Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1960's

SIAlIC_II .... Itat 'THE VOICE OF CALIFORNIA' PubllJlller aDd AdverUalDc Manacer ••••••••••• Charles C. Claylon BuldDellll Il1anacer•• SbaI'OD Clayloa clrca1aUon MllI'••• Gaye EclUor. • • • • • • • • • • P1IcKo E.tor••••• 0-1 Qreeae Ec1Iloria1 AIIII1. . .c..Bobert Bradrord I4TI 'I, LIII Bllell Bit'" L Dr: Btl_, LIII CaUf. . . . CIIIf. return. SUa&1e copy JII1ce • • • • • • • • • 25C: SUbscr1pdoa: ODe year ZDd class Mall •••••••••••••••• '7.50 ORe Year First Cia Mail....4.00 (Sllllscrtbers p l _ .now C1Iree AdverU_c Allllt. • Lynn LlIIICuler Publ1llhed weekly except the flrs~ and Jut week of the calendar year by C&S Publ18h1nc Co•• Post Office weells lor address dlaale.) Box 498, LOf)c &each, California. Advert18lng rates and circulation Second Clus IlOIIta.e paid at Long Information will be sent upon request. Beach. Calif. ' .... aa ..u (Aru c... 2J.I) F,. L,A.' n.-_ au. Han-t Editorial stories, cartoon. pbotos. etc. are welcomed and wlll be paid for UJlOD publication (except press releases aDd ·Volce- letters. Addressed. stamPed envelope assures .e _1144 BY CHUCK CLAYTON QUESnON: What modifications can I make to my Suzuki X-6 for better acceleration and top speed? ANSWER: That machine of yours Is no slouch just as it comes from the dealer. but oniy the se slight changes will Improve over present performance figures without placing undue stress on engine components. Clean and polish ports. Do not alter size or shape! Design is excellent but the joints between carburetor and flange are usually not perfectlY matched. The only alteration In port timing that can be used for a street machine is on the exhaust side. R8'lse the exhaust port 4mm or .160 inches. Another way to measure is from the top of the cylinder to the top of e xhaust ports. This distance should be 29mm. Enlargement of the port is great. but do not change the shape! One thing you should be aware of Is that these alterations void any guarantee you previously had on the bike. If you desire to change to an allout competition rider. take a look at Bulletin Number 23, available at your local Suzuki dealer. QUESTION: I would like to know what the minimum distance between the top of the compression ring and the fire line of a Harley Davidson XLCH can be without damage to the ring or ring lands on the piston. K.R.-San Bernardino. OSIER: ActuallY there Is no minimum distance. as long as the compression ring remains In the cylinder. The proper fit of rings in the lands ls Imperative. If it's just sli IhtlY loose, breakage will be immediate. Rings too brittle will not be able to withstand the explosive force. With the proper fit and rln. strength, you should not suffer breakage. QUESTIO.: If you make en/llDe modifications such as boring or strokinS. how do you decide OD the correct cams to use? I set different anSWErS everywhere I go. M. V. - Compton. ANSlER: There is only one way to achieve a prope r grind. Select the cam manufacturer or grinder that Impresses you most with performance wins in cycle competition. Give him your engine specifications and the type of grtnd(i.e. drag. T.T., street) you need. Leave the selection of cam profile up to him. He knows and stands behind his judgement. Many of the best grinders will either supply you from cams in stock or develop a cam to special order. 1 ba ve seen cams altered three and four times for a customer until satisfactory performance was achieved. QUESnON: Whatis the limitins factor in two· stroke displacement? B.L. - Oakland. ANSWER: Extreme pre s sur e s and heat in critical areas. But this problem is easily overcome with adequate lubrication In the right places. Yesterday's system of an oil and gas mixture for two-strokes was inadequate for supplying enough all --_... WE WIN! DANGER BILL KILLED IN SENATE Motorcycle enthusiasts scored a significant victory this week when the Cali tornia State senate Finance Committee voted to ki 11 the controversial ·Motorcycle Danger Bill(A.B. 978). Now the bill cannot be revived until the legislature convenes next year and then It will have to be rewritten and start all over again. Our nationaltrade association and all the other IlUblications had given up the cause for lost after A.B. 978 passed the Assembly unanlmouslY. When the Senate hearings were held. onlY Cycle News and the Hells Angels were on hand to testify against the bill. The neWSiJBper represented a large nlllDber of readers who had expressed opposition to compulsory helmets, class 4 licenses and the prej udiclal wording of the bill. The H.A's represented onlY themselves. We succeeded in securIng one vote against the bill at the Senate Transportation Committee hearing and that expanded to a unanimous vote of -nay- when the Senate Finance Committee heard the bill Monday. Some of the Senators on the Tran!IPortation Committee are also members of the Finance Committee and &pparentlY changed their votes after deeper reflection. Letters and telegrams from readers protesting the Ill-eoncel ved hill undoUbtedlY helped to Influence the senators in our favor. First lin For Cycle Friends The defeat of the danger bill In California marked the first time In the U.S. that motorcycle enthuslasts won a battle for fair legislation. Our opponents used every political trick to steamroll A.B. 978 through the legislature, but they failed because citizens here were alerted to the danger in time to stop it. Every friend of motorcycling in California can take pride in this slgnlficant victory and enthusiasts in other states can take encouragement from It. The democratic process is still the best way of achieving fair representation for minorities. Next we should put our energies to advising legislators on how to draw up new motorcycle safety legislation which. instead of threatening the sport and freedoms that we love, will Improve safety on the highways and be fair to all concerned. demanded by engine components in lar ge displacement attempts. Today'S 011 Injection systems are elIminating this problem and we may see unlimited two stroke displacement models on the market soon. QUEmON: I am preparins my motorcycle for competition and cannot decide on what type of il/Jltion set-up to use. Is total loss bett« thllll a _peto? May have different Ideas ad I receive all type of advice. What do you recommend? J.s. - Su Die/lO. ANSWER: 1 prefer magneto ignition. This system is lighter than a collection of coils and batteries and is easier to maintain. The majority of coils are not capable of producing adequate spark at high rpm, but a magneto Is at Its peak with increased speed. Some claim that the magneto uses up too much engine power. 1 hardly consider the average one sixth of one horsepower a great loss. QUESnON: I have just installed new alloy valve suides in my engine. The valves do not seem to seat quite ri8lJt, will lappin8 them in be sufficient? L.L.-Compton. ANSIER: Never try to seat valves after Installing new guides with the simple act of lapping. The seats and valves must be reground and matched. Even the sligh lest Incorrect seating 11'111 not only result In a poor running engine. but It is likely that the seats will be hammered right out of the head, not to mention valve destruction or other related damage. s.d J1111f ., CJcI. _ s.n" .......wt ltl• • t11111e lea _ , II _II rIIIH... Aa._ u. _ e-. C.llt. til WOULD YOU BILIIVI? ...That Honda distributors In America refuse to encourap racinll cOmPetition open),y for fear of belnc beaten by other brands? Walt'll SOlchlro hears about this! He never was afraid to go raclnll. ................... ...A new Idea in motorcycle sarety wlll be annonnced next week lllat will Include !be Auto Club,lndllllUy aDd Los Anplea Pollce DtIIt. "Orllinl tollether. spearheaded by OSA-., tern. ••••••••••••••••••• . •••That tariffs, and therefore prices, will soon be reduced on Imported motorcycles. .. .. . .. . . . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. •••lIIat very sborUy a new ClUllPailll will be ....ounced by BSA-Weslem to aim motorcycle sarety In. positive direction. . .. . . .. . .. .. .. .. .. . .. .. .. . .. . . ...that tbere is a good chance that five western states 11'111 secede from the national association and form their own sanctioning body for the West. They'll race 500cc enltines. too. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ...tbat Carol. Re weber _y corne back to radnl under llIe Harley-Davidson banner thI Beason? ...................................... ...that the Yankee motorcycle p ople are currently testing prototype frames with ll\1lnea pig engines In them? .. .. .. .. .. .. . . . . .. .. .. .. .. .. . . .. Letter to Gov. Reagan I hereby express my opinion AGAINST tbe Motorcycle Bill AB 978:1. HELMETS:- I object to the coming mandatory wearing of helmets tor motorcycl18ts since I, as a twenty year rider. have NEVER found that they are nece&' sary to prevent accidents. Accidents are prevented by Intellillent road bablts. A helmet Is a very very cumbersome Item and makes one Perspire profusely thus becoming uncomfortable.. Causing bead colds while riding.. causes beadachea due to the tight form fitting enclosure AND actuslly ts a road hazard since it prevente one from observing the Quick rear view of tratflc necell8ary for a rider even with the rear view mirror. 2. Requirement of AutomObile llcenee In order to obtain a cycle license:- I am allalnst the requirement for prospective motorcyclists to be required to first have a drivers license for a car••on the &founds that one doesn't take Iw1mmilll leSSODII In order to Qualify u a tennis player. A cycle rider should be required to take a cycle test plus the usual road rell\1latlons but It 18 ridiculous to force him to first take a car test. On the otber baDd, I am all for car drivers belllll made to Qualify for a cycle test before allowIngtbem to rent or drive their own cycle. In cloelnll might I eay, that President Johnson has NO RIGHT to use economic threats ap.lnst the States if tbey faU to go alonl with his Orwellian slll.estions. In this respect, somethilli far IDOre important Is at stake than the mere wearIng of helmets.. I am spealdnl about our freedom from Big Brotbet\ involvement In our Personall1ves. I am NOT alllLlnst the wearing of helme18. Let those wbo feel the emotional urlle for sucb an Item wear them if It makes tbem feel safer, BUT this should he all INDIVIDUAL OPTION and not somethinc "hich should be jammed down our throats. What hap" pens to my bead In a possible accldeot 111 OCJ threat to the publlc.. 1t 1s MY head. It 18 too easy to pUs lellslation alllnst 11I1 nor1Q> &fo\lps who lack the necessary funds to fl&bt back. And wbere will all tbls lead to..1I'i1J It stop with the beadllear law..or Is It aimed at the final sweeping off the hilbways of motorcycle.? I eer1oual7 uk you to reflll1n from the silDing of such a bill, which Includes the aforementioned points. ROBERT SCHWARTZ West Los Anleles COACHELLA YALLEY M,C. PUTS BEST KNOBBY FORWARD Was talking to Gene Carter. last Sunday at Deadmans Point, and was showing him a clipping aboo tout benefit race for the Angel View Crippled Childrens hospital. He feels as we do that, things like this promote goodwill toward us bad old scrambles and desert rldersll We netted $1 65.00, which isn't bad for a field meet. We girl members put it on. all ·three- of us. so we're pretty pleased about It! We wi 11 probably make this an annual event, as we got such wonderful cooperation from everyone. It was a lot of hard work for a few of us, but its a nlce feeling of a job 11' 11 done, for a good cause. One of the ladles at the newspaper office told me When she saw the picture it made her think, ·Well maybe there are some motorcyclists that do some good.· After all, they hear about the Hells Angels, so if one person thinks this way maybe a few more will. 1 sure do hope sol BETTY JOHNSON C.V.M.C.

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