THE 48TH It took 4 7 years to come to America. by Paul Dean Remember how long it took you to log idea, but to 300 men who annually under­ 1000 miles on your trail bike? And what take such a task, it isn’t impossible at all. about the memorable events that occurred It’s the basic premise for the International on the trails during those 1000 miles? Six Days Trial, the largest and most truly There were numerous falls, bent and bro­ international motorcycle event in the ken levers, twisted handlebars, thrown world. So, close your eyes, shift your imag­ chains and sticky floats, not to mention all ination into high gear, and try to put your­ the blisters, scrapes, sores, and cuts that self into the picture we’ve just painted. If you endured. you can do that, you will begin—only be­ And even though you’d like to, you’ll gin—to understand what the ISDT is all never forget the two tire changes you about. struggled through. The first one was at 350 Like most motorcycle events, the bikes miles when the front tire unexpectedly are classified according to engine size as went flat. The second was at around 800 measured in cubic centimeters. The nine miles, when you replaced your worn out classes are: 0 to 50, 51 to 75, 76 to 100, 101 rear knobby with a new one. Both times it to 125, 126 to 175, 176 to 250, 251 to 350, took half a day, all your patience, and a 351 to 500, and 501 to 1300. large portion of your favorite vulgarities The ISDT is primarily a team event. before the tire was fixed. There are individual awards (gold, silver You needed that new tire because you and bronze medals), but the real interest were entered in an 80-mile enduro the lies in the team competition. next day. You finished it, but not before The World Team Championship breaking another shift lever and drowning Trophy is the most coveted award of the the engine during a river crossing. event. One six-man team from each coun­ You can’t remember every trial and try entered is eligible to compete for the tribulation you experienced, but in all, it World Trophy. The bikes may be different took about two-and-a-half months to rack brands, but each team must include bikes up 1000 miles on your bike, riding both on ofthree different displacement categories. and off the road. Each country may also field two four- But, what if you had to relive those 1000 man teams to compete for the Inter­ miles in six consecutive days, complete national Silver Vase, second in prestige with all the crashes, drownings, roadside only to the World Trophy. Again, bikes of repairs, and flat tires? And to make things any manufacture are permitted, but each tougher, what if you were put on a time team must contain motorcycles of at least schedule which required you to maintain a 25-mph average? You would have to cover 1. The cylinder and head of every bike almost 200 miles in an eight-hour day, and was sealed with wire to prevent their about 1100 miles in the six days. Check removal. points would be placed every 15 miles or so along the route to make sure you were 2. Husky mounted Dave Eames deans on schedule; if you weren’t, you would be the top of the second day's special penalized one point for every minute you test—a hill-climb. were late. If you were ever more than one 3. The Swedes brought along specially hour late at any check, you would be dis­ trained mechanics . qualified. As if you wouldn’t already have your 4. Malcolm Smith and Husky team hands full, two more stipulations would be manager Jack Lehto oversee the imposed. First, all the major (and a few preliminary examination of minor) components of your motorcycle Malcolm's bike. would be specially marked, and those 5. Top 250 rider Augusto Taiocchi of parts could not be changed during the en­ Italy shows off some of his go-fast tire six days of riding. Secondly, no one skills on a timed special test. other than yourself could touch the motor­ cycle for any reason other than to add gas 6. Big West German rider Heribert or oil to it. And no one could touch you ex­ Schek weighs just slightly less than cept to hand you food, drink, or adminis­ his trick titanium-framed 280-pound ter first aid. No one could assist you in a BMW 750. repair by giving you parts or tools. All re­ 7. ISDT competitors can change a tire pairs would have to be done only by you, in less than five minutes. using the parts and tools that you carried along with you. You would need to make 8. Rolf Tibblin tries to soothe Jake all repairs without dropping off your time Fischer's dislocated shoulder. Jake schedule. rode for three days with the painful This may appear to be an impossible injury, but won a gold medal anyway. 40 CYCLE GUIDE/DECEMBER 1973 ■.: m W 2: tSw?. niy s^hp^v IK.. PHOTOGRAPHY BY PAUL DEAN AND BOB SCHLEICHER two different displacement classes. after being ordered to do so. The Closec There is also Club Team competition at Control is patrolled 24 hours a day to pre­ the ISDT. The clubs represented must be vent any tampering with the bikes. bona fide motorcycle clubs; each team Beginning with the smallest bikes, the consists of three riders and at least two motorcycles are started off three at a time different brands of motorcycles. once each minute. The first group of three The Manufacturer’s Team Award goes leaves at 7 a.m. Monday morning and ev to the best three-man team entered by a ery morning thereafter. The next group o manufacturer or authorized distributor of three leaves 7:01, and so on. one brand of motorcycle. The machines Ten minutes before their assigned start can be of any displacement category, but ing time, three riders are permitted to en all must be of the same make. ter the Closed Control and get their bikes Although the actual riding competition They must push them into the adjacen always starts on a Monday, the preceding work area, where they can perform any al Saturday and Sunday are designated as lowable maintenance. They must have th< the preliminary examination days. During machines in the next adjacent area, th< this period, the motorcycles must be starting enclosure, when their assignee brought to the Parc Ferme (pronounced starting time is reached. If not, they are pe park fair-MAY),which contains the nalized. start/finish line for each day’s riding, and The motorcycles cannot be started be houses the Closed Control impound area. fore the assigned time, and must star Here, the machines are inspected care­ within one minute after they are given th< fully, assigned numbers, and tested for ex­ signal. Again, failure to do either one re haust noise level. suits in a penalty. The bike’s major conponents are then Once underway, each rider has an as­ painted and sealed by an official of the or­ signed time he is due to pass through each ganization. The painted parts are the of the time checks along the course. There frame, forks, shocks, wheels, hubs, brake is a three-minute grace period allowed at plates, fuel tank, oil tank, magneto, gener­ each check, but after that, the penalty is ator, battery, carburetor, and crankcase. one mark for each minute a rider is late. The special paint is applied in a dab about To obtain a gold medal, a rider must, the size of a nickel, and the bike’s assigned among other things, not be penalized any number is etched into the paint with a marks during the entire event. From one pointed scribe. to 25 marks lost makes him eligible for a The crankcase is then tied to the frame silver medal, and from 26 to 60 marks lost with a thin gauge wire, and a special seal wins a bronze medal. If more than 60 applied to the ends of the wire. The cylin­ marks are lost (if he is more than one hour der head is wired to the cylinder in a like late), that rider is disqualified. manner, and the cylinder is in turn wired The riders of all teams are usually the to the crankcase. The wiring must be done very best each country has to offer, and of­ in a way to prevent the removal of the en­ ten, several teams in each category com­ gine from the frame, or the removal of the plete the trial with all of its members earn­ head and cylinder from the crankcase. ing gold medals. If marks alone were the As a final measure, the front number sole method of scoring, the trial could plate is wired to the frame, preventing an (and probably would) often end in a tie exchange of plates between bikes. between two or more teams. After the examination and marking, the motorcycle is placed inside the Closed 9. This patriotic fan stood in the middle Control, where it cannot be touched until of the creek and waved the American the start of the event. flag to every U.S. rider that passed. The purpose of ISDT competition is to test the endurance, reliability, and effi­ TO.