"notbob" > wrote in message
...
> On 2009-05-02, Dimitri > wrote:
>
>> There was an interesting design function - The Yamme's were designed for
>> the
>> American height where as the early Hondas were designed for the Japanese
>> height - The tell there was the position of the toes for the rider with
>> his/her feet on the pegs.
>
> MMmmm..... I don't know I agree with that. After I got out of the
> service,
> I came home to find all my friends mounted on 350cc Jap bikes ('70). I
> could discern no dimensional differences between Yammy, Honda, and Kawy
> 350s,
> though the power and handling diffs were shocking.
>
> The legendary RD-5 was shockingly difficult to turn. It was like trying
> to
> lean a railroad car into a turn, but rock steady once committed. My
> buddy's
> ubiquitous Honda 350 was so quick turning, it was scary. My brother's
> Kawy
> Avenger was the most neutral of the three and had the avantage of being
> able
> to smoke the other two at any speed. My bike, that big ol' Matchless
> G80CS,
> was a whole different beast. Tall, long, lithe, it didn't come into it's
> element till we hit 50-60+ mph sweepers, whereas the Jap iron was at home
> on
> tight mountain 2-lanes. Despite it's height and wheelbase, my Brit bike
> would drop in and out of a tight low-speed corner like it was born to it,
> in
> a way none of the smaller Jap bikes could.
>
> I remember the diff between a Suzy 400 and an AJS 360, both 2-stroke
> motorcrossers. The Suzy would try and kill you the minute you got the
> fromt
> wheel airborne while the AJS would go 60 yds on the back wheel whether you
> knew what you were doing or not. Two completely different design
> philosophies. It took Japan another 15 yrs before they came out with
> bikes
> that could handle with the best of Euro bikes.
>
> Pardon me for waxing ancient. Memories!
>
> nb

No problem at all - My wife's uncle Shav covered Golf, Auto & MC racing for
the LA Times - we used to have discussions all the time as the Americans
were coming up and just starting to understand MX - it's of course many many
years ago - When Carlsbad was equated with Caverns and not an MX course in
CA.

Dimitri