Cycle News - Archive Issues - 2000's

........ . . -• ....... .... .... _:-1.~ -'.~- •... ... . ~ Happenings In Motorcycling At the National AHRMA Vintage Races held in Chehalis, Washington, more than 325 racers poured in from all across the United States to test their skills at the annual West Coast event, In a surprise special presentation it was revealed to many that Jim Pomeroy (pictured with his new 30-year old trophy), the first American in history to win an intemational motocross event at the 1973 Spanish Grand Prix, had been denied his trophy. In ~973, Pomeroy, riding his Bultaco motorcycle, was denied his first place trophy due to international politics. All these years the tro· phy had been in the possession of a German rider who refused to surrender it to Pomeroy. Two years ago, three determined individuals headed up by Americans Woody Graves of Florida (left) and Ron Pomeroy (lower front) and Ramond Boven of Belgium, with the help of sponsors, worked nonstop to regain the trophy that rightfully belonged to Pomeroy. Pomeroy, a native of Washington, was awarded the trophy prior to the day's events, stunning an otherwise fast-moving and expressive Pomeroy. Tears streamed down his face as he struggled for the right words to express his heartfelt joy and gratitude. Riders - many who began racing back when Pomeroy did - and the crowd, aware of Pomeroy's contributions to the sport of motorcycle racing, applauded with appreciation and admiration and shared in the joy of the moment. Thirty years later, wrong was made right. Jim is still very active in teaching other riders, promoting racing and the sport, and an active AHRMA racer, leading his class nationally. All motorsports fans can join in with Pomeroy to congratulate and wish him the best for exemplifying sportsmanship, character and as an unsung motorsports ambassador for the United States for over 30 years. By ALAN CATHCART - • ATK's German connection At 8 time when other off-road manufacturers around the world are tuming away from the twostroke engine, mainly because of increasingly tough environmental regulations, America's largest dirtbike manufacturer ATK has just inked a deal with Germany's historic Malco marque to bring a new range of European-based two-stroke motorcycles to the U.S. market. Utah-based ATK boss Frank White has signed an ageement with the German firm's owner Axel Kostler for the supply of two-stroke Maico reed-valve engines, ranging in capacity from 500cc to 700cc, to power a new range of ATK dirtbikes to be manufactured in the companY's Salt Lake City factory. These will be available from september onward, each of them in either motocross, enduro/desert rally or Supermoto guise, at prices starting from $7895, depending on the specification, according to White, who says that in addition to giving ATK a presence in the large-capacity two-stroke market, which it hasn't enjoyed to date - its current range consists of Rotax-engined four-stroke mOdels· the Maico deal is especially sweet because it brings back memories of his early racing days. "I raced Maicos as a kid from 1969 to '72, mostly in the desert, and fell in love with them back then," White recalls. "There are lots of people out there like me who enjoy very much riding big-single two'strokes, which give you a level of performance combined with low weight which even the modern lightweight four-strokes can't match. Also, I have to admit there's something of the Texas mentality at work, here - bigger is better, so we'll be focusing at least to start with on the 700cc version, which is really manageable with lots of traction, and since like Harley-Davidson we believe the customer is always right, these will be dirtbikes custom-tailored 10 each individual's needs and tastes. I doubt any two motorcycles we build will be exactly the same, even down to color." One of Germany's oldest motorcycle manufacturers, founded by the Maisch family in 1926, Maico was for many years the country's leading off-road marque, with a proud championship·winning MX tradition until Its decline and bankruptcy in the early 1990s. Refounded in October 1995 by the Dutch.-based engineering company, R<>dem, Mako was revitalized with a new range of two-strokes up to 50Occ, launched at the 1996 Cologne Show in both enduro and motocross guise, powered by Maico's own engines. But Rodem WaS undercapitalized for even limited production of these new models and the folloWing year sold Mako Motorcycles to Dutch entrepreneur Cor Jacobs, whose Xylofoon BV hOlding company moved the operation to a brand-new, purpose·built factory in Venlo, still in Holland but right on the German ,... border. But Jacobs, too, lacked the resources to revive the historic marque, and in 2001 ceded contrOl of the Malco brand to German wholesaler Koestler Blkeworld based at nearby Leverkusen, a major KTM distributor who acquired the entire stock of Dutch-built Maico bikes and patts and recommenced manufacture across the border in Malco's German homeland. Built to provide a two-stroke alternative in the Supermoto race category now sweeping Europe, as well as a suitable powerplant for Sidecar MX, the range Is currently topped by a liqUid-cooled 685cc reed-valve engine with five-speed transmission and hydraulic clutch. developed by Malco R&D engineer Herma.nn Walgenbach to produce a claimed 76 bhp at 7000 rpm and just under 60 foot-pounds of torque at 6800 rpm, in a total package weighing just 226 pounds dry - a figure the comparable ATK is expected to emulate, for it's this engine that forms the basis of the ATK 700, together with the 620cc and 500cc variants comprising the initial range. "We'll also introduce a 360cc model, where we have several Ideas how we can Improve the Maleo molor: says White. "But that's for later on, once we have the ATK two-stroke range established and the exchange rate with the Euro has improved, because that's a more price-sensitive sector. But KTM still do well with their 300cc two-stroke, so for sure the market exists for these middleweight bikes." To create the new two·stroke ATK range for what is arguably America's second-oldest (and fourth-Iargestl) motorcycle manufacturer in continuous production since it was founded by Horst Leitner in 1983 and since 1992 run by White and his father, Dale, Maico will also prOVide fuel tanks and airboxes as well the main frame spars, leaving ATK to manufacture and assemble the rest of each bike. ATK's own R&D on the liqUid-cooled Malco motors each of which features a Rotax-type pneumatic "button" exhaust powervalve - has seen a number of improvements from the stock German specification, including the fitting of Keihin carbs (there's a big 39mm one on the 700cc motor) and Swedish·built SEM digital ignition, and all engines employ a five-speed gearbox and hydraulic clutch. Chassis hardware includes Paioli suspension (with 45mm upside-down forks), as well as a Brembo brake package that includes 260mm front/220mm rear discs, each gripped by a two-piston caliper. And with the growing boom in Supermoto racing Stateside, ATK expects to deliver many versions of its tarmac-friendiy 700 racebike, equipped with 17-inch wheels, which should ensure that the distinctive rasp of a big-single two-stroke will continue 10 be heard among the class' booming four-bangers. "ATK is doing what we've always been best at - doing it differently, and well: says White. "As a small manufacturer prodUcing under 2000 motorcycles each year, ATK is exempt from the EPA's upcoming regulations which effectively prevent a large-volume manufacturer from continuing to sell two-stroke machinery, and that's letting us do some very different things. We're very excited about having these great Mako engines available to us and about bucking the trend of discontinuing two-strokes. especially large-bore models.' To tast your vote, log on to http://www.l:ytlenews.tom. With three more Jilpanese mllnuladurers jumping on the 2SDtt lour-stroke banetwagon 'ar the 200Q model Ylllr. which the 'allowing bikes are you the most turious to read a out in the pages 01 Cycle News? A. Honda rRF2SD B. Kawasaki KX2SDF r, Suzuki RM-Z2SD D, Yamaha YZ2SDF 0'

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