Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1960's

You'll Alw·rs SHit FIRST i. - "'<: • America's Weekly Motorcycle Newspaper- • Po"isber'" EcUl«•• Chuck Claytoa Assas-t Edilor ••••• Eric Raits BU8ioess MaDacer•• SbalOll Claylon Office Manacer••Gaylene 11I0mason 'Production Manacer••Dennls Greene Production Assl. .DelUl Cunnin(dlam Circulation Manager•• Bruce Easley Bookkeeper••• , .• SUsan Whitelaw Lab Tedmiclao. •••• .Lily Lakich want Ads••••••••• Sandra Punb' Pu blished weekly except the first and last week of the calendar year by C&S Publishing Co., Post Office Box 498, Long Beach, California, also publishers of State C.vcle News for the Eastern states. Second Class Postage paid at Long Beach, Ca li r. Editorial stories, cartoons, photos, etc. are welcome and will be paid [or on the 15th of every month for material published the previous month (ex ept press releases and • Voice" letters.) Addressed. stamped envelope assures rewm. Reprinting in whole Or in part expr ssly tor bidden except by permission o[ th Publishers. Advertising rates and circulation information will be sent upon requesL Sinde copy price•••••••••• 2~ SUbscriPtion: one year 2ad class nail • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 57.:10 NATIONAL ADVERTISING DIRECTOR••• , • Thomas R. Culp Cycle News (West), P.O. BOl 498, Long Beach, CaW. 90800 Tel. (213) 423-0431. EASTERN ADVERTI SING AIH .... Stale Crcle News (E.sI) P.O. Box 13, Amhersl,Ohio 44001 Tel. (2l6) 9....2433 ~ ~ Survey VOICES NORTON VILLIERS REDUCES PRICES SHAMROCK ENDURO HAD IT ALL The New Image _ _ NO TAXATION - BUT NO REPRESENTATION, EITHER UntU tbis year, tbe popularity of offroad vebJc:1e recreation bas not been a serious problem. Sloce 1964, bowever, at least 500,000 motorcycles bave gone off tbe road 10 CaJilornia aJooe. Add to tII1s total the grow1og number of dune bucJ1es, four-wbeel drive vehicles and camper cooverslons, and you bave an off-road populatloo explosioo of immense proportions. All of tbese recreatloo vebicles are competing for the same wide-OPen spaces wltb tbe bunter, fisberman, catile fat~, bird watcber, borsemao, biker, bermit and private Iodustrlalist. Unforluoately. tbe olf-road vehicle user has vb1ually zero represenCalion on UIe bureaus charged wUb administering tile . .bllc lands, while all tbe olber Inlel'ests, wltb tie possible exception of berodts. bave been in tbe saddle for years. For example, tbe U.S. Bureau of Land Management, whicb nowbastbedlctatorIal power to confine all off-road vehicle use to a few ureservations," was created over 20 years ago out ot, tbe old General Land Office and the Grazing Service. It is no wooder tbat the sheeP berders can get all the desert they want trom the BLM for a few cents an acre, wbiJe we who merely want to use the land for recreation are being sbut out. It should be noted bere tbat most of the land closures to motorcycles tbat Cycle News bas investigated 10 recent weeks bave Iovolved private prOPerty. 1be BLM claims it bas only ordered the closing of ooe area, panache, 10 the state at. California. Apparently the flood of lett8rs from Cycle News readers to tbe BLM and U.S. Secretary of the Interior Hickel caused tbe BLM to back offfromenforcIng the new regulations tbat ban vehicle use trom public lands••.at least for the time being. 1be form letter sent by tbe BLM to readers writing to protest tbe sneaky way in whicb tbey seek to baD vehicles trom public land splits semantic bairs by insisting tbat "tbe directives publisbed 10 the Federal Register on January 18 are not a new law, but are reguIatloos_" We asked tbem to det10e the difference between a regulation and a law for our IIDbureaucratic minds and It turns out tbere is little, It any, d1fterence. Eitber way you can go to jail tor riding on public land wbere they say not to. Desert Policemen Next? Perhaps tbe main d1fterence Is 10 tbe way tbe BLM proposes to handle violators. To "expedite enforcement," tile BLM would seek a law similar totbeone tbe U.S, Forest Service got passed 10 1964, making violations of rules and regulations petty offenses. "Petty offenders could be TRIED AND COlfVICTED by a U.S. comml,sslooer, thus eliminating the need to clog federal or state courts•••" The quote is trom tile San Bernardino Evening Telegram. 1becapltals are ours. At present, tile BLM hastens to polot out, the regulations are not being enforced. Mainly, we suspect, because tbe Bureau hasn't enougb manpower to pollce all eleven millioo acres of tbe CaJilorn1a desert tbat are 10 tbe public domain, mucb less the bundreds of millions of acres In the whole United States. But tbis Is not to imply tbat the BLM does not plan to enforce their sbady regulations. They envision a giant "desert ranger force" ~ la the Forest Rangers tbat would be empowered to cite pettY offenders and charge them with a misdemeanor (6 months 10 jail, up to $500 floe) for pursuing tbeir happloess 00 the public land. How Would You Do It? So far our letters bave convinced tile BLM and tile DePt. of interior tbat offroad veblcle recreatlonists, especially motorcyclists, bave a strong voice. We've got their attention. Our next step will be to work witb state legislatures to eStablish" RecreatlooaJ Vehicle Committees" composed of State congressmen, wblcb will look out for the interests of tile growing POPulation of off-road vehicle users. 1be com mittees will review proposed legislation tbat would affect citizens' freedom to enjoy tile outdoors via modern conveyances, and Initiate new legislation tbat would extend and protect our rigbts. LegIslative representatloo does not come free. Probably a means of tax10g alf-road vehicles will bave to be devised. Right now tbe U.S. government Is making plans to treat off-road machines tbe same as road going vehicles, complete witb registration fees, license plates, road equipment, etc. Granted, this would seem easier tban creating a new bureau to baDdIe alf- road vehicles, but it would not be sensible or fair • A better plan seems to be tile creation of a "Bureau of Recreational Veblcles" , similar to the state departments of motor veblcles, to deal with the problems of registering, counting and regulating alf-road macbloes. Funds collected 10 the form of registration fees should be applied to leasing and maintaining an evergrow1og system of recreatlooaJ vehicle parks, similar to tile plan that is being tried out in Wlsconslo and reported 10 Cycle N:ews some weeks ago. We would like 10 know readers' opiuIons on lIle above pro--.!s. WonJd you be willinr; 10 pay a $3 10 $:1 per year registration ree ror each of your moto,.. cycles if tbe mouey were used 10 create and lIIlinlaiD J.) a legislative cormtittee to look out for your Interests. 2.) a system of riding grounds ror registered veblcles and 3.) a bureau 10 administer and keep track or orr-road vebicle recreaUon? Please wrtte to "ott-Road Rights," c/o Cycle News, Box 498, Long Beacb, Calif. 90801 and let us know your views. MEET BRUCE EASLEY Circulation problems w1ll bQPetuUybe a thing of tile past at Cycle Newsl We bave added Bruce Easley to our statt as circulation manager. Bruce, a Long Beacb native, graduated from WUson High and attended Long Beacb City College where be majored 10 electronics. 1be 21-year old Army veteran has raeed cars at Lioos and Fontana drag strips but Is becoming enthused with bikes and sees a Trlumpb 10 his near future. We welcome Bruce to tbe gang and feel his entbusiasm will be beneficial to you, tile reader and subscriber. Bruce Euler Norton Villiers Corporatloo announced a 15% reduction 10 parts prices recently • The distributors for Norton and AJS motorcycles are located at 6765 Paramount Blvd., Nortb Long Beach, Calif. SUPER SAFETY COUNCIL SET? It is rumored tbat all of tbe major motorcycle distributors except HarleyDavidson are forming a natloowide Motorcycle Safety COUDcil to solve some of the problems facing tbe grow1og 2-wbee1 movement. If successful, it would probably replace the Motorcycle, Scooter and Allied Trade Assoctatlon, which H-D does belong to. How about considering a merger, tellows? Then 0 n e spokesman could represent 100% of the Iodustry, for a change. WEBCO ADDS HELMET UNE Webco Inc. announced they bave become exclusive distributors for tbe entire 110e of McHal beimets. McHal Is starting a new advertising campaign witb racing and product promotions. By Barbara Adams Dabms Sometbing Is 10 tbe wind in the Callfornia State Capital with the Iotroductlon of SB 684 by Senator Robert Lagomarsino of Ventura. Tbls bill, which Is a revamping of the California Tratls Law, would update existing laws to make recreational area more available to all CaJilornians and streamllne adm.lnistratlon of recreational ueeds. The most signUicant point of SB 864 Is tbe addition of motorizedvehiclesand bicycles to tbe concept of trails development whicb bad previously been strictly tor borses and bikers. The measure met witb st1ft appositioo when It went to the first committee, Sen. Lagomarsino's own Natural Resources committee. Most of the members 0Pposed the simple inclusion of motor vehicles, assuming that tbis would somebow mean tbat vehicles, borses and bikers were all to use the same trails. Senator Lagomarsino offered as autbor's amendments tbe suggestions of Senator Nejedly, that vehicles be considered as a separate part of tbe mea- sure. It Is uncertain yet just bow tbe legislation will f10allY emerge but It Is a needed begtnning. One of the best answers to tile problem of scattered and IIDcerta10 avallability of riding area is for tbe state to consider tbe vehicle entbusiast as a definite part of tbe recreational picture and make allowance for b1s needs. SB 684 recognizes this and takes adefinite step 10 tbat direction. In coming weeks we will be following and working witb this measure as It goes tbrougb Its paces 10 the legislature. The time bas come tor cycle people (and otber vehicle bobbyists as well) to tb10k of themseJves as tax-payers and sharebolders in the state. We are not beggars who must plead for a gratuity of space to pursue our legitimate, constructive and enjoyable pastime. We are an Important part of tbis state and we bave a right to our fair share. Witll reason and determination we will receive it. Tbls Is just a note to say I tb10k the Shamrock Enduro was tbe best run I bave ever rtdden. It bad everything. Beautiful terrain, excellent check and organization, cballeoging averages and tbe best tratl marking I bave ever seen. TbanJc you, Shamrocks. MIKE SPlKA Imperial Beach, Call. HIGH SCHOOL CYCLE SEMINAR Thursday, April 17, 1969, a two hour seminar 011 tbe subject of motorcycle raclog was cooducted at Pallsades High School. The guest speaker was Curly Harker. Nearly 100 students participated in this study. Curly Is well quallfied to speak 00 this subject for be bas successfully competed 10 practically every type of competltioo 10 Callfornia since 1937. 1be main toPic Curly stressed was tile benefit of riding sporting eveuts before trying "all-out" racing, and the golden OPPOrtunity we bave 10 California to do tbis. Tbanks go to Cycle News for tnrnisbing all tile students witb a current Issue of tbeir newspaper which was used as a commoo format and refereuce. Jack Baldwin Motorcycles of Santa MODica, Dale Brown Motorcycles of Long Beacb and Guy Lewis of Westminster Sporlcycles, all former racing competitors with Curly, were Ioterested enougb to furnish new models of custom racing macbines. Also, Rick Woods, NatlooaJ Speedway Cbampioo, loaned b1s winDing Eso. My thanks go to Curly, Jack Baldwin, Dale Brown, Guy Lewis, Rick Woods and Cycle News for tbelr belp 10 making this seminar a success and perhaps converting some of the uninit1aJed to the greatest sport. TERRY KELLER Student Program CbaJrman Pacific Pallsades, Calif. ELSINORE G.P. FAN LETTER Dear Cycle Funny Paper People News Never 10 all my born days did lever, I mean never ever bave I ever seen done did a tb10g like what happen 10 tbat litile town near nothing. GriPsters you done yourself right proud. It was tile fun most thing since Granny caught her nose 10 the wringer wasbiog macbine. And boy do Callf people bave a sense of bumot. The say gear fast and use street rubber, when AVOD ain't build a knobby for the likes of tbat race track. But tIIey just doo't stop being funny 10 tbe prerace pit talk place tIIey bave a man talIdng we can most bear and then be uses an automatic cheer leaders born tbat nobody can bear sometb1og out of. So I got up close and bear his natural words saying they changed some of tile course because of tile sbower tbey bad lately, naturally I tb10k be means maybe tile wet made It toohard-lltUedo I know tbat tbey found a way to bave it most all mud. Now 1 may be a country boy but 1 ain't all fool. So I do some tire cbaoglog and gear ttxin, 'cause tbere ain't no way 90 mpb go & K 70's are going to do tbe do. Down goes tile flag & a feller fails down. 100 feet out and motors parkedall over tbat pond, er race track. Here I am bavlog a fool of a time just like I bad good sense and out of tile mud at last, hard surface and I tound out about mud filled knobs and asphalt and wide open stuck carbureter slides. GUS PETERS San Antonio, Tex. CARLSBAD/CYCLE NE S CYCLE CIRCUS: June 14 & 15.

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