Cycle News

Cycle News 2014 Issue 16 April 22

Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles

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INTERVIEW P56 KAWASAKI MECHANIC – MIKE WILLIAMSON A huge parking lot at Lucas Oil Stadium at Indianapolis, Indiana is packed with Supercross fans. The early March sun- shine has pushed back, albeit temporarily, the brutal Midwestern winter and thousands of fans are soaking it up. It's the weekly Satur- day afternoon ritual of opening up the pits to fans so they can see the riders, the rigs and the race bikes up close. A couple of teenage gearheads are walking in front of me taking it all in. These two are a rarity these days, teen- age boys with mechanical aptitude. They are checking out the bikes noting the various trick parts and pieces of the factory machines. In front of the RCH Racing Suzuki rig taking a close look at Broc Tickle's No. 20 bike, they look on admiringly. One of the guys says to the other, "How'd you like to go all around the country working on this thing?" Undoubtedly from this idyllic sunny after- noon scene - with a shiny transporter and fac- tory bikes basking in the sun in front of them with technicians wearing matching gear, at- tending to the beautifully-prepped machines - the life of a pro Supercross/Motocross me- chanic must appear to a pair of teenage boys, the very vision of utopia. Of course the reality is very different from the ROAMING WRENCH The Life of a Factory Motocross Mechanic Ryan Villopoto's mechanic Mike Williamson is one of the winningest mechanics in the paddock. BY LARRY LAWRENCE PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANDREA WILSON

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