25 Years Ago May, 1971
25 YEARS AGO MAY, 1971
Had Triumph gone too far with the revised styling of its T-120R Bonneville, this issue’s cover subject? A full road test of the then-new 650cc British Twin suggested just that: “The Bonnie has always been a status cycle,” wrote the author, “the understated stud machine, representative of real motorcycling. Now it has been rewrapped for the ’70s. Does it make it?” Apparently it did, as the test’s conclusion read, “This machine is one of Triumph’s best.”
• Race coverage included a feature on short-track racing at New York City’s Madison Square Garden. The track’s polished-concrete surface provided the sell-out crowd with lots of close racing and plenty of spills. The story’s most memorable line came from a young David Aldana, the racing great known for his skeleton leathers who is still active in today’s BMW Battle of the Legends Series. A photo caption quoted Aldana as saying, “The secret of indoor racing is to be very smooth and not get carried away.” Aldana apparently didn’t heed his own advice, however, as the caption-writer added, “Then he tore onto the track and spilled again.” Such determination proved to be a winning formula over time.
• Elsewhere, a test of the SHE minibike perfectly defined my own mini-mindset: “The suitable mini must, above all, have good acceleration. Also, it’s gotta wheelie.” Well said, and inspirational, too.
I’m going out to the garage now to prep my Kawasaki KX80 Big Wheel for this weekend’s mini-roadraces.
-Don Canet
