Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1960's

You'll always see it FIRST in ~. ••• 6417 N, Long Beach Blvd, Long Beach, Calif. 90805 Or: Box 498, Long Beach, Calif, Phone: 423-0431 (Area Code 213) From L.A. Phones: 636-8844 Guest Editor ial By John Shedd NEXT WEEK: DEATH VALLE Charles Clayton Editor Sharon Clayton Business Manager Gil Brown I\dverti ing Manager D. B. (Dutch) Fielder •.4. st. Ad. Mgr. Dennis Greene .......... Photo Editor Gay Thomason .Circulation Manager. Published weekly except the first and last week of the calendar vear by C&:S Publishing Company. P.O. Box 498. Long Beach. Cal ifornia. The Mind Changers WORTHLESS GOLD The biggest of them all is over. The 12th Annual Death Valley Tour 15 now a memory, and with onlY two more runs left on the calendar, we W!U t to see what is in store for 1967. As the RRC compiles the new calendar and gives each club a date for their run, I wou ld like to believe that they will do something about the ridiculous worthless gold. Yes wolih.less gold! This is exactly ..1.at a trophy i that is presented without the receiver having earned It, and applies to the majority of ~hi~s given away on road runs. The rider, 10 many cases, does absolutely nothing to earn his gold. For a beautiful two-foot sweepstakes trophy, he may have guessed the number of beans in a jar or maybe he was just lucky enough to have his name pulled out of the hat. To you riders who fall in this pi~on hole, I would like to ask one QuestIon. What does this trophy mean to you? Can you display it with as much pride as the thirteen-year-old kid down the street who wheeled his bike around the track to win the 50cc class in the scrambles? I doubt it. In fact, I defy yOU to say yes. Now, for you road riders who have won your gold in motorcycle Judgmg, field-meets and the like. to you I say this: You may display your trophy with the pride of knowing that you earned It. But do you display this small trophy al~g side the trophy twice its size that you won in a sweepstakes draWIng? I hope you don't belittle what you have trulY earned with something that was simply given away; because someone was too lazy or lacked enou gh 1magmation to find a way for you to skillfully earn it. We now come to what is more than likely the largest category for presenting trophies on road events, the poker hand. Even for this, you haven't rea.lly earned a trophy. Why? Well let's deCIde what a trophy represents. Webster says, "A trophy is a sign of victory, a token of an enemy's defeat." Was your full house a sign of victory? Did you skillfullY defeat someone to receive it? 1 don't think so. It was pure luck. No skill or talent of any kind was involved. So here again, we find a class where the motorcycle trophy should have been saved for something fitting. I am not saying that road rides are of no value or that the rider deserves nothing. i am merely stating this: Bean guessing, drawings and poker ha~ds deserve somethin g other than a beautiful trophy with a motorcycle mounted on it. For these. I would 50 ggest a gift certificate, some type of accessory or even a cash prize but definitely not a trophy. We now reach the difficult jlart. On what basis should a trophY be awarded? If a trophy must be earned to be of value, then the basis must be that tbe rider has in some way, through motorcycling skill. earned it. I'll admit, it's nice for everyone to take home a trophy. but we can't all be winners. Can we? So what can we do abou t it? If every cl~b in Southern California would come up with one good idea for a trophY award in 1967, there would be more trophies awarded. and many more riders would carry them home with pride. Perhaps the AMA or the RRC should even award a trophy to the club with the best Idea. Let's 'make 1967 a better road ndmg year by getting our heads together, working a little harder and nddmg ourselves of worthless gold. "THE VOICE OF CALIFORNIA" VOICES Bob Sholly Is Alive, ALIVEl Hi. I was surprised to hear from you. I had a good safe trip home, it took me three and half days. The Bob Sholly that had the accident was no reiation at all. He was the same age that I am and onlY lives 20 miles away; that is getting pretty close. I sure didn't have any luck at all racing out there at all but I had a lot of fun And I'm planning to come out next yea'r. Are you going to Daytona this year? Our racing is done for this year now. BOB SHOLLY Camp Hill, Penna. P.S. could you get me one of those pictures like was in the paper? Editor: For you Bob, anything. Like Mark Twain once said, "Reports of my death are greatly exaggerated." Nit"Picking In the midst of all the turmoil appearing on your pages I would like to add possiblY a new direction. That of the growing trend of irresponsibility. One case in point is two recent ads bY two Giants in our industry. The first appeared in your newspaper. depicting an American rider winning the recent Japanese Grand Prix. True. by careful study(and by knowing the actualresults) one could deduce that he won a National race and didn't even race against the Grand Prix works riders. However the inference was there, especiallY when coupled .with the press-release you featured on the front page. The second appears in our monthly magazines. The full page ad boast of ONE marque winning ALL World Championship Grand Prix classes. In relaity there were TIfREE marques sharing the five solo classes, plus a fourth marque in the side car class. Of course one can dismiss these as over enthusiasm or unimportant nitpicking, but in my opinion it reflects a lackadasical attitude. One that seems prevalent in our sport and probablY the cause of much of the turmoil that is dividing our sport. If our self-styled leaders would place as much emphasis on in tegrity, as they do on the ir importance. wouldn't things be clearer? Given that the above opinion has some merit, and that this really is the Voice of California, isn't it your duty (and future livelihood) to spearhead such a movement? Given that this too, is true. are you prepared to Qualify your statement (your editorial page 3 volume 3 #42) that this new machine "out metisse's the best from Europe"? I personally dislike unnecessary nitpicking and I realize you are just a cog in the gears. However you are an accessible cog and a little bit of the future rest in your hands. Do your best, please! WILLIAM BLAKESLEE Fullerton TO ALL SPORTS FANS: We would like to call to your attention California's Proposition Eleven on the November ballot. To put it very simplY. this Proposition would amend the bOXing and wrestling initiative act of November 4. 19.24, and permit the Legislature to problblt boxing and wrestling at any time without the matter being brought to a vote of YOU, THE PEOPLE. This is very dangerous, and we strongly urge a "NO· vote on PROPOSITION ELEVEN, and that you contact your friends and business acquaintances of both political parties and speak to interested new s media, and ask for whatever he lp you can get to defeat this Proposition. AILEEN EATON Boxing &Wrestling Promoter Dear Mr. Clayton: I have your letter in reference to my item in the Press-Tele gram dealin g with motorcycles. It was nice of you to take the time to write me so decently as you did. I had not known that the idea was in the minds of so many agencies. It is gratifying to know that something has already been done to abate the nuisance. I had not known that boys took off mufflers as you mentioned. Thanks for the kind remarks. FRED E. BARRIS Long Beach Press To Tum On Interest in motorcycle racing in our area seems to be on a definite upswing and, as that is the case. I guess it's time I got in the know. Toward that end. would you please add my name to your second class mail subscription list for the next year and forward the bill, in my name. to The Post-Inte llige ncer. Thanks so much for your cooperation and don't hesitate to write me if you need al\Y information regarding the sport in the Northwest. Sincerely, MIKE GLOVER Motorsports Editor Seattle Post-Intelligencer ACA Goof? I guess the ACA goofed again as I wen t to the races at Sou th Gate SaturdaY nite onlY to find no one there. as you probably know already. This has also happened at ACA road races which I have attended only to find them cancelled. Your paper is still a fantastic source of info. I attended the Reveliers Hill Clim b Sunday and it was ou tstanding althou gh the heat was pretty bad. Hart Memorial Park, near where the climb was held is a beautiful spot (1arge spot!) with the ~emains of the Kern River running through it. All in all, I had a fine day, than ks to Cycle News! MIKE SPlKA Long Beach By Chuck Clayton AMERICAN WORLD BEATER Part 2 Yetman raclni frame Is made In Mus. And Now..• The I-I? A promisin g prototype en gine has been under wraps for four years at J&R En gineering in El Mon te. It is a twin· cylinder two stroke with about 11 inche.s of wsplacemen t. The cylinders perch on top of a SQuare "crankcase· abou t the size and shape of a shoe box. Actually the crank and shaft are ou tside of the box bolted to one end. Two carburetors are' fastened to one side. Inside the "shoebox" is a metal affair reminiscent of a teeter-totter on which the pistons fit. . When one piston fires downward. It pushes the other up in the cylinder .compressing a new charge. As the teeterboard (or more technicallY. the working beam) tilts an axial lobe connected to a conventional rod drives the ou tside crankshaft. It was th e action of th is lobe tbat inspired inventor Ray Wilkinson to dub his creation "The Wiggle-Waggle Engine." . , have seen enough of this engme running to suspect tlia t it may prove just as adequate in the power department as conventional rotary designs. The th riIling thing to contemplate is its comparative ease of manufacturing. Main Second Class POs tage Paid at Long Beach, Calif. !\Oy part of this newspaper may be used wi thout permission as long as credit is given. Editorial contributions cartoons. photos are welcomed and ~ill be pald for upon publication. Self-addressed. stamped envelope assures return. Single Copy Price 15¢ Subscriptions: One year 2nd class mail $7.50 ..\dvertising rates will be sent on request. components of the entire lower end can be hogged out of allny blocks by any competentmachinist using standard shop tools •. 0 need for a drop forged ennkshaft billet, or complicated castings. Tbe heads and barrels can be pirated from any good two-stroke and simply bolted on. However, they could be light· ened somewhat on the thrust side, since there is no piston thrust in the wigglewaggle. Round pistons, therefore, could be used. II-The Vital Ingredient Inventor Wilkinson built the proto WoW engine in one evening four years ago. It was tested in a glrkart at that t1me and promptlY blew off the fastest Koening 250 of its day. "Upon witnessing this (as the WOW smoked its tires coming out of turns) Wilkinson discovered what he had wrought. "It develops full torque at any rpm" says Ray. Translated. that means the' Wiggle-Waggle is its own gearbox. Since the only function of a gear box 1S to deliver tractable engine torque to the drive Wheel, an engine which delivers full torque regardless of rpm (like. a steam engine) doesn·t need reductIOn gears. • "It does it by eliminating deadlock, Ray explains. Whatever that means. If you are interested in purchasing plans for the WOW engine write to Ray WIlklOson c/o J&R Engineering. 1857 Merced, Dept. CN, South El Monte. California. He isn't offering them for sale yet. but if enough readers write showing interest in the W-W. Ray just may. Anyway, there's nO insurmountable difficulty preventing a new,all-American motorcycle from entering the scene. There is everything we need except the one missing ingredient - work. MRI PRESENTS WISHES TO AMA To: Members of the Competition Committee. American Motorcycle Assn. From: Motorcycle Racers. Inc. Gentlemen: Following a~e suggested rule changes and/or amendments for inclusion in the official agenda to be discussed at the forthcoming meeting of the AMA competition Committee: 1) a) All professional races except hillclimbs shall be designated "Class A" instead of "Class C", this to include short track. half-mile, mile and TT events. b) Ali National road races shall be designated "Grand Prix' road races, to elevate the image. 2) Yearly AMA dues shall be mised to $4.00. this to include a one-year sutr scription to American Motorcycling. Even with a substantial drop in membership, the magazine would have a guaranteed circulation of over 40,0.00. and eventual newsstand distribution would more than dou ble curren t membership. 3) All pit personnel shall be licensed bY the AMA at an annual rate of $5.00, this to include a copy of the current AMA ,Rule Book, and an emblem designatirrg each as an "AMA RaClOg Mechanic." There will be no closing date on issuance of such licenses. to expire December 31 of each year. and a minimum of one mechanic per competition rider could be expected to apPlY. Benefits would include a cutdown in unnecessary pitmen, more control for Referees. uniformity of dress. a new mailing list, happier promoters and a better, more professional show. Extra money realized from such licensing could be used to hire a Racing Business Agent and Putr licity Director, whose duties would include soliciting races throughout the country, soliciting additional accessory awards. and insuring adequate facilities and controls at race tracks. 4) a) A National Referee and Advisor shall be appointed to standardize race procedure at Nationals. b) The AMA home office shall appoint starters for all National Championship events. 5) All dirt track Nationals shall pay a guaranteed minimum purse of $5000 against 40% of the gate, whichever is greater. 6) A fund shall be established for the top ten finishers in dirt track pomt standings (short track, half-mile and T.T .), additional monies to be collected at time of sign-up. Example: Present sign-uP fee is $2.00. could be raised to $2.25. (signed) Chairman of the Board: Neil Keen Board Members: sammy Tanner, Bill Heins, Dennis Bruce, "Ralph"'Whlte ....

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