25 Years Ago April 1988
25 YEARS AGO APRIL 1988
ROUNDUP
The World’s Fastest!” proclaimed our cover, which showcased three bikes: a 143-mph WoodRotax SJ600 Single, a 154-mph Ducati 851 eight-valve Twin and a 165-mph Kawasaki Ninja 1000 inline-Four. Ron Wood’s meticulously crafted fourstroke roadracer was a labor of love that attracted the riding talent of some notable professional racers, including Chris Carr and Cycle World tester Doug Toland. Our present-day publisher, Andy Leisner, a top national 250cc Grand Prix competitor at the time, also logged a fair amount of saddle time on the bike during its early development stages.
•A road test of the flagship Ninja opened with reference to the Motorcycle Safety Act of 1987, an ominous piece of nannystate legislation aimed squarely at
sportbikes. In the conclusion, we stated: “Let’s at least take our hats off to Kawasaki for building the world’s quickest and fastest streetbike, and for having the cojones not to back away from its tradition of Speed.” Fortunately for us, motorcycle performance has been allowed to progress well beyond the 10.76-second, 127.54-mph quarter-mile posted by the Ninja 1000.
•Off-road coverage included an all-inclusive shootout of 250cc motocross bikes. Our winner? The Suzuki RM250, the favorite of all seven testers. Associate Editor Camron Bussard raced a KX250 in the Barstow-to-Vegas Hare & Hound, ultimately finishing behind a rider who raced the event with a dog seated on the gas tank.
Don Canet
