25 Years Ago March, 1977
25 YEARS AGO MARCH, 1977
Dirtbikes on the cover? That's rare stuff. at least nowadays. In fact, aside from a story on carburetor tuning, this was a mostly dirt-oriented issue. Roost on!
• It was new vs. old, single shock vs. twin shocks, Japanese technology vs. European tradition in a comparison between Yamaha’s YZ400D and Husqvarna’s 390CR. Which bike won? The Yamaha, as it was just plain easier to ride. Sound Familiar?
• Honda supplied a full-line catalog insert that boasted, “Going Strong." No fewer than 34 models were on display, with motocross phenom Marty Smith all smiles on the cover. Soon-to-be-MX-star Jeff Ward was pictured on the new XR75 minibike. Funny thing, an Indycar racer named Jeff Ward won the 0ver-40 class at the Vet Nationals last year.
• There were also two stories on
the greatest off-road races at the time, Barstow-to-Vegas and the Baja 1000. Executive Editor Allan Girdler told the story of the B-to-V protest ride, which was led by the “Phantom Duck.” Girdler purposely left out the Duck’s real name, which was Louis McKey, but filled his story with plenty of political views in an effort to explain why the race had been stopped. Editor Bob Atkinson added a haphazard story of his and Test Editor Ron Griewe’s attempt to finish the 1976 Baja 1000 on a Suzuki PE250. Rain, a restart, getting stuck in the mud and running out of gas couldn’t stop Team CW, though bitterly cold conditions late in the night finally did. Jimmy Lewis
