25 Years Ago April, 1972
25 YEARS AGO APRIL, 1972
April showers may bring May flowers, but it's beautiful women astride sparkling motorcycles who capture the hearts of budding bike enthusiasts. For proof, one need only peek inside the front cover of this issue, where Norton's latest lovely was proffered alongside a shiny new 750 Commando Interstate.
• "Could anyone have imagined three years ago that Laverda's 750 Super Sport would be the basis for one of 1971's most successful production roadracers?" That question prefaced a road test of the new electric-start 750 SF, which editors deemed "a sporting man's motorcycle." Handling was clumsy at lower speeds, they reported, but above 20 mph the bike revealed its racing pedigree.
• Yankee's dual-purpose 500Z—the result of mating a pair of two-stroke Spanish-built OSSA Singles on a common crankcase-was also tested in this month's issue. Cycle World magazine and the Yankee Motor Company have long-standing ties: Founding editor Joe Parkhurst designed the logo that Yankee president John Taylor still uses on the theater-quality speakers his company produces today; Vice President and Editorial Director Paul Dean, Yankee's national service and racing manager at the time, prepped testbikes and helped with research and development chores; and EdItor-in-Chief David Edwards is sort of the reigning Yankee king of Southern California, with two 500Zs, an extra engine and a shelf-ful of spares.
Matthew Miles
