81rCI&
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"America's leading weekly newspaper
covering the motorcycle sport. You'll
always see it first in Cycle News.·
Publisher
Chuck ClilYl.OIl
Editor
Eric Raits
Calendar EdItor
TerlY Prall
Asst. to the Editor. Gael Buchllllan
Business Manager•. Sharon Clayton
OUice Manager..Gaylene Thomason
Circulation Manager•• Bruce Easley
Production Manager. IDellllls Greene
Production i\ l. .Dean Cunningham
"America's Weekly
Motorcycle Newspaper"
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EVERYBODYIS THE GESTAPO
The article on tile "U-Name-It-Enduro" 10 Cycle News of October 28
underscores what has been obvious to
the b1Jce riders for years: the CHP and
the entire pollce establishment are the
most od1ous, most despicable enemy we
face. Like cops eVerywbere, their concern 15 with hardtim~peoplewbowou1d
ratber not have to dirty ICl their llves
with tile presence at the pigs, ever
anxious to keep llP their pinch quotas and
f1l1 the coffers w1tb the booty trom their
be1sts; that they .oouId-or could-~rve
IUIY useful purpose 10 society is not to
be considered. But tb1s 15 history, and
tile wretchedness at their nature is widely known.
Tbat the Forest Service 10 Madera 15
assumlng the same Gestll,po practice,
boWlmIl', 15 mucb more trlihteD1nlr. It
is apparent that tile two b8oc1s of h1gb'lIII,YIIl8D - both supported by the pubUc
dollar - jo1oed forces to concentrate
their peculiar forms of. savagery, sad_
15m, and I».od1try OD a bapless grouP of
cycle riders wbo8e only error was 10
~ to enjoy themselves 10 an era and
state domlnated by bureaucracy, rlltPllatiOD, and "lawn order" pigs. ODe
would tblnk the CHF oWDed the rllllds
and tile Forest Service held twe to tile
forests; wbo 10 bell paid for the domaJo
wb1ch tIley take such pleasure 10 relgoloc, to the detriment of tile pubUc?
Why should motorcycllsts try to impron their tmaee, run socially acceptable events, and co-operate 10 ieneral
with tIIB power structure? Maybe they'd
be be:ter off burDlDg tile damned forest
to tbe ground, therelJY giv1ni the' Fores!
Service sometblng to do besides tear
down markers. Then watch the olnkers
run to save their baconl
PAUL WA'M'S
Fresno, Cal.
Editor's Comment: Paul. your reeble.
sopbmorish attempt at iDdI vidulIIHy has
overtoaded your c_city to reallOn. Your
pllfllllOld blast at II society you very
11kely find impossible to adjust to contains DOtbmg o put
dowa
00
peper.
SHINING KNIGHTS
We, of the Majestics M/C, wish to
pubUcly tbaok all of the members of tile
Koigbts M/C for their many hours of
bard work before and during our overDiiht Hawa1lao Tour on the Colorado
River OD October 25 and 26, 1969.
It is people Uke this who are always
ready to help when asked that make organized motorcycllng the great sport
that it 15 today.
MICKEY ATKINS
Referee
Majesties M/C
Diamond Bar, Cal.
KAIASAKIMANUALIIHERE
ARE YOU?
After reading Mr. Carlson's letter
(Nov. 4 issue) all I can say 15 B.S., no
answer would bave been better. Alter
read1ni it I bad to write.
Alter Iluy1nc a used 238 Kawasald and
tbeIl dolDi some clIecklniaround, I'm not
quite sure I !Dade tbe right move.
The first deller I checked with was 10
No. Cal. As far as IUIY manual went,
"DOlle existed". I couldn't beUeve itl
So I thoupt when I get back to L.A.
I'll cbeck. Surely 10 the hotbed of M/C
lndustry there must be a manual.
So on to another dealer, the same answer. "Are you kidding?" he said. I
asked him wIiat be meant. "Well, they
m1ght malte bitc~ boats and airplanes
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~[E~1f
but the motorcycle end of ble neal needs
beJp!' His malo iI'1Pe was ava.1lab1llty
of. parts.
The last straw was drawn this week. I
just phoned a Kawasald dealer andasked
. if he would be open at 5 p.m. He saId I'd
better check with the parts department
to see if they had tile parts I was after.
I checked and they didn't.
The last and flnal blow came when I
asked if I could get the new "All Service
Manual". He saId tb1s was the first he
bad heard of it. He added I mliht try
writing tile factory. Wowl There seems
to be a communicatloo gap here some-
wbere.
I am not writing tb1s to poke fun at the
Kawasa1d Corp. beCause they do have a
good product. I only hope tIley wW get
at! their butts and get rid of their small
time tI1lnIdDlt.
CARL SKOV
Los Angeles. Cal.
WILL FLAT TRACK SWAN OUT
11TH THE GOLD STARS?
I enjoy Dewitt Thuett's reporting and
his coverqe of the Ascot NatioDal. His
editorial comment on the "Swan Song
of the 500's" 15 some~ eIsl! again.
Better be should give more credit to
DIck KeIm for putting three of them 10
the FlnaI. When baS this been done in a
National before? And they have a displacement disadvantllie to boot. Where
would flat tracklng 10 general and Ascot
10 part1cular be without the Gold Star
and other 500 s~les?
It's no co1ocldence that the ill-advised, safety-compromi~ change 10
displacement formula has driven riders,
tuners and race fans aI1ke a way from
the ovals. Where we once saw a blend
at skill and finesse between man and his
machlne. Now there is brute borsepower, .which most Amateurs and some
new Experts can't handle, stripplng our
sport of its style and grace. No wonder
we see the swing to speedway raclni
where the competition is still betweer
1odividuals.
On wonders if the AMA competitior
committee w1ll erase their mistake before it's too late .•.or was Dewitt's Swan
SoRi statement a prophesy of Ascot and
class C AMA competition en toto.
TRUX BALDWIN
Was~n, D.C.
Bookkeeper•••••• Susan lIbJlelaw
Lab TechnIcian••...• LUi Lakich
Receptionist•••••. Su:lilee Evans
Published weekly except the first
and last w ek of the calendar year
by Cycle News. [nc .. Post Office
Box 498, Long Beach, Califomia,
also publishers of Cycle News East.
Second Class Postage paid at Long
Beacli. Calif.
"rI\toriai stories. cartoons, photos,
etc. are welcome. Write for information. Addressed, stamped envelope
assures return of editorial matter.
ReprintlOg in whole Or in part only
by permisslOn of the publishers.
Advertising rates and circulation in·
formation will be sent upon request.
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URGES WASHINGTON ACTION
On Oct. 17, the State SllPreme Court,
by a 7-2 vote decided that the citizens
of Washington must wear helmets under
the notion that "10 prescribing the police
power all that is constitutionally required of the legislature is that a state
of facts can reasonably be conceived to
exist whicb would justify the legislation". This theory would justify any
legislation whatsoever.
We are first golng to file apetitionfor
rebearlng before the State SllPreme
Court; once we have the final decision
(whicb I assume will be unfavorable),
we will request the U.S. SllPreme Court
to take the case. We are circulating a
petition to the Gtate SllPreme Court demanding a rehearlng; anyone 10terested
10 signlng is urged to write to me. Also,
persons 10terested 10 lettlnc the court
know their reaction to the rullng sbould
write the court. I admit that this is an
unusual tactic, but the time has passed
for belng nlnce - the court by its decision has failed 10 its responsihUlUes
to the citizens.
JACK ZEKTZER
6309-1/2 18th N.E.
Seattle, Wasb. 98115
WAS IT 10RTH IT?
I am writing this letter to let the person that hit my brother and two othel
men at a local track know that as of
now one man has passed away because
of the accident and my brother will not
walk for a year. The tbtrd man will
have to waIk on crutches for some time.
I bope that extra wheelle was worth it
to you.
BOB EWING
Hesperia, Cal.
THANKS AND THANKS AGAIN!
I sbould have sent tbts note right after
I returned from the Jackass Enquro, but
belng 14 and not too sharp at composing
letters, it took me a while. I need to tbanlt
ble Foothill Hawks clean-llP crew for
towing my bike to the main highway after
it seized llP on me and refused to continue the race. Needless to say I was
very disappointed as I had almost completed 3/4 of the Enduro and was dolng
qulte well time wise. I knew my dad,
who is my mechanic, pit crew, 111 rooter
would really wonder what haPPened to
me when I didn't show llP at the next gas
stop (Trona, on way back to base camp).
It seems that a guardian angel, 10 a pickICl truck, who called himself "AMA
Best Wheels Put AMA Forward
By Chuck Clayton
COLUMBUS, OIDO, Oct. 27, 28, 29, 1969 - Casting off the last shackles of the
past, the American Motorcycle Associstion l s second Competition Congress thrust
the AMA firmlY 1oto the forefront of world motor'cycllng at Its annual rulemaldng
meeting.
In a three day marathon session at Columbus the Congress:
Heard executive director WilI1am Berry announce that the AMA has agreed to coatt1l1ate with Motorcycle International Committee, U.S. (MICPS) as the United States
representatives to tile world sanctionlng associstion, F .I.M.
Repealed tile sportsman rule ma.1dDg it an offense to particiPate in non-AMA
sanct100ed events.
Extended the 750Cc displacement llmit to 10clude overhead valve or overhead cam
englneS 10 AMA road raclng.
Esiabllsbed a new class1f1cation by engine type for road raclng.
Establlshed a set of road run rules and broadened the use of tour awards.
Reverted tile number of polnts needed to advance to a Enduro Class hack to 100.
Ellmlnated mandatory gas stops 10 road races.
Chanced tile standard purse system for professlnnal races to give promoters a
choice of percentage payoff or fixed purse.
Allowed professional riders to race in motocross and road races not sanctioned
by the AMA (subject to certain restrictions).
Set ICl rules for production road raclng and sidecar events.
Approved, or tentatively approved, forty-olne separate National Championship
sanCtions for 1970. Complete NatioDal calendar w1ll be publlshed 10 CYCLE NEWS
next issue.
As the AMA enters the decade of the 1970's approac~ its Golden Anniversary
(the Association will be 50 years old 10 1973), the AMA officers and delegates to the
Competition COlliI'ess are to be commended very blgbIy for the recent outstanding
progress the Associstloo has made.
Slncle copy price. • . . • . . . • . 2:>~
Subscnption: one year 2nd class
mall ..•..•.•.•••.•• '., 57.:>0
NATIONAL AD DIRECTOR
••••••••••• Thomas R. Culp
Cycle News (WesU, P.O. Box
498. Long Beach, Calif. 90801
(213) 427· 7433 L.A. 636-8844
Telex No. 67-3414
EASTERN ADVERTISING
Paul Cosner
Cyell Nlws East
P.O. Box 13, Amherst, Ohio 44001
Tel. (216) 984·2433
2~ 3449 Tell' No.
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Boss" gave me a utt back to camp. I'm
very grateful, thanks, Mister. You asked
me not to give up racing because of this,
well, I couldn't ever, as I've been hooked
on this for some time.
Also, Cycle News printed an article
some time ago written by a cOllPle of
boys who felt their dad was "it". Too
bad I couldn't have written that "ode"
for my dad, llecause that's exactly the
way tbtngs ar'Ii> for me. You know Dad,
someday I will w1n a trophy for the two
of us and you'll be so proud of me. It'll
make llP for all those hours of "night
mecbantc duty", long drives to the middle of some desolate spot 10 the desert
and disappolntments we've shared. You'll
also reallze that all the cussing at the
Honda, me and tbe tratt1c will be some
of the most wonderful bours and days
we've ever bad together.
Thanks, Dad.
MARK ADENT
Calabasas, Callt.
SHE'S A BEAR. THE NEWSPAPER
BUSINESS
.
I am very disappolnted that you have'
evidently chOSeD to sacr1f1ce accuracy
and coverage for speed of dellvery.
As we sponsor Dick Mann and be 15
directly 1ovolved with the development
of the Ossa and Yankee motorcycles, you
can certainly see why the appearance of
a one-year-old picture of Dick riding a
Greeves at Carlsbad does no~ at all
for Yankee Motor ComPIUIY.
This plus the fact that Dick Mann and
Bob Thompson were the only twoAmericans on 250Cc motorcycles that were
able to get 1oto the top ten places leads
me to beUeve 'that Cycle News' reporting
leaves something to be desired.
KENNETH D. CLARK
Vice President
Yankee Motor Co~
Schenectady. N.Y.
Editor's COllllllent: Mr. Clad< _ks of
our Pepperell story which ran In the Oct.
28 issue. Our IUm didn't make lie eros&'
country joumey in the few bours between
race time and pres time.
CLEAR IT UP
I want to clear llP a few ml5takes 10
the Bay Mare Motocross story by Dave
Smead in the October 21 issue. Either
Dave wasn't there or he must have been
smoking the peace pipe.
First error - 10 tile 125 Senior dlvtsioo, Larry Shoemaker won the first
Moto with no mechanical failure. It was
Jim DawSon who bad mechanical trouble
and dropped back. Larry Shoemaker won
the second Moto and Jim Dawson was
second. The story states Joe Veillon was
second but that was another error. 10
the third Moto Jim Dawson was firstand
Larry Shoemaker was second.
10 the 250 Senlnr class Dave really
blew it. Larry Shoemaker won all three
Matos. Jim Dawson was second 10 all
three Motos and Jim Nickelson was third
in all three Motos.
Please Dave, just the facts from now
on.
TRACY SAYLOR
Canoga Park, Cal.
LAST CHANCE ENDURO BY
C,E,A, INC. ONl Y
Due to recent confusion caused by similar club names I would Uke to clearlfy
the following. There is absolutelY no
connection or amuation be~ tile
California Enduro Assn., Inc. (C.E.A.
inc.) and the California Enduro Riders
Assn. (C.E.R.A.).
The C.E.A.Inc. 15 tile sole promoter
at the Last Chance Enduro which 15 to
run Dec. 7, 1969. The Last Chance Enduro is also 10 no way connected with
or atrUlated with the C.E.R.A .. The C.
E.A. Inc. was formed to promote one
event a year only, the Last Chance Enduro, and we are an AMA charted cloh,
District 37 approved and incorporated
as a non-prottt club.
DAVE HOLEMAN
President, C.E.A. Inc.
