CONTENTS

SPEED MERCHANT ............

ENGINE SCIENCE .............

YAMAHA’S MINI ENDURO ......... .

SPRING! ...................

DID YAMAHA TOP TRIUMPH'S 650? ...

BASIC TOOLS FOR THE WORKSHOP...

FOUR-STROKE HOP-UP ..........

THE INDIAN THAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN ...

HOW TO WELD, SOLDER AND RIVET..

WRENCH RACING .............

PIPE DREAMS...............

THE 71’S ARE COMING!............ .

LOVE ’EM OR LEAVE ’EM .........

DON’T COUNT THE THUMPER OUT....

THE CHOPPER! ..............

EXPERIENCING THE SPEEDWAY JAWA . .

SUSPENSION: FORE AND AFT.....__ .

BONEYARDS FOR BIKES .........

HONDA FOUR: STILL MORE POWER! ...

BENELLI’S 650 IS ALIVE..........

STROKER KITS FOR EVERY OCCASION . .

TWO-STROKE HOP-UP ..........

TITAN OF THE TWO-STROKES......

BIG MOTOR BLOWER...........

FIVE IN FRONT...............

INTRODUCTION

The angry mouths of a snarling

super-multi rustle the leaves of the

Fall edition of Motorcycle Sport Quar-

terly, warning of the second coming of

the ‘‘big bike.’ Already credited with

the latter-day revival of motorcycling in

America during the Sixties, Honda

again steps forth a decade later to

dazzle the world one more time with

his bold adventure in horsepower and

exotica. It would appear that we will

always be in need of this Japanese

genius if for no other reason than to

regenerate us with his catalystic magic

that never fails to light our fire.

Instant acceptance of the big multi is

the weather vane that points to the

motorcyclist's mood. A generation nour-

ished on popping light-weights now

insists on something considerably

stronger. Bored of wheel-standing burn-

outs, the cycle enthusiast swings to the

exciting new multi beat, demands the

flesh-peeling surge of its mid-range

torque, and more often than not rides

in innocence of the respect that must

be paid such a startling increase in

power.

For Honda, only the most popular and

sophisticated of the new era multi’s, is

but one of many mind-bending machines

that are about to explode into reality

within the next season or two. We'd bet-

ter be ready for them. Suddenly con-

fronted with more horsepower than even

the most brave can fully command, we

should realize that it is the chassis

which ultimately dictates how swiftly an

operator can sift through a corner or

move along a rural trail. Sheer power

in itself can be a useless luxury and,

unfortunately, over the years it has

raced ahead of chassis science to the

extent that overall roadability is hard-

pressed to keep up with the demands

imposed by larger displacements.

The corners will be coming up much

faster now, the stops will be more criti-

cal, maintenance and mechanical ad-

justments will have to be tended with

all of the dedicated attention of a com-

mercial jet pilot. The margin for error

is rapidly shrinking to a fraction of what

it was today; gone are the prospects of

a second chance.

As always, power is given the exalted

position of No. 1, chassis development

second, exactly opposite of what it

should be. If ultimate performance de-

mands engine weight be located high,

it’s high; if putting a wheel ahead of

the competition calls for 50 pounds

more weight, 50 it is; if cornering

clearance is insufficient, let ’em grind

it off on the way home. If we’re not

careful, it’ll be the old cart-before-the-

horse bit all over again.

May we be forgiven, then, if what

might seem to be a disproportionate

amount of chassis thinking invaded this

technical issue of MSQ? For only now,

as we tie the bow on our latest editorial

package, is it clear that a subconsci-

ous head-turning in this direction by

members of the staff was willed by a

deep-rooted awareness of past short-

comings in this critical area.

For the big bike, like the big book,

is here to stay. Our single annual, now

turned multi quarterly, must also exhibit

the same ratio of efficiency between

subject matter and bulk. But most of

all, it must get into your hands, and to

increase this likelihood we have up-

dated the new model by sparking its

over-the-counter output with a subscrip-

tion program that will guarantee its

continuity Not only will you be assured

of receiving your packaged copy regu-

larly, but you’ll be a few greenbacks to

the good. No sense chasing all over

town for something when the Pony Ex-

press will lay it right at your feet.

Meanwhile, the show is about to

begin, so you d better go right on in.

We'll be riding your way again ’long

about January — hang loose...