Freeth returns to riding on two wheels

Press, 29 October 1981, Page 16

Freeth returns to riding on two wheels

Two days after returning from gaining second, place in the 1981 Australian 500 cc Grand Prix at Bathurst last Easter, the top Auckland motorcycle road racer, Rodger Freeth, climbed into the co-driver’s seat of the potent CRC RSIBOO Escort for the first rally of the 1981 New Zealand rally season. This week, Freeth is back on two wheels, after a successful winter, partnering the top rally exponent, Alan Mitchell, to several notable finishes including second place over-all in the Motogard International Rally. Freeth’s motorcycle racing commitments begin in November, and he is testing one of the latest Suzuki 750 Katana production motorcycles for use in the longdistance races scheduled. These endurance events kick off with the Three Hour, to be run at Pukekohe on November 1, and this will be the first major clash between the new futuristically styled Suzuki Katanas and their Japanese rivals.

Competition is expected to be especially fierce in the 750 cc class and Suzuki have enlisted Freeth to try and take the win in this big sales volume class. Last season, he won more races in the 500 cc and open racing classes than any other rider on the New Zealand circuit and although he is predominantly a racing class specialist, the new Katanas have several features that closely resemble the racing machines so well known to Freeth.

These include clip-on style handlebars, low crouched seating position, front fairing and completely revised suspension: In particular, the anti-dive front suspension is very new to street bikes.

Designed to improve stability under heavy braking, the system is known to Freeth, whose CRC Suzuki RGSOO Grand Prix machine was fitted with similar units last season.

So, despite not having ridden a 750 cc production

machine since winning the New Zealand Open Production Championship in 1976 on a Kawasaki 759, Freeth is still expected to be a top contender for the class win at Pukekohe. Two weeks after the Three Hour, Freeth will team with the Wanganui production motorcycle ace, Richard Scott, for the Castrol Six Hour to be run at Manfield on November 15. Then, it is back to the proper racing machines for the New Zealand Championship series starting at Invercargill in early January. A new factory bike is on order and this is expected to arrive in New Zealand any day now.