand fund. Damon Bradshaw won the main master Andre Vromans raced to the after a heated battle with Jean-Michel first GP win of his career and ga ve Bayle, who finished second in the race points leaders Andre MaLherbe and and final point standings. Ty Davis 15 YEARS AGO American Brad Lackey something to topped the points in the 125cc Western ... worry about in the 500cc World MX Region final...The Grand Prix road race JULY 9, 1980 points chase. Malherbe and Lackey were circus visited Rijeka for the Yugo lavian he AMA Grand J:55~;;;;;:;;;;::=::-:-..J_third and fourth on the day, respectiveround of the series, where Wayne National Chamly ... A feature on the 500cc works Rainey won the crash-marred event. Of pionship road C:~'.:J..:.t.::J machines of the National Motocross the 14 starters in the class, only five racing series visited ;:o;:'~\4I',;.J/ Championship graced the pages of issue managed to finish the race ...Thomas Road Atlan ta for #26, highlighting the new technical Norton shocked the field at the Blackround 13 of the changes - such as rising-rate water 100 enduro winning the event on Winston Pro series shock linkage - with bikes from f ' f", . his quarter-liter KTM. Some where Wes Cooley the four major Japanese facto- -'-'_ '1 ~ of the big names he beat: was fighting a losTies, as well as a Can Am and ~ -'--. _... Larry Roeseler, Scott Suming battle on his Husqvama. ""'-;.. mers, Ed Lojak and Terry f0 u r-S tr0 ke, Cunningham ...Californian chasing TZ750A...,. Bobby Moore Jed an Amerimounted Rich 5YEARS AGO... can sweep of the podium and Schlachter in the JULY 4, 1990 the 125cc German MX GP in Formula One class; Schlachter Honda-mounted Jeff front of Tyson Vohland and held on for the win ... In National Stanton finished sixth in Bader Manneh ... Chris Carr motocross racing, Broc Glover dominatthe final round of the was the man of the hour at the ed the 125cc class, and Chuck Sun the 1990 Camel Supercross Series Peoria 600cc TT, leading the 500cc class at the Golden State Internaat the Los Angeles Memorial main from start to finish on the tional Raceway. Top contender Marty Coliseum. What's the big deal? tough track. 1:N T ::'t;Sroo... ' --_...J

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