25 Years Ago March 1985

25 YEARS AGO MARCH 1985

It was Japan vs. Italy, inlineFour vs. V-Twin and New Wave vs. Old World, as the cover line described the Kawasaki Ninja 600R vs. Cagiva Alazzurra 650 comparison test. The Kawasaki won going away in terms of performance, but editors stated that for those looking for something more esoteric, "the Cagiva could be the answer to your prayers."

• On the motocross front, Kawasaki's completely redesigned KX500 was a revelation. The headline said it all: "From Awful to Awesome in One Model Year." Editors raved that the Open classer not only packed plenty of power, but it was "usableanytime, anywhere, in any gear, at any rpm."

• If you wanted to attack the Paris to-Dakar Rally in the mid-'80s, the last weapon of choice would have been a 1000cc BMW Boxer Twin. But as unlikely as it sounds, even now, the German company was able to tackle that grueling three-week event on its Uber expensive ($70,000), 355-pound desert racer and win. Not only did Feature Editor David Edwards throw a leg over the bike, he also took it on a 400-mile trek down the Baja peninsula, where the bike had just scored a first-in class and eighth-overall finish in the Baja 1000.

•Technical Editor Steve Anderson wrote an article called "Changing the Rules," discussing how Suzuki engineer Etsuo Yokouchi and his GSX-R750 would forever change the evolution of sportbikes. How accurate he was. -Blake Conner