Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

• 1.1_:....1_ .1'1 . . . . . . . •• 1- Happenings In Motorcycling .I~"".~- The Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum inducted 16 legendary figures of American motorcycling into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame during ceremonies at the Museum in Pickerington, Ohio, on Saturday, October 19. The new inductees joined 269 others already enshrined in the Motorcycle Hall of Fame, located on the lower level of the Museum. The Motorcycle Hall of Fame features a plaque recognizing each inductee, along with related motorcycles, photos and memorabilia. This year's class included racers, stunt riders, engineers, media figures, and everyday riders who became pioneers. Among the notables: Doug Domokos, aka "The Wheetie King," the best-known stunt rider of the 1980s and 1990s; Freddie Marsh, who began short-course racing and hill-climbing in 1924, continued racing until age B8 (now 102); Bessie Stringfield, who broke down barriers for women and African-Americans in the 19405, completing eight solo cross-country tours and serving as a U.S. Army motorcycle dispatch rider; and Sylvester Roper, American inventor and transportation pioneer who built a steam-powered motorcycle in 1869. "We see the Motorcycle Hall of Fame as an important part of the Museum's mission," said Don Erode, chainnan of the American Motorcycle Heritage Foundation, which runs the facility. "Preserving the heritage of American motorcycling means more than displaying a collection of classic machines. It means keeping alive the memory of those who built that heritage." Erode, winner of the 1972 Daytona 200, is a Hall-of-Famer himself, as is his father, Floyd, who won the same event in 1948. Any motorcycling enthusIast may submit a person to be considered for induction into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame; complete biographical infonnation should accompany the submission. Inductees are chosen by six committees consisting of Hall-of-Famers and independent experts in various disciplines. The Motorcycle Hall of Fame Class of 2003 will be announced next May. The Motorcycle Hall of Fame Class of 2002 is as follows: Russ Damell - motocross pioneer, helped shape the sport when it came to the U.S. in the late 19605; Will Davis - seventh in career AMA Grand National wins, five-time champion of MARS (Motorcycle Asphalt Racing Series); MaTty Dickerson - road racer, Vincent dealer, set world speed records in 1953 and 1955; Doug Domokos - "The Wheelie King," best-known stunt rider of the 1980s and 19905; Ed Fisher - racer, tuner, dealer, life-long enthusiast, winner of 1953 Laconia 100; Jeff Fredette - "Mr. ISDT/ISDE," won 10 gold and 10 silver medals, U.S. National Enduro winner; Lars Larsson - 13-time ISDT/ISDE competitor, won multiple gold medals, among the first Swedish motocrossers to make his mark in the U.S., first Husqvama factory rider in the U.S.; Walt Mahony - motorcycle-racing photographer for 39 years, took more than 435,000 photos, printed more than 1 million images for racers, fans and publications; Freddie Marsh - By ALAN CATHCART • MZ Set for Takeoff Following more than five years of gestation, after the company wholly owned by Malaysia's Hong Leong conglomerate decided to abort the Yamaha TOM850-powered Kobra prototype sportbike unveiled at the 1996 Cologne Show in favor of a family of twin-cylinder motorcycles powered by Its own full 1000cc parallel-twin engine, Germany's MZ is gearing up to start production of its 10005 sportbike displayed in production-ready fonn at Intermot 2002 in September. The first batch of pre-production models are set to roll off the company's assembly lines in its modem new Hohndorf factory in eastem Gennany in November. prior to series production of the 2500 examples MZ plans to construct in its first model year commencing in January, for sale from March onward around the world. including in the USA. With a projected home market price of about $12.500 including 16 percent local tax, the new Gennan bike is targeted to be competitive with its key rivals, expected to be the Honda VTR I 000, Buell XB9R Firebolt, Triumph Sprint RS and Ducati 100005, as well as BMW's R1150S. The MZ is targeted as an affordable sportbike for the cost-conscious customer, says MZ's joint CEO Ramsey Vasuthewan, who emphasises that the new model is the start of a family of MZ twins offering real-world perfonnance. "We're not interested in going Superbike racing, but in delivering a distinctive, enjoyable and dependable product that allows customers to get fun from riding it," he says. "We've made several changes to the prototype which we showed at Intermot 2000, not only to make the model production-friendly, but rider-friendly as well." Next up is a Naked roadster which will be unveiled at the Milan Show next September, and began short-course racing and hill-climbing in 1924, continued hill-climbing until age 88 (now age 102), dealer for Indian and Moto Guzzi; Reg Pridmore - AMA Superbike National Champion in 1976, 1977 and 1978, founder of CLASS Motorcycle Schools; Sylvester Roper American inventor and transportation pioneer who built a steam-powered motorcycle in 1869; Donny Schmit - won seven AMA Motocross Nationals, 1992 250cc World Champion, 1990 125cc World Motocross Champion, 1986 125cc Westem Supercross Champion; Dale Singleton - "The Flying Pig Farmer," won the Daytona 200m 1979 and 1981; Bessie Stringfield - In the 1940s, "The Motorcycle Queen of Miami" broke down barriers for women and African American motorcyclists at the same time, completing eight solo cross-country tours and serving as a U.S. Anny motorcycle dispatch rider; Adeline and Augusta Van Buren These sisters' 1916 cross-country ride proved to the U.S. military that women were fit to serve as dispatch riders. The Van Burens were the first women to make the transcontinental joumey on two solo motorcycles. jAbove - from left to rIgIrQ Hall of F-... o-e Mungenast, .Iohn Penton and Lars Lamon ham It up lit the 2002 Motorcycle Hell of Fame Induction cet'etnOnies. (Above right! Th.......tlme AMA SUperbike Champion Reg Pridmore II1II11. . efter being Inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame. (Right) A fan of the late Dale Singleton brought a vintage Cycle Ne_ to the ceremony. reach the showrooms soon after, he says, with a total twin-cytinder production of 4500 bikes a year targeted from 2004 onward, and street enduro and sports-touring versions also on the horizon. The MZ 1OooS's liquid-cooled. fuel· injected, dohc, eight-valve, 998cc, parallel-twin engine with 180-degree crank throws and drop·in cams measures 96 x 69mm, and features the cylinders inclined forward at 40 degrees to give a substantial degree of downdraft for the EFl's twin throttle bodies, plus a side-loading six -speed cassette gearbox indicating its eventual intention to hit the race track running - albeit in ProTwins racing rather than World Superbike. Or so insists Vasuthewan, who says that MZ plans to produce a power-up option for the engine entailing a track use-only exhaust and revised engine management chip to remap the fuel injection, in a year's time. For now, MZ quotes an output of 115 bhp at 9000 rpm, with 72 ft./lb of torque at 7000 rpm, for the fairly long-stroke motor, which is slotted into the distinctive Chrome-moly tubular steel twin-spar frame carrying an aluminium swingann. This directly operates a fully adjustable shock - which is heavily offset to the right - cantilever fashion, with no link, and 43rnm upSide-down forks are fitted up front. Nissln brakes are now featured instead of the Brembos on the show prototype of two years ago, with the result clad in the distinctive New Edge styling featuring four separate projector heacl1amps, penned by fanner BMW, Yamaha and Honda designer, Peter Naumann. The empty space to the left of the shock was originally intended to give room for installation of a supercharger, but this option has now been set aside for the meantime. and the space will be used instead for an ABS system MZ curently has under development. MZ's well-received existing range of 125cc four-valve four-stroke models is now, as envisaged, being manufactured in Asia, albeit at this stage only on a CKD basis at one of Hong Leong's assembly plants in Malaysia, where the finn produces Yamahas under license for sale throughout southeast Asia. However, with another factory recently opened in Vietnam. and a Chinese joint venture also under way, MZ's RTl25 as well as its potential RT150 derivative are likely to be wholly manufactured soon in southeast Asia, thus justifying Hong Leong's decision to purchase what was the fanner Communist-era DDR's motorcycle operation and develop it as a technological centre for R&D of new products of interest outside Europe. To cast your vote, lag an to _---..http://wWw.cytl~news.cam. • . -- - •• • • Of the fallowing three Superbike champions slated to take to the track in Mat liP n 2003, wtia i:Ia you think will give Valentina Rossi the bigges:-':t'--' challenge for the title"? A. Tray Bayliss B. Colin Edwards C. Nicky Hayden 6 NOVEMBER 6, 2002' cue I e n __ s

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