Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1960's

Cycle News 1968 02 02

Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles

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.. , THE NEW IMAGE By Chuck Clayton rar e a nd pre ci ou s in the wo rld to be asha med of . If an ythi ng, motorcy cle e nthus ias ts s hould pros elyti ze the non-rid ers and he lp th em learn what they are mis sing. Pre s en tl y a bout 1% of all th e road ve hi cl e s a re motorc ycl e s . T h e re should be many more of us , and ther e a re . But you 'll on ly fi nd us on th e roa d, ou r bik es on trailers or in t ruck s , goi ng to a nd from deserted places whe re we practice our pri va t e rite s far from th e re a c h of media . The Beauty or Power Under Control Crucial Issue At Stake In case you wond er what' s in s tore for motorcycle enthusiasts in the west if the anti-motorcycle force s ar e not s to ppe d on the c ruc ia l issue of compulsory helm ets, have a look at a state I re cently visited , New Yo rk. New York ha s ha d a motorcycle helm et la w for on e ye a r now. Eve ry rid er a nd passenge r has to wear a helmet at all times that they a re in motion . What i s more , the hel met ha s to be Urefl e c ti ve" and meet certain standard s. T he • drive r" ha s to wea r a pproved goggles as we ll . Ey eglasses won 't do . In Manha t tan , where traffic is a problem and spac e is at a p remium , you would think tha t moto rcycles would be welcom e as a solutio n to conge stion. But bik e s a re required to pa rk like a ca r does , par alle l to the curb, ofte n taking up a s pace that a whol e car co ul d occ upy a nd thus ca us ing ca r dri vers to c urs e th eir 2-whe eled kind . Getting a motorcy cle dri vers li c e ns e in New York i s a maj or problem in logis ti cs. You hav e to bring you r moto rcycle a nd a ca r to one of th e few e xami ni ng stations, tak e a te s t in one , a nd then on the o ther . You ha ve to hav e in s ura nce as we ll . Is it a ny wonder tha t more a nd more cars j am the s tree ts of Ne w York, while m otor cy cle s a re de clinin g in popula rity ? Dec li nin g, th a t i s, e xcep t for the poli ce forc e s . Scoot e r-mounted patrolmen a re s een a ll ov e r Ne w York City. T hey ha ve foun d they c a n cov e r more territo ry easie r tha n a man on foot or in a patrol ca r, they ca n park e a s il y , a nd ha ve be en known to take to the sidew al ks in pursuit of wrongdoers. No t s a tisfied 'with the han di cap s already enac te d to d iscourage moto rcycle use by i tscl tize ns , Ne w York is now debating whethe r to req uir e gov e rnors on pri va te motorcycles , limiting th em to 35 mph top speed. T he s e ar e samples of the kind o f petty re s tric tions we i n th e west c a n an ti cip ate unle s s we beat the anti-motorc y cle · p rot ec tioni s ts" o n the issu e of compulsory helme t wea ring. Ha ve you writt en or wir ed your state repres entative yet? Ca lifor ni a reade rs are urged - to voi c e their opinio ns o n the proposed he lmet re stri cti on and s ta nd by for new de ve lopments a s the y occur. DC se .... '" When J ohn Q . P ubli c fi nds out about · Dir t Rid ers " , he ' ll rea l ly go be rs erk! lf the foolis h put-oris of the meani e element disgust him, a nd th e care free fun of t he avera ge cycle rider rep roaches him , you r media-minded citize n mi ght blow hi s mind if he found out there is yet another fa c et to moto rcycling. He 'd see manly men and gi rlish women , families and mild one s out fo r a day o f riding the way he would s pend a day at golf. T h ey ride on tracks and trails and pla c es whe re there is no t rail at all . Boy s become men an d men be come heroes in their races. E ver ybody gets c ove red with good , c lea n e a rth and goes home tired but happy. Wha t woul d media mak e of the di rt rid ers ? R i gh t now , I 'm a fraid they won't make anyt hing. Th ey ar e muc h too fascinated by des tructive vio le nce to re cogni ze the beauty of powe r und er co ntro l. If we i nsist upon getti ng th ei r a ttentio n, tv and new s pape rs would only s how pi c tur e s of the crashes , movie s would be made a bout the cheaters an d the books would get it a ll ga rble d up. So mot orc yc lin g wi ll co nti nue to nurture i n its nucleus the secret s po rt of dir t ridin g, agains t the da y whe n Ame rica will be rid of its han g-ups a bo ut mo tor cy cl e ri d ers i n gen e ra l. T he n if we le t J ohn Q . i n on th e secret, h e just may pi ck it up. ., I Why us? Why try and re s tri c t the growth of motor cyclin g a s a mea ns o f lo como tion , we might well ask . Th e re are two c hie f prejud ic e s whi ch work against us . One is the · ca refree libertarian" ima ge that po ps in man y people's mi nds when we zip past his confining ca b, ha ir (o urs) blowing in th e bre e ze, s mi li ng ( us) as if to reproa ch his position a s one of the herd . We are ha vin g fun a nd he isn't . Th e ot he r fac e we pre s en t to th e publi c is more ope nly repulsi ve . It i s the one per cen t hoo dlum e le ment that you find in an y s c ene , only he re more visible bec a us e of the unconfini ng nature of the mo torc y cle , and magnified o ut of a ll propor tion by movies, TV , book a nd newspap ers. I don 't thi nk we sho uld apo logize for loo kin g fre e , alt hou gh perhaps Mr. car pers on would ap pre ci a te knowin g that o ur smile co ncea ls an aching posterior , chilly hi de a nd , ofte n as not, a c onserva ti ve he ar t . Fre e dom is too SAT, & SUN" FEBRUARY 11 & 18th SUrmAY, FEBRU.ARY 18th . 5th ANNUAL COLORADO RIVER RUN by Motor Malds of So. Calif. Souvenir pins, mer chand1se awar ds , tr ophies for all class es . Finis hes at Colorado River, modern campgro unds , new restaur ant, cocktal l Iounge, swimming, boati ng, fls hIng , For motel r eservations , write Lake Mojave Resort, Bullhead City, Ariz•. ash, 7 86430. Destinati on is Kathar ine W mi. north of Bullhead City at Lake Mojave. Donation $3.00, post entries $3.25, children $1.25, field meet entry 50~ . Mall entries to Isabel Hetrick, 22119 Hansom Ave., Torrance, Cal . 90502, deadli ne Feb. 12. Cal l (213) 835- 7872 for complete d1rections . Noofficial start, pick UP ticket and souveni r pin at check 1, Davis Dam (Hwy. 77) Check opens at 9 a. m. , closes 5 p.m , Sat. Ham d1nne r serv~d.Jo all sntrants starUng at 4 p.m, admiss ions. Entr ies clos e Jan . 31. For entr ies and further Info write Interna- ' tlonal Spor t Cycle Expositions, Inc ., P.O. Box 5945, san Francisco, Cal if. 94101. Phone (415) 589-23 65. SUNDAY, FEBRUARY -18th TT SCRAMBLES by Stumpjumpers M.C. at Elsinore, Calif . AMA point run. Trophies presented at track. Fi rst day race of the year at Elsinore. There wlll be waiting in line (we hope). $2.00 to ride, $1.25 to watch. Follow Hwy, 91 to Hwy. 71, then foll ow Hwy. 71 to sign on left side of r oad. GRAND PRIX ROAD RAC E, presented by International Sport Cycle Expositions, tnc. , In conjunction with the San Francisco chapter of the AFM. First In a series of professionall y promo ted r oad races in the area . To be held at vaca Valley Raceway, Vacaville , Calif ., south of Sacramento, just off Inter state Hwy. 80. GP cla ss es 0- 175cc , 176-2 50cc , 251-0pen; also Le Mans start Production race. Sidecars r un for $100, mini mum of 6 entries . Pur s e Is 40% of pald 66 BONNEVIllE TT SPEGAL Ne w condition No longer manufactured CALL: Jim Woolwine (213) 352-3241 or 353-3226 AMA SPORTSMA N ROAD RACES at Carlsbad Race way, Car lsbad, Calif. Sponsor ed by the Playboys M.C. All r iders , both pro and sportsman, welcome rClasses from 100cc to Open. Also production class for under-2 50cc machines . Pits open at 9 a.m.; pr acti ce untll 1 p.m, First r ace at 1:30 p.rn, Everybody rides both heat r ace and final In both classe s . 18th ANNUAL HI MOUNTAIN ENDURO by Pe nguins M.C. Start- flnish at Rinconada Ghost Town. Limed from Santa Margarita turnoff, 7 mi. north of San Luis Obispo, Calif. Spark arrestors r equired. First rider out at 8 a.m, Sunday. Rider s meeting on Cal Pol'ycampus, 7:30 p.m , Saturday . Entry $3 thr ough Feb . 3; post entry $5 Feb. 3 thr ough Feb . 17. Minors need notarized consent for m from parent or ~uard1an. Mall to Cal Poly Penguins, A.S.!. Box 111, Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, Calif. 93401. SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 25th HARE SCRAMBLES by Sidewinders M.C. of Trona, Calif . AMA Point r un, all classes. starting time 10 a. rn.; entr y fee $3.25. Limed north of Red Mountain . " And as a foll ow-up to my helmet law•••• WHERE TO WRITE TO EXPRESS YOUR OPINION ABOUT CALIfORNIA MOTORCYCLE LAW PROPOSALS In response to rep eated urgings from re a de rs, Cy cl e News prese nts this pa rtial list of Cali fornia state Senators a nd As s emb lyme n who will be ins tru mental i n mak ing la ws to re s tric t moto rcycle rid ers in th e Golden Sta te . Se nd your opinions re gard in g compu lso ry helme ts, c ycle operato rs li ce ns e s , e tc . i n the form of bri ef lette rs or Western Uni on P ubli c Opinion T ele grams to th e politicians whose addresses a re ne a re s t your home. SENATORS: Randolph Collier 206 Fourth Street Yreka, Calif. 96097 George R. Mascone 343 Sancome At. San Francisco, Calli. 91404 J ohn F. McCarthy P.O. Box 870 San Rafael, Calif. 94902 J ames E. Whetmo re 2460 E. Chapman Ave. Fullerton, Calif. 92631 H. L.. Richa rdson 359 So. Rosemead BIYd. Pa sadena, Calif. 9110 7 Jack Schrade 1904 Hotel Ci rcle San Diego, Calif. 92110 Lou Cusanovl ch 14921 Ventura BIvel. Suite 304 Sherman Oaks, Ca lli. 91403 Robert J. lagomarsino 21 So. Cali fornia St. Ventu ra, Calif. 93001 Fred W. Marler, Jr. P.O. Box 2297 Redding, Calli. 96001 Joseph M. Kennlck 110 P ine Ave.. Suite 606 Long Beach, Ca lif. 90802 To m Carre ll 753 San Fernando Rei. San Fernando, Ca lli. 91340 Wil liam E. Coombs 223 So. RIvers Ide Ave. Rial to, Calif. 92376 Alan Short 2626 No. California Sf. Stockton, Calif. 95204 Al so write to the followin g Sena tors who se rve o n th e Tra ns portation Committe e : Richard J . Oolwlg Alfred E. Alquist 777 N. First St. San Jose, Californ ia 95112 James R. Mills Suite 341, U.S. Grant Hotel , 326 Broadway San Diego, Calif. 92101 Crocker CItizens Bank Bldg. 181 Second Ave. San Mateo, Calif. 94401 Lawrence E. Walsh 6055 E. Washington Blvd. Suite 629 Los Angeles, Calli. 90022 SUNDAY, M .ARCH3rd .F oll owi ng a re those that s erv e o n t he As s e mbly Transpor tation a nd Commerce Commi tt ee: ANNUAL l OO- LAP PROFESSIONAL TT RACE at Ascot Park, Gardena, Calif. Ra ce s tarts at 2 p.m .; all the stars will be there. Track located at 183rd 8< Ver mont in Gar dena , Calif. , just off the Harbor & san Diego Fwys. ASSEMBLYMEN: John F. Foran, Chairman 141 Ballery St. Room 662 San Francisco, Ca lif. 94104 Frank P. Belotll P.O. Box 1025 Eureka, Ca lif. 95502 Wadle P. Deddeh 240 Woodlawn Chula Vista, Calli. 92010 Waller J. Karablan Garfield Bank Bldg. 231 West Garvey Monterey Park , ~~lI f. 9,175~ MONDAY, MARCH llth-SUND,AY, MARCH 11th 200-MILE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSffiP ROA D RACES at Daytona Beach , Florida. Pete Wilson 233 A. Street San Olego, Calif. 92101 Oavld Negri 563 South Brand San Fernando, Ca lif. 91340 J ames A. Hayes 110 Pine Ave. Room 923 Long Beach, Ca lli. 90802 W. Craig Biddie 6370 Magnolia Ave. Rivers ide, Calif. 92506 Joe A. Gonsalves P.O. Box 614 Norwalk, Calif. 90650 L.. E. Townsend . 18436 Hawthome Blvd, Suite 212 Torrance, Ca IIf. 90504 Frank Lante rman 106-A South Los Robles Pasadena, Cali f. 91101 Pe ter F. Schabaru m 140 West College Stree t Covina, Calif. 91722 • • , .. , •• IOU • • • • • • •1,' ..... v: , ::. '::.

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