March 1985Tested in this issue: Honda's XR250R ($1828, 20.8 HP); Suzuki's RM250 ($2479, 0 HP, four blown engines); BMW's R80 G/S ($4300, HP unknown-but it is the fastest dual-purpose motorcycle ever ridden by Dirt Rider).
In Barstow to Vegas '84, the real battle took place in court, where the BLM's plan, which designated a race corridor, was aggressively challenged by the Sierra Club. When Judge A. Wallace Tashima ruled for the race and made the preservationists reimburse the BLM and District 37 for costs incurred, the Sierra Club then went to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which emphatically denied the Sierra Club's motion in a one-line decision issued three days before the race and signed by all three judges.
Winner of the 155-mile Barstow to Vegas race was ATK-mounted Chris Crandall, who finished ahead of Scot Harden, mounted on a Husky XC500, and ATK rider Mike Baker. Entries were limited to 2000 riders.
Question: In 1974, an American team was selected to attend the Trophy des Nations held in Vesoul, France. Who were the team members and why didn't they attend?
Answer: Bryar Holcomb, Jim Pomeroy, Mike Runyard and Marty Tripes didn't attend the Trophy des Nations because of a lack of factory support and conflicting race schedules.
March 1995In a clash of the big-bore bikes, KTM's 550 MXC battled the CR500R and KX500 for the two-stroke Open-class title. After flogging the KTM, Honda and Kawasaki on the tracks and in the desert, we decided the best one to handle both terrain was the KX500. The KYB-suspended Honda took the honors on the MX track; and the Marzocchi/hlins-suspended KTM MXC tackled desert and off-road, where it was built to be ridden.
Defending SX champ Jeremy McGrath sized up the competition as he prepared to defend his supercross championship. McGrath shared his thoughts on Mike LaRocco, Mike Kiedrowski, Doug Henry, Steve Lamson, Greg Albertyn, Ezra Lusk, Jeff Emig, John Dowd, Jeff Dement and Jeff Curry. Who did he see as the biggest threat to take his crown? None other than LaRocco.
Meanwhile, at the Mini Olympics in Florida, Kawasaki's Ricky Carmichael won the 85cc 14-15 division; and Costa Rica's own Ernesto Fonseca won the bulk of the races in the 85cc 12-13 class.