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/141048
Top Amateurs Team Kawasaki I.S.D.T. riders will be led by Steve Hurd. Other top riders are bei ng added. The team is manag ed by Walt Axthelm and und er the wrench of race techn ician Chip Chapple. Tough Machine Kawasaki is building a spe cial trials machi ne for the I.S.D.T. A lot of testing , changi ng and work is bei ng done in preparation for fall. The bike is bein g built around Kawasaki's 450cc motocro sser motor. The frame is specially constructed to take the beating dished out in six days of rugge d use. It'll maintain the simpl ici ty of design and operation that' s in all Kawasakis - and which is especially imp ortant where speed of repair is critical. A lot of niceties - like rim locks - wi ll be gone (you can't fix a flat in four or five minut es with them on) . But most important, as Kawasak i build s that bike , everything they learn and every new idea that work s w ill be transmitted back to Japan fro m Kawasak i's Califo rnia Research and Development Staff. Other Kawasaki Riders To Watch high perform ance and co ntinge ncy do llars, there are ju st too many names to list. The American Scene We can tell you this. Over 200 F12 MX 450's and 200 F1 1 M 250's will be in the hands of local racers sponsored by Kawasaki dea lers. In road racing , rider s all over the coun try are prepa ring their Kawasaki H2's and H1's .. . with racing items available throug h Kawasaki dealers . (Kawasa ki Research and Development trie s to get all of their " racing tricks" out to the public.) New Land Speed Record? One rac er to watch is Bill Wirges who will use two Kawasa ki 903cc Z-1 engines in an attemp t to set a new two wheel land speed record at Bonneville this year. The European Scene Two of Europe' s top motocrossers - Torleif Hansen and Olli e Petterson (who hel ped develop Kawasaki 's motocross machine) will be compe ting in wo rld champio nship events on 250cc Kawasakis. In observed trials, Don Smith (who spe nt 1972 build ing a trials mac hine around Kawasaki 's 450cc piston port engine) is the rider to watch . Smith's bik e and riding skills make him an odds on favorite. An off icial Europ ean Team Kawasaki entry has bee n made in the fam ed " Scottish Six Days" obse rved tri als dur ing 1973. We can't name all the Kawasaki riders racing this year . With more riders taking adv antage of Kawasaki's Chappel will provide support to the LS.D.T. riders including Steve Hurd, shown on the prototype trials machine . Discussing the bike with Steve is development engineer Hank Hosoi. He maintains contact with the Kawasaki factory in Japan as progress in development of the LS.D.T. bike proceeds . The bike - buill around Kawasaki 's 450cc engine - must be durable , rugged, simple, easy to fix. In short, everyfhing a good motorcycle should be. II's Hank's job to see that what Kawasak i learns building and testing this bike shows up in future Kawasakis.