Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1960's

--- s AN ERA GONE BY By Dick Ranney has been eleven years this June I convinced my parents that I could buy a full-size motorcycle. My Whizzer had seen its better days. I had a job making a fair amount of money, plus I had some cash in the bank. We wen t looking and did n't really have much of a selection in that part of MiclUgan. In Flint there were only fOUI motorcycle deaieIs. Flint Indian Sales was and still is downtown. At that time they sold J.B.K.'s, a little Sachs powered job of 4 1/2 h.p., plus Zundapp 200 & 250 machines and a full line of Endnelds with the Indiao label on them. TIley also had the full MatchJess line. Over on Dart HWY. was; and still is the Barley dealer. Be had the nicest store in town, a lot of display area and nice big show windows. On display was a 165 two stroke plus the line of Sportsters and 74's. Herb Johnson Sr. (son is VIP with Buco last I knew) had Hadeys downtown aod Triumph's on the westside. Triumph had the 200 Cub in vera! versions plus 350, 500 & 650 twins. Out near Davison was a BSA dealer who repaired au tomobiles and had motorcycles for a sideline; kind of a family outllt. They had a 175 two-stroke, a 250 ohv, the famous 500 singles and an assortment of big twins. Herb Johnson also had a scooter of some sort and had a few NSU's to sell too. On the sou th end of Flint was the Cushman dealer and at the time it was almost every kids dream to have a new Eagle. 1 ended up getting a used Matchless 500 single from a BSA dealer in Millington. I weighed 128 Ibs. and rode the machine for one whole yell be!ore someone showed me how to work the compression release aod kick at the same time. It was the spring of '59 when 1 saw my first ICIlIIIlbles, and serambles it was. If we were to put on a scrambles today and have a course such as those back then, we would definitely get called everything but what we are. Saaightaways were almost unheard of and the more biDs, sand, mud and turns you had the better. It seemed to be the way to go. Today some of those courses would make fantastic Moto-Cross tracles. It was almost unbelieveable. In one day I saw three riders break their collarbones. The counes were very narrow, similar to a cowpath_ For a man to pass it took a lot of nerve. Mud up to the footpegs was not uncommon. Neither was J a.ck Pine sand, the deep kind. BSA, Harley CR, Aerial, Velocette, Indiao aod Triumph were all competitive mounts in the heavyweight class. In the lightweights it was Zundapp, Maico, Indian, Triumph Cubs, a few Jawa aod Nsu's. . I remem ber all the work a Zundapp rider used to go through to make his job ciCe=reiidy. They woula ml the cra.nJ(cases~· work over the port timing aod put on a racing funnel This funncl looked Iilce something stolen from a Norton Manx and had a gooseneck that came out of the cylinder a few inches, the whole thing being about eighteen inches long. The machine came as a road touring model with big fancy fenders. These came off and alloys went in their place. The staodaId muffler looked to be fOUI feet long. When a fellow got all through he had a light and competitive mount. I believe we had many more places to run then than we have now. There was a place in It Millington, which is still run in the deep sugar sand. This is one of the places Bart Markel learned to ride. There was a place on the edge of Flint that was the muddiest scramble I ever saw. There was also a gravel pit south of Grand Blanc which was one of the Unbelievables. Later that year there was a race down the road a little farther behind a truck stop that would have been a good course by todays standard of a rough scramble. North of OrtonviJlc was another Unbelievable at "Wild Bill McCains" place. BiD is an oldtime dirt track rider and one-time Indian dealer. His COlUSC was one of the best around for spectators. You could see all the course from almost any point. It had footpeg mud, deep sand, some very steep hills, tight turns and very short straightaways. Clubs used to charge fifty cents to get in and riders paid another fifty to ride. Fifty riders and five hundred spectators and a club was really a big-time operator. Dealers then played a big part in scrambles racing. Most dealers had teams, or several riders, wearing their advertisement on their backs. Competition was very keen among them. It was not unusual to see Mr. Dealer there with his truck supplied with spares and he himself getting right down to the repair end of things. In the mid-fiftys a few dealers used to put on events themselves and usually would have a set of trophies someplace in the store ready for the next race. Up till about '62 a ten inch trophy was really lavish. This era ended in Michigan about 1962. New dealers came in, some went out. BSA aod Matchless came out with super-hot ready to race 250 machines. Nearly all the two strokes fen by the wayside. Duca.ti then became quite popular and Harley-Davidson came ou t with the Sprint. The courses were graded and oiled aod wi th all this new 25 0 equipment sportsman 1/2 miles became quite popular. Many new riders came along and entries went near the hundred mark. Then shortly afterwards came a whole raft of Japanese importsandaoother bunch of new dealers. Many of these Johnny~me-la.tely dealers never did much to promote racing or club activities. They seemed more Iilce car dealers and were more interested in joining the country club, buying big fancy homes and luxurious automobiles. Although a few are very active in motorcycling outside the store, many are still not. We used to have a lot of fun. You could buy a new motorcycle and put a thousand miles on it, take it back to yOUI dealer for a check up and just about be ready for racing. On many of the Post-1960 models almost all you had to do was take off the lights. maybe change gearing, take off some of the other little tidbits aod go. If you had the ability your chances of winning with a stock motor was very good. . When I was scrambling I was riding a 1948 Indian single with a rigid heel. There were still a few rigid heels running until 1960, then they just disappeared. Everyone put them up for ice racing. Man, you want to have fun, go ice racing. Fifty mph on a 1500 foot ova.! kneeling beside SpoItster CH cylinders aod hanging on for dear life, in a side-ca.r going wheel to wheel with another job! That though is another story I will have to write about someday. ~ II> r MOVING??? •• • I I I I I CITV: STATE: I I I I I I I ~ ..J :!! <.J 0 >- ~ <.J • .c E 0 .c u ... .x = - ZIP:_ ~ en = to:l Z to:l -..l U ::... u Allow two weeks for address change. I '~:> J '==T • .. ... .• ... ... . z ~ NAME: NEW ADDRESS: I ~ on PLEASE CHECK ONE: o Second Class Subscription o First Class Subscription o Air Mail Subscription econd class mai l is OT forwardable. end u your new address as oon as possible, so you won't miss an issue. I "" . .. os ~ (213) 894-9218 WARREN .WILSON MOJORS MO'ORCTCLI 5t.Ll5-5IRVICI SOuth of Nonloll in S... pulveda. Calif. 9000 SEPULVEDA BLVD. .••.......•••••••........ 7'r-aitelt4- ~ :e,de Faetory dlreet ~ ' AROS Weldlnl & 1If1· io' C ~"2 ~600 379 No. Johasoa A.... I" ...... EI Cajon, Calif. 92020 I: : (114) , .. , • • • • • • • • • • • • • onrT • • • • • • • • " SALES SERVICE HOCKIES MOTORCYCLES HODAKA YANKEE GREEVES OSSA ColIIPle18 lIIaclllne Shop Faellltlos 22025 So_ Figueroa Torrance, California(2l3J 328-1242 The 2 Strokes That Don't Smoke Are Using "'Ctudt att RACING CASTOR "C.e,' I.e Wi••ers" ne, use ~'~te~t" !~ Racing Castor There's a Reason. ADDZIP ADDITIVES 1433-37 First Street Escalon, _Calif. THE TWO-WHEELER ~ J SUZUKI 1 J ~, Ready for IllITIediate Delivery! w. Colton A.e. San Bernardino, Calif. 867 (714) 885-3445 Nell Haney - I- Welcomes Vou IHARLEY-DAVIDSON I of Lomita ,:;.'<,'1<- 40 New Motorcyeles in stock () New Sportstors Immediate delivery 2212 Pac. Coast Hwy. (213) 534-5530 Bold New Breed of Mini-Cycle Dealer and Distributor Inquiries Invited -25¢'.,._1 _net Ute... ture to: A true motorcycle in miniature, not just a dressed-up Mini·Bike. Big wheels, big brakes, big tank and big engine- a 7 grand 2cycle, 50 cc Garelli that cranks out 5 big horses and hits 50 MPH. ENGINE SPECIALTIES, INC.• Dept. CN West P.o. Box 260. Cornwell. Heights, Po. 19020 or ENGINE SPECIALITIES, INC. WEST. DepLeN We.t P.O. Box 600. Belmont. Calif. 94002

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