25 Years Ago November, 1982
25 YEARS AGO NOVEMBER, 1982
ROUNDUP
Mark Hoyer
Chart-topping bikes-at least pieces of them—decorated the Ten Best Bikes issue, while the table of contents stated about the special feature, “Even when they’re all good, some are better.” Best Superbike was Suzuki’s GS1000S Katana, looking like a spaceship in its silver Hans Muth-styled bodywork. Meanwhile, in the Touring category the Honda GL1100 Interstate Gold Wing took the gold.
• Italy’s newest V-Twin was a very sporting, fully faired machine called the 600SL Pantah. In the full test, editors noted, “There are times when riding a Ducati is magic.. .and there are times when riding a Ducati Pantah is a chore.” Price was $4949, or $1550 more than the Kawasaki KZ750N Spectre tested in the same issue.
• Moto-heads got their fill with a pair of KTMs-the 500GS and MX. “There’s not one cheap or questionable part on these bikes,” read the test, but for $3100, there shouldn’t have been.
The $2048 Honda CR250, meanwhile, wasn’t well liked, and testers thought perhaps 1983 would be the bike’s year. Ouch!
• In racing, 27-year-old Brad Lackey became the 500cc motocross world champ, while a big feature on Jay Springsteen and Bill Werner described their great success on the AMA dirt-track circuit.
• Finally, it was reported that “newly independent” HarleyDavidson (fresh off the employee buyout from AMF) was seeking from the International Trade Commission relief from its Japanese competition in the form of tariffs or other restrictions on imports. Looks like H-D bounced back okay!
