25 Years Ago September, 1974

25 YEARS AGO SEPTEMBER, 1974

Matthew Miles

ROUNDUP

The world's best 250cc motocrosser, circa 1974? That would be this month's coverbike, Yamaha's all-new YZ250M. Resplendent in red, white and black paint, the $1850 monoshocker won staffers' hearts. "Jumps are a gas," testers avowed. "Fly high and as far as you like. Landings are predictably straight and soft as a whimper." The accolades also came with some sage advice: "Don't jerk up on the bars. The front end is so light that you can loop the bike if you're not careful."

• Leading the streetbike front was BMW's stunning, bikini-faired R9OS. "Obviously, there are many motorcyclists out there who want an R9OS," we empathized. "And we don't blame them for a minute." What made the Sport so special? A nearly unbeatable combination of comfort, perform ance, reliability and simplicity, that's what. With a manufactur er!s suggested retail price of $3430, though, it was deemed overly expensive. • Honda's economical, light weight parallel-Twin, the CB200, was also reviewed in this issue, as was Suzuki's RL250 Trialer. Of the latter, we opined, "Sleek and functional, but with too much power." And in the back-of-thebook classifieds, this gem: "Chal lenge the Baja Peninsula. Three days for $85, five days for $125. You bring the dirtor streetbike, we supply all gas, food, booze, back-up vehicles for supplies and repairs. Experienced guides." Those were the days, yes?