Old Pro, New Suspension

OLD PRO, NEW SUSPENSION

WHEN MF.RT LAWWILL was winning the AMA's Number One plate and starring in Bruce Brown’s On Any Sunday, he was best known in the racing fraternity as a man who combined hard work with new ideas.

When Lawwill retired from motorcycle racing, he began creating new technology for mountain bikes, then a sport in its pioneer stage. One of his ideas was a radical rear suspension, a two-tier swingarm with the axle riding in a linkage, a system designed to separate the effects of torque and wheel travel from each other. The idea and application were new and different enough to earn a patent. Lawwill licensed use of the system for bicycles, where it's an established improvement.

Now, Lawwill’s back in motorcycling, and he’s brought his suspension with him. No surprise, his return focuses on dirt track, where he earned the championship and where he’s been able to attract backers and helpers.

Mert’s modified one of his Harley XR750s to use his new suspension. It’s run in three AMA Nationals with up-’n’coming Sam Lowe at the controls. Lowe was picked because he is willing to adapt, and hasn’t enough established habits to make him resist changes or suggestions. So far, the combination has been fast, but not fast enough to win. Parallel to the actual races, Lawwill has tested the design with several ranked experts, one of whom has turned times faster than the winner of the race held the night before the test.

What next? If the idea proves itself-and that’s not a sure thing, as Lawwill is the first to admithe could license it to the factories, or to racers. Or it could be used for the street. Or it could fade away, as has happened to other novel suspensions.

Meanwhile, it’s good to see Mert Lawwill again making good use of his Sundays.

-Allan Girdler