Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1960's

By Barbara Adam s Dahms THE SAVAGE SEVEN It's motorcycle-out-law-movie time again. The popularlty of the Image Is evidenced by the numbers of films which bave already been sbown and the millions whlcb bave already been spent to view them, as well as those yet to be released. These film s bave all been "cheaples" without any real content or characterization, yet the rOar ,of the hikes and the imaginary interlude In the mythical world of the outlaws are invilat10n enougb to keep them making money and lots of it. ThIs current effort which was produced by Dick Clark and stars Adam Roark as "the leader" (Ktsum, in this case), sbows a definite shift in values. No longer are the riders the "bad guys ." No longer are they flgbtlng and running with some variety of police as chief antagonist and society as the " victim ." In this strange little story they ride into an Indian sbacktown in the desert (It was filmed In Nlpton, near Nevada.) and in the process of a few fisticuffs (which seem absolutely essential to all these movies) discover ' that the local white businessman who hires the Indians and takes back their wages at the company store, Isn't being very decent to the natives so the riders turn Into the Robin Hood Image and loot the store giving everything in sigbt to every Indian In slgbt. The police arrive (their only appearance, I believe) and would arrest everyone except that the store owner bas better Ideas. First be tries to hir e the r iders to burn the village (and get him back his land whlcb bas become valuable). When that falls because "the leader" Is making out with an Indian girl, be plays both ends against the middle very successfully and triggers a modern day reverse of the Indian s iege of a settlement. The riders attack the vUlage and the ketcbup or strawberry jam (wbat do they use for blood?) flows fr eely. Motorcycles jumping barricades (like Knievel) or crashing and burning add a different touch to the traditlonal Indian battle. Eventually everyone discovers they 've been bad and they go after the real "bad guy ." The ending is reminiscent of many war films. After sucb an excess of violence there is a feeling of futillty and tragel\y that the violence was so misplaced and accomplisbed only the destruction of both sides. ThIs wistful 420 RIDERS COMPETE IN FREMONT OPENER Story The P8lo Alto (Calif.) Motorcycle Club sponsored the first event of the year at Fremont Raceway on Sunday, May 26, and the 1,000 spectators on band were treated to the finest displaY of racing seen in this area in a long time. With the exceptions of Bruce Anderson and BU1 Jamison, still r ecuperating from injuries receiVed at Ascot, all of District 36' s top experts were among the 420 competitors present. Jim Rice, Paul .Johnson, Mark Brelsford, Frank Gillespie, Alan Kenyon, Harry Dring, Bob Gr oss i, Cbai DeCecco - they were all there . The track was equal to the talent. Fremont bas everything a rider would ask for, and some things be wouldn't; sharp left and right turns, a fast straightaway, a Jump and a long, sweeping, banked turn. Scattered throughoutall this are pockets of loose dirt and numerous slick spots which are a constant danger to the rider pushing his speed past his capabilltles, but that's Justwbatyoubave to do to win against the kind of competition this track draws. When all the dust bad settled down, 1967 high point man Jim Ricebadproven that be Is still No.1, and that It will be very difficult for anyone to move him out of thai position. Harry Dring grabbed first place off the line in the 650 Expert heat, but be could hold It for only a lap as Rice oufpowered him down the straightaway and pulled away for an easy win. The Main Event, however, was an entirely ditferent kind of race. Dring was hampered by medPnlcal problems, and Rice bad the start1JIg flag thrown on him while heading aWIIF from the line toward the cheater's boz where he bad been directed for anticipating the start. ThIs left the door open for Bud Kneass and Rick otto, and they set a pace that no one could match. No one, that Is, except Rice. Starting from last place, he picked his way through the pack to third place inside of four laps. Everyone expected him to soon swoop Kneass and otto and pull away , but that was not the case. ~ Larry Stewart Pbo tos by Dale I van Rice Roars Thos e two wer e really flying and Rice was going over his bead trying to get by otto, but he couldn't do it. That's the way it stayed for three laps and Rice's supPOrters began to accept the fact that he wasn' t going to make it when, s uddenly, on the last lap, Kneass and o tto went high on the bank of the big sweeper and Rice dove inside and past both of them . He came across the fInIsb line with a ten -foot lead, almost crashing into the crowd which bad moved onto the trackto applaud the three Experts whobad staged District 36' s "race of the year." lIark Bre isl ord (2T) swooped the 250cc Ex· pert heat race on a 200cc Bultaco, lOt a third place In the lIaln Event. Rlcllne a Suzuki TIl 250. Paul Johnson (5) won his heat race, then sailed to decI sive vlctol)' In lbe 250 Expert lIaln. Sensational as Rice's victory was, it did not far surpass the performances of Mark Brelsford and Paul Johnson in the talent-loaded 250 Expert class. Brelsford sur p r I sed everyone by sbowlng up at the starting Une of the first heat with a200ccBultacoSherpaS. " Sur e be's good," said one spectator, " but this Is a horsepower track and be simply won't bave the beans to compete against these super-tuned 250s ." Well, that racing fan and a lot of others who felt the same way learned that you sbould never underestimate Brelsford or a Sherpa S. Mark held second place of! the line and passed Jim Foley on the second lap to take an easy win over the twelve-man field. Paul Johnson won the other beat and the Main Event in the class by so much tbat it looked like the fix was In. That youngster can really fly. Brelsford, who wound uP third In the Main, might bave given Johnson a bad time but, as 1f being underpowered wasn't enough, be bad trouble s h if II n g the Sherpa in the straightaway. Johnson was riding a Suzuki TM 250 as was Scott D1ffenbaugh, who won the Amateur Main In a big way. We understand from our local Suzuki dealer that the factory bas discontinued making this model, and that's really too bad. The few that bave been competing In this area bave bad tremendous success. They probably have a hlgber win percentage than any 250 on the market, with the possible exception of the Bultaco PurSang. The 500 Experts also provided plenty at excitement, with three riders battling for the lead throughout the heat and Main Event. They were Bob Sousa and Bruce Tex1er a on Triumphs, and Allen Kenyon on an El Bandido. Tex1era won the heat and beld the lead in the main for three laps, but Sousa got by him to take home the first place trophy. Surprisingly, Paul Jo hnson , who bad done so well in the 250 Expert class, never really got Into contention in the 500, although be did take .fourth in the Main. quality occurs occasionally throughout the film, particularly in Adam Roark's scenes with Joanna Frank, the Indian girl. Adam, who played the leader in "Hell's Angels on Wheels," spent so me ~ to c.. ~~:tI;;:. ~r:~tI=:e:e~:::n::r~~ .; ~ very mueh like Barger. Whenheexplalns to Joanna that outlaw riders bave feelings just like everyone else..... The only difference Is tbat we are doing wbat we want to do..... be Is very real. Some creative camera work adds an extra dimension at times. The same actors bave appeared often enough by now to begin to seem like friends, althougb they are never given time to develop characters. And 1f the makers of these films bave trouble giving the riders characterization, wbat they do with the "old ladies" Is unbelievable. Obviously, It bas never occurred to them that a " rider ' s old lady" Is a living woman. It would be nice 1f before the medium Is completely worn out, someone would make a real movie about motorcycle riders. It would bave humor, (some of it comes througb in spite of 'e ver ything) because much of wbat rider s do Is humor ous, with a light-hearted touch . It would bave pathos. Pathos Is part of the life of any member of a minority. Neither of them need to be contrtved, All1t takes Is a little sensitivity and honesty and a lot less concern with "giving the public wbat It wants" (or Is supposed to want). U I baven't counted wrong this is the eighth of the current flood of cycle movies. U they were all laid end-to-end •••they'd be laid end to end. Montesa - Hodaka - Kawasaki I WESTMINSTER SPORT CYCLE Motorcycles Guy R. Lou is ln4) 893-1051 7574 WestminsterAve. Westminster, Cal. "BULIACO" Dale BlOwn Motors 2441 Long Beach Blvd. Long Beach, Calif. ~~~~~~~~~ ~t I Walt Axthelm t I Triumph-Suzuki Motors t 1049 West 5th Street I Pomona, Calif. ( 714) 629-8642 t I SUZUKI --------- Ho." •~!~ a" f t ~.',er v 4t2J -==t/H,4 .. Se,." .. 391-6217 lOW A'AIU8LE THROUGH CROWN CYCLE 890 4 Garvey Ave. Rosemead, Cal if . (213) 280-3553 Prot est Time It seems impos s ible to bave an entire day of racing without at least one legal drspute, ThIs time It bappened in the 350 Amateur class when Bill Groce, whobad won the Mainhandlly, was disqualified for riding a new Honda 350 whlcb bad been used in the Novice class by another r ider. It's too bad Groce bad to lose out after s uch a fine r ide, but It was obvious that he bad violated the rules. Vern Tranberg was declared the winner after the disquaiiflcatlon. The 250 Novice class was a very fast affair, with Bultaco r ider Don Chipman the fastest of them all. He won his beat and the Main by a substantla1 margin , no mean feat considering the kind of competition be bad. Kenneth Krake took second In this one on a well set- uP Suzuki X-6. Harley rider Leonard Fournier won his beat and took third in the Main. That's the first time in months that a fours troke 250 bad done anywhere near that well in this class. (Results on page 16) .,., Distributed bS RYDEX 1816 G eor gia s t.: . Los A nge le s, Ca li f. 90015 24 Hr. Ordering Service (2 13) 7 49-5 153 (Dealer Inqui rie s ONL Y) I NC. '" :; .... = CI) tz:l :i!: ~ U :... U

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