Round·up

ROUND·UP

JOE PARKHURST

HONDA’S long-awaited

1000 is here!Powered by a Horizontally-opposed four-cylinder, water-cooled power plant, the new GL series looks to be one of the ultimates in long-distance touring machines. It features shaft drive, front double-disc brakes, a single rear disc brake, and a counterbalance mechanism to eliminate twisting torque reaction from the longitudinal-running crank assembly. The four-stroke engine with specially designed exhaust system should prove to be one of the quietest motorcycles ever.

What appears to be the fuel tank is in actuality something much different. The top portion unlocks and flips up to^reveal a small compartm^P for tools or odds and ends; the tray lifts out and allows access to the air filter element. The gas cap is under here, as well. The side panels of the “tank” unit hinge outward to reveal a small coolant tank and electrical plug-ins and connectors. The “real” fuel tank, 4.8 gallons worth, is under the seat. A fuel gauge keeps the rider informed of the level, since there’s no more of that peeking-downinto-the-tank on this one. Fuel consumption is said to be in the neighborhood of 40 mpg.

The GL is chock-full of new ideas and innovations. We’ll be testing one shortly (Continued on page 36) Continued from page 33 and will give you the full report.

Other new additions to the Honda line-up include a 500 Twin four-stroke that replaces the 450 Twin; it’s the CB500T and it looks much different all the way around.

The cafe bike influence has no doubt inspired some of the styling tricks on the new 400 Four, which is the replacement for the 350 Four. The new 400 is completely restyled, with an unusual (for production machines) four into one exhaust system. All of Honda’s new road machines have the ignition key where it belongs, up near the instruments. . .a plus. But they also have headlights and taillights that automatically turn on when the engine is running. . .a minus. That kind of big brother influence we don’t need.

Honda’s on-road/off-road line shows several improvements and minor styling uplifts here and there; most notable is the change from rubber to cleated footpegs on certain models. The famed Elsinore motocrossers are improved, but the 250 version won’t be ready for awhile.

Looks like a good year for Honda and our staff of testers. CW will keep you informed on how all the new models stack up.

TWELVE YEARS AGO

THOUGHT that another visit to the old days in CYCLE WORLD was in order. The December 1962 cover featured a subject still familiar: John Penton at the International Six Days Trial. In those days he was riding a BMW Single. Bud Ekins rode a Triumph; they both finished well. The ISDT was held in Garmish, West Germany. The Czechs won it. Sound familiar?

We tested what Honda laughingly called a 250 Scrambler. It was the first of the street bikes styled to look

like dirt bikes because that’s what the people wanted. Dave Ekins and Bill Robertson Jr. had ridden a pair of them from Tijuana to LaPaz, and it was dirt almost all the way then, so the joke wasn’t all that funny. It sold for less than $700 and went 87 mph. They were neat, but not off the road.

We also tested one of the long gone NSU Supermax four-stroke Singles. It was a marvelous little bike. The styling was considered weird and it was made up of pressed metal sections. Jay Richter at Valley Cycle Sales loaned it to us. He was a good friend to CW in its early days.

We ran a technical piece on modifying the Jawa 250 for road racing. How obscure can one get? We featured a lovely old 1917 Cleveland as the classic bike of the month. Dean Batchelor took the photos. He was with Road & Track in those days and was one of the people who helped me start CYCLE WORLD.

Bart Markel won the Lincoln 50-mile National. He beat guys like Ronnie Rail, Darrel Dovel, Art Barda, Tony Murguria, Everett Brashear and Jody Nicholas. Brashear is now the head of Husqvarna West.

Carroll Resweber won the Santa Fe Short-Track National for H-D. Twelfth was Digger Helm, the only undertaker I ever knew who raced motorcycles. Digger still plants people in Bakersfield, California and promotes speedway racing there. Markel was Number One that year, winning the Sacramento 20-Mile National for Harley. AÍ Gunter was 2nd, followed by Dovel and George Roeder. Sammy Tanner was 6th. Sixth Amateur (now Juniors), was Tom Clark.

Harley showed us their ’63s, including the Topper motor scooter and a 74 that looks every bit like a 1975 does. We covered the AFM road races at Santa Barbara. They used to run in between

the sporty car races.

We were getting letters from people admiring our editorial honesty. We’ve been at that game for a long time too. We got a nice letter from J.G. Krol commending the magazine. He’s one of our better contributors today.

B.R. Nicholls’ “Continental Report” and Eve White’s “Canadian Scene” were now integral parts of CW’s monthly package. Eve and her husband, Ron, were üüed a few years ago in a Hme crash.

Honda’s ad on the back cover showed Englishman Derek Minier winning a race in England on a Honda Hawk, of all things. We listed Charles Brown as the art director of CW, Gordon Jennings as technical editor, Carol Anderson Sims (now Ashworth, of Motorcycle Industry magazine), as associate editor, Jack Fullwood as advertising manager, Betty Jean Parkhurst (now Mrs. Vic “Saddleback Park” Wilson), as business and circulation manager, and a lot of other real, and some unreal, people. One of the unreals was Charlie Brown. I was actually editor, publ^kr and, with apologies to ChlRs Schultz’s Charlie Brown, art director. Fun days.