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/128025
W hat should 500cc-c1ass GP rac- five twins riders in 1999, but even the or five Hondas, five Yamahas and two ing be, except exclusive? It is best of them - Haruchika Aoki and teammate Jose-Luis Cardoso on the Suzukis. There is likely to be one or the pinnacle of the sport, in both technical and sporting terms. Not the sort of place where you'd expect to special-chassis TSR bikes - will not be back next season. Then there is the case of Chris find every Max, Mick or Kenny. At the beginning of a new century, Walker, poised with not only talent and popularity on his side, but also the promise of a backing package including terrestrial British TV cover- however, there are signs that it is once again becoming rather too exclusive. There is a shrinking num- age for the series as well as sponsor- ber of candidates to join the club, both in terms of ability and, more importantly, in terms of machinery. In ship money. It would seem attractive, yet nobody came forward with that last and most important ingredi- brief, it looks like it might be rather hard to make up full 24-strong grids ent - a motorcycle (a proposal with Erv Kanemoto was, rather surpris- in the year 2000. There was a time when these Aussies would have been throwing barbies for each other in the GP paddock. maybe two MuZ riders and possibly one or two BSL riders, possibly MuZ or Modenas mounted, though the Kiwi triple may be poised for a comeback. Modenas mayor may not return on their own account. Aprilia, however, have threatened to bring two riders. Even with the vague ones, this doesn't even make 20 of the 500s on the grid. And there is no reserve supply at national level. The 500cc class remains in glorious isolation, with National Championships long since having switched to four-strokes. The last time the grids thinned out like this was in the early '90s, and help was forthcoming from Yamaha, with a generation of factory replica Vfours by Harris and Roc. These provided temporary relief and gave a few National Champions (including Niall Mackenzie, Peter Goddard and John Reynolds) a chance of sorts in the top class. While most were welcome at the time, they did not recruit anybody important, nor come anywhere near The word "strong" here applies to numbers rather than quality - an observation of some importance. Who cares, after all, if half-a-dozen more or less hopeless privateers are there or not? They are good for making up the numbers on the starting line, but after that they have no bearing on race results or progress, unless they get in the way when being lapped, or to the quality of the TV show. They might as well not be there. Which is true, but rather hollow if you are tracks ide watching the premier event of the afternoon by staring at empty tarmac, waiting for some motorcycles to hove into view. And thin grids are (literally) the thin end of the wedge, so that even if the racing up front is brilliant, it makes the whole class look like it is dying on its feet. The problem has become acute for several reasons, all to do with various failures by the alternatives to the factory teams. Satellite V -four Hondas have proven an expensive way to get beaten by the full works bikes, while the true privateer alternative, the Vtwin Hondas, never were very competitive, and over three years have more than run their course. Riders ingly, vetoed by Honda) - At least not until Modenas came into view. However, after tests on that Walker decided to stay racing at home in Britain next year on a Suzuki instead. This indicates a serious malaise in the GP series. This is the natural destination of riders not only like Walker, but also other National Championship stars. Instead, however, these riders are just shuffling countries - British Superbike Champion Troy Bayliss (an Australian) is off to do battle in the USA, where he will challenge defending champion Matt Mladin (who is also Australian). Meanwhile, Troy Corser will be trying to pick up his career in World Superbike. There was a time when these Aussies would have been throwing barbies for each other in the GP paddock. Even the feed to the World Superbike Series seems to have broken down, with only AMA 1998 Superbike Champion Ben Bostrom earmarked to move up to equally thin grids in the other World Championship Series. The fabric of racing, the network whereby riders could move onward and upward until they found their level, is torn and damaged. As a being truly competitive. Whence will rescue come this time? Well, Kenny Roberts' Modenas project was conceived precisely to avoid this sort of situation, but it is currently foundering. MuZ might be in a position to fill the gap, but the'bike is still in an early stage of development. The GP rights-holders, Dorna, are committed to the notion that the new four-stroke regulations will solve the problem. Managing director Carmelo Ezpeleta speaks confidently about attracting new manufacturers to the class in 2002, when the 990cc prototypes will be allowed in for the first time. Yet there is a contrasting lack of enthusiasm from the current racedepartment heads of the Japanese factories (though if this is a bluff to conceal their true purpose, it would not be the first). Four-stroke "500cc-class" GP bikes would rebuild the sport's fabric, to th~ dismay of purist two-stroke racers everywhere. But the way it is li~ely to happen involves another great change - the amalgamation of the Superbikes and the GPs into one major Super Series. And there are plenty of people in racing - especially those closest to the factories - who result, the top layer is looking rather threadbare. Next year's 500cc GP grid can number only 15 or so certainties. blow past them down the straight going 20 mph faster. There were only expect this to happen sooner rather There will be, at a rough count, four like Michael Rutter are by now thoroughly bored at having works bikes than later. • San Diego Supercross • Costa Rica on a WR400 • Tecate Hare Scrambles 68 JANUARY 26, 2000' eye I e neVlls CN 30 YEARS AGO... FEBRUARY 3, 1970 Hot chicks and minibikes were apparently still the rage as we began Issue #3 with a photo of Lynn Gail and the Maverick minicycle... In the news section that was the predecessor to "In the Wind," we reported the passing of Floyd Clymer, who died of a heart attack at the age of 74 ... A new, lightweight Rickman Hodaka Metisse 100 was also announced ... J.N Roberts (Hus) won the 4 Aces Hare & Hound in Mohave, California ... Mark Brelsford (H-D) won his eighth straight short-track main event in San Franc.isco's Cow Palace - but that wasn't the best part of the story. Evel Knievel was on hand to jump 11 cars, which he did successfully - but that still wasn't the best part of the story. The best part came after KnieveJ landed safely, only to be confronted by a couple hosti.le members of the Hell's Angels motorcycle club, who he promptly decked. Last of the Gladiators? Indeed. 20 YEARS AGO••• JANUARY 30, 19BO Promising road racer Harry Klinzman made our cover and was profiled on page 14. Klinzman, who rode for the Racecrafters racing team at the time, offered his opinions on the state of the sport, its future, and to what extent the factories should be involved in it... We devoted two full pages - sans photos - to the land hassles that plagued the Red Garter Enduro in California ... Rex Staten (Yam) and Jim Holley (Yam) stung the competition at round three of the CMC Golden State MX Series in Fremont, California; "Rocket Rex" grabbed the overall wins in the 250 and 500cc classes, while the man later to become known as "Hollywood" earned the 125cc win ... Scot Harden (KTM) laid claim to the overall win in the Moapa-to-Las Vegas desert race. Harden finished more than 23 minutes ahead of the second-placed rider. 10 YEARS AGO•.• JANUARY 24, 1990 Supercross was the name of the game in Issue #3, and our Camel Supercross Preview issue served as the perfect primer for the fast-approaching stadium season. Inside, we had the latest info on all of the factory teams and top privateers who would be contesting the 250cc series and 125cc East and West regional series as well... The winter motocross season was in full swing, as Mike Kiedrowski, Mike Healey, and Dean Matson were winning classes at the CMC Golden State Nationals in California, and John Dowd and Chris Coleman were winning at the Florida Winter AMAs back east... In Peoria, Illinois, that other Springsteen, Chuck Springsteen (Hon), dominated the opening round of the AMA Invitational Indoor Pro Ice Race Series... And in a feature entitled "Where to ride," we showed you SoCal's picturesque Coyote Canyon. llIII