1971 Cycle World Show
1971 CYCLE WORLD SHOW
DAN HUNT
ONCE again that great assemblage of machinery from every facet of the world of motorcycling has had its outing. The 1971 CYCLE WORLD SHOW drew more than 143,000 people to the Los Angeles Sports Arena to see new models, competition bikes, fastidiously restored classics and chopper art of both functional and non-functional variety.
Honda’s 500-cc four-cylinder roadster made its debut before the general public, along with the diminutive SL70. Harley-Davidson featured its zany Super-Glide, which is already beginning to appear in modest numbers on the open road.
Some for the mosses, some for the few
BSA’s all-new 350-cc dohe Fury Twin, an attractively styled cousin to Triumph’s similarly conceived Bandit, also made its iirst appearance. Vague news as to its availability in the showrooms place it on sale in late summer or fall. Many of BSA and Triumph “new-look” big Twins are already in the country, and attracted much attention at the show. Also on display in the BSA stand was the Vetter-designed BSA Rocket Three, which CYCLE WORLD previewed as a pilot project last fall. The latest rumors say that BSA has given the racy semi-chopper/cafc racer the thumbs-up sign foiproduction. Presumably, it will be offered as an option to a Rocket Three with more standard styling.
Missing was the Suzuki 750-cc water-cooled Three, which had been exposed to the public in Japan.
Kawasaki, known to have running models of a very rapid 350-cc three-cylinder two-stroke roadster in both the United States and Europe for pre-production testing, also chose not to tease the public at this date.
A world of Classics
Other interesting sidelights in the new-model game:
The first appearance of Penton motorcycles—the Sachs-powered, U.S. designed all-terrain machines—on the West Coast.
Montcsa’s showing of a professional looking mini-Cota trials machine, powered by a 50-cc two-stroke.
A greatly expanded line of ready-made choppers being marketed by Triumph of Burbank.
A rare showing of two roadsters: the Munch 1200-cc Four and the 750-cc MYr Agusta Four, of which there are only 14 in existence (see our road test of this handbuilt machine in this issue).
The chopper part of the show has become much more interesting in the past few years. One can spot new trends in this folk art of the motorized age.
In general, show and street choppers both have become much more complex as their creators attempt to break out of the established “hip” patterns of doing things and outdo each other on the fiercely competitive and emotional show circuit. In the past, even the farthest out custom designs tended to have a stark look, emphasizing the engine, forks, seat area and handlebars in a simple, bold way. Often, this simplicity seemed tied to the ready availability of components borrowed or modified trom other machines.
Sporting machines, fast and slow
In the most original choppers at the 1971 CYCLE WORLD SHOW, one sees a striking blend of the distortion of realistic vision of surrealism, cubism and intricate, precise baroque patterns. Availability of new painting techniques, and the increasing use of fiberglass and plastics to mold unusual and distorted shapes have resulted in a de-emphasis of the engine. I he bikes arc becoming more “arty,” sometimes tastefully so, and more oí ten gaiish, resembling the frightful, tortuous jumble of an outlaw chopper cartoon.
Tanks are becoming bulbous and assymetrical. I hey are either heavily convoluted, or feature irregular corners and molded sharp edges. Color and texture are stressed in copious, complex mixes. The intricate involvement of fine-line webbed patterns which cover large surface areas is beginning to replace pin-striping. Forks, sissy bars and even frame members are subjected to great amounts of artifice. They twist and intertwine in great, long stringy forms, formed from square bar stock, or decorated with welded, reinforced links of chain.
New trends in Choppers
Overall, the tendency is away from the simple unified statement to an almost anal involvement with each small part of the machine. The vanguard chopper, then, is a lot of things happening at once. It provides many more opportunities for the eye to linger. As such, it is the logical extension of the eye-catching elegance of a complex, great chopper engine like the V-Twin or to a lesser extent, the vertical Twin.
But this new trend also threatens its own destruction from an oversupply of visual stimuli. It produces fatigue after the first delightful shock. Then, perhaps, boredom. And that may sum up the age in which we live.
A striking custom for the street
1971 CYCLE WORLD SHOW CLASS WINNERS
BEST SHOW CUSTOM: 1964 Harley-Davidson chopper, Ronald Anzalone BEST STREET CUSTOM: Moto-Guzzi Falcone, Dick Cormany BEST STREET CUSTOM, SHOW: Ariel Square Four, Dave Wallace BEST COMPETITION: Supercharged BSA Three Streamliner, Alan Holloway BEST ANTIQUE COMPETITION: 1934 Velocette KSS, P.D. Madigan BEST THREE-WHEELER: Honda 750 Four, Jack Diumstra BEST SIDECAR: Honda 750 Four, James Hess BEST CLASSIC ANTIQUE: 1947 Indian Chief, Bob Stark BEST UNRESTORED ANTIQUE: 1941 BSA, O R. Brick Price BEST DISPLAY: Harley-Davidson 74, R. Stone
