25 Years Ago February, 1971
25 YEARS AGO FEBRUARY, 1971
Acute Montesa Cota trials bike was on the cover, but a new Triumph, the Tokyo Motor Show and the Mexican 1000 were on the minds of the staff. • The Triumph was a neat-looking 350 Twin with chain-driven dohc and a 15-degree-inclined cylinder bank. It was supposed to herald a new era for the British bike industry. A year later, rushed into production, it proved sluggish and prone to breakdown, and was quickly yanked, never to be heard from again. • Throttle hands were twitching in anticipation of the new Suzuki 750 two-stroke Triple, star of the Tokyo Show. Big news about the GT750 Le Mans was its liquid-cooling, marking the first time a production streetbike had been equipped with a radiator and water jacket since the Scott two-strokes of the 1 930s. • Publisher Joe Parkhurst got him self in a spot of bother by sponsoring a Baja race car through Dune Bug gies & Hot VWs Magazine, at the time a sister publication to CW. The damned thing not only won the Mexi can 1000 overall, but shattered the motorcycle record for the event. A red-faced Parkhurst blamed it on the car's lights, all 1,200,000 candle power, compared to the single beam of the class-winning Yamaha piloted by Phil Bowers and Mike Patrick. • A Montesa ad ballyhooed the ex ploits of some up-and-coming 19year-old who had just copped a Novice IT championship-Kenny Roberts was his name. Back in the classifieds, a BSA Gold Star was up for sale. Because it came with a TLS front brake, alloy fuel tank and Amal GP carb, the owner wanted top dollar-best offer over $925.
-Jimmy Lewis
