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Tuners

Tuners are who make fast bikes go even faster. When I raced, I tuned and rebuilt my bikes. I was a better rider than tuner. I never finished lower than 6th in typical fields of 30. My last AFM race was in 1974. But, not my last race ... which was a real roadrace, La Carerra, in 1988 in Mexico.

This is Erv Kanemoto here working on Gary Nixon's H2R. Last I heard, Erv was tuning Max Biaggi's GP bike.

Erv started out tuning dirt bikes in San Jose. Now, he's in the big time.

Bob Hansen was the Kawasaki factory American team manager during the '70's. He and his team would come out to our AFM races to get track time. Yvon Duhamel, Art Baumann, and others would show up at our races. It was really intimidating to have one of these guys slowing down in the pit lane passing parallel to me while I was tucked in wide open going down the straight at Ontario Motor Speedway.

Here's Gary Nixon trying to stay cool while Erv works on his H2R. When the 500cc H1 streetbike came out, it was the most brutal bike to hit the streets.

Just imagine 50% more displacement, factory parts, and a world-class tuner playing with it.

Gary was AMA national #1 in 1967 and 1968 riding a Triumph.

Here's Kenny with his tuner, Kel Carruthers. Kel wasn't just a tuner. He was 250cc FIM world champion in 1969.

Kenny would go on to become AMA national #1 in 1973 and 1974. He was the first American to become World Champion. He won the 500cc FIM world championship in 1978 to 1980.