been at Honda's core - not only of marketing,
but also a proving ground for technical devel-
opment and a training course for engineers.
Actually, not quite always.
Rewind back to the 1960s, to the technical
explosion as the new Japanese manufacturers
engaged with one another: two-stroke versus
four-stroke, and the sky was the limit. Honda
built a five-cylinder 125; Suzuki a 14-gear 50cc
triple (never raced) and a 12-speed V-four 125.
The technology and the costs were running
away.
The FIM acted imperiously at the end of
1967. Swinging restrictions were put in place:
maximum cylinder numbers dictated (one for
50cc, two for 125s and 250s; four for 500s),
likewise the number of gears – six.
Honda reacted with equal vigor. They pulled
out and didn't return until the early 1980s. Rid-
er Mike Hailwood was put out to grass, con-
tractually banned from riding any other make,
he went car racing instead.
The new rules opened the smaller classes to
a generation of production-racer two-strokes,
mainly Yamahas. Made no difference to the
big class, however. The factory MV Agustas
carried on winning.
There were financial reasons behind Hon-
da's withdrawal, after a ruinously expensive
foray into Formula One; but the power of the
gesture remained.
With a new guy just having taken over as
HRC president, Nakamoto's boss, could his-
tory be about to repeat itself?
GP racing without Honda is not impossible
to contemplate. But it's not easy. Unless you
are Carmelo Ezpeleta. He's been prepared to
think about it for several years now.
But with Honda gone, what will be left?
Here's a thought, and I am not the first to
think it.
Control electronics are nothing compared
with what Ezpeleta has up his sleeve. Why
stop there?
Control engines next. And with World Su-
perbikes also under Dorna's dumbing-down
hand, manufacturers who want to go racing
proper prototypes will be obliged to back the
revival of World Endurance racing instead. CN
VOL. 51 ISSUE 15 APRIL 15, 2014 P135
LOOKING BACK
40 Years Ago
April 23, 1974
Tony Bell's cartoon strip Motocross Cat
was printed on the cover of Cycle News 40
years ago… We covered the Spanish 250
Grand Prix that was nearly won by rookie
Raymond Boven but instead went to Rus-
sian soon-to-be World Champion Gunnady
Moisseev… John Gennai beat up on the
vets at the Ascot Half Mile… We reported
on the Baymare National MX in Somis, Cali-
fornia, where Pierre Karsmakers and Tony DiStefano went
home with the wins… We also covered the Bull Run Hare
Scrambles at Lucerne Valley, California.
30 Years Ago
April 25, 1984
An action photo of motocrosser Alan King
was featured on the cover 30 years ago
to accompany our interview with the new
Team Tamm racer… We traveled to Texas to
cover the Dallas Supercross, where John-
ny O'Mara took the win over Rick John-
son and Jeff Ward… Ricky Graham won
the Sacramento Mile… Fred Merkel made
headlines for winning the AMA Superbike at
Riverside International Raceway… We interview drag racer Jay
"Pee Wee" Gleason.
20 Years Ago
April 20, 1994
Troy Corser made front-page news for
winning the AMA Supercross round on the
parking lot of the Pomona Fairplex in Cali-
fornia… We reported the passing of PACE
Motorsports' front man C.E. Altman…
Mick Doohan won the Malaysian Grand
Prix… Jeremy McGrath became the first
rider to win a Supercross main event after
having had qualified through the LCQ at
Pontiac.
10 Years Ago
April 21, 2004
We featured Colin Edwards on the cover
of our MotoGP Season Preview special is-
sue 10 years ago… The seemingly ageless
Rodney Smith took top honors at the Big
Buck GNCC in South Carolina… Nolan
Knight zeroed in on the Cajon Classic Na-
tional Enduro win in Louisiana.
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