Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1960's

You'll always see it FIRST in ftIfIfe&. •••• 6477 N, Long Beach Blvd, Long Beach, Calif,90805 Or: Box 498, Long Beach, Calif, Phone: 423-04.31 (Area Code 213) From L.A. Plltnes: &36-8844 WEEKENDS ON WHEELS By Peter Racbtman In recent ni:>~n=-=s--=e=v7e=ry=-Cmotorcycling pu blication (this one included) has featured editorials on the passin g of law bY various states requiring the mandatory weaung of helmets by motorcyclists and their passengers. The general consensus of these editorials is that while everyone knows that helmets do save lives, the wearing of a helmet is stricUy an individual matter. In other words, if you want to take chances with your own life, so long as no one else is affected, you should ha ve that right. Time Magazine recently ran a scorching article on "murdez-cycles· with one optimistic note: medical statistics have proven that helmets would eliminate seventy per cent of all motorcycling fatalities! In these times, when many of our individual freedoms are being taken away, I can well understand the attitudes of the magazines and many motorcyclists to attelllllt to protect the individual's choice re garding his own protection. However, this is a very complex issue, and I feel that several aspects of this problem may not have been brought to light. '" '" '" '" '" '" '" '" '" '" '" '" '" '" '" '" '" '" Just last week, I was riding with a friend and his wife, and since neither of them wore helmets, I mentioned my feelings on the matter to both of them. She told me that they both had belmets at home, but hardly ever wnre them. "I wish there was a law forcing every one to wear one, then I wouldn't feel so silly putting it on." I wonder how many others have this herd attitude toward their own safety. Perhaps there should be times when laws should be passed to protect us from ourselves. Although there is considerable controversy surrounding its effectiveness, narcotics laws attempt to serve this end. If heroin were legal, it would no longer be controlled by the underworld. You could buy this form of individual suicide on the open market. However, we do have laws curtailing oor freedom to become addicts, even though no other persons may be harmed by this. Of course, indirectly, others are affected. The family of a junkie is placed in periJ; but, then again, the widow of a bar~ headed motorcyclist is also an innocent victim of our attelllllts to protect individual freedoms. .. '"Every" 'motorcycling '" fatality'" and '" in'" '" ' '" '" '" '" '" '" '" '" '" '" '" '" jury does affect many more people than the rider and his family. Every tlme there is a death, it makes the headlines. This, in turn, hurts us in the eyes of the general public. I wonder how many parents refuse to let their teen-agers buy motorcycles simply because of the rash 9f unnecessary injuries and deaths? I imagine our image is liS much damaged by these beadIines as it is by nutlaw motorcycle groups. '" '" '" '" '" '" '" '" '" '" '" '" '" '" '" '" '" '" '" I just recei ved a renewal notice for my motorcycle insurance. Not only was the rate considerably higher this year, but there was a note that the insurance carrier no longer offered medical coverage. . Don't try to teU me that I'm not now being affected by the fact that most riders do not wear belmets! This decision on the part of the insurance company is a direct result of the tremendous number of injuries, some of which might have been prevented had all riders been r~ quired to wear a helmet. On every race track helmets are required. There is no difference in "individual rights" on a track as opposed to a public road. The rules are simple: wear a helmet, or don't take part. We have the same basic choice as motorcyclists. Perhaps those ·daredevils" on the race track are displaying a lot more common sense through legilsation or rules when it comes to taking chances with their own live s, than we road tiders do. . I feel that the prospective motorcycle helmet legislation will probably become law, I may represent an unpopular view, but I feel that the sooner it does, the better for aU of us. '" '" '" '" '" '" '" '" '" '" '" '" '" '" '" '" '" '" '" There is one other factor regarding the wearing of a helmet that should be brought out. Since all motorcycle policemen now wear helmets, it has become established through various court cases that if you do not wear a helmet. you are not showing any regard for your own safety or well-being. Therefore, if you are involved in an accident which might not even be your fault, you will have a difficult time collecting dama ges since you have evidenced a disregard for your own safety. This in its~1f should give one sufficient cause to think twice before they ever venture out on a road without wearing a helmet. *• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • While mulling this whole pro blem, an idea occurred to me. I have recently noticed that crash helmets are now r~ ferred to as safety helmets by all of the manufacturers. I feel that while on the surface, this might be someone's idea of good public relations, it is in reality a giant step backwards when it comes to the actual acceptance of helmets by the average motorcyclist. Detroit has found that safety doesn't sell More cars are sold by exciting horsep.ower and performance claims than bY bragging about a padded dash. (The big safety pitch that auto manufacturers are using this year is the direct result of government pressures.) With motorcyclists, this situation is even more prevalent. Bikes are sold by a glamour or speed appeal (as opposed to safety or economy), so why not try the same approach with the merchandising of helmets. Calling a helmet a "safety helmet· only attempts to further reinforce that 'square" image. Those who resent this square identification the most are prot>ably the same ones who need the pr~ tection the most. If the helmet manufacturers would go for the glamour identirication, and call their products "racing" or "coqletition· helmets, or perhaps specialize and create an Ascot model or a sammy Tanner or Bud Ekins model, their products would become "in" instead of square. When I was a hot-rodding teen-ager, we always put safety belts in oor cars. We did this not so much for the safety factor, but because it further enhanced the competition image that we fashioned for oorselves. Of course, if everyone wore helmets, we wouldn't need laws requiring their use. Perhaps if the sales agencies took a more creative or aggressive approach, motorcycling woold become safer of its own accord. liTHE VOICE OF CALIFORNIA" Charles Clayton Editor Sharon Clayton •••Business ManaKer· Gll Brown •••••• Advertismg Manager D. B. (Dutch) Fielder ,Asst. Ad. Mgr. Dennis Greene •••••••••• Photo Editor Gay Thomason .Circulation Mana,ger. Published weekly except the first and last week. of the calendar year by C&S Publishing Company. F.O. Box 498, Long Beach. California. Second Class Pos iage Paid at Long Beach, Calif. Any part of thIs newspaper may be used without 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. l5t Single Copy Price Subscriptions: One year 2nd class mail S7.50 Advertising rates will be sent on request. WANTED ... All-American World Beater Were it not for good old HarleyDavidson up there in Wisconsin, we patriotic types wouldn't have a single all American bike to invest our pride in. One of the intriguing questions in the current phenomenal growth of motorcyling is when is another brand of American motorcycle going to be manufactured? VOICES I-Gathering the Parts I don't mean to hint of some inside knowledge that a new American motozcycle is somewhere on the horizon. To my knowledge there is nothing in sight. But as my old economics professor used to Say, "given sufficient demand, American ingenuity will find a way to supply most anything." A number of special components, bearing the Made in U.S.A. brand, are already available and more are on the way. For fine tubular frames you could select a Yetmanfrom Massachusetts or the American Competition Engineering (A.C.E.) frame soon to be manufactured in san Gabriel, Calif. Both of these tu bular wonders out-Metisse the best foreign jobs available and either one would be a good way to s tart building our All-American world beater. For wheels we would just about have touseimported Akront allOY rims, unless By Chuck Clayton someone wanted to macnlOe up a pair special at extremely high cost. But good spool hubs are available from BN Supply 10 La Mesa, Calif. Of course the All-American would stop on caliper disc brakes, of which several American models, either mechanical Or juice-operated, could be used. Fiberglass seatframes, tanks and fairings are aiready home-grown, as are instruments, tires, handlebars, etc. All that is lacking in our all-new all-American motorcycle so far is an engine and a gearbox. And therein lies the real scarcity o( American know-how. True, we could holt in a HarleyDayidson sportster unit and be ready to Wall. But the weight of this powerplant alone is almost 250 100. That should be the maximum weight of the whole machine if we are serious about winning with it. A couple of McCulloch Kart engines? No, that's already been tried without really satisfactory results. I am afrald our all-American will have to wait until some of the inventive geniuses in the motorcycle design field get together with a good business head and some financiers and come UP with something like the Meyez-Drake of the motorcycle Part 2 next week world. Below, tile ali-AmerIcan raclnl frame buill .. the best from Europe. Frame was desl ed to hold H-D Sportster, even. by Don Jones and associates out-metl Reagan Replies Dear Mr. Clayton: Just a hasl;y note hetween campaign chores. It was good of you to ask my opinion ,egarding the sport of motozcycle ridin g. Certainly as Governor I would work diligently to do whatever would be possible to cut accident tolls from motorcycles. You and I are in great agreement on the necessity for this. The possibility of special trails for motorcycle enthusiasts would, of course, have to be studied thoroughly by the Legislature and the Governor, but please be assured I would do all in my power to abide bY the wishes of the people. Again thanks for your thoughtfulness in writing. Bes t re gards, RONALD REAGAN Pacific Palisades Premature Decision? What kind of an outfit do Yoo run anyway? You jud ge and pu blish the results of a contest (Finish the FUnny #4) before the deadline for entries(October 16th according to my copy of Cycle News Volume III, Number 39). It may be great to SCOOIl the competi~ tion in the news field, but how about refraining from 'scooping' the contestants? D. WIMPRESS Los Angeles Editor-Clete HnIs1l.a scooped the contestants with his funniest (unny. Will winner Hruska please contact Cycle News. We lost your address. "Keep your best wheel sideways· To quell innumerable rumors that appear to be circulating in the competition circles ...the Dirtdiggers Eighth Annual Grand Prix and International Motor Cross, will be held as scheduled on November 19 and 20! Entries as of October 21, 1966 stand at 522. In spite of various counter offers, threats, and boycotts. the F .I.M. is still the sanctioning body for the 250cc and 500cc Motor Cross events. Prize money in these two events will be paid as follows: 1st Place• . . . . . . .$400.00 2nd Place ...•..•$300.00 3rd Place . . • . . . . .$125.00 4th Place •...•... $ 75.00 5th Place•..•....$ 65.00 6th Place S 35.00 Total prize money for both classes will be $200.00 (S1000.00 per event). To compete fn either of these races, riders must poss~ss a valid International F.I.M. license. All other events in the Sporting classes are open to. anyone, regardless of affiliation, race or creed, with the sole stipulation that you r entry and S7.00 fee must be received no later than midnight October 29, 1966. Torsten Hallman, the two tilJles World Champion, will arrive here from Sweden, with two Husqvarna factory machines to compete against the local ·shoes·. We regret to state, that he will find at least three of our top riders unahle to be present. due to one of the foremost British factory rellresentati ves prohibiting their sponsored riders from competing in this Grand Prix, can this be fear? Remember, entries close October 29, 1966, unless you're flush and want to spring for the $100.00 post entry fee. Eddie, Skip, and Jim, we're sorry too, we would like to have had you ride ... maybe next year. Dirtdiggers M.C. Club, Inc. DON KEMP Public Relations

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