25 Years Ago August 1986
25 YEARS AGO AUGUST 1986
My heart stopped when I saw Stan Sholik’s photo of the Cagiva-Ducati Montjuich on the cover of this month’s issue. I wasn’t working here at the time, so
to learn about this “quintessential Italian racebike,” I quickly thumbed to page 42—past Roundup, New Ideas, the road test of the Honda Shadow 700 and the
250cc motocross comparison. Alas, despite the “sharp and pure” song that the 750 V-Twin sang at 9000 rpm, the chassis was a bit of a letdown for the editorial staff. But, man, what a beauty...
• Likewise stunning was the frame kit from Spanish chassis-specialist Antonio Cobas. Later offered in street trim, Cobas’ twin-beam aluminum creation was initially powered by a two-stroke 250cc KTM Single and raced by teenager Alberto Puig. who now manages MotoGP frontrunner Dani Pedrosa. Sadly, Cobas died in 2004 at age 52.
• “Return to Laredo” documented American Honda’s no-expensespared effort to break Cycle World’s world speed records set
just eight months earlier at the same 5-mile banked 1 circle in Texas 1 on a Suzuki GSX-R750. Recently, I 1 asked thenI Editor Paul I Dean why the I story was given just
three pages. “Well,” he laughed, “we weren’t going to make a big deal about Honda breaking our record.”
• Alan Cathcart’s Race Watch profile of the “up-and-comer from Down Under,” Wayne Gardner, capped this issue. Nowadays, you’ll find the 1987 500cc world champ on Twitter (@TheWayneGardner), talking MotoGP and the roadracing efforts of his teenage sons.
—Matthew Miles
