Cycle World Race Watch

CYCLE WORLD RACE WATCH

Fast Freddie's new Honda

Reigning 500cc World Champion Freddie Spencer tested two versions of a new four-cylinder works 500cc Honda racebike at the Surfers Paradise racetrack on the east coast of Australia in mid December. The two bikes had totally different frame configurations.

The top-secret test session was sealed off by security guards who couldn’t keep spy Peter Clifford from snapping these photos.

Photo A shows the new four-cylinder two-stroke engine in a conventional style square-section aluminum tube frame as used on the World-Championship-winning NS500 three-cylinder. The aluminum box-section swing arm uses Pro Link suspension hidden under the seat. The carbon fiber wheels and the front forks with twinpiston brake calipers and anti-dive look very similar to the NS500’s parts. Two exhausts can be seen exiting through the left side of the seat, and there are two more on the other side.

Photo B shows Spencer on the second machine, which has a box section frame similar to that used on the works Yamaha V-Fours raced by Kenny Roberts and Eddie Lawson in 1983. The rear engine mount and swing arm plate are machined from a single billet of aluminum and are visible just in front of Spencer’s boot. The aluminum box section swing arm is identical to the swing arm used on the other new Honda, and again the wheels and forks look like they came right off the 1983 V-Three.

As seen under Spencer’s right hand, the main frame section is very large around the steering head. This tapers back toward the plates on either side of the swing arm, and the engine hangs under this main frame member.

The engine is a V-Four with reed valves, and sounds flat and torquey, like the VThree. The air intake for the carburetors can be seen well back in the fairing, as though it feeds carbs located at the rear of the engine instead of at the front of the engine as on the V-Three. The square hole in the fairing above the air intake is an outlet for the air that has gone through the radiator located in the front of the fairing. The smaller intake below the carb scoop directs cooling air to the clutch. Other small air intakes, seen on both sides of the fairing near the windscreen, could be used to force air into the fuel tank to make sure every drop of gas in the tank reaches the carbs.

Honda is experimenting with fuel tanks located under the

engine to keep the weight low, and what looks like a gas tank in these photos is in fact a dummy cover.

In Photo C, Spencer stopped to kick a stone off the track and saw Clifford and the hidden camera. He gave the thumbs up salute but later a car full of excited Team Honda crewmen chased Clifford from the circuit.

It’s interesting that certain features of the new Hondas, like the gas tank positioned under the engine, were used on the Elf E. At Suzuka last August, Honda R&D chief Soichiro Irimajiri told a reporter that Honda engineers were keeping an eye on the Elf E because it was a very interesting machine.

Roberts retires from Grands Prix

Three-time 500cc road racing World Champion Kenny Roberts announced that he will not return to Europe to contest the World Championship series in 1984.

“Everyone wanted me to go back to Europe and race,” Roberts said at a press conference held in Southern California. “I’m happy to say I told them Tm not going back.’”

Yamaha Motor Corp.,

U.S. Senior Vice President Merle Karst announced that Roberts will serve as a “Senior Consultant” to the company, involved in marketing and public relations efforts to motivate dealers, and the development of Yamaha street bikes like the RZ350 Kenny Roberts replica.

Roberts said that he will enter selected events in Europe and the U.S., including the Camel Pro road race at Laguna Seca. He said he would not field a team in the Camel Pro Series, but may ride certain dirt track events. Asked what type of machine he would ride in any dirt tracks he entered, Roberts said it wouldn’t be a Yamaha, but that he wouldn’t name the brand because he was speaking at a Yamaha press conference.

“I have permission from Yamaha to ride both dirt track and road races,” Roberts said. “Obviously Yamaha doesn’t make a dirt track bike.”

Roberts said that the biggest factor in his decision was the support of his American fans. “The fans are the people we race for,” Roberts continued. “I’m sorry the fans in Europe won’t see me race a full schedule next year, but I’m sure after they learn the full story they’ll understand. There is talk of doing one or two 500 GPs, depending upon if the equipment is there and the involvement is there. If I want to ride the Silverstone GP, where am I gonna get the motorcycle? Yamaha builds four machines, and they are for Eddie Lawson and his teammate. So I have to see if I can get a bike.”

Asked who would take his place as teammate to Lawson on the Marlboro team, Roberts joked “It’s between (mechanic and former 350 World Champion) Kel Carruthers and (14-time World Champion, now team manager) Giacomo Agostini.”

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Americans dominate Japanese supercrosses

A mericans swept the top 10 places in a series of three supercrosses held in Japan in December. Yamaha’s Ricky Johnson, Warren Reid, Broc

Glover and Keith Bowan finished first through fourth in the first event, held in Kyoto. Johnson, Reid and Glover all led or challenged for the lead at different stages of the race, but Johnson pulled out a secure margin in the final three laps. Kawasaki’s Jeff Ward and Honda’s Goat Breker were fifth and sixth.

In Kawasaki, Japan, near Tokyo, Breker and Glover traded wins in the set of Friday and Saturday night races. Breker won the first night, beating Glover and Johnson. On the second night, Glover

beat Breker and Johnson. After the race, Glover and Breker threw their jerseys, helmets, gloves, goggles, and boots into the souvenir-crazy crowd, causing a near riot. Johnson out-did Glover and Breker by throwing all his equipment except his underwear to the crowd before joining the other two on the winner’s stand.

Harley on Roberts

A sked about press reports that Harley-Davidson would not sell Kenny Roberts XR750s, Harley-Davidson Racing Manager Clyde Denzer said “We have no complete bikes in the plant. We have parts and are planning to build some engines for sale around mid-season, but that will be too late for anybody planning a dirt track program. He would have to get bikes from outside

sources, but since the report that we didn’t have bikes for him was published, people have called me and said that they have bikes they’ll sell him. There are pieces of equipment out there. We just don’t have any brand new bikes to sell.”

Renfrow Formula Two Champion

R andy Renfrow of Fredericksville, Virginia won three races in a row to tie up the 1983 Formula Two Championship. Renfrow used his TZ250J Yamaha to beat Dave Emde at Brainerd, Minn., then tied up the championship by winning at Seattle, where Don Greene and Chris Steward were second and third. (Emde DNS with mechanical problems). Then, for good measure, Renfrow won at Willow Springs, again beating Greene after Emde’s mount, a TZ250 owned and tuned by Bob Endicott, broke again.

The last race of the year was at Daytona, and Renfrow ran off the track in the first turn after narrowly missing another rider. He charged back to finish second behind Texan Kevin Brunson, who won on an Armstrong.

The season tally gave Renfrow the championship with 194 points. Emde was second with 105 after missing the final race. Rhys Howard, who dominated the F-2 season before crashing at Laguna Seca and missing the rest of the year with serious injuries, was third with 97 points. Tied with Howard for

third was Hugh Humble, who died at Brainerd as the result of a collision with Mark Jones in F-l practice. Jones also died in that crash.

Renfrow, 27, is sponsored by Surefire Distributing, BiStar Racing, Arai, Castrol and Dunlop. He works as manager of one of two Cycle Sport Yamaha dealerships in Springfield, Virginia.

Renfrow was assisted at the races by his friend and mechanic, Dr. Burt Bigoney, M.D.

More on Aidana’s weird ride

D avid Aldana has spent most of the last two seasons riding the Elf E, a bizarre endurance machine campaigned by the French-based Elf Moto team.

The bike uses a Honda CB900-based engine as a stressed member of the

frame—but in a new meaning of the phrase. The front end of the chassis bolts to the front of the engine, and the rear section bolts to the rear end of the engine. No frame members surround the engine or link the front and rear ends. The gas tank is under the engine and the exhaust system sweeps up and over the cylinder head. A one-piece fiberglass shroud/seat/tailsection covers the engine and exhaust and gives the rider a place to sit.

The wheels attach from one side only, like the wheels on a car. Dual quick-fill fittings are located under a quick-release panel in the fairing, above the rectangular driving lights, and channel gas to the under-engine tank. A typical pit stop takes 1 5 sec. including changing both wheels and refueling.

The Elf E uses a steering linkage similar to a car’s system, the handlebars linked to the front wheel through a series of rods and levers. Each wheel has a single large car shock absorber acting on a single-side swing arm. Wheels are magnesium with dished spokes and brakes are carbon fiber discs.

The Elf is unusually low and streamlined, and, according to Aldana, it’s usually the fastest bike on the track in a straight line with its 999cc RSC endurance engine. At Bol d’Or, the Elf E reached 167 mph.

“The first time I rode the Elf in a test session it was a little hard to ride,” says Aldana, “because the steering is so positive: there’s no flex at all. And the quickness of the steering can be adjusted by turning a concentric bolt inside the aluminum front swing arm (which in effect changes rake).”

Aldana’s plans for 1984 aren’t set at this writing. He’s interested in endurance racing in the U.S. and is uncertain if he’ll return to Europe to contest the World Championship Endurance Series on the Elf E.

Lackey not recruited by Wilcomoto

Former 500cc MX World Champion Brad Lackey denied reports published England that he was ready to sign a de to race a Wilcomoto in 1984 Grands Prix. According to the reports, all that stood between Lackey and the English

firm was 70,000 pounds, about $105,000. But Lackey, in a phone interview from his California home, said that while he was approached by the head of Wilcomoto in a single phone call, no terms were agreed to. According to Lackey, he agreed to consider an offer once the company decided exactly what they wanted and what their budget was.

Wilcomoto manufactures a racebike using their own engine (built with magnesium cases, cylinder and head) and an unconventional front end. The company hopes to eventually go into production with the machine.

Filice goes whole HOG

J immy Filice, winner of three Camel Pro mile dirt tracks in 1983, will ride a Harley-Davidson tuned by Eddie Adkins with support from the Harley Owners Group (HOG) and HarleyDavidson Motor Co. Filice, 21, may atenter Camel Pro road races on a mao chine using a two-stroke Four built by Aermacchi in the 1970s and homolo-' gated with the AMA as a HarleyDavidson. Filice’s contract precludes hAriding any brand other than Harleyv Davidson in any type of competition. Born and raised in San Jose, Filice and his fiancee live in Modesto, California. 1

damo to race Cagivas

attle of the Twins emperor Jimmy lamo will race for the Cagiva factory Í 984. Adamo, who has won 1 5 of 21 )TT races and three championships in e three-year history of the class, will ■mpete in BOTT, Superbike, and Forula One races. Adamo won his titles _>n Ducatis, but the Italian factory recently announced that it will cease to manufacture complete motorcycles, instead selling engines to Cagiva. In turn, tCagiva’s U.S. operation will import Ducati-engined machines and spare parts. Adamo’s mentor and tuner is Reno Leoni.

o Ride For Mamola

idy Mamola has no Grand Prix for 1984 and will retire for the , according to reliable sources, mola and mentor/manager Jim /le were unavailable for comment. >wever, according to Yamaha Rac,g Manager Ken Clark, “Randy is it of a ride,” and will not join facory-supported Team Marlboro: instead, the Italy-based team managed by former World Champion Giacomo Agostini has signed Virginio Ferrari to ride as teammate to Eddie Lawson. And the Suzuki-backed HB Team Mamola rode for in 1983 will enter former World Champions Franco Uncini and Barry Sheene and an upand-coming Italian privateer in Grands Prix.

Sources close to the Marlboro team > dirt track use by C. R. Axtell. None of the parts used in the race bike were off the shelf: the pistons were based on Mahle forgings intended for a Porsche engine, the cams were custom ground, the valves were piratea% from another engine, and the list goes on. The engine was a full-race motor, and would be expensive and difficult to

duplicate, as well as unsuitable for street use.

However, when we spoke to Vesco, he expressed interest in building a more mildly tuned streetable engine. You can contact him at Don Vesco Motorcycles, 28690 C Los Haciendas, Temecula, Calif. (714) 676-3500. With only mild changes (different carbs, a slightly bigger bore, mild porting, and custom pipes), a substantial power improvement should be possible. Keep in mind, though, that much of this work would be custom, and is likely to be expensive

Sohc Honda 750 ignitior

#have a 1976 Honda CB750F and Fa like to know if a breakerless ignition system exists for my model. I would ah like to know the pros and cons for just such a system, such as: Which would need to be timed more often, which is easier, would a different ignition give more power, would either drain the bl tery more, and any strong or weak points you may know of?

John F. Moran

Springfield, Ma1

Electronic ignitions are still availaff for the early Honda Fours. One source is KV Products (1060 E. Cypress St., Covina, Calif 91724, (213) 967-3786) They manufacture the Dyna S ignition for the CB750, and sell it for $99.50.

As for the pros and cons of ignition systems, first a description of their operation. Inductive ignitions (as on your 750) store energy in their ignition coils. As long as the current is passing through the coil, the energy stays stored. When the points open, they break the electric circuit, and the energy in the coil is dumped through the spark plug. All the simpler electronic ignitions do is to substitute transistorized switching for the mechanical breaker points. The advantage is that the transistorized switches have no moving parts, aren’t subject to wear, and should require no adjustment after their initial set-up. Setting the ignition timing is no longer part of the tune-up ritual. Because this substitution of an electronic switch for a mechanical one hasn’t fundamentally changed the ignition system, there aren’t any real difsaid that Mamola couldn’t come to terms with the team due to large financial demands for 1984. Mamola was known to be disastisfied after a frustrating 1983 season on noncompetitive Suzukis.

Kenny and Eddie on Viragos

Kqnny Roberts and Eddie Lawson denied reports that they were agitating for a World Championship-level Virago et. al. class, despite spy photos showing the pair testing the Yamaha semi-choppers at Willow Springs Raceway. Lawson said he intended to return to Europe to ride the YZR500 and Roberts stated that he planned to ride a Yamaha 680 V-Four at Laguna Seca.

In 1982 Yamaha Motors Corp. U.S. fielded a Battle of the Twins effort with rider Chris Steward on a XV920. Steward won the BOTT stock class, but Yamaha did not extend the program.

The denials by Lawson and Roberts seem to put to rest rumors that the company would return to V-Twin racing, with the Viragos.

In a related development, Roberts tried out a Venture Royale at Willow Springs, with Sue Siteman (dressed in Eddie Lawson’s leathers) riding on the back. After several fast laps with the stereo turned wide open, Roberts denied that he advocated a full-dresserwith-passenger class for AMA Camel Pro road races. g)