TESTS

34 HONDA GL1100 ASPENCADE

VS. YAMAHA 1200 VENTURE

ROY ALE

An Open Road Comparison of the Best and the

Biggest in Full-Dress Touring.

43 SUZUKI RM 125

The Better They Are, The Harder They Are To

Improve.

64 HONDA XR500R

It Was Always a Great Play Bike. Now It’s a

Great Race Bike.

70 SUZUKI GR650 TEMPTER

While the Other Guys Copy That American

Twin, Suzuki Updates the British Twin. The

Result is a Great Motorcycle and a Great

Bargain.

FEATURES

59 THE BOLOGNA MOTOR SHO W

Debut of Europe’s Latest and Hints of What

May Come.

76 LONG-TERM REPORT:

YAMAHA 650 SECA TURBO

11,000 Miles With Yamaha’s 650 Seca Turbo.

TECHNICAL

46 SUSPENSION

The Theory and Practice of Softening the

Bumps, or What Motocross Has Taught

Motorcycle Engineers.

EVALUATIONS

79 PA CIFICO SO UND-PAK

84 WORKS PERFORMANCE

SHOCK REBUILD

DEPARTMENTS

9 UPFRONT

12 LETTERS

23 SUMMARY

24 NEW IDEAS

29 ROUNDUP

80 RACE WATCH

88 SERVICE

100 SLIPSTREAM

COVER

The Marathon Machines

Overlooking the Golden Gate.

Photographed by Steve Kimball