25 Years Ago May, 1975
25 YEARS AGO MAY, 1975
No matter how you look at it, doin’ it in the dirt was what this issue was all about. If this concept wasn’t obvious from the wheelie-happy Montesa 250 V75 MX on the cover, then the test of Yamaha’s MX 400B Monocross was the clincher. While the coverbike received accolades for its improved suspension, light weight and easy handling, editors were more impressed by the 397cc two-stroke Yammie, calling it “one of the most universally adaptable off-road motorcycles ever.”
Of course, CW readers have never lived by road tests alone. Witness the technical article offering step-by-step instructions on how to turn a Yamaha TY250 into a dual-purpose bike; or the feature on the swoopy-looking Japauto Honda 960 Café, a one-off endurance racer; or the nostalgic, six-page MX photo essay in which Associate Editor Fernando Belair asked, “Where were you in 1967?” Me? I wasn’t even born yet.
• On the competition front, the Houston Astrodome was the backdrop for the latest round of AMA dirt-track. Oddly enough, numberone-plate-holder Kenny Roberts didn’t score another victory; he finished second to Triumph-mounted Mark Williams.
Meanwhile, several CW staffers entered the 500-mile Greenhorn Enduro to properly evaluate their longterm Can-Am 175: “(It) was hectic.. .girlfriends and wives who tagged along, dogs, two pit trucks and the usual sign-up hassles, it was a miracle we ever got off on time, but we did.” And Off-Road Editor Jimmy Lewis thought the Dakar Rally was tough! Wendy F. Black
