The Scene

THE SCENE

IVAN J.WAGAR

WHILE the press struggles to keep readers well informed — and we know all too well that this is the reason people buy magazines — it can sometimes upset things for the manufacturers. A good example of this happened recently regarding a special Italian frame for Mike Hailwood’s 500 Honda four.

It is no secret that Mike was somewhat unhappy about the handling of his 1967 mounts when he conducted the secret tests at Suzuka (photos in “Report from Japan,” this issue), and on returning to Europe, decided to have an Italian firm construct a frame to withstand the 85-odd horsepower available from his five hundred. Although it probably took considerable persuasion, Honda sanctioned the idea and even flew a spare engine over so that the frame could be built around it.

Then the British motorcycle press started their usual sensationalism, editorializing on the incredibility of a Japanese manufacturer permitting a foreign-built component on a Grand Prix machine. Everything came to a screeching halt at the Spanish Grand Prix when Honda told Mike he could not use the Italian frame. The reason for Honda’s decision was that the English press had given the project too much publicity.

Mike understands Honda’s attitude and is quite sympathetic about the whole thing. It does not, however, make his job any easier for this year. Not only is Agostini in top form, but the MV threes appear to be faster than ever. Hailwood lost eight valuable championship points to Phil Read in the 250 class in Spain when his rear tire went flat while leading the race by 35 seconds! Now, with the FIM mileage limit facing him at the West German GP, he has to decide which race to pass up: the two-fifty, and lose even more points to Read, or one of the two larger classes and lose to Ago. Hailwood’s only back-up is in the 250 class with Ralph Bryans, who has been limited to the tiddlers for the past two seasons and, although a fine rider, has his work cut out on the six.

At this point, Mike is again thinking of going over to car racing. He is tired of haggling with organizers about start money and the various other more trivial things that Europeans like to haggle over. In fact, motorcycle racing in Europe can lead to more ulcers than the New York advertising game, due mostly to the start money system. Almost all races pay start money, but there is no system, and Mike received twelve times as much money to race at Imola as he did in Spain, where championship points were involved and the organizers knew he had to race there.

Is Mike serious about car racing this time? He has won just about everything worth winning in motorcycle racing during the past ten years. Of his 330 race wins, an incredible 58 have been Grands Prix. He has won seven world championships and is only one TT win behind Stanley Woods’ all-time record of ten firsts on the Magic Isle. The only other rider with similar qualifications to take up cars was John Surtees, who still maintains four wheels are easier than two, and the pay is better.

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ANOTHER bit of significant news from England is that the British Home Office has just discovered fiberglass petrol (gasoline) tanks on motorcycles and they don’t like the idea at all. It appears that a law dating back to 1892 requires that petrol be transported in metal containers!

Such matters are up to the minister of transport, but few will argue the authority or influence of the home office within England. There is to be a hearing soon to determine the legality of other than metal gas tanks, and we can imagine what is going on among the fiberglass accessory manufacturers, because tanks have become a really worthwhile business. It is unlikely, however, that racing machines in organized competition would be affected.

SOME of the narrow power band problems with the new single pipe CZs have been traced to the Standard equipment Jikov carburetors. Robert, Bickers and Tibblin have now started to use a German racing Bing unit, with considerable success. In fact, CZ have won two motocross GPs using the new Bing.

The most unusual feature is the guillotine, rather than the more familiar cylindrical slide found on most carburetors. To simplify needle adjustments, Bing uses spring clips to retain the top of the carburetor body. The Russians, however, pass on the German carb, and use a Russianmade Krorev. ■