Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1990's

VOICES America.s weekly motorcycle newspaper LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Volume XXXIV Sharon Clayton, President Michael Klinger, Publisher Editorial Paul Carruthers, Editor Kit Palmer, Associate Editor Scott Rousseau, Associate Editor Mark Hoyer, Managing Editor Keith Bush, Assistant Editor/Copy Editor Cameron Coatney, Assistant Editor Alan Cathcart, European 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 Bridgett Bobrofsky, Assistant Carla Allen, Eastern Ad Coordinator Tina Farr, Assistant Marketing & Promotion Mark Thome, Director Forrest Hayashi, Manager New Media Development Mark Mitchell, Director Rick Matheny, Webmaster Robert McTigue, Production Manager Classified Ads Laurie Torstensen Graphics and Production Ree Johnson, Production Supervisor Mandy Loa, Production Manager Dennis Greene, Lob. Tech. Stacey Guest, Graphic Artist Amanda WoUny, Graphic Artist Administration Judy Klinger, Coordinator Leanne Sims, Administrative Assistant Accounting/Data Processing • Donna Bryan-Diamond, A/R Coordinator Geneva Repass, Assistant Herlane Lewis, Credit Circulation Rheba Smith, Manager Alma Anguiano, Processing Coordintltor Keshona Dawson, Billing Coordinator Carol Maggio, Dealer Coordinator Service and Support Susan Moreno, Receptionist Michael Swedberg, Service and Support . National Headquarters 2201 Cherry Ave., Long Beach, CA 90806, P.O. Box 498, Long Beach, CA 90801-0498 (562) 427-7433; (213) 636-8844. FAX (562) 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 Henry highlights Hooray for Doug Henry. First of all, he makes a great comeback after his terrible crash in May of 1995; then he leads the 1997 AMA Supercross Series until an injury forces him out for several rounds. Now, after not riding a supercross for six weeks, he wins the final round on his four-stroke Yamaha. Is there anything he can't do? What a great debut for Doug and Yamaha in its first supercross race. Not only is Doug one of the most determined riders on the National circuit, he is also one of the nicest. . What a great benefit he is - not only to Team Yamaha, but to the whole sport. Laura Kimball Deleware, OH RegUlar regulations Please continue to keep your readers apprised of the idiotic regulations being cooked up by certain people in the European Community. I strongly believe that these so-called "safety" regulations are designed not to keep people from harming themselves, but to kill motorcycling' altogether as a result of the prohibitive costs of implementing them once they become law. We must not allow the "safetycrats", through their world government the United Nations, to dictate what kinds of motorcycles we can ride. Robert Cozine killer 5280@ibm.net Dust, no dust Having attended both the Las Vegas Supercross and Glen Helen National in the last two weeks, I can truly say that I have seen both ends of the spectrum as far as track maintenance and care for its riders and fans. My hat's off to the people at Glen Helen for their first-class motocross facility. It is obvious that there was a lot of hard work involved as well as dollars. Keep up the good work. As a racer/fan, I truly.appreciate it, and I will be back with my family and friends. Now for the downside: I hate to slam anyone after the most successful and exciting year ever in supercross, but the people involved should not all rest on their laurels. I have been in the sport for 25 years and have seen the ups' and downs - remember the sellout crowds at Anaheim in 1986? But to make this sport truly successful, not only to the hard- . core fans but also to the average family who 'may want to see what this supercross thing is all about, you have to be consistent with a solid effort. When Mike Goodwin originally created supercross, that was his intent. Bring racing to the mainstream, make it an enjoyable and pleasant experience, and the people will come back - and bring other friends and family. AliI can say is that I was covered with more dirt than if I were on the track racing in Las Vegas. There is a problem when everyone around me is wearing sunglasses to keep the dirt out of their eyes. It especially irritates me when I see a w.ater truck and waier hoses lining the track, making a few half-hearted attempts at keeping the dust down. I know they are concerned with making the track slippery, but with all the in termissions and LCQs. there seemed to be plenty of time to work the moisture into the surface. Gary Chaidez Mesa,AZ Speedvision rules Good for Speedvision. Nirvana realized not: a sports station aimed not just at the four-wheel motorsports fan but also at those of us addicted to the two-wheeled world of speed. As a club road racer, I have the need not only for speed, but for motorcycle coverage on TV. Like many others, I have lamented on the woeful television coverage given to motorcycles. Speedvision no~ dedicates Tuesday to motorcycle coverage that is outstanding. Kudos for that bold programming move. With ESPN and ESPN2, our sport is beginning to receive the television exposure it has long deserved. This is certainly another positive indication of motorcycling growth in our country. Is it Tuesday yet? Terry Bulaski Bakersfield, CA Accessibility After returning from the final ~ound of the AMA Supercross Series in Las Vegas, I feel compelled to write. My family and I had pit passes for this event and we stayed until they were pulling the awnings down from the trucks. At this point, I noticed one of the top riders (not Jeff Emig) walking from behind a big rig. Since nobody was around, I thought it might be a good time to get an autograph. The star, however, never stopped walking, saying that he didn't want to be mobbed (I looked around and there were very few people present). He took my book and, without even looking, scribbled something illegible and continued his exit. I was less than impressed. On the other hand, I would like to praise Team Yamaha and its four riders. I ride a 1997 Honda CR, so my praise has nothing to do with the bike I ride, but it might make a difference on my next purchase. Unlike other teams, Yamaha riders are accessible to their fans. At each of the' West Coast rounds that we've attended, we've been able to get close enough to get autographs or . give a word of praise to these guys. All of Yamaha's riders are'well-mannered, and clean-cut, and exhibit a level of professionalism that should continue to elevate motocross to a place among the more mainstream sports. Doug Henry, Ezra Lusk, Kevin Windham and John Dowd deserve nothing but the best, and I wish them continued podium positions for the rest of their careers. Steve Alexander Lake Havasu City, AZ Letters to the editor should. be sent to Voices, Cycle News, P.O. Box 498, Long Beach, CA 90806-0498, faxed to 56214276685 or e-mail.editor@cyclenews.com. Published letters do not necessarily reflect the position of Cycle News, Inc. Letters should not exceed 200 words and all letters are subject to editing. Anonymous letters. will not be considered for publication. All letters should contain the writer's name, address and daytime phone number Editor. 0>. . e-mail ed.itor@cyc1enews.com subscribe®cyclenews.com advertising@cyclenews.com FEATURES Internet http://www·.cyclenews.com Round 3 - AMA Grand National Championship Series from Mineral Wells, West Virginia 8 Cycle News (USPS 141..J(0) is published weekly except the last two weeks of the calendar year for $50.00 per year by Cycle News, loc., 2201 Cherry Avenue. Long Beach. CA 90806. Period.icals Postage Paid at Long Beach, CA and at additional mniling office. Canada Post Intemationnl Publications Mail #546615. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Cycle News, P.O. Box 498, Long Beach, CA 908014198. To determine the expiration date of your subscription, check the four numbers on the fiist line of yOUf address label. The first two digits indicate the last issue number you'D receive and the last two characters indicate the year of the last issue. Subscription rates: Rates for the United States and its posses. sions for one year, (SO Lo;sucs), $50.00; two years (100 issues), $95.00; six months, (25 issues), $26.00; trial sub 05 issues), $19.00. Canada and Foreign, one year (SO issUL>s), $90.00; two years (100 issues), $175.00; six months (25 issues), $45.00; bial sub O~ issues), $38.00. Cycle News welcomes unsolicited editorial material including stories, cartoons, photos, etc. Such material, If published, becomes the exclusive property of Cycle News. Reprinting in whole or part only by permission of the publisher. Advertis-iog rates and circulation infonnation will be sent upon request. See S.R.O.5. "If _ WJ'BPA ~~ITEi'TION Printed in U.s.A. 6 C0J.'yrightO Cycle News, lnc.1997. Trademark Cycle News regIStered U.S. Patent Office. All rights reserved'. MOTOCROSS Round 4 - AMA National Championship Motocross Series from Mount Morris, Pennsylvania 14 TEST Supercharged Yamalla 660 Tramontana INTERVIEW Anthony Gobert 32 ENDURO Round 3 - AMA National.Championship Reliability Enduro Series from New Waverly, Texas 34 HILLCLIMB Round 1 - AMA National Championship Hillclimb Series from Middlebury, Indiana 36 18 DEPARTMENTS 22 FEATURE The world-famous Lodi Cycle Bowl ....24 EURO FILE 4 38 CALENDAR 60 LEADERBOARD 69 69 RESULTS .30 EVENTS LOOKING BACK OBSERVED TRIALS Round 3 - World Championship Trials 28 Series from Belgium SPEEDWAY Round 1 - World Individual Championship Series from the Czech Republic RIDING IMPRESSION 1997 Suzuki Bandit 1200 70 GUEST EDITORIAL 87 ON THE FRONT COVER Damon Bradshaw won the 250cc National Motocross at High Point - after a four-year dry spell. Photo by Karl Ockert.

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