25 Years Ago February, 1973

25 YEARS AGO FEBRUARY, 1973

Prototype streetbikes were the featured topic this month, as Benelli’s six-cylinder 750 Sei, Motobecane’s two-stroke three-cylinder 350 and Yamaha’s rotary-engine RZ201 were all previewed. Of the three, only the latter failed to make it into production—though the “RZ” designation lived on in the company’s mid-’80s two-stroke sportbikes. These, incidentally, were the spiritual successors to this issue’s test RD350, which the editors called “a cafe-racer’s delight.”

• Elsewhere, Editor Ivan J. Wagar’s five-page report on Benelli and MV Agusta made reference to the “reviving Italian motorcycle industry.” How ironic that today, a quarter-century hence, both Italian marques are still being revived.

• Dirtbikes were selling extremely well in 1973, and this issue reflected that fact with a nine-page report on the state of trail riding, race reports from the Carlsbad Motocross Grand Prix and the Mexican 1000, and tests of the Suzuki TS125 Duster, Yamaha LT3 MXer and a one-off Hodaka-powered trials bike called the Bullfrog.

• Speaking of trials bikes, Japanese correspondent Jack Yamaguchi’s report from the 19th Tokyo Motor Show made mention of a prototype Honda called the TL125. Unfortunately, the author erred in stating that this was “Honda’s first two-cycle trials bike,” when in fact the photo showed it to be equipped with the familiar four-stroke Single from the SL125. Consider this a belated correction.

Brian Catterson