Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/125607
seMA ROAD RUN V) ~ story & Photos by Leonard Slpe :i!: SO. SAN GABRIEL, Calif., March 9- At ~ 9 o'clock Sunday morning, Laidlaw's Motorcycle Store was a scene of color ::.. and activily. Gleaming touring machines U lined the curb and filled the parking lot. Uniformed riders milled about ta1Idng to friends over coffee and donuts. GuYs and their wives walked around digging the array of mac h In e r y parked outside. Everyone was enjoying the anticipation of being on the road again after the season's rainy restrictions. A t the far end of the showroom was the sign- up table. Route directions were handed out for making it to the first check point and riders SOOll began taking of! singly or in small groups. The Southern California Motorcy<;1lng Association sponsored the poker run for the Harley 74 crowd. The tour ended at ADderSOD's Spa, halfway between Newball and Palmdale, Calif.ofttheAnte1ope Valley Freeway. Tbe SCMA Is a year-old autooomous saactlOlllDg body lDdepeadent of aDd, In its miD1ac:ule ~, In competitiOll wltb tile AMA's R08d R1dlng Committee In 50iIIIMinI California. Tbe SCMA r1ders are cI1sU1us:1GMld by tbeAMA's arbltnry, do-lIOlIIInc attitude reprdInc tile 1nd1Y1daalaDd are attemptlac toorpa1ze tbe1r OWD c1IIbs aDd 8ge11ta. Tbe roale ftIIt west !brooch South with Its _ t.... old folksCII1eatIld trame slpals, timed for 20 IIIIlIl, aDd fIDaD)' oat tile CoIondo FreeU pe..... wa,y. It d. to Dr.d UOI1IId Burllut's bAc ClI8mber-ol-Commerce lIbuck, tbeGold_ Mall, ad look riders 011 oat !brooch SIu ,...-ado va1lIIJ' 110 tile flrst c:IIllclt pcUt. .... be., ODd Wbltemu Speedw8y, SCMA olftc1als _ e located on a COl'lKlJ" wbere Earl Sbe1b wID paint '/ODr car for 0Db' $29.95. So far tile route 1DstnIc:t1011S 1M ~ beea mlldl1 coatus1JIc. RJders MIl tbe1r tap stamped aDd recetYed dlrec:tl0llS 110 Cbec:k PotDt D, tlIeII beIIded far NewIIa11 In tbe desert. 1'IIeJ made a r:tcbt at 13tb street wlI1ch By Maureen Lee Tbat new SRddleback Park scrambles track really rang our chimes SUDdayl It was fm to ride a track where everyone started out "enln steven". No one bad had a chance to ride It previously and for thJs first scrambles it wasn't a case wbere it you had the time you could go oat and practice on it during the week. We are deliberately omiWng the word "TI'" scrambles, because a TTltwasn't. It was a scrambles and, except for afew people, everyone enjoyed It, but the ones wbo dido't, well, all we can say Is that it's hard to !brow any type of event without someone being UDbappy about someth1Dg. First time around In practice we bad to be coaxed back out again after suffering a case of the wIllles 011 a cobby downhill, but found out we didn't have to tall oft and ended up having a lot of ftm. Tbe SIIddlebeck staff, headed by manaeer Vic W1lson receives our tip of the beJmet thJs week. Due to the heavY fiood damage with local disaster areas requiring all available heavY equipment, they just couldn't get working on the track lo.,rA HONDA Sal.. • Parts· S.rvl c. Compl.t. line 01 Speed Equipment Custom Palnllnl, Frame Works, Fram. O..llOlnl & Bulldlnl Discount Prices OIl All sales 2073 Pacilic Coasl Hwy. 326-3810 or 326-3816 01 1---- 92 PAIB·1119 CATAUG The ,II new 1969Webco tllaloc is lhe most comprtMMM In ttIe molnTcy'l. Ittmonn industry. 92 PlIeS. hulldtem 01 iIIusll.lloM, olille most wantltt motorcycle I(:c:essories and hlrh perlOfmlflCe tampOnents. Also lnc:JIldts _ ••••• •••• turned Into Placerita Canyon R08d (not Soledad Canyon R08d as the travel sUp kept Ins1sting). The next eight m1les of r08d was rough In spots and riders bad to stay alert. At Sand Canyon Road. we swung left a few mUes and came to the second stop located at a gas station. The tour overpassed the Antelope Valley Freeway and then picked up Soledad Canyon Road for the last four mUes. At the gathering point ("ANDERSON'S SPA - RIVERS END; FOOD, COLD BEER, SWIMMING, PICKNlCKING, OPEN"), riders began stream1ng in. Some had their stereos on, playing neecountry and western music ("I'm afallin' for you, liWe darlin'" by the Hollywood Studio Orchestra & Chorus). They parked their machines aroUDd a large grassy area near the Santa Clara Creek. Tbe creek/river badfioodeddurIne the recent rains aDd a 'dozer was out there trying to put the banks back wllere they be1ODpd. ApIn. A loDe l1De ol17S stIIIIdees bepn formIne to check In lIIId reee1ft meal tickets. It toot quite a wlI1h. E'eJY~ m~ stood arOllDd jawlDe over tlIelr takes OJ' 1I8IIt into tile cone.slOll bulkl1Dc far beer or edlee. Tbe hIopool tabJIIs Inside were Immedlately pressed Inllo serrice. At 2 O'clock, it .... otrtefa l 17 orda1lled tIIat PllI.JtIme bad arrtftd. First tllere was a !bree-1eaed race. 1'lIlID a potatosack race. Real bo-bam starr. But the next ODe ..... a bmndI. .r • Tbe Mpllpt ol the day ..... wbere a CIlY bad to pl.D a d.Iaper 011 bIs wife. ADd be had to do tlda with bIs baDds tbroaIb a sbeet IWDc ~ so be cooldD't see wIIat be .... about. It reall7 11~ tldIIp-,. AU d1Ir1JIC tlda COD t est there were c:boruses ol tltWated etccJes aDd caItaws as a hu.sbud's IIaDd.s croped aDd f\:mb1ed. Yes slrree, It was sometIdDC to watch. WbeD lbat .... ftDaD1 emir, the 1ad1es that were stuck willi tile c:ookInc aDnouneed spapttl .... reedy aDd lIIIOtlIer 10ac line .... formed. About tlda time It as p1ln~ COIISllCPJ8IItlJ, Vie was out there at 3 a.m.(tbat'swllatlsald.3 a.m.> tile ntebt before the carvtne out a new track aDd ft11lDC In four tootcuWes, aDd bIs peopJe worked straipt througll until racine started. He Is asking for riders' suggesttons regarding tile track. He's considI!rIng widening It about ten more feet 011 some turns and cuWng the banks back a bit. This could be good because most of tile gripes you hear about scrambles tracks is that they are not wide enough. By the same token, we talked to riders who said fiatly, "Leave it alone! It's great!" So who are you to believe? We feel that In laying out a track you don't want to take out all the hazards. Leave some In. Scrambles are not like tlddly-winks or ping-pong. There are tracks where the Amateurs and Experts make it around with no troubles willIe the novices go down. Sorry about that, NovIces, but they once bad to learn just like you are doJng. But should you see riders go down frequenUy regardless of classification and often In the same location, then something Is wrong aDd the hazard should be fixed. But leave a few tricky places In, It adds to the fun and makes for better riders. Saddleback had a few go down Sunday, but it's a good track and deserves support from the District 37 clubs. For Informatioo call Vic W11son(714-639--S832) and talk to hiDi. about It. Let's have a few more runs there so the dreary old song of "I'm so tired of riding so-and-so each week" can be forgotten. There are enough tracks to give everyone a chance to ride dUferent surfaces and terrain, so let's use 'em all! [C 5 Bob Maynard's inform.tion 01 Im",,1 to.1I 211 IIAIll STIEII • IDII££. _ -.. ... -. II BATTERY ELIMINATOR R.place your motorcycl. battery wllh a vi bratlon r.sl s~nt .Iectnmle unit. Free brochure. CONDUCTOR SYSTEMS, INC. P.O. Box 1154 Pomona, Calif. 91769 ORANGE CO. CYCLE motOfcycle .ltttlusiIsls, PrictSI ~k. Moto-Cross ....dquart.r. lor Oranp Co. 205 N. Harbor Blvd., Santa Ana (7141 531·99.4, bepD BPrInkltne a l1tt1l1 aDd a dozeD sapr-aDd-sptce riders mOUDted -' aDd left fOl' ~. Tbe rest tolIIId cover aDd tlD1shed eatInc. AtlIIr lIIIOtber looc period ol __il !irIng, tile c1lIII ..... ptbered for tropIQ' presmtaHons. TrQllbies _ e baIIded oat for werytIdDC. Tbere were tropbi. . for o1deat riders- ( _ aDd -1DlIII), tiler. were trqlbies fOl' tile Jouacest (boy aDd girl). Tbere were tropMes for tile best-dreVed tamiJ:Y, best-dreseed club. best-dressed 1ndlYldua1a. Also receiYinC trqlIDes were the loIIpst-dlStlIIIce rider, tbe c1IIb wItb most members pre..... CODtest wIDDers, etal. (Iroa1c:a1J,y, tbe mOlllllDllo lbat wID be c:bertsbed most b8d IIiOtIIInC to do with tile iuar. One of the members hadabeautttul statuette of a doc struck speelPlly for b1s.,0UIIC _ . TbeteD-Jeal'-oIdrec_tlJ had loet bIs pet 1IDlier the wbeeJs of lIII automotlOe aDd bIs dad waDtsd to Cive h1m sometlllnc In remembraDce. 1l .... Cycle Profiles ~ p~yllm.. Motorcycl.s a,. nelleclad wblle receiVed with Mdden tears aDd a tight bug ol apprec1ati0ll.) A couple's lUIDiversary was M"O""CoecI, somebody's bI.rtbday was bPWlJJ SlIIIC to, aDd the sweepstakes trap'" baDded oat. A YOUllC MUclimb competitor Ir08d rider from B a k e r s fI e1 d woo the fl1bo-t1tly drawlDe. This Is wiler. balf tile 8IItry mOll8J Is awarded to some luck;r stIfl at each oattne. Tbe kttly tlda time came to $42. Now U lbat lsD'tlnceotlYetosbow~ for lID eYllIlt._. Tben tile OWII8r' and IIIlIIIlIPI' of tile Spa were brOUCbt forward. 1D apprec1atiOll for opea1Dg tbeIr area to tile day's r08d riders (aDd thereby puttlJIC their lnsurlIIIee conrace 011 the llne), tile two geatlemen were presented with a IlaDdsome blIIId-tooled leather plaque. The owuer then commented that wlatever reservatlons they m1g;bt have bad about SCMA riders taking _ for the day, tbeJ couldn't have had a better, more mannerly group to cater to. Mark 1lP ODe more for the coed gIl)'S In wlltte be1mets. lEEK DAY METER MAIDS ARE WEEKEND MOTORCYCLIm Monla lpox (Ielt) ..d Loul .. SzyJllcuk are ..... maid. who swap 3-wh..l.s for 2-wb..leu on days off. By Bill Harmer It may be a "busman's holiday" but after riding their 3-wbeeled cycles for 8 hours every weekday, IssulngcitatiOlls to overtime parkers, Manta !pox and Louise Szymczak (That's right proofreader, S Z Y M C Z A K) spend their weekend having fun astride their 120Cc Kawasaki trill bikes. The girls, accompanied by Louise's husband ChUCk, who Is a policeman and former motorcycle otrtcer, hurUe their mounts over the mountain and desert trails of Diego'S back country. Monta's hubby, Mitch, who doesn't ride a motorbike, drives the camper wIlIch tows the bike traUer and does the cookIng for the cycling trio when they come san Husky • Baltaco • Penton • Yamalla • Ma i l:ll 1- Road's'" sl .... ls tIlH 10 II. up for cII_ Ud soelaUzlsl rl" ••In.le. in hungry after a hard dar's trail riding. The girls are the only remaining "original" Meter Maids and have been working for the city of Diego for about 10 years. A long time dream of the girls will come true thJs autumn when they tow their bikes to MazaUan, Mexico where they will ferry them across the Sea of Cortes to La Paz, Baja California. There they wU1 spend months exploring the famous resort area as far South as Cabo Lucas. They are both avid cycle enthusiasts andrecommendthe sport to everyone that they meet as a sure way to stay healthy and fit. I san san