25 Years Ago November, 1974
25 YEARS AGO NOVEMBER, 1974
This issue was simply teeming with personality. Three of the magazine's major features were profiles of famous racers. How's this for a lineup? An in-depth look at the perilously topsy-turvy career of dirt-tracker Don Castro; a commentary on Can-Am-mounted Billy Uhl and his political warfare over that year's ISDT competition; not to mention a four-page question-and-answer session with 125cc motocross champ Marty Smith, first of the teen-sensation California berm-busters.
• Despite dabbling with a format worthy of a lifestyle ’zine, this month’s edition wasn’t all about celebs. Lead road test was of Yamaha’s RD350B, which the editors commended for both its racing heritage and commuter-friendly nature. When praising the spirited 347cc two-stroke parallel-Twin, testers exclaimed, “Underneath the business suit, there’s a set of full racing leathers!”
• Complementing the new-for-’75 RD was this month’s snazzy-looking coverbike, an RD350-derived cafe-racer called the Yamaha de Cafito. Interested readers could peruse pages and pages (and pages) detailing the bike’s metamorphosis. Claimed author Barry Watkins: “Changed were the suspension, cosmetics and engine performance, keeping reliability and legality high on the list of priorities.” Ah, the good ol’ dayswhen men were men and project bikes were herculean undertakings. Like we said, this issue was just full of personality.
-Wendy F. Black
