You'll
alwavs
•
see it
FIRST
in
c.;
....
...
o
~
:c:
"THE VOICE OF CALIFORNIA"
Charles Clayton
Editor
haron Clayton
Business Manager
Gil Brown ...... Ailvertising Manager
D. B. (Dutch) Fielder .Asst. Ad. Mgr.
Dennis Greene
Photo Editor
Gay Thomason .Circulation Manager•
Published weekly except the first
and last week of the calendar
year by C&:S Publishing Company.
P.O. Box 498, Lon g Beach,
California.
Second Class Pos tage Paid at Long
Beach, Calif.
Any part of this newspaper may be
lIlSed wi thout permission as long as
credit is given. Editorial contributions, cartoons, photos are welcomed
and will be paid for upon publication. Self-addressed, stamped envelope assures return.
Single Copy Price
l5¢
Subscriptions: One year 2nd class
mail
$7.50
Advertising rates will be sent
on request.
~
...:J
~
Guest Editor ial By Chuck Clayton
MEANINGFUL LEGISLATION
Part m
By Robert O. Fee
In 1965 a mandatory helmet bill was
introduced into the California legislature. Fortunately it failed to pass. In
1967 another mandatory helmet bill will
be introduced into the legislature. It will
not be a motorcyclist who introduces
the bill, but some well intentioned
amateur do-gooder who believes that a
helmet will instantly curtail all motorcycle accidents and the resulting injuries and death.
The Committee for Better Motorcycling at their August, 28th meeting,
discussed legislation and compiled at
tbe following list that they will recommenu to be introduced in the 1967 legislature. These are not cure-alls and do
not impinge on the right of any cyclist
to court disaster if he so choose s. But
they will help protect someone else
from being taken along with him.
1. All motorcycles sold in the state
shall be equipped with safety rims. (The
Highway Patrol furnishes each of their
motor officers with this protection.)
2. A special endorsement of the operatorS license shall be required to operate a motorcycle on public streets.
(The endorsement would consist of a
special driving test performed in traffic
at the direction and under the supel"
vision of motorcycle police officer.)
3. Require motorcycle oriented su~
jects in high school driver education
classes.
4. Require renters of motorcycles and
motorscooters to furnish a helmet with
all rentals at the time of renting. (This
does not keep the rentee from refusing
to use it if he so chooses.)
5. Require the seller of a motorcycle
to inform the buyer that a safety helme t
is desirable protection while operating a
motorcyc Ie bY
a. A sticker on the speedomete r
with a warning similar to the warning
carried on a package of cigarettes.
(When the buyer pulls the sticker off, he
has been informed and the choice is his.)
b. A signed statement from parents of riders under 21 attesting that
they understand the value of a safety
helmet while operating a motorcycle.
(By their signature they have been informed and the choice is theirs.)
6. Require a stiff sole to be worn bY
the rider in such a manner as to be
interposed between the foot and operating controls. (If a rider wants to risk
his foot in thongs or slippers, it's his
foot. However, for the safety of others
he should be able to apply the brakes in
a positive, unflinching action.)
The CBM would like to hear from any
rider who feels he has a point that
should be considered. The CBM's undel"
lying philosophy is: No individual should
be mandatorily required bY the government to take any action, to buy any item
or wear any apparel that does not directly contribute to the safety of other
motorists or the general public. Send
your comments to: The Committee for
Better Motorcycling, 105 No. Vermont
Ave., Glendora, Calif. 91740.
The CBM plans to present the foregoing slats to legislative representatives
immediately after the November election.
CN will relate their reactions and furnish information how you can participate
in next year's legislative process.
FOURTH FUNISH THE FINNY
CONTEST WON BY CLETE HRUSI{A
We thought we really had a toughie of an
unfinished funny for you guys this time, but
you came up with mare goad jake lines for
this laanl. cartoon than any of the ather
three. The only tough thing was picking the
winner. Five dollars and the fram.d original
p.n and ink drawing of Herman's goes to
CI.t. Hruska of Brea, Calif. for his funniest
funny.
Sam. of the runners up were:
"Man, I dig that crazy Crash helm.t!" Don
Coach. "Will you honor my AMA card? ..
Dick Brawn.ll. "Tak. m. to your d.aler! ..
Carol Coolbaugh. "Tak. m. to your sponsor!"
..David Aldan.. "Mind if I go for a spin?"..
Bob Williams.
Watch for anath.. Finish th. Funny cant.st InCycl. N.ws soan asH.rman splash.s
dawn aut of orbit.
If anyone ever wants to sparKle up II
motorcycle show, I strongly recommend
that they engage the services of the
Ace of Clubs M,C. Drill Team as we did
last weekend for our first attempt at organizing a bike tour. These gentlemen
(and two very acrobatic young ladies)
are carrying on the tradition of precision
riding instilled in them by their late
President Darrol Peacor. They played
their entire repertoire before the citizens and officials of Ensenada and won
enthusiastic applause for their thrilling
maneuvers.
In addition to providing a show to
compete with Sunday's races, which
were about to begin on the other side of
town, the Ace of Clubs capably manned
the checkpoints of Saturday's poker run
and handled many of the other chores so
necessary to a run of this magnitude.
Quietest Night
This was the first Southwestern intel"
national motorcycle tour, and the first
road ride put on in conjunction with a
motorcycle race in recent memory.
To begin with, we were advised
agains t even having the run bY a number
of people whose opiniolls we respec t.
·You are bound to have trouble with the
·element,,· they objected. ·It might turn
out to be another black eye for motorcycling,· they said.
We worried about this unnecessarily.
as it turned out. Sr. Eliseo Garcia, the
Chief pf the State and Federal Tourism
Department remarked that last Saturday
night was one of the quietest nights he'd
seen in Ensenacfa, even though there
was a convention of camperites and a
dog show happening in the town in addition to the tour and races that weekend.
·Your riders are even better behaved
than our local boys," he confided. Indeed, the stately roar of the Harleys and
BSA's was far less grating on the ears
than the usual racket of the unmuffled
Islos, Vespas and Yamahas that Ensenada is used to.
Professor Hermida, the Mayor of Ensenada, was one of those who expressed
misgivings about the tour. When I asked
him Sunday how he liked the motorcycle
riders IIOW, the mayor replied with much
energy "Magnifico! Magnifico!·
Ensenada also boas ts a veIY fine
police department under police Chief
Camachn. His officers are trained to
assist, rather than arrest people. The
Chief decided to enforce an Ensenada
law against drinking in public, and thus
any trouble which may have occurred
was easily prevented.
I think the tour proved at least one
thing we have always suspected, that
motorcycle enthusiasts as a whole are
one of the finest groups in North America,
and as long as a courteous but (jrm
police force is tending to business, they
should be at least as welcome to any
fair city as yachtsmen, dog fanciers or
camperites. I think we also demonstrated
that the disruptive power of the'element'
has been greaUy overrated. Let those
who say you can't let motorcyclists
gather~ read our story and reconsider.
Here we had 140 road riders and 350
racers and their entourage convening in
a Mexican town of 42,561 population and
not a single one ever saw the inside of
the calaboose, nor was there any trouble
at all.
Yet the annual yacht race in May fills
ttle jail up every year. Maybe the bad cYclists have taken up sailing?
There were a fair share of predictable
goof-ups on our first Tour. The silver
Aztec Calendar pins that we gave to
each entry failed to anive from Taxco
on time for the start and had tn be passed
out at the parade on Sunday.
M
Two Campgrounds
Then the riders were misdirected to
the campgrounds and when the campsite
was finally found,a.4ew of the less skillful riders co~ined they could not
navigate the dirt road leading into it. So
another camPsite was arranged. this one
on a beautiful beach close to town, accessihle by a hardpacked road. There
were free showers and restrooms and
even a laundry room at the second camp,
but it was nearly dark by this time and
the impatient riders had discovered that
motels were cheap and so they elected
tn spend the night indoors, leaving left
the Mexican guards to stand watch over
empty beaches and prairie.
Gripe Session Enjoyed By All
Probably the most enjoyable part of
the weekend's festi ities for many riders
was the Saturday evening Grip Session.
This was such a popular event that we
are planning to make it a regular feature
on the program. The first annual award
for the Biggest Gripe of the Year went
to Pappy Ward of San Diego for the immortal statement, • And I thought the
Mickey Mouse Run was mickeymouse'·
Meanwhile back at City Hall the Ace
of Clubs M.C. members directed bY Road
Captain Vern selby organized the tour
hikes in categories for the Most Beautiful MotorcYcle Contest. Judges were the
Chief of police and the Ensenada motorcycle cC'rps. It was a difficult choice,
FINISH the FUNNY CONTEST
but when the winners were annnunced
manana everyone was satisfied with their
decisions. (see results on page 16).
We may have discovered a way to end
protests here. I certainly wouldn't want
to try arguing with the Ensenada Chief.
Apparently no one else wanted to either.
$600 Loss
Cycle News spent nearly $1.000 on
this year's Grand Prix Tour and took in
about $400. Next year we may have to
spend more to make it an even greater
success.
We tip our helmets to Oscar Gomez
and Ernie Aragon 01 the Ensenada M.C.
for their competent race organization.
Voice of
California
Viva Vegas!
It was again my familys pleasure to
enjoy a motorcycle weekend in Las
Vegas Sept. ao, Oct. 1 & 2. We enjoyed
Cycle Action movies Friday night,
trailing Sat. afternoon, toured the local
entertainment sports Sat. night. Sunday
was spent at the Sunrise Raceway TT
Scrambles sponsored by the Silver City
Scramblers M.C.
Its a shame more Southern Calif.
riders don't try this fine TT scrambles
track. In my humble opinion it is one of
the finest TT tracks that I have ever
ridden. The course is always well prepared, maintained and exciting to ride
and watch. When the sponsoring clu b
states that the races will start at a
certain time. you can bet they will,
which in itself is unusual.
JIM PETERSON
Dirt' Diggers South
Rowland Heigh ts
Ed's Note-And congratulations to you,
Jim for winning the Open Expert Class
(again) at Vegas!
Edge Of The Coin
250 riders could not be wrong.
True the Shamrocks start was not
the best. But the ones that did make
the false start, did they see the banner
drop or did they take off like one sheep
following another? You always ba ve a
few who are over-eager. I was just as
far back as anyone else. After the cards
were marked at the start. one of the
Shamrock riders rode up to the truck to
let them know every thing was set. The
banner was then RAISED, not DROPPED
and this was when the false start was
made. What some riders have to learn is
the difference between dropping a banner and raising a banner.
It takes time to mark 300 cards.,A
rider should learn to relax.
It's possible to have a restart for
scrambles and TTs. But wbat would be
the answer for a restart for a hare and
hound? Let the false starters make the
first loop and then start everyone over
again?
BILL A. ZAREMBA
Covina
STATE CHAMPIONSHIP?
Just read your article, ·Shamrocks
State Championship Hare & Hound~ by
Dick Wright. Are you guys for real? I
read CYCLE NEWS because it is S1J~
posed to give the facts as they really
are.
Let's set the records straight. At the
riders meeting prior to this farce, it was
stated that· the banner will be behind
the riders·, so all could see. Where was
it??? - you guessed it - where at least
two-thirds of the riders couldn't see it.
Why did the majority of the riders start?
Check with the people who held, or
better yet, balanced the banner. A more
fancy bit of cape work I have never
seen. One would think the immortal
bullfighter, Manolete, had returned to
the ring.
If this was a false start, why weren't
the riders turned back at the smoke
bomb? Why wasn't there any radios at
the checks to advise the riders? WbY
this and why that? Let's face it. The
Shamrocks, who put on some nf the best
desert races, just goofed.
State Championship - my Bates seat!
GARY GERLICH
EDlTOR-See·Once Around the Course·
by Larry Haley in this issue for a participant's viewpoint.
