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Friday, 07 September 2001 |
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Reminiscing by Mike Emery ~ Action Photos By Robert Mealey
KTM 640 Supermoto
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In the early 70's, a long time ago, when motorcycle frames were still made of wood. A classic series started on NBC called "Then Came Bronson", and each week the opening credits always started the same way...
A motorcyclist, Jim Bronson (Michael Parks) comes to a stop at a red stop light and strikes up a conversation with a guy in a station wagon stopped next to him. The driver looks Parks up and down and says, "Hey... taking a trip?" Bronson (Parks) over the thumping Harley exhaust, looks towards the driver and replies, "What's that?" the guy repeats the question, "Taking a trip?" Bronson: "Yeah."
Guy: "Where to?"
Bronson: "Oh, I don't know, wherever I end up, I guess."
Guy: "Pal, I wish I was you."
Bronson, "Really?"
Guy, with miserable look on his face: "Yeah."
Bronson: "Well, hang in there."
The guy nods glumly, the light changes, Bronson rides off and every week saves the world. Then Came Bronson was a classic series for classic reasons. For you youngsters out there, he really was a one man A-Team, but instead of you finding him, he found you. Instead of a clapped out, blacked out, Chevy Caravan, he rode a do-it-all motorcycle that was part dirt racer, part street racer. It was a bike that always seemed to have the right tire for the right job.
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Bit like a Supermoto, I suppose. Looks like a dirt bike, runs through the twisties like a Banzai street bike, a real do it all machine. Wanna' go pick up this weeks Cycle Trader or a Video? Take the SM. Your buddies going dirt riding? Well, you're only a spare set of dirt wheels away from roosting. This bike won't hurt your wrists, your back or even your wallet. |
I was hoping that we could have had the latest and greatest selection from three manufacturers, namely Husqvarna, MuZ and, of course KTM, but only one was available. Quite simply, because the others had been sold out. More and more manufactures though, are committed to offering you a bike that was originally invented in the good ol' US of A. This bike was born out of a direct response to an 80's ABC's Wide World of Sports "Superbikers" series. It was a unique show that pitched off road stars against road racers on a wacky part dirt/part asphalt track to find out who really was king of the motorcycle. All the top riders of the day participated, including Rick Johnson, Danny "Magoo" Chandler, Wayne Rainey and of course, Sir Edward Lawson amongst many, many others. The series, unfortunately, went the same way as our friend Bronson and Mr T, and was eventually canceled. We temporarily loaned the idea to the nutty French for a decade, who refined the sport to what it is today, lightweight MX bikes with super sticky rubber on nice wide, modern 17" rims then finished off with big 'ol nasty brakes.
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Old School Knee Out? What an old Geezer!
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A certain Mr Don Canet of Cycle World then rediscovered the sport and bought the prodigal son back home. Don really should be credited with the resurgent interest in this breed, especially with his implementation of a West Coast based Supermoto series renamed SuperTT.
OK, so it's a fringe sport and bikes are scarce. Best we get on and start converting you lot then... |
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