25 Years Ago August, 1971
25 YEARS AGO AUGUST, 1971
The annual Cycle World Show was covered (literally) in this issue, with five photographs from the event occupying page one and another 28 inside. These were looser times, safety-wise, as evidenced by the trials rider on the cover sporting all the protection his stylish stroker cap could provide.
• Over 143,000 people attended the show, highlight of which was the never-before-seen Honda 500cc Four. Other notable new models included BSA’s “semichopper/cafe-racer” Rocket Three, Harley-Davidson’s SuperGlide, Montesa’s 50cc Cota minitrials bike, and Penton’s new line of Sachs-powered dirtbikes.
• Featured testbike was the much-drooled-over MV Agusta 750 Four. Following a lackluster relationship with its 600cc little brother, the editors found the Italian exotic “utterly fantastic!” even with its whopping $3200 price tag. Other tests included a style-conscious BSA 650 Lightning, a smoothed-over Bultaco Matador 250 and Honda’s SL70, a brand new mini with big-bike features.
• You want racing? CW had it in this issue: from England, where the British homeboys trounced the Yanks in the Anglo-American Match Races; to Spain, where Joel Robert made a smashing start toward retaining his 250cc World Motocross Championship (and Suzuki announced that it had a rotary-powered MXer under development!); to Road Atlanta, where Australian Kel Carruthers became the first foreigner to win an AMA national roadrace.
Jimmy Lewis
