Today in motorcycle history, April 27, 1967

 

 

  While the rest of the country is huddling around their TV's to watch Bonanza, the lucky folks at Ascot Speedway in Gardena, California, get the leg-wetting experince of a lifetime.  Evel Knievel breaks up the week's boredom by successfully jumping 15 cars on a Thursday evening.   

  Meanwhile, Ben joins up with an Army unit to rescue Hoss and Little Joe from hostile natives.

      

Today in motorcycle history, April 24, 1988

                                    

   Australian Kevin Magee wins the 1988 Spanish motorcycle Grand Prix, the last Grand Prix motorcycle race to be held at Circuito del Jarama.

 

   The Jarama circuit was built by Alessandro Rocci in 1967 just north of Madrid and after 21 years the event would move back to Circuito de Jerez, where during 1986 season the circuit hosted the first international motorcycle event in Spain.  It has found a home there ever since.

 

  Since it was the final race I need to give credit where credit's due...

 

  500cc class winner was Australian Kevin Magee on his Yamaha, the 250cc class winner was Spain's very own Sito Pons on a Honda, 125cc class winner was Homeboy Jorge Martinez straddling his Derbi and, finally, in the rarely mentioned  80cc class Switzerland's Stefan Dorflinger aboard a Krauser.

 

 

Today in motorcycle history, April 23, 1972

 

 

  Paul Smart wins the Imola 200, at age 29, with Ducati's new 750.

 

  The 200 Mile was first run in Italy in 1972, at Imola.  Ducati prepared eight 750 cc bikes for the event.  Paul Smart, Bruno Spaggiari, Ermanno Giuliano, and Alan Dunscombe were secured as riders.  By now racing in Italy was at a fever pitch, from the local bakery to the bicycle shop and the factory never wanted to win more.  The bikes had newly designed Fabio Taglioni frames and 750cc V-twin engines.  Taglioni also made sure that the bikes were trimmed of all their un-needed weight wherever possible.  He had new 40 mm Dell'Orto carburetors added which helped these engines deliver 80 hp at 8,500 rpm.

 

  In that Imola 200 held in April, Smart and Spaggiari came in first and second.  Joy spread across the land.

 

  1973, Ducati commemorated its 1972 win at the Imola 200 with the production model green frame Ducati 750 SuperSport.  Bee-u-tee-full.

 

  Coincidently, it was also Paul Smart's birthday (born April 23, 1943).

                         

Today in motorcycle history, April 22, 1963

 

   On a sunny, April morning in Los Angeles, California, "Teen Beat" Sandy Nelson rides his motorcycle nearly head-on into a school bus full of kids...

 

   On his way to meet Lew Chudd the owner of Imperial Records, Sandy Nelson, one of the most important drummers in rock 'n' roll history meets the bus instead.  The accident results in amputation of his right foot and part of his leg.

 

   Sandy Nelson was the biggest -- and one of the few -- star drummers of the late '50s and early '60s era.  He had Top Ten hits, the biggest being "Teen Beat" which Sandy was awarded a Gold Record for after selling a million copies, and "Let There Be Drums".  Both of which surrounded his Gene Krupa-inspired solos with cool, mean guitar licks (from co-writer Richard Podolor) that were forerunners of the surf sound.  Nelson had only one other Top 40 hit, "Drums Are My Beat".  He ground out a quick series of instrumental albums in the early '60s -- eight within 18 months, as a matter of fact -- with several other top Hollywood rock and pop session musicians.   His principal importance is that he found a place for drum rock solos in hit instrumental singles, and the more reckless elements of his style no doubt influenced other musicians, such as surf drummers and, later, Keith Moon.

 

 

  In September of 2008, Nelson and a few friends, recording as Sandy Nelson and the Sin City Termites, released a new record of original compositions, Nelsonized, on the independent Spinout label.  Other band members included Los Straightjackets guitarist  Eddie Angel, Remi Gits, and bass-player custom bike-builder Billy Favata of Torturing Elvis.

 

 

  ...oh yeah, and one of those kids on the school bus was a 13 year-old Bonnie Raitt.

                 

Today in motorcycle history, April 19, 1948

 

  From its inception in 1937 until the early ’60s, the prestigious Daytona 200 motorcycle race wasn’t merely run at Daytona Beach.  The 200 was run on Daytona Beach.

  In 1948, LIFE magazine decided to cover the races, both amateur and pro, at Daytona.  They then reported, in its April 19 issue, that “for four days last month the resort city of Daytona Beach could hardly have been noisier — or in more danger — if it had been under bombardment.”

  On a weekend that thrilled racing fans and, as if proof was needed that "the young sport was still in the hands of rebels and scofflaws", saw two people killed and 30 more injured in the midst of all the "high-octane fun."

  The 1948 event, which attracted “375 helmeted daredevils and plenty of non-racing hell-raisers,” was marred not only by deaths and injuries but, as LIFE duly noted, by classic knuckleheadism. “Because the antics of an unruly minority reflect on the dignity of motorcycling,” the magazine observed, “the American Motorcycle Association (AMA) may have to hire special police at future races.  One duty will be to restrain sophomoric cyclists who amused themselves this year by tossing firecrackers into the crowd.”

  Ultimately, as LIFE tersely reported, “155 motorcycles started, only 45 finished."

 

  Floyd Emde rode his Scout to a wire to wire, or flag to flag if you prefer, victory in the 1948 Daytona 200. He averaged 84.61 mph, and pocketed a $2,000 prize.  Sadly, 1948 was the last time an Indian Motorcycle would win the 200.

  Floyd Emde's son, Don, would win the 200 in 1972.  Floyd was inducted in the Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1998.

 


 

Today in motorcycle history, April 18, 2003

Honda announces the introduction of it's new sport bike,  the XR250 Motard.  The  XR250 Motard is based on the XR250 off-road sport bike that underwent a model change in February this year.    The Motard comes with an air-cooled single-cylinder 250cc 4-stroke engine that, according to it's press release,  "...delivers exceptional on-road driving performance."    This new on-road sport model has front and rear 17-inch aluminum wheels and road tires, giving the bike a "Super Motard" image.  As opposed to just an everyday-Motard image.    The XR Motard becomes a huge hit in Thailand.

Today in motorcycle history, April 17, 1982

                  

  The New York Times reported that singer/songwriter Billy Joel was injured in a motorcycle accident on Long Island Thursday, and he is reported to be in ''quite good'' condition yesterday after major surgery at Columbia Presbyterian Medical Center in New York.

   Dr. David L. Andrews, who performed surgery on Mr. Joel's right wrist and left thumb for two hours, said the singer should regain ''full activity in regard to his occupation'' in three to four months.

''He'll be fine,'' said Elizabeth Joel, the 32-year-old performer's wife. ''We're all highly relieved. He's in excellent spirits, he feels great, but his hands hurt.''  His hands will get well enough to divorce her and marry Christie Brinkley in 2 years time.

   According to Sgt. Ted Avinila, of the Suffolk County police, Mr. Joel was riding his 1978 Harley Davidson through the intersection of New York Avenue and West Ninth Street in Huntington, L.I., at about 5:40 P.M. Thursday.

   He said the bike struck a car driven by Cornelia Bynum of Huntington when she made a turn onto New York Avenue.  The Pianoman was taken to a nearby hospital, then by helicopter to Presbyterian Hospital.  He was said to be in a New York State of Mind.

  As usual, the driver of the car was not hurt.