25 Years Ago November, 1978
25 YEARS AGO NOVEMBER, 1978
Everyone understands the drag strip because, according to John Ulrich, CW’s Executive Editor at the time, “Everybody understands acceleration.” Ulrich penned this month’s cover story, “Taking It To The Tens.” The 10-page feature was supposed to be a four-bike horsepower shootout, World War III on two wheels. But a Honda CBX wasn’t available, and the Denco Industries-fettled Yamaha XS11 blew up. So, it became a two-bike showdown: R.C. Engineering Suzuki GS1000EC versus Yoshimura R&D Kawasaki Z1 -R. At the time, $2K in standard hot-rod mods got you down to a 10.7-second quarter-mile-if everything went just right. Which it did for the big Suzook.
• In “Mike the Bike,” Barry Coleman chronicled Mike Hailwood’s now-legendary victory at the Isle of Man TT. “Comebacks are catastrophes,” Coleman began. “Most people are not in the position to make them, and the ones that are usually shouldn’t.” Asked if he had any special requirements for his crash helmet, Hailwood responded, “No. I mean, yes. It’s got to have a hole in the front.”
• Montesa Cappra VB360? KTM 250 MC-5? Off-road bikes sure have changed. Both of these European two-strokes were unique and relatively expensive—$1795 for the Montesa and $2110 for the KTM. Other common traits, strange cooling fins on the cylinders and heads. Hey, what the heck are cooling fins?
-Jimmy Lewis
