Etc.
etc.
SHIVER AXED
Aprilia's Shiver showbike, the distinctive, Philippe Starck-styled neostandard that appeared a couple of years ago (Roundup, March, 1996), failed public taste tests and won't be put into production. "We presented the Shiver to various customer clinics all over Europe," says company boss Ivano Beggio, "and it didn't receive the necessary approval to justify production." Just as well, we say.
POWER PLAYERS
Texan Mo Parsons is the American Motorcycle Institute's 1998 Import Brute Horsepower Champion. Parsons' turbocharged 1994 Kawasaki ZX-1 1 produced a tire-smoking 494.9 rear wheel bhp, crushing second-place fin isher (and last-year's champ) Mark Moisan, whose 1990 Suzuki GSX R1100 posted a "measly" 429 bhp. In the Domestic Unlimited category, Paul Matyka's 150 cubic-inch Harley drag bike took top honors with 298.1 bhp.
LAGUNA SECA, THE BOOK
Filled with facts, figures, tall tales and trivia, Forty Years Through The Corkscrew chronicles four decades of motor racing at Laguna Seca, the legendary road course nestled in the rolling hills of California's Monterey Peninsula. Published in hardand soft-bound formats, the 272-page book is illustrated with 650 photographs, many of which were previously unpublished. For more info, call 800/327-SECA.
THE EAGLE HAS LANDED
American Eagle, the Northern California maker of custom cruisers, has announced plans to incorporate an EPAand CARB-legal, 113 cubic-inch S&S VTwin into its seven-model lineup. "Early test results have shown that the engine puts out 110 rear-wheel horsepower," says company spokesman Greg Spak. An optional, even higher-performance "RS" package that boosts output to 135 bhp will also be offered. The company can be reached at 800/256-1724.
PAYBACK TIME
Back in 1982, California's thenGovernor Jerry Brown "borrowed" $8 million from the state's off-highway vehicle (OHV) program, commonly called the Green Sticker Fund, to help balance the budget. One year later, Brown's successor, Gov. George Deukmejian, pilfered an additional $13.5 million for the same purpose. The debt was never repaid, so three OHV enthusiasts from the Los Ange les area took the state to court. As a result, L.A. Superior Court Judge David Workman has ordered officials to return the $21 .5 million taken from the program. The state is expected to appeal the ruling. Naturally.
AMA HALL OF FAME
The AMA's American Motorcycle Heritage Foundation (AMHF) has an nounced the first inductees to its Motorcycle Hall of Fame. Among the 24 racers to be honored at the Dirt Track "Hall of Fame" race in Spring field, Ohio, on September 5, 1998, will be former Grand National Cham pions Joe Leonard, Dick Mann, Kenny Roberts, Ricky Graham, Bubba Shobert and earlier Class-A era riders Jim Davis and Joe Petrali. "The induction of these great cham pions will bring together a remarkable collection of talent from a golden era of American motorcycle racing, when flexibility and a broad range of skills were required to earn the coveted AMA Number One plate," said event coordinator and motorsports com mentator Dave Despain. "We honor them as American heroes, but in fact they are among the greatest racers the world has ever seen." For ticket infor mation, call 217/753-8866.
THE THRILL OF VICTORY
ABC Sports' recent airing of the Dal las, Texas, round of the AMA Supercross series was a rousing success. Squared off against the NBA and NHL playoffs, the hour-long episode of "ABC's Wide World of Sports" was seen in approxi mately 3.5 million homes.
