Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1960's

• Guest Editor ial WEAR A.HELMET AND BE IMMORTAL • • • • By R. O. Fee This is the implication of at least one California oewspaper as it crusades for a mandatory helmet law. There are probably otber area newspapers whose editors feel the same, but the San Gabriel Valley Tribun.e has bent every effort to cause the legislature to clamp a helmet on your head and make you wear it, regardless of your personal choice in the matter. So deeply do the Tribune's editors feel about this policy that their front page news has started to reflect their editorial page comments. The Tribune faithfully reports and rehashes every San Gabriel Valley accident involving a helmetless motorcyclist. In their zeal to illustrate their point, they Quite frequently fail to mention that the primary cause of these collisions are automobiles; usually making an illegal left hand turn into or in front of the cycle victim.. All too often the drivers of the offending auto are not even cited for the illegal turn, much less charged with manslaughter for the death they caused. Don't condemn the Tribune for their mati ves are nohle. The editors are concerned over the number of people who are heing killed and iIuured on motorcycles. especially the lightweights. Unfortuna'tely their approach is short sighted and unrealistic. The use of a safety helmet will not cut the accident ratio one iota! Tile use of a helmet does not contribute one tittle to the control of a motorcycle! A helmet on a rider's head does not in itself increase that rider's attention to the road one jot! On the other hand, a helmet is certainly not useless. Whether he chooses to wear one or not, any motorcyclis t with an I.Q. above the moron level know s that once a collision or upset occurs, a helmet is very good insurance against head injuries. I personally think anyone who would choose to ride a motorcycle without a helmet is a simple fool. But I would be last to deny him the right to make such a clloice. However, the editors at the Tribune along with many others, feel otherwise and if they have their way, the law will decree that you will wear a helmet - whether you like it or not. This crass encroachment is excused with the concept, • if just one life is saved, it is worth it." MlUldatory Helmets for Car Drivers? ,. . The Tribune Jecently ran a photo of an auto collision captioned· ... driver suffers severe head injuries·. Now we know that helmets are of value in auto collisions. Almost every police department has adopted their use in autos. I wonder if the editors of the Tribune are ready to accept a law requiring them to bear the expense and inconvenience of using helmets in their autos? Remember -·if just ODe life is saved, it's worth it.· Any law requiring helmets for motorcyclists only would be rank discrimination and class legislation. And would that be all? The Los Angeles Times has already mentioned how boots and protective clothing covering the entire body can reduce motorcycle imuries. Leather jackets and pants are great in Januarybut in August too? Just last year a bill was introduced in New Yor.k to require seat belts on motorcycles! That bit of stupidity failed, but the door opened by a mandatory helmet law stays open for a mandatory clothing law. There are other remedies that can be applied to reduce the death and !rUuries connected with motorcycles that will not infringe on your right of choice on mate, ters that are solely your concern. More on these later. In the meantime, rest assured that a mandatory helmet bill will be submitted to the next California Legislature. Now is not too soon to start letting your representatives know how you feel. Spend 8¢ for 2 postcards and send them to your reps. Simply state that you want the choice of wearing a safety helmet left to you, the only one it protects. If you don't know the address of your reps, a phone call to your library or newspaper will get you that information. Naturally the easiest course to take is to let someone else do it. If this is your choice, you can kiss another right to choose good-bye. Nez' Weei Part 11 VOICE of CALIFORNIA First International Moto Cross Championship Point Race for U. S. at Stake in Dirtdigger-AMA Fuss First, to set the record straight and to eliminate 50% of our recent phone calls .. the Dirtdiggers Grand Prix at Simi Ranch (formerly known as Corriganville) is OPEN TO ALL RIDERS ..!t is not necessary to belong to the AMA, ACA, FIM, SCRAM. COMP, or any other association. However, you must have access to a competition machine, prove you are competent to ride it in the class you enter, and have U guts· enough to race. Professional en tries must be licensed by a recognized body for reasons of rider safety. Insofar as AMA suspension of participants, unfortunately we only have a verbal statement from AMA, made at the September Sports Committee Meeting that AMA members will not be punished for riding non-AMA sanctioned even ts in California. In warning, we feel you "pro" riders should know that you may possibly be suspended in other states that don't protect the individual's freedom of choice. This is going to be up to the individual rider and the often obscure AMA Rule Book. Some riders have asked why we refused the AMA offer of their sanction, both pro and sporting, for our G.P...Prior to our expulsion from the AMA, we asked to be allowed to run a pro class in conjunction with our sportsmen event...an AMA official at a District 37 Meeting told us this was not allowed. After the recent trip out here by an AMA executive, we bad a phone call from Ohio, offering the dual sanction we had previously been refused, and we feel this fresh contradiction of their own rule came too Iate... again. After the firm notification of our dis-affiliation we had arranged for an International FIM Sanction, and had contacted some European riders for their entries (the AMA doesn't believe in this exchange of riders, it seems). Our event is now a point event for the International Championship Mota Cross tltle ... the first in the United states, and we refused to give up this to satisfy the AMA ultimatum. If we are wrong, we are very. very wrong. If we are right, this opens the door to true international events in the U.S.A. and promotes motorcyclin g a step further up. We now propose that the clubs and Dist. 37 as a whole retain the $10,000 minimum we send to Ohio each year, in dues alone, and utilize this money to lease or buy land for motorcycle activity in SCuthern California. If such land were obtained, clubs could rent the track from the District, and the rent could go for track improvements (toilets, concession stand, etc.) thereby maintaining its own upkeep, and guaranteeing a place to race in coming years. As riders, we must cooperate to help ourselves as no one else will. We have no master plan, as such, bu t we are trying... more than can be said for an Eastern organization. ·Put your best wheel sideways· and we'll see at least "234 of you riders again on Nov.19 & 20at our Eighth Annual Grand Prix at Simi Ranch. "(entries as of 9/23/66) DIRTDIGGERS M.C. DON KAMP Public Relations Officer Heroine Jan Noted at the Duster's Hare Scrambles of 9-18-66. A tip of the hat goes to a great gal rider, ·Desert Daisy~ Jan Dlison. On the first lap, Jan stopped and retumed to the start to bring help back to a uuured rider. She then continued and finished the run. In my opinion she gave up a trophy. This gal always comes in good, look at the past results. WES ANDERSON Sr. #208 Trail Bike Los Angeles You're right, Wes...maybe she gave up a trophy - but she surely won more... anyway you look at it! Ed, You're Welcome We appreciate the wonderful wri te up CYcle News gave our clubs' first Poker Run - August 14, 1966. Our next clu b meeting is September 17, 1966 and every otber saturday night following at 7:30 p.m. Secretary. DICK SLOCUM Married Wheels M.C. Ontario He'll Keep Pulliug I am writin g this letter in reference to your article "MANTRAPS MUST BE OUTLAWED". When I read the article in the Sun Telegram I was definitely upset and now after reading your article I am deeply moved. I have traveled this road many times and I know how hard it would be to see anything like a chain stretched across the road. we are a member of the Inland Motorcycle Dealers Association of San Bernardino. Right now we are negotiating about a piece of property that will be used bY motorcyclists only. This is something we have wanted to do for some time now and finally it is be ginning to materialize. I realize how you must feel about this incident or you would not have made a closing statement like. you did. And so sir. we will keep pulling from this end for a controlled riding area where there are no chains, spikes, cables or signs to keep the riders from trespassing. Keep up the good work! LARRY W. KLINE san Bernardino Old Salt Turns to Sand Enclosed you will find photo of Bruce Cornell, a san Diego-based Underwater Demolition Team man who, while on vacation in Michigan, decided to give the annual Jack Pine sand a bit of a go. Not too many words need to be said judgin g from the Quite obvious smile and the very handsome troPhY for bringing home to California tbe light heavyweight honors. Bruce is a local san Diego District competitor, and we believe he deserves alittle bit of recognition for what we consider a job well done. His filst "big" win, and we feel that winning this particular class in that event will remain his big thrill for some time to come. EARL E. ROLOFF Guy UrQ uhart Sales and Service San Diego .. LETTER TO THE EDITOR" This letter is in response to Cycle New's .article titled -What's in a Name" - 15 September iss ue - Page 5 bY C.C. Clayton. Cycle News was asked by Gene Carter to acknowledge the donation of a red cross flag and poles by the santa Barbarians primarily because we are a new group and wanted the District to know that we exist and support the sport. We don't feel it was ethical or necessary for the Cycle News editor to add his opinion about our choice of name for our club. Our reasons are as follow s: Tbere is nothing lewd or indecen t abOn t the terminology of Bat" barian in Webster's DictioDaJY. If the terminology were taken literally it would mean only that we were uneducated and lacked culture. Other clubs have chosen to link their names witb the counties or cities in which they live. Tbe term Santa Barbarian has long been associated with SantaBarbara bYits residents. The only way that -Santa Barbarian· could - Quote - • pu t the wrong image in the t>Iblic's mind"-unQuote-would be through the public's own ignorance. It distresses us that Cycle News would ridicille and belittle one of th eil Own SCuthern california Motorcycle Clubs without a full scale investigation enabling them to arrive at conclusions objectively - not on the basis of name only. It would seem that they have a~ pointed themselves judge and jury on an.v name an indivilklal club may give themselves and used the power of the press to plant theil own opinions in the public's mind. The public would be far less likely to get the wrong imPression were it not for CYcle News giving (in our judgment) tbeir own ignorant opin- ~ ions. 0> THE SANTA BARBARIANS Santa Bar bara EDITOR-see, you're already on the gj defensive about the reputation of your Q; club. The original Barbarians were the .Q ODes who des t roy e d and pillaged ~ Greece and Rome. as anyone with a oW smattering of education or culture ifr knows. Wouldn't ·Santa Barbarans U) M.C." be a better name. all tlrings considered? ~ .... Reach for Your Checkbooks! I am writing to see if readers of CYcle News can help out British rider, Roy Peplow. a competitio~ rider presently in this country as a guest of Bud Ekins. He is bere on a twenty-one-day cbarter flight. Not being aware of the forthcoming Grand Prix at Simi Ranch in midNovember, Roy did not plan on participating. Now, Roy is very keen on competing with local riders at this International Mota Cross, if some financial aid could be given to enable him to pay his way home on another flight. His original lilre is non-refundable or transferrable from the planned depaJture date. I feel this is a golden opportonlty to watch a member of the Triwnph English works team compete against our local shoes ...we've often wondered who could beat who, on an international level, now we could see it in pe rson. Bud will arrange a machine for Peplow, if we, the motorcycle enthusiasts can belp prolong his stay. If cycle News would accept the donations, possibly enough contributions ($300.00) could be collected to bring this about. How about it cycle News and racing fans? The Dirtdiggers have been contacted, and prior to tbeir general meeting have already decided to waive the $7.00 entry fee for Roy, as a small start towards this campaign, if further details are needed, please contact Bud Ekins, or, if cycle News is willing, send your buck or two, to the paper. Let's show a member of the British TrophY Team how this California bospitality really works. Thank you for the space. RED MOUNTAIN RALPH Don Kamp EDITOR-Okay, Cycle News volunteers to keep track of the contributillllS and starts the ball rolling with S10. If any reader (or club or busines ) wishes to coalribute a sbilling or two SO lbaL Roy Peplow can make the show, seDd it to Cycle News, c/o Roy Peplow FlIDd, Box 498, Long Beach, Calif. Be sure to include your name and address. Voice9 . Keep up your great reporting on desert riding. 1 would also like to see better coverage from the Pacific Northwest. KEN HABECK Seattle, Washington Thanks to Bob Ebeling, we now have Information on drag racing results. It has been Quite a problem, in tbe past, knowing about lIle special drag racing events dow n SCuth. Drag racing is very popular in Northern California and we have a lot of fast bikes. Let me take this opportunity to thank both cycle News and Bob Ebeling. BY-the-way, CYcle News is not for sale in cycle shops in Northern california ... I'm sure it would sell big. DICK HOWELL Sacramento, california we have always needed something like Cycle News here in california. If anyone has something to say... let him tell it to all of us, bY putting it in print. If anybody has something to say, let him write you guys (CYcle News) a letter, then fifty other louel-mouths can knock him. I think since you have taken over the paper has improved immensely. AS a scrambles rider and an Ascot boy I [lnd the paper velY interesting and look forward to it every week. JIM MANDEVILLE Pres., Ventuta County Twin Wheelers M.C. Most of the uP-tC>-date news about National Riders comes first in cycle News, also the news I'm most interested in. •.1 get in cycle News. Tbe only way I can see to improve a very good pape r, is just to give me twice as [Quch. Thank yOU, JOHN DIVlNE Wabash, Indiana Nex t Week in Cycle News .... .. Hi·Jinx Road Run ... Dusters in the Desert ... T_'are _ Valle; 0 ••• South Gat e TT... Willow Springs ~ <:: !'oJ ...,J U ;:... U

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