Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1960's

You'll always SII It FIRST In ...... •••• Gen. Mgr. Ad & Edit. Chuck Claylon Business Manager•• Sharon Claylon Circulation Manager Gaye Thomason Pholo Edilor ••••• Dennis Greene Reader service••• Shem Dearmond Ad& Edit. Asst••• Robert Bradford Production Assistant. •• RandY Say 6411 N, Long Beach Blvd, Long Beach, Calif. 90805 Or: Box 498, Long Beach, Calif, Phone: 423-0431 (Area Code 213) From L,A. Phones: 63&-8844 GUEST EDITORIAL Any part of this newspaper except copyrighted matter may be used without permission as long as credit is given. Editorial stories, cartoons, photos are welcomed and will be paid for upon publication. Addressed, stamped envelope assures return. Sinde copy price ••••••••• 25t Subscriptions: One year 2nlj.. class mail • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •• $7.50 Advertising rates will be sent on request;. Published weekly except the first and last week of the calendar year by C&S PUblishing Company. Post Office Box 498, Long Beach, California A Different Kinda Fun Run No Room For Motorcycles? Enclosed is one of our slips advertising our Easter Fun Ride and Poker Run. What goes on at a Poker Run is obvious, but the fun ride? Well, have you ever followed lime to an intersection and found two directions marked? One takes you in a circle anciJlets you try again. The other sends you on your way. How about three ways marked all of which are correct but travel paths in sight of each qther? Ever stop at a check point and get a kiss from a pretty girl in bunny costume? Ever get a prize for missing a check point? Ever see a rider with' an operating merry go round on her crash helmet? This and more is the sort of thing that goes on. Also enclosed is other enclosures. mm DELTA FALCONS M.C. Oakley, Calif. ("Curious readers. will find the Falcons' Easter Run listed in the Calendar of Events.") BEGINNERS NEED RULES By R. L. Sprayberry We all know there is a small awareness of the possibility of a serious accident that cao happen to a scrambles racer who is not even 12 years old. And what would be the consequences if one of these riders were hurt seriously or killed? Certainly there would be a thorough investigation of Our district rules by news media and for the Coroner's report. We do not have any rules governing the size bike a rider may ride or the age he must be to race a powerful motorcycle.. Let us all take a deep look into this situation. There is a (\lIe in the AMA regulations governing riders, that the referee or commissioner may not let a rider ride in a race if he doesn't have the skill to ride. I have never seen this rule enforced and there are too many loopholes in it. The referee in Bakersfield may let him ride or the referee at Porterville may not let him ride. So we should have a set of rules put down for all to follow that are more workable. These rules would be set UP and would not cost the clubs any extra trophies and should very easily be followed and fair to everyone. 1 have talked to almost all the parents of the 50cc bike riders hereabouts and we feel that the following type of rules would be very acceptable to all: A. Riders under the age of thirteen years will ride no larger a machine than a 50cc (Bantamweight class). B. A rider may upon becoming fourteen elect to drop back one class when he moves up to the lOOcc class (expert to amateur, amateur to nOVice). This should be allowed so the rider may gain experience because you are doubling the cc's and adding a third more horsepower. I also feel that no rider under the age of fifteen should be allowed to ride in the 250cc class and at the age of fifteen only if he can give a proof of one year competition riding in the Bantamweight class or Amateur standing in the Bantam class at the age of seventeen (17). A. To qualify for the 250cc class the rider age fifteen to seventeen must have a combination of either one year experience in Bantam class or the status of Amateur in the Bantam class and must have proof of age on file. B. No rider will be allowed to ride the heavyweight class till he is seventeen and has one year experience or amateur status in the Bantam or Lightweight class. At eighteen there may be no requirements. I truthfully feel there are too many parents in our district pushing their kids to ride beyond their ability, and we feel the above rules would help eliminate the faults if enacted now. I would also like to see a rule about a new rider just going into competition. For the first few races a new rider has no idea of what is going on. I would like to see a rule stating that all new riders for their first three races start two lines hack. This would eliminate overriding in the first corner. We have seen too many riders hurt because a new rider does not have the skill or ability to keep from overriding. The way this can be checked is the referee would sign the back of the new rider's compo card and there must be three signatures before they can have a front row start. It would be the rider's responsibility to get his three signatures on his card. A. A new rider will start twenty (20) feet behind the last row of riders for three (3) races. He will then have the referee to sign the back of his card and must have three (3) signatures to start in the front row (or second row if there is one). It is the rider's responsibility, not the referee's to get the signatures. Also no rider will receive a plate number till he has completed his three (3) signed races. (This will help the starter to line uP.) Second Class Postage paid at Long Beach, Calif. 'THE VOICE OF CALIFORNIA' Mr. Kenneth H. Doe, Publisher Modern Cycle Magazine 7376 Greenbush Ave. North Hollywood, California Dear Mr. Doe: Your letter of December 6. 1966 to Mayor Yorty, forwarded to us from his office, suggests that Sepulveda Basin be used for motorcycle riding. Our Department has held meetings with representatives of motorcycle co~ panies along wi th motorcycle enthusiasts for the past several months. We have studied fully the possibility of providing an in-city center for motorcycle riders and have determined that this Department has no suitable location. Sepulveda Basin and Hansen Dam are master planned for other developments with which motorcycle riding would not be compatible. We explored another possibility, the Lopez Canyon area above Hansen Dam Basin, but find this totally inadequate also. The upshot of the semeetings is agreement that a fullscale study of this subject would be desirable. It is possible that such a study might be jointly financed by motorcycle companies. However. nothing definite has yet been developed in this regard. One possible approach to this matter is a study being done now by the County of Los Angel es Park and Recreation Department. We have met with them on this and they have given consideration to motorcycle riding trails. We cannot speak for them, nor do we wish to indicate that the matter has gone beyond the tentative study stage. It is our opinion, however, that a suitable motorcycle riding area will have to be well outside the limits of Los Angeles and our surrounding cities in order to provide the necessary space. We have thought of a riding center somewhere in the Newhall or Saugus area as a likely approach, and the County may be the agency best able to achieve a good answer to this problem. We would be pleased to have any constructive suggestions from you on this matter. WILLIAM FREDERICKSON, Jr. General Manager City of Los Angeles ("This leUer was passed on to us by MODERN CYCLE magazine SO that our readers may know how matters now stand, Apparently our next efforts should be directed through the county authorities.·) Recognizes The Need Bigger & Better Small Bores It has come to my attention that the Gophers are trying to put through a ban on all classes under 200cc. This group is crying because the bi g bore riders get cut short on riding time as the small bikes take too much time. At their last event they bad to re-run several small bore heats as they had the classes wrong. and this made for a long day and cut the big bore classes short because of nightfall. This was their fault and not the riders! Perhaps if they paid more attention to running an event instead of trying to see who can drink the most beer, they might organize a smoother event. If this ban goes through it would reduc e the num ber of small bike entries by approx. 100. Wouldn't this hurt the promoting clubs profit? Why should the small bikes be penalized because of poor management at a race? The Lightweights M.C. put on a race at Perris during February, at which the small bikes were done by 12 o'clock sharp and the track was closed for ONE HOUR. The big bore started at 1 o'clock and was done by 4:30 even with running fi ve lap mains. No one was cut short at this event run by one of District 37's newest clubs, because they put forth an effort to know what the correct classes are (etc.) And the members worked at their jobs and didn't worry about booze. Perhaps if the Gophers, and the other clubs that seem to have trouble putting on an event would put forth a little more eHort and team work, a days racing could include all classes and no one would have to be left out. The best medicine is planning and team work and not biting off the hand that feeds you. MIKE RADNER #29x Small Bore B. All minor riders will furnish a COJlY of birth certificate when applying for a competition card and these will be kept on file in the Commissioner's Office. C. Owners or riders who falsify any records in the district will be subject to not less than six (6) months and not more than 'one (1) year suspension. To make the above suggested rules more workable, all riders could have an option to accept the new admendments or to ride under their present status and write a letter to the commissioner which option he prefers. Some riders have a great deal of money tied up in their machines now. The new rules would make them illegal and we don't want to place any hardships on any riders now racing. The 50cc class will not cause any more expense, trophies or create a new class. There will still have to be six to make a class as it has always been. The above rule will help create a larger 50cc class and this is where the young riders should be to gain experience. The 250cc rules will not increase or decrease the amount of trophies to be given. The main reason for the age lim! t is the rider should be strong enough and skilled to handle a bigger bike. (Reader cOll1llleats are invited.) I have been a police officer with the City of Miami Police Department for the Past ten years, and have been a motorcycle officer for nine of them. I know the need for motorcycle sports in our area,- being as close to them as I have been. Outside motorcycle competition is a necessity for this area and needs local government support. I am interestE(d in your recent issue, which featured Items on a motorcycle playground near San Francisco developed with local community support. I would also like any information you could supply me on scramble races and layout of tracks also problems of your community and how they were settled. All information would be greatly appreciated. J.F. HOSFORD 1348 W. 61 Place Hialeah, Fla. 33012 ("Thanks for your interest in the sport, Mr. Hosford. We will publish some track diagrams and other information in upcoming issues. As for community support, we ha ve very little.") No Fluke! In your February 22nd issue your George Martin's article on "Cotati Swings Open" is naturally skeptical on the claim that our new production 350 Yamaha is a stocker. I know all the tricks of cheating perhaps better than anyone in the business, having been A.M.A. District Referee for some fifteen years. Believe me, during tbat length of time one comes in contact with all of them! Our 350 is exactly as it came out of the crate except that we went 'one tooth down on the countershaft sprocket, installed Dunlop racing tires and of course re-set the jets, plugs and timing. Actually the racing tires could not be used to advantage as the footrest brackets dragged on the corners. Between now and the next Cotati we hope to find time for some s tack modifying that should gi. ve us another ten miles per hour. To prove that tbe Cotati performance was no fluke, Ron rode the same machine at Las Vegas with comParable results. Thanks for the exposure and congratulations on a fine paper. ALFERGODA San Franci sco , HEY DEALERS • Cycle News Display R aeles Are Now Available • , . Hey, That's Me! would like to inform you that there has been a mistake in the printing of your Official Results for the Stardust Road Races, February 19th. In the 0-200cc Main event, I finished 4th overall, 1st overall in Production, and 1st in the 200cc class, riding the Czysz-tuned blue and silver Bnltaco Metralla #60. Thank you for the picture however, it looks very nice on the centerspread. Only trouble is Mike Moore gets the credit for it! Mr. Czysz and myself would appreciate it very much if you would make the necessary corrections as to the results and the picture. ALAN E. SPEARS San Bernardino ("Sorry if we goofed, Alan. Several riders wore the same number in that event. rr we were confused, imagine how the scorers felt!-) Whew) At long last Cycle News has managed 10 get enough newspaper display racks so that everyone of our dealers may have one. Now your showroom 100 can stand tall with Cycle News. The neat-I,ooking chrome plated wire display rack holds up 10 2:1 copies and features the "mod-art" molorcYcle rider saying· Buy it here!" Quantity production now lowers the atocost price 10 only $1.:10 per rack, with no charge for the point-of-sale display card. To order a Cycle News display rack for comter or wall, first you have to be a Cycle News dealer, then just call lIP or drop a note in the mail saying "please send me a rack alreadY!- ADd you know what? We will! . ~ ... . ... . . .. .........

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