25 Years Ago June, 1968

25 YEARS AGO JUNE, 1968

ROUNDUP

The battle for newsstand-sales supremacy is nothing new. Evidence of this is provided by the cover blurbs on this 25-year-old issue of Cycle World. The familiar tactics are all in place, in type that trumpets, among other things, “First U.S. test of Egli-Vincent.”

• In keeping with tradition, this June edition included coverage of Speed Week in Daytona. It recounts the exploits of the late Cal Rayborn, who rode his factory Harley-Davidson to the win in the 200-miler, becoming the first man to ever average over 100 mph in the event. CW Associate Editor Mike Duff (now Michelle Duff, but that’s another story) gave the readers a “from the saddle report” of his own exploits aboard a pair of factoryprepped Yamahas. He qualified his 350 second-fastest for the 200, but ran out of fuel during the race while closing in on the top 10. Editor Ivan J. Wagar provided his view of Rayborn’s H-D racebike in a story titled, “Riding the Winner.”

• In addition to the Egli-Vincent road test, this issue also provided riding impressions of a Montesa Scorpion dual-purpose bike, a Sachs 80 S commuter and the Troutman & Barns Mojave, a Honda 450-powered desert bike. Also present was a test of the Montesa Cappra 360, an MX bike the editors referred to as being “one of the most evil-starting machines Cycle World has tested.” In light of that, it seems fitting that the cover photo showed the Cappra 360 resting on its sidestand.

Don Canet