350c.c. Scramblers Now Outclassed

Press, Volume CVII, Issue 31498, 12 October 1967, Page 15

350c.c. Scramblers Now Outclassed

'By Our Motor-cycling Reporter)

The New Zealand scramble championships at Clarkville last Sunday proved that the era of the fuß four-stroke 350 c.c. machine is finished as far as competitive racing is concerned.

The light-weight 250 c.c. two-stroke scramblers, especially the Czechoslovakian C.Z.s, have been so highly developed in power and handling that the heavy English 350 c.c. four-strokes, once among the most popular of machines, are now outclassed

In last Sunday’s New Zealand 350 e.c. chamnionshin. ■>n event designed e«neci»lly for these machines, the firs* *itll 350 c.c. machine, that of R. Gurd’er (Christchurch), finished eighth over-all. Gurd-

let’s highest placing in the three 10-lap heats for the championship was sixth—behind five 250 c.c. C.Z.S. K. Davis (Feilding) brought one of the most potent 350 c.c. machines in the country to the meeting only to be swamped by the 2505, competing in a class higher than that for which they were intended. His English . Metisse had the power but its handling was clearly inferior tp the light-weights. On the day bis highest placing was seventh in the first heat And Davis is a rider of no mean ability: one who, all things being equal, should have been a main contender for the title. In the last few years the oopularity of’ the 350 c.c: class has waned considerably until now are only a few machines left. If the . trend continues, and it seems inevitable that it will unless the New Zealand Auto Cycle Union finds an answer to the

problem, the 350 c.c. class is doomed to extinction. No rider is going to waste his money buying a 350 c.c. machine when he knows that it will not be nearly as fast as any Of the current 250 c.c. two-strokes. In New Zealand, riders are allowed to use any size machine they like in a championship event, as long as it is under the capacity specified. A rider with a good 250 c.c. machine can compete in his own class’ as well as in the 350 c.c. and 500 c.c. classes, with a good chance of success in all three. One possible answer is to restrict each class to the capacity of the machine for which it was originally intended. ’ The 350 c.c. class could he' limited to machines betweeh 251 c.c. and 350 c.C. Rut even this might not save the life of the 350 c.c. fourstroke, although it might prolong it slightly. Riders could overcome the

ruling by boring out a 250 c.c. machine to ■> something over 251 c.c. or sleeving down a 360 c.c. two-stroke. However, riders would think twice before they *ook such drastic action and at least the class would retain its identity and not become just another 250 e.c. race. The three classes for the annual inter-island scramble are already restricted but because other events are not

this has its special problems. Few riders are now interested in riding 350 c.c. machines and consequently the selectors are finding a hard time filling the 350 c.c. sections in their teams. The Auto Cycle Union has not restricted the classes because it feels there would not be enough top-class riders to make each championship interesting to the public. But the time has now come for it to make a stand or watch the 350 c.c. class fade into obscurity.

There were more than 40 machines at the championship meeting, some of them 500 c.c. scramblers there for the supporting races. It only requires about 15 machines to make a good race and each class, if restricted, would draw at least this number initially and many more once the system became established. Another possibility would be to divide the riders into seniors and juniors but this would not prevent a junior rider from buying the best machinery and trouncing others who -could not afford expensive motor-cycles. Some sort of nursery class, limited to four-stroke machines, is clearly needed, as well as rigid capacity restrictions in all events. The present system badly needs an overhaul. The sooner it gets it the better it will be fur the future of motor-cycle scrambling in New Zealand.