Round Up

ROUND UP

JOE PARKHURST

IN REGARD to my editorial in this month’s “Up Front,” I would like to mention that I have just been made a charter member of the Saved-By-The-Helmet Club. The Safety Helmet Council of America will bestow membership upon anyone who writes to them telling of an experience in which the wearing of a helmet saved their life. They’ll send you a patch and a diploma, both bearing the symbol of the SHCA. Just drop them a line at 9841 Airport Road, Suite 1208, Los Angeles, CA 90045. That’s a new address, by the way.

When you write to them, be sure to cover such things as the where and when of the accident, exactly what happened, and how the helmet had a bearing on the circumstances. Tell also whether the event was reported to the police and if contact was made with another motor vehicle. The information will, of course, be kept confidential and, most importantly, will contribute to a collection of data on helmet use that could prove useful to all of us; Ivan Wagar is the new president of the Safety Helmet Council of America. Remember him?

WESLAKE, the British engine builders, who for a time gained recognition in Grand Prix car racing, and later on by working with the Rickman Brothers of Metisse fame, continue to experiment with engines for bikes. Initially, they planned a 500cc Twin for road racing. An eight-valve, four-stroke, it was not a success, so Weslake subsequently built a 750cc version, then an 850 that has at last come into its own as a sidecar racing engine.

Racing throughout the 1974 season on British short circuits, Bill Currie won the Motor Çy c/e-magazine-sponsored International Sidecar Championship, decided by selected races run throughout the season. Currie finished the series in fine style, but in the last race he was relegated to 2nd place behind sidecar maestro Chris Vincent, who was driving his water-cooled Yamaha Four rig.

THE Malcolm Rathmell saga is over in Europe, and now the 1974 British and FIM trials Champion has signed to ride for Montesa in 1975 events. After testing in Spain, he chose to ride a 310cc bike and got the season off to a good start with a victory in the first round of the 1975 British Trials Championships series.

Hardly had the news broken that Malcolm would ride for them before the Montesa factory announced that it would be selling a Rathmell replica. I wonder how many they have to sell to cover the cost of hiring the hottest potato in the trials world?

Rathmell is a complete professional and is more consistent than any other rider. He is in top shape right now and a lot of riders are going to be waiting for him to make a mistake that will prevent him from being the first trials World Champion.

Rathmell will no doubt be seen this summer in New England for the U.S. round of the Championship series, an event that CYCLE WORLD wanted for Saddleback Park. Montesa Motors over here has in the meanwhile announced that the Rathmell replica will be called the Cota 348MRR, which suggests that it is larger than 310cc..

Suzuki, though not making the showing in American racing they had hoped for, did provide the machine for 1974 British Championship winner Stan Woods. Barry Sheene, also riding for Suzuki and a familiar face in AMA road racing this last season, finished 2nd, making it a complete rout by Suzuki. Malcolm Rathmell, who won the FIM Trials prize, has added it to the British Championship, giving Bultaco the British Trials title and both 250 and 500 British Motocross Championships, which were ridden by Vic Allen.

The Sidecar Championship in trials went to Jack Mathews (Ossa), who made it a double by winning the prestigious British Expert Trials, at which most riders were once again disqualified on time. The winner out of only seven finishers was Mick Wilkinson (Ossa).

SINCE we are getting hundreds of letters asking about it, the last two winners in the CYCLE WORLD Win-A-Bike contest were Steve Worman of Fontana, California, who won the Yamaha RD250 offered in the November ‘74 issue and Roger Coates of Olive Hills, Kentucky, winner of December’s Indian ME125. Next month we will tell who won the Hodaka Dirt Squirt and, if possible, run some pictures of the lucky winners.

MICKEY Thompson’s SCORE International, now number-one off-road racing organization in the country, allowed me the honor of making one of their presentations at their recent 1974 awards banquet. A beautiful plaque was given to Bob Evans, representing Husqvarna, as the motorcycle manufacturer of the year. A lot of other awards were given out, as well as much money.