Race Watch

RACE WATCH

Cold-Air Intake Boosts Honda Power; Lovely Gina Finishes 200; Freddie Spencer’s Confidence Scares The Competition

COLD AIR FOR POWER

Kazuo Yoshima is developing a cold-air carburetor teed system to work with CR carburetors, and Honda has tested the system. Built of fiberglass, the system takes cold air from in front of the engine and feeds it back into an airbox (with air cleaner) attached to the carburetors. Instead of taking in air that has passed over the engine fins and been heated, the carbs draw cooler, denser air, and denser air means more power.

The object isn’t to ram air down the carburetors, however, so the system includes a controlled trap door behind the airbox to release excess pressure. With the system properly set up, the air reaches the carburetors at ambient pressure, whether the bike is moving at 30 mph or 165 mph.

In tryouts with a Honda Superbike at Willow Springs, the system cut 2 sec. off lap times. Yoshima brought the system to Daytona (It’s shown here on Mike Spencer’s Superbike in practice) but AMA officials wouldn't allow it to be used in the Superbike race. Yoshima, who has applied for patents on the system, plans to revise and modify the ducting to fit in a Honda Formula One bike frame, and expects the set-up to debut later in the season.

BOVAIRD FINISHES DAYTONA 200

Gma Bovaird became the first woman to finish the Daytona 200, crossing the finish line of the 1981 race in 37th position. She had qualified her TZ500 Yamaha 65th out of 80 starters.

Bovaird fitted new Lectron carburetors to her bike before qualifying, and found that the Lectrons required more twist grip rotation to fully open the throttles than did the standard Mikunis. The extra bit of throttle travel made it difficult for Bovaird, who has small hands, to reach the front brake lever quickly after fully opening the throttle on straightaways. The problems she had in the transition from throttle-to-brakes-to-throttle showed in her qualifying times, which were slower than last year. In 1980, Bovaird qualified 42nd, becoming the first woman to start the grueling race, but crashed before the finish.

Bovaird finished this year’s 200-mi. race even though her bike’s chain stretched excessively, then repeatedly jumped the sprockets in the second 100 miles.

Bovaird is sponsored by Star Bright Cycle Polish.