Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

VOICES . Letters to the ednor My condolences go out to the rest of the world's motocross community after being soundly beaten by the AMA's current National Champions. Not! They asked for it. All that talk last year in the press about McGrath being afraid to go. Our world. dominance was supposedly over. What a differ-' ence a year makes. Jim Gabriele Kingsland, GA Motocross des Nations I'm a motocross fan and a big Jeremy McGrath fan. Congratulations to McGrath, Jeff Emig and Steve' Lamson you guys are number one. . I read recently that Stefan Everts said he wants to: "Kick Jeremy's ass." Well, corne on over Stefan, we've got good rough tracks, lots of fans and Jeremy will eat you for lunch. Tom Altand Sandy, VT No contingencies I can't believe it. Just when Honda makes a CR250 that 1 can't resist purchasing, they drop the rider support. This makes no sense. How could they do this? All the other manufacturers are giving more and more to sup~ort Arn~ teur racing and Honda doesn t feel It s necessary. Sorry, Honda, you can keep YOljr beautiful aluminum-framed machine, I will ride with the company that helps me with the most support. The sport is expensive enough without Honda pulling the rug out from beneath its riders' feet. Lincoln Palmer Matamoras, PA AMA thanks Hats off to the AMA and the officials at the Knoxville Half Mile Grand National event for moving the 750 National to the first on the program. After much delay because of track maintenance and rider INSIDE America's weekly motorcycle newspaper accidents, it was decided to move the program forward by having the G~and National before the 600s and 883s. It gave many of us fans the chance to leave and get back horne at a reasonable and safe hour. Once again, thanks AMA, and God love you. Richard J. Mack Lombard,IL Barber says no In reading through Cycle News this week, I ran across a paragraph in the "In the Wind" column announcing the Del Mar event corning up on October 10-11. In the ·column, there was a statement " ...go head to head against the likes of Barber Racing's Chuck Huneycutt and Stephen Mathews." I would like to correct this statement by saying that we will not, have not planned, and do no plan to attend this event. Apparently the promoter, or whoever released this information,.is taking a lot for granted. We at Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum wish to support and encourage all aspects of motorsports and stand behind any function the AMA itself promotes. This particular event is being promoted by a person that we do not want to support. Therefore, we do not wish to be associated with this event. I would like to commend you and your staff for all the efforts that go into the publication of this newspaper and I feel it does a great service for the motorcycle commUnity. Jeff Ray Birmingham, AL Ray is the executive director of the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum ... Editor. A helping hand I just wanted to send a note to let you know of something that will make you feel proud to be a part of the motorcycle racing community. Four years ago, I lost my two-and-ahalf-year-old son to a rare brain tumor. In his memory we decided to do a golf tournament to help other children struggling with brain tumors and other childhood cancers. On Monday, September 16, we held the third annual Jordan Stuart Memorial Golf Tournament near Santa Cruz with most of the money benefiting Family House, which is located next to the UC Medical Center in San Francisco, and the balance of the money raised going to Pediatric Brain Tumor Research. As in years past, we had several sports celebrities in the golf tournament and the banquet that follows. This year my friend Charles Halcomb rode chase at the ISDE and was able to ask Randy Hawkins to corne to Cilifornia for this year's event and he did. What is more amazing is that Randy had rode the National Enduro in Kentucky the day before and did not get horne to South Carolina until midnight on Sunday. He then got up early and flew to San Francisco where he was met by Rodney Smith, who drove him down to Santa Cruz. . We were able to raise $55,000 to help these kids and their families. Randy and Rodney spoke a little bit at the banquet that night and it was very touching. They also took the time to sign posters and autographs. Jeremy McGrath and Steve Lamson also sent autographed jerseys which we had framed and used in the sports auction. It makes you feel proud to be part of a community that still takes time out to help the less fortunate. My hat's off to Randy and Rodney for taking time out of their busy schedules to help in this way. Rob Stuart Santa Cruz, CA CBR1100 XX kudos My congratulations to Cycle News and Ken Wootton for an excellent review of the CBRll00 XX. I was impressed that Wootton didn't dismiss Honda's Dual CBS braking system as have most motojournalists. As a rider of average abilities who does not want the expense or complexity of ABS, I find Honda's increasingly sophisticated, yet simple, linked-braking system very appealing... especially since' I have no pretenses about being the next Doohan. Bruce Armstrong Santa Barbara, CA Letters to the editor should be sent to Voices, Cycle News, P.O. Box 498, Long Beach, CA 90806-0498, faxed to 310/4276685 or e-mail.editor@cyclenews.com. Published letters do not necessarily reflect the position of Cycle News, Inc. Letters should not exce'ed 200 words and all letters are subject to editing. Anonymous letters will not be considered for publication. AlI letters should contain the writer's name, address and daytime I?hone number ... Editor. . FEATURES DIRT TRACK Sacramento Mile ..4 MOTOCROSS MX des Nations 8 NEW BIKES '97 Suzuki Street Bikes FIRST LOOK 1997 Triumph T595 Daytona and T509 Speed Triple ROAD RACING Bol d'Or OFF-ROAD Tonopah 300 Editorial Paul Carruthers, Editor Kit Palmer, Associate Editor Scott Rousseau, Associate Editor Mark Hoyer, Managing Editor . Keith Bush, Assistant Ed,torlCopy Ed,tor Cameron Coatney, Assistant Editor Tom Titus, Copy Editor Advertising Terry Pratt, National Accounts Manager Mark Mitchell, Eastern Accounts Manager Mark Thome, Western Sales Manager Thomas Gonter, Western Sales Manager Forrest Hayashi, Western Sales Manager Greg Mitchell, Eastern Sales Manager Rick Matheny, Eastern Sales Manager Rhonda Crawford, Western Ad Coordinator Laurie Snow, Assistant Carla Allen, Eastern Ad Coordinator Tina Farr, Assistant Marketing & Promotion Mark Thome, Manager New Media Development Mark Mitchell, Director Rick Matheny, Operations Classified Ads Sharon Van Hazelen Graphics and Production Ree Johnson, Production Supervisor Mandy Lao, Production Manager Dennis Greene, Lab. Tech. Stacey Guest, Graphic Artist Vance Lanoy, Graphil: Artist Administration Judy Klinger, Coordi~ator . Leanne Sims, AdmInistratIve ASslstQ.nt Accounting/Data Processing . Donna Bryan-Diamond, NR Coord",ator Geneva Repass, Assistant Herlane Lewis, Credit Circulation Rheba Smith, Manager Alma Anguiano, Processing Coordinator Pam Klein, Billing Coordinator Carol Begovic, Dealer Coordinator Service and Support Bridgett Bobrofsky, /J;icept(onist Kirk Chavis, Service and Support National Headquarters 2201 Cherry Ave., Long Beach, CA 90806, p.o. Box 498, Long Beach, CA 9080l-{J498 (310) 427-7433; (213) 636-8844. FAX (310) 427-6685 Eastern Office 4188 First Ave., Tucker, GA, 30084; mailing address p.o. Box 805, Tucker, GA 30085-0805. (770) 934-7850. FAX (770) 934-3112 e-mail editor®cyclenews.com subscribe@cyclenews.com advertising@cyclenews.com Internet http://www.cyclenews.com Issue #40 October '9, 1996 SPEEDWAY Danish Grand Prix Volume XXXIII Sharon Clayton. President Michael Klinger, Publisher 14 18 OFF·ROAD FEATURE SECTION Test: 1997 KTM 300 E/Xc.. Test: 1997 Honda XR400R Test: 1997 Husaberg FX501E Off-Road Buyer's Guide Off-Road New Products .26 28 .32 34 46 RACER TEST Raceco Moto Guzzi ..48 TRIALS AMA/NATC Nationals ..42 POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Cycle News, P.O. Box 498, Long Beach, CA 90801-4)498. To deterntlne the expiration date of your subscription, check the four numbers on the first line of your address label. The first two digits indicate the last issue number you'll rtteive and the last two characters indicate the year of the last issue. Subscription rates: Rates for the United States and its. possessions for one year, (SO issues), $50.00; two years (l~ ISsues), $95.00; six months, (25 issues), $26.00; trial sub (15 ISSUes), $19.00. Canada and Foreign, one year (SO issues), $90.00; "",:0 years (100 issues), $175.00; six months (25 issu~), $45.00; tnal sub (15 issues), $38.00. Cycle News welcomes unsolicited edito~al ~ateri~ induding CALENDAR 60 67 WANTADS 67 84 LOOKING BACK 84 becomes the exclusive property of Cycle News. Repnnhn~ 10 whole or part only by permission of the publisher. AdvertiSing rates and circulation infonnation will be sent upon .50 VIEW FROM THE FENCE... .24 #546615. stories, cartoons, photos, etc. Such mate:nal, if pUbhs~~, . RESULTS _ 22 Periodicals Postage Paid at Long Beach. CA and at addJtiOnal mailing office. Canada Post International Publications Mail DEPARTMENTS EVENTS .20 Cycle News (USPS 141-340) is published weekly except the last two weeks of the calendar year for $50.00 per year by Cycle News, Inc., 2201 Cherry Avenue. Long Beach. C~ ~. request. See SRD.5. ON THE FRONT COVER Riding the newest off-roaders from KTM, Honda and Husaberg. Photos by Kit Palmer and Cameron Coatney. Inset: Suzuki's V-twin. WB -DA r" AUDITED ClRCULAnON Printed in U.S.A. Co~yright' Cycle News, In~ 19%. 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