Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1960's

5111111& II." lint Publisber lUId AdverUsiDe M...cer • • • • ••••••• Cbades C. claytoR BusiDess Manaeer•• SllaI'Oll clayton CirallaliOll Mer••• Gaye 1m It. LIII& Beaell BI,'" lea" na-_ Editor••••••••••• Rudi Barilnnt Photo Edtor••••• Dellnis Greeue Editorial Assistant-Bobert Bradford Advertising Asst. • Lynn LlIDCuter L. . Calif. . .5 Or. Btl_, LIII& BeacII, calif. Published weekly except the first and last week of the calendar year P.... e: 42HoUl by C&S Publishing Co.• Post Office (Area Cede 2lJ) Box 498, Long Beach, California. second Class postage paid at Long F. . L.A. P.....s: &3&-.44 Beach, Calif. By Chuck Clayton (Con tinned from last week) Room 5007 in the senate Office Building where the hearing was to take place was jampacked tbis afternoon. An overflow of spectators crowded the wide hall outside. We found a seat in front and surveyed the room in search of a friendly face. The only one there we knew was Yamaha's Jimmy Jingu, who happened to be in the capital on other business. There was Ralph Sonny Barger, spokesman for the H.A.'s, sitting in the back of the room with bis legal counsel. Some of Barger's cohorts strutted and lurked outside. Everyone knew why the H.A's objected to the danger law. "We don't see why us guys, who're expert motorcycle riders, I don't see why we should have to wear helmets, - Barger said the week before at the hearing and on tv, • just because some kid riders fall on their heads and get hurt. - IffJlS ANGELS S"1f HEUIET LAW 'ASS'" Barefooted But Helmeted Barger's defiance and the AMA's defensive arguments had succeeded in getting the only sensible equipment legislation, the footwear provision, stricken from Foran's bill. The AMA claims and deserves part credit for that stupid amet;ldment. Now. the AMA has given up and gone back to Wortbington, Ohio, leavlDg our fate 10 the hands of the senators, wbile Barger continues to make the legislature look foolish. The senate Transportation Committee assembled and after some routine business the Chairman. senator Collier, interrupted to read a letter he had r3ceived. The writer of the "public opinion" letter called the senator and bis colleagues every kind of imbecile and suggested they seek treatment for • diarrhea of the mouth." -That is DOt the way to influence legislation in your favor," Senator Collier said, drawing a laugh from the gallery. Then he called for the reading of .A.B. 978, the controversial motorcycle danger bill (see Cycle News last week, page 5). After the reading, the bill's author,Assemblyman Foran, explained why California bad to pass such a law: -If we have special licenses and compulsory helmets for motorcycle riders, the Federal Transportation Dept. will give us 35 million dollars. - If we don't, they won't. It was as simple as that. Chairman Collier called for opposition to be heard. A fellow sprang to his feet and identified bimself as a dealer from Stockton. In confused and highly emotional testimony be told the committee it was -no use" passing laws to make motorcycle riding safer. "No two bikes are alike,- he told them. Then it was your publisher's turn to speak. I asked the senators if they were aware that California is one of the few states that already has a special license for motorcycles, which allows a citizen to operate a cycle, hut not to drive a car. Senator Collier called up a man from .the Dept. of Motor Vebicles and asked if tbis was true. The DMV man verified my statement. .. Bicycle to Motorcycle to Car" I then urged that California be the first state to pass realistic laws to regulate motorcycle safety. I suggested that A.B. 978 be amended to allow a person to ride a motorcycle with a learner's permit as long as anothel licensed rider accompanied the learner on another motorcycle. "This is the established way of safely teacbing people to operate a motorcycle on the public roads,I said. There was no comment from the committee, so I continued. - Requiring a person to master autorno bile skills before letting. him opel'" ate a motorcycle is like putting the cart before the horse. The logical transition is from bicycle to motorbike to car," I said. ~ urge that the committee consider striking the car-before-the-bike paragraph from the motorcycle license requirements.- As for the compulsory helmet part, I realize that california needs the 35 million dollars and so I suppose there is no way to strike out that provision. But there is no precedent anywhere in vebicle law requiring any safety equipment to be worn on the driver's person. Compulsory helmet laws are being contested at tbis moment in two other states on constitutional grounds. I urge that the committee delay passage of this bill until the outcome of those cases if; decided.-';"\:..' • , I ~ . • ~:-.' ."" • By The * * Answer Man QUEmOM: I have been attendiag ~ ~¥ .. '':' ... "'~. it(' J~.- \ «\." .}, -. -. '.' :-:':'(~.::.:-'.' -:." '. '. ., SUbscription: ODe year 2nd class Mail •••••••••••••••• $7.50 One Year First Class MaiJ. • $14.l1O (SUbscribers p l _ allow Ibree weeks for address cbaage.) Advertising rates and circulation information will be sent npoD request. • And finally, I learne!l today that the exact requirements of the Federal Transportation Department regarding helmets and special licenses for motorcycle riders has only just come out. I respectfully suggest that the committee delay passage of A.B. 978 until these requirements can be studied and incorporated into the bill, so that it won't have to be amended after it is voted into law." - Oue Senator Listeued Most of the senators on the committee looked bored by all these facts. Only one, Senator Lou Cusanovitch, looked interested in what I had to say. Foran stood up to answer my charges but the Chairman waved him back down with an expression that said" save your breath." When I stepped down, Sonny Barger, in full R.A. costume, took the podium. Senator Collier chewed him mildly for his unkempt appearance, -You are certainly a fine looking witness for the opposition," Collier said. Barger thanked the senator and asked one question: -Is there anything short of giving you 35 million dollars that will stop you from passing this bill?" Barger demanded. "That's annually," sen. Collier replied. ·Why, are you about to offer the state 35 million dollars not to pass it?" The gallery broke up in laughter. -Yes," said Barger. The gallery laughed again. sen. Collier thanked Barger for being a "helpful witness" and suggested that he return in January when the legislature met again, to lobby on behalf of motorcycle riders. Barger, missing the sarcasm, said he would return. Then the Chairman called for a vote. -All those in fa vor of sending this bill to the Senate with a 'Do Pass' recommendation signify by saying aye all those opposed motion carried•••" Oue Vote Against At tbis point sen. Cusanovitch spoke up and asked that his vote be recorded as a -nay." Saying this he caught my eye and gave me a high sign and a smile. So my appearance was not a total loss. One speech before the committee equalled one opinion changed. Now the bill cannot be presented to the Senate as being totally without opposition. I scribbled a quick thanks on my last copy of Cycle News and passed it to sen. Cusanovitch. Then I had to hurrY to the airport and catch my plane back to Long Beach. In the hall outside the hearing chambers local tv channel 10 was interviewing Barger, surrounded by his gang. He was talking about -being sold out for 35 million dollars" and promised to -fight back with lawyers.- When he finished having bis say tbe tv people began loading up their gear. I was probably a little bit upset by the almost-unanimons defeat that the sport had jilst suffered and more upset that the Hells Angel gang pretended to be on -our side.-Do you only interview bums?" I asked the announcer. -Why, do you want to be interviewed?" he said. "I certainly' tbink you should be interested in the facts of the matter.I replied. -Well forget it. If you want me to interview you,you gotta ask me nicet" H was clear that anytbing I had to say would end up on the cutting room floor anyway so I merely said -I suppose ReUs .Angels are your idea of nice,and caught my plane• WHAT IEADEIS CAlI DO TO RQIT THE DAlQlII1 Call up your local newspaper aDd fiIJd oat the uame aDd seaate mailiag address of your state senator. Send bim a leUer or low-eost ·public opiaioa telegram" expressirlg your disapproVal of A.B. 978. Ask bim to vote agaillst it. Be sure your opinioa is worded politely and keep it brief. Several seaators on the TIalI5pOrtatiOD Co,.JDittee told me they bad not received even one letter in oppositioa tD the bill. Telegrams can be pboaed to Westem UDiolJ. Form leuers are worthless. Bllt as a BIlide. YOIl could say. -Please vote ao OD A.B. 978, the lI0t0eeycle Daqer Bin. If passed it would be a serious bardship OD people rio lise motorcycles lor lim and trarJspot1at.iolL It would injure aDY iJldllstly that _ally aceouts for balf a billioa dollars bIlsiness in the -state 01 Calilornia. Tbere is no time to lose! Tbe bill comes up lor pBSSaBe in the Sea ate aDY day aow. Sead those letters aDd telegrams immediatelyl :.) QUESTIONS AND • .. ANSWERS . ' \ Editorial stories, cartoon. photos, etc. are welcomed and will be paid for upon publication (except press releases and "Voice- letters. Addressed, stamped enve lope assures return. SiJlde ClIp.J price • • • • • • • • • z:w ' QUEmOM: At what point are inserts or beariags under the greatest load? R. E. - Covina. AMSlER: At both the top and bottom of each piston stroke. When the piston and rod reaches T .D.C. it tries to continue upward as the crankshafts main journal tries to pull it downward. and inversely when the piston reaches bottom the crank again pulls in an opposite direction. and mile events for sometime, but no one has explained to my satisfactioa why they doa't use brakes or suspension. Could you explaia why? R.B.-Loag Beach. AMSWER: The A.M.A. demands no brakes, but the use of rigid or swinging arm suspension is left to the rider's discretion. . If brakes were allowed, a fright-' ened rider, Expert or Novice could cause serious accidents. If a rider in the lead and applied the brakes. the man following would not be able to react at the same time, thus an inevitable collision could result and there could be a chain reaction which could down a complete field of riders. The rigid rear section provides more control in a slide or when the machine is jarted by ruts or pot holes. If you ever noticed a rider bobble, coming out of a turn, you may realize that soft suspension would multiply the action many times over. If the swinging arm were mov~ng up and down in a power slide, the machine would be out of reasonable control. But, as I said, it's up to the rider rigid or soft! QUESTION: In adjusting the tappets oa my Triumph Bonneville I can·t get a feeler gauge to fit between the valve and tappet. Also whea I tighten the nut it changes my setting. and I'm all fouled up. What can I do to correct this? I see some people set the tappets just by rattling them and judging clearance by the feel. Is that a good way? B.K. Santa Maria. ANSWER: If you will bend the end of your feeler gauge to a 45 degree angle about one half inch from the end. it should work quite well. The iaRlet should be held with a wrench while the nut is tightened to prevent a gap change, but as an added aid leave the feeler gauge of desired thickness between the val ve and tawet, tbis will tend to prevent the tallllet from closing more than it should while being tightened. NO! setting tappets by ear or feel is not accurate, and for competition or an exact specified clearance, the feeler gauge is tne way to go. After all, an error in tappet setting is an alteration in valve timing. --------llll.... --------- sed JIIUl qautloDs to 11Ie Ans_ . . . Car. of CJcle ...s, IIDa _ , Loae 1leKII, Calif. SorrJ, til .. II _s IIllt .t ICIII n to s.d IDdh,ldul replies. iiirliDiW 24 HR. SERVICE (3) 422-1909 . . . . . . . . . "CAL" .... E........... t..., .... CIIIl_

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