Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1980's

• Ir~~~~~L~ii 'r~J · ~~~.~~~~. With a 23-m ile test loop duplicatin g actual route conditions, the first ru ns on the unfaired machine yielded 112 mpg. More gearing changes brough t it up to 132, then followed experiments wi th cam tim in g, carburetion , spark plugs and tire pressures. Most of the carb ur etion mods prod uced poorer mileage. " Bu t every time we geared it taller it delivered better mileage, " Pere th ian said. " We finally pumped it up to 166, then we pu t a ceramic plasma-coated piston in. Which gave a slight improveme nt. "During this testi ng th e engine wasn 't ru nning very h ot, so we knew it had to run a little hotter for good thermal efficiency." Finall y, with the ignition advanced four degrees, increased compression and a venturi between the carb and head to increase mi xture velocity at low thro ttle settings, the unfaired bike was up to 182 mpg. With the bodywork in p lace the mileage leaped to 265. " We were very pl eased," said Charlie. Knowing th e coastal crosswin ds co uld cause trouble, it was decided to only partially enclose the rider. With leg cutouts and an open top, Perethian could sit up to alt er the sha pe in the wind, and move h is elbows and knees aro und in tight handling spo ts. Wi th 1500 miles on the engine and 36 test ru ns, the Rifle team had bro ught the mileage up to 315. The fin a l geari ng was 17/28 , and th e moto rcycl e weighed 204 pounds wi th a full tank. Excluding tim e, th e project expenses were $600. The only mecha nical has sle came at th e start, when the bungee cord reta in i ng th e flexible side-curta in bro ke, causing a three-minute delay for duct taping. Passing the check at Ragged Point, Pereth ian was seven min u tes off the pace entering th e real twisties and eleva tion changes of the course. Despite quicken ing his pace he dropped anoth er seven minutes, and upon reaching the check at Coast Galleries real ized he had used up the whole IS-minu te window. " From that point on, the last 40. mi les, we were haulin ' ass most of the time. I think if I'd kept up better in the early parts, and not had to sq uander gas in th e last section, we would have easily gone over 300 mpg. " As it was, Perethian covered the 136-mile rou te with 74.8 cents of un leaded regu lar. Some lessons from thei r project will apply to the next Rifle productnow in development, a tail fairing for road bikes. And Perethian aims to defend his title next year wit h a design target of 400 miles per gallon. Perhap s that final chapter is yet to be written. Brenda Wilvert received $600 for bri ngin g in the best mi leage in the Private class, 1l1.91 6 mpg o n an 80cc Kawasaki two -stroke. Dan Wilson netted $300 for a class win ; a pretty hefty sum considering h is investment in the con test. He bought a wrecked 250 Kawa sak i for $100, a used tire for $3 and some han- . dlebars for $3, then p u t it together to post a 102.9 mpg figure. • r':: .:: -"-"-".: . ' -' N A - '0" 0 '_'. ' . ' . ' - '- '- L L L L • .:: .:: : ' .:: .: .:: .: .:.: _-_-_-_~ '- '- L L :=- :: :: ~.: .::.: .:.:.:.:.:- . . . '.'.'_". .. '- '- '- '- L :: .::.:: .:: _ .: .: _ _ _ _. '':- ... T I A L u M o T o E R A C I N G A 5 5 o C I A R 0; ~.,. N o A ~~., o R C y C L _ "ChampiOM uUo{()/(cycl!e C{)1rlJg CRacrng" hip c~ JU Y31 & AUG. 1 e NAnONAL MOTOIlCYCLE IlACING A. .oc~nON ELMER TRETT (KAWASAKI) JIM BERNARD (YAMAHA) o I N D o N A RU SS COLLINS DEBUTS THE NEW BATTLESTAR MOTORCYCLE SHOW AUG. 1ST ENTER ATTHE TRACK IN CASH Ie CONTINGENCIES I R N A T. I o N· A L R A BE FI RST? H T $65,000+ I N T E 200MPH WH 0 WI LL 199.5 5 PRO STOCK FUNNY BIKE All NMRA Classes Plus TWO E.T. BRACKETS C. E W 199.11 A S Y U Z U K I TERRY VANCE UNDEFEATED IN TOP FUEL THIS YEAR SCHEDULE Saturday - Gat es Open 1 0 am Tech 10am ' 6pm Qualifying Noon - 9pm Class Eliminations 6pm Sund ay - Gates Open 8am Tech 8 am - Noon Time Trials 9 :3 0 am - Noon Eliminations 1pm PICK UP A FREE PIT PA SS AT YAMAHA MISSIO N VI EJ O FAIRWAY YAMAHA ORANGE COUNTY CYC LE AND ENTER DRAWING FOR A Y:AMAHA RX50 ONE FROM EAC H SHOP PLUS 1 AT RA CE AD I55ION PRICES Adults: SAT • $6.00 (i.dudes pit admission) SUN· $10.00 + $3.00 for a pit pass (or COIIpoII) Kids: (..... 12) SAT· $2.00 (illdudes pit a missi_ ) SUN · $2.00 + $3.00 for a pit pass (or coupon) ea.,. O.C.I.R.: ~5 at Ini.. CHter 1-5 at Sa. 714/552·5511 NMIA: 502/384-5192 Cutom Bike: 714/996-5111 Race Headquarters: Travel Lodge • Lalllna Hills 714/855-1000 ..._..__. -------- - Result s INDUSTRY CLASS: 1. Charlie Perethian (Yam l B5) 2B2.157 mpg. PRIVATE ClASS AWARDS $600 FIRST OVERALL: 1. Brenda Wilvert (Kaw 801111.916 mpg. $300 HONDA 75 11UP: 1. Herbert Kane (1' 00 Honl 59.B6 mpg. $300 HONDA 500-700: 1. David Nelson (750 SabreI 51.5 1 mpg. $300 YAMAHA 751/UP: 1. Dan Dwye r (Yam 920) 49.5 mpg. $300 YAMAHA 500 , 750 : 1. All an Gird ler (750 Seca) 49.74 mpg. $300 KAWA SAKI 500, 750: 1. Paul Gordon (Kaw 550) 63.17 mpg. R $300 BMW + $300 FOR VETTE FAIRING WITH BESTMILEAGE: 1. Kari Prager (BMW 650) 62.7B mpg. $300 HARLEY· DAVIDSON: 1. Ja mes Perkins (H, 01 60.92 mpg. $300 ALL OTHER BRANDS 500 & UP: 1. Harley Vandeloa (BSA) 66.00 mpg. $300 ALL OTHER BRANDS 499 & BELOW: 1. Dan Wilson (Kaw 250) 102.9 mpg. .. ':-~ _'_-_' - W~. It's the Hot pttrtor.ances of tile all ... 500CR! It's til... Hot Spec ials: F ree H igh,Performance Kit with any '?! ;982 250 purchase; Certificate 'A redeemablefor $50.00 wortho f ~? Husky Products ~~ f, with the purchase ~ of any '81CR, WR, t,\ XC or any Automatic! \~1 ~;~ ~~i,; i It's tile Hottest Husqyarna Deals nER!! And it's all happening from now to August 31 at your local Husqvarna Dealer. catch It! Husqvarna, 4925 Mercury Street S anDiego, California 92111 23

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