Georges Jobé And the Hrc500
Georges Jobé and the HRC500
The World Champ's last ride?
IF ANY ONE RIDER AT THE USGP DEserved a factory-fettled special, it was Georges Jobé. The current 500cc world champion, Jobé (pronounced "Joe-bay") has 29 GP motocross wins and four world championships to his credit. Yet this fit-and-trim 31-year-old failed to come to contract terms with Honda, the factory for which he won the world title last year, and he almost didn't make it to Glen Helen. Salvation came just one week prior to the USGP.
"I have Americans to thank, other wise I wouldn't have been able to race here. Roger DeCoster loaned me one of last year's factory bikes, and Mitch Payton of Pro Circuit helped me with expenses," says the Belgian.
Despite a rushed schedule that left too little time for suspension tuning, Jobé liked his last-minute bike. "It has a stock production 1991 frame and swingarm, and a production gas tank and plastics, but almost every thing else is factory. The engine is a 1990 factory HRC500 racing engine with a four-speed transmission.
There's a lot of magnesium on this bike-the wheel hubs, engine cases, triple clamps and some smaller parts. The suspension is factory Showa. The brakes are factory parts, too; they're a little lighter and more sen sitive than production brakes," ex plains Jobé.
Kidling Jobe's HKL~OO quickly confirmed that the suspension was not completely dialed-in. Both ends of the machine were harsh over small bumps, but it excelled on large impacts and when landing from Glen Helen's many jumps.
The engine, though, was most im pressive-smooth and powerful with an extremely fluid, linear powerband. Its four-speed transmission shifted effortlessly, and the HRC500 started easily, thanks to a cylinder mounted manual compression re lease. Mate this motor to Jean Michel Bayle's suspension, and you'd have a practically unbeatable Open-classer.
Jobé rode a smart race to finish fourth overall at the USGP, which, unfort~nately, may prove to be his swan song in professional motocross.
When asked how much longer he in tends on racing, Jobé' s sparkling eyes suddenly look strained: "I was planning on racing one more year, then retiring to help my brother run our transportation business. I feel that I'm still competitive and have something to offer a sponsor, but un less I get a ride, this may have been
my last race."
Ron Griewe
