Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1960's

.... ~ os Bookkeeper•••••• Susan "bitelaw Lab Tecbnicillll. . . • . . LUi Laklch a.. -,America's leading weekly newspaper covering the motorcycle sport. You'll always see it first in Cycle News.· Publisher , . Chuck layton Editor, . . . Eric Rai ts Calendar EdItor Tert)' Pratl Ass!.. to U,e Editor. Gael Jluchanan Business Manager.• Sharon Clayton Orr,ce Manager..Gavlene Thomason Circulauon Mana2er•. Bruce Easley ProductIOn Manager•. Dennis Greene Production Asst.. Dean Cunningham -7 7 7 7 7 7 7 2 Receptionist. ••••••• Irene Keilh Published weekly except the first and last week of the calendar year by Cycle News, Inc., P(lSI Office Box 498, Long Beach, California. a Iso publishers of Cycle News Easl. Second Class Postage paid at Long Beach, Calif. Editorial stories. cartoons, photos, eiC. are welcome. Write for information. Addressed, stamped envelope assures return of edllorial malter. Reprinting m whole or in part only by permission of Ihe pubhshers. Advertising rates and circulation in· formation will be sent upon request. 7 2 7 7 SIngle COPI prt e . • . . . . . . . . t5c Subscrtpuon: one I ear tnd cia"" mail . . . . . . . . . . • • . • , . 7 50 NATI 0 NAL AD DIRECTOR •••.•• , •••• Thomas R. Culp Cycle News (Westl, P.O. Box 498. Long Beach, Calif. 90801 (213) 421·1433 L.A. 636-8844 Telex No. 61-3414 EASTERN ADVERTISING Paul Cosner Cycle News Easl P.O. Box 13. Amhersl, Ohio 44001 Tel. (216) 984·2433 24- 3449 Telex No. 7 7 7 up to its good reputation. Thanks again Rescue 3. DESERT KNIGHTS M.C. Woodland Hllis,' Cal. HEMPHILL WAS RIGHT DANA POINT CLOSED! Regardless at what has been printed In otber publicatioos, one of Southern ":al1forn!a's best tra1lIng areas Is closed to riders: Dana Point. I was down there In the past few days with my fam1ly and my daughter received a citatioo thai would bave cost her $65.00 but she went to court aDd pleaded her case. Sbe showed the judge a copy at a neWspaper showing the areas open for rtd1ng. Ooly trouble is, none at tbatarea Is open for riding and the pollce will write up lU!Yooe on the property, regardless at wbetber they bave a bllte or nol, whicb means your wife or girlfrIend In a truck will get the same fine as the motorcycle rider. In lrts' case, sbe did get her fine reduced to $15.00, but losta day's work taldng time to go to court. There are no signs posting the land but riders be warned, the area Is closed, aDd according to all reports will not be opened again. DICK KOUNS District 37 Referee YANKEE LEATHERS PREFERRED I bope some of your readers would kindly wrlte to me and give me some advice. I want to buY an all leather Amerlcan motorcycUng outfit and wisb to know whicb ls the best place to get It from. I want an American outfit particularly. Either one or two piece suit and englneer boots. I will be pleased to answer at ooce any letter sent me. Thank you. GEROGE mBBERT 736 Stockport Road Mancbester 12, England TAKE YOUR FAMILY TO THE DESERT We wouid liIte to Introduce our new motorcycle clUb, "CACTUS CATS CORONA M.C." P.O. Box 881, Corona, Cal1f., 91720. Our club colors are orange and yellow. We are a family club aDd feel that a family that enjoys motorcycUng together really get the most out of the sport. We bave also found that the"WOmen bave been a motivating factor In the progress and deYeJopment of our club. We are DOW in the process at obta1n1ng our AMA Cbarter aDd bope to put on a point run next year • We are a desert competition club and since starting our club In February 1969, we bave met some nice people through motorcycUng and desert events. One of the most outstanding groups-of people that we bave bad the pleasure to meet ls RESCUE-3. It sure Is a good feel10g to know they are watching over ALL. 1bey bave helped us ffilUJY times and we would liIte to know more about them---bow they got started, whatkeeps them going---etc. Maybe a story In Cycle News about them would explain about the many desert riders who this group spends their weekends traveling long distances to belp If the need arises. DAVID T. SEMPLE President, Cactus Cats Corona M.C. Corona, Cal. Editor'. C-..t: See 1et18r below aDd Re.· cae 3 ItIlfJ .. pale n. DEA.AlI'S UVES I am writing to clarifY the situation coocerning the Deadman's Point European Scrambles. Last week, a letter addressed to Cycle News said that the DeAdman's Scrambles bad been cancelled. More correctly, the races are IIIIder new management. The European Scrambles bave not been cancelled but they will DO longer be run by the Desert Cballengers. Starting October 5th and 00 the first Sunday at each month following, European Scrambles will be presented at Deadman's Point by the HI-Desert Racing Association. The course will be In the same area and the classes and 40% trophy pollcy will remain unchanged. BOB DRESSLAR APple Valley, Cal. RESCUE 3 PROVES OUT 1be Desert Knigbts M.C. would llketo thank Rescue 3 for the belp they gave us at the Sbamroclts H. & H. 'Ibis was the first time that we bave needed their services, but we found the team to live Concerning lack at national coverage; Wm. HempbW 9-23-69 issue. Exactly right, I read your news for the national coverage. I subscribed for the national coverage and I feel It Is very lacldng. More detailed newsandpictures are needed. Put more emphasis on the top riders and how they are doing, racewise and otherwise. How's Cbrls Drayer doing since b1s accident? And Nixon, be'S #1, yet b1s acc1dent was scarcely mentioned. Return the diagrams used last year sbowing rider positions each lap. J.W. BEE Orting, Wash. Open Letter To he Wives 01 The Motorcycle Press By Eric Raits RecenUy KawasaJd Motors Corp. invited the motorcycle press to an advance sbowing of their 1970 models on Catalina Island. Sounds exclting doesn't It, all you wives who were left behind? The Iovitatioo came on a large, square glass asbtray and was worded to make.!t sound very exciting Indeed. "The bydrofoil 'Victoria' will leave Pier 96 at 12 noon and return at 10: 30", said the Innocuous asbtray. There was a fine turnout of people attracted by the promise of an afternoon spent riding the new Kawasalds on Catalina's twisty roadS, a tast boat trip, and a good dintler. The problems began quicldy. The hydrofoil was broken down and a yacbt was cbartered and pressed Ioto service. Nothing was wrong with the converted mloesweeper except that it was a bit on the slow side, cruising at nine knots. The seagulls new circles around us and the mainland seemed to bang on the borizon forever. Most at us got jolly aDd bad a good time. Catalina ftoally dr.lgged Ioto view on the horizon and putted up to Ute size. By the time everyone was water taned to shore and bussed to the Country Club It was time tor the presentatlon. The band played and the curtains opened and closed on KawasaJd's pride. We bad all too llttle time to test ride the bikes as it got dark quicldy. Some ot the ones who got jolly on the boat bad too mucb time to ride. Several fell off and ripped their pretty clothes. DInner conversations were mostly speculation and betting on what time we would get back to San Pedro. The water tan got us all aboard and we settled Into sofas and cbalrs for the long trip bac.k. Little did we know just bow long it was to be. The engines were purring and we said goodbye to the majestic casino as it slowly went by the port side windows. About one minute later we said goodbye to it again. And again. That damn casino went by the windows four times. Even those unfamiliar with Catalina Island knew something was amiss. The ancbor turned out to be stuck on the bottom or In the jaws of a giant squid or ~ something. The sldpper was clrcUng, trying to break the loving grip on our ancbor. The best be couid do was to break the buge ancbor cbaIn after wresiling with the problem tor an hour or so. The captain's performance was prophetic as we were to see another example of bls skill when we docked. 1be return trip was slow and boring, blghligbted only by a ~llgbt navigation error on someone's part. We missed the Los Angeles Ught by three miles and bad to chng slowly along the coast to find the breakwater entrance. The sklpper found the entrance aDd found the dock but he couldn't find the handle, so to speak. He made numerous passes at the dock using forward and reverse throttles' liIte a fiend but couldn't carry -it off. He backed out Into the channel time after time, trying for that elusive docktromall aogles. Twice buge freigbters blew their declbelbelcblng borns at us. Their nervous sldppers thougbt we would back rigbt out In their way. The yacht's nervous passengers thought so too. Eacb time we'd bac.k UP, everyone would crowd forward and each time we'd make a pass at the.dock there was a rush for the aft section. 1be frustrated skipper, Old Sea WOlf, as we heard blm called, finally took aim at the dock and cruncbed it with the bow. Pilings creaked, the dock pltcbed as If 10 a burricane and the sober crewman threw a line to a bus driver who was waiting to take us back to our parked He got the line fastened to the dock amldsbips and the skipper bad it made. It only took twenty more minutes to get both ends of the craft tied securely. Fascinated by the successful naval operation, we all lined the rail next to the dock. Bryon Farnsworth of Cycle World, (God bless blm) bollered "Abandon ShIpI" and we did. BodIes were tumbUng off that pleasure palace llke Cheerios out of a box. We bad hardly taken a step on dry land when most of us reacbed for pencil and paper aDd wrote our phone numbers down and gave them to anyone who was nearby. "Please call my wife In the morning aDd tell ber this really haPpened. She'll never believe me," was the refrain. Girls, here it is In black and white. 'Ibis is why your husband got home at four o'clock that fateful Wednesday m.orning. cars. By Barbara Adams Dahms MOTORBIKE PARKS? In all fairness we must concede that the sbarlng of riding space is a complex problem. Many factors must be Involved In Its solution. Frequently one bears the bitter complaints of local residents whose peace, quiet and privacy are sbattered by the use of nearby land for motorcycle and mln1-bllte riding. In some cases it is clear that the sight of a bike too distant to be audible would rouse the citizen to a frenzy; but 10 many situations residents bave tried In vain to be tolerant. :;0 scarce Is riding space that the word travels widely when a suitable place is found and Its use is undisturbed. Soon cycllsts come from miles away and what was an occasional disturbance that residents could survive becomes a dawn to dusk regular event. In addition, some motorcycles are so noisy that even other motorcyclists are disturbed by over-long exposure to them. I haPpen to be one of those nuts who tbInk that the sound ot motors is pure music; but I hear now and again a bike that r know is disturbing to everyone eise. It Is clear that one part of the answer Is quieter mach1oes. Another part of the answer must be designated riding areas In- town or near'by for local off-road riding. 'Ibis is not to be confused with the question of open publlc land, whicb for most of the riders at tbIs country will always be at a distance. The general public is beginning to accept the concept that areas can be set aside tor local riding as they are for other recreational sport. The following letter clipped from the S1mi Enterprise Sun-News is worth noting. Editor: I know my problem Isn't unique so maybe others can help or offer a solution. The motorbikes were driving us crazy bere on the end of Crosby Ave. to the point we couldn't sit outside and talk or even on occasion carryon a conversation at the dinner table. The pollce are asldng the riders not to use this private property and the general cooperation has prompted me to write. Basically these are families that use bikes as a sport and In Simi bave no place to rlde. I feel there are enougb for our Parks & Recreation Dept. to cooslder a spec1al motorb1Ite park close enougb for convenience - tar enougb away to not disturb home owners. The noise Isn't the only offense but danger of fire In the grass where trails aren't properly made makes us shudder. U the bllte riders feel this would solve the problem lets bave enougb public opInion to get something done. Sincerely, Mary Edna WUson 965 Crosby Ave. Simi MOTOCROSSER ABROAD American motocross rider Gary BaIley left Sept. 12 tor Munich, GermlU!Y to begin bls European adventure. From Municb Gary traveled by train to the Greeves factory 10 England, arriving Sept. 16. His next move was to ride a motocross 10 England on the 21st, then continue entering events until Oct. 13, at which time be would return to the United States to pick uP bls new van 10 Massachusetts and ride the entire InterAm circus.

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