Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1960's

.. ... CIO CI> :: a.. CI) ~ ~ ~ PEOPLE-PLACE.$-THINGS ~ VETERAN MOTORCYCLE PERSONALITY HONORED AT RETIREMENT BANQUET -J U ;:..., U ,. AMERICAN EAGLE RACE TEAM ENTERS INTER-AM SERIES European champions they'll be challengSANTA ANA, CALIF. - The American Eagle raclng team, managed by Fred 1ng. Their b1kes feature an unusually broad Moxley, bas left CalUornia tbts week to torque range with high horsepower, In compete In the Inter-Am race series that opened In New England at Pepperaddition to the SUPerb handling characteristics typical of the American Eagle ell, Mass. The Inter-Am, most prestigious motomotocross machines. All three riders are compel1ng in the cross competition beld In the United 5'00 Sentor International class. They wU1 States, will feature the world's f1iIest be backstopped by the expert team of riders lncluding the current cbampion, mechanics, Ken Gardner and B11l BasArne Kr1ng, of Sweden. tian, whose skWs with the powerful American Eagle contract riders, Dave 405cc and 250cc Eagles are well known Smith and Tom Ledbetter from England, and Mike Runyard of CalUornia, are all on the circult. The Inter-Am series should attract seasoned motocross veterans fresh from over 200,000 motocross buffs during the their spectacular wins at Saddleback 13 events across the country. It wlndS Park. up in Southern CalUorn1a with races at Jack McCormack, president of the American Eagle firm, says tile trio has _ Westlake VUlage on November 30th and an excellent chance of unseating the at Saddleback on December 14th. DAYTON, OHIO, October 26th, 1969 Mr. and Mrs. Harry Kelley Sr. of Dayton, Ohio, were feted here today at a banquet in their honor, celebrat1ng their retirement from the motorcycle business. Over one hundred motorcycle dealers and their wives, along with representatives of the allied trades, former competition aces and executive members of the American Motorcycle Association were present. At the banquet, Harry Kelley Jr., who successfully operates a motorcycle accessory distribution business, KK Motorcycle Supply, took over the duties of MC and related a series of interesting events in the life of his father's motorcycle activities that spanned a period of fifty years. "JR" gave accounts of his dad's early racing exploits as well as the growth of Kelley Motors to a five state motorcycle operation In Dayton, both Harry Kelley Sr. and .. JR" praised the loyalty and efforts of Willy Wagner and Tommy Seymour who crosSed the Atlantic to join the technical and service staff of Kelley Motors in Ohio. "JR" took time out to lntroduce numerous guests, among them such famous competition riders as Art Hater, BW Tuman, Bobby Hill and Tom Hell. FriendS from wilb1n the industry included Robert Schanz and his wife, Paul Schlegel, President of the Motorcycle Dealers Ass' n. of Ohio, "Honest John" Mercer of Beck-Arntey and Walt von Schoofeld of BMC and Koni. AMA representatives lncluded Jules Horky and his wife, Jim Boyce and Charlie Watson. PROMOTIONS AT SUZUKI . U.S. SUZuki Motor Corporation bas named Frank H. Bedwell to the post of Controller and Masao Tan! to the position of Account1ng Manager. Mr. Bedwell was promoted from Asststant Controller after five years with U.S. SUZuki. His major responsibWt1es w111 be In the area of budget control, personnel adm1n1stration, lnsurance, tax preparation, financ1al management, and coordination of legal activities. In addition, Mr. Bedwell wU1 be responsible for prnvlding sophisticated management counsel to SuzuJd retail outlets. A bus1ness adm1n1stration graduate of the University of Southern Callfornia, Mr. Bedwell came to U.S. Suzuki from the post of Regional Credit Manager for Hunt Foods. Suzuki's new Account1ng Manager, Masao Tani, was promoted from Ass15tant Account1ng Manager. Mr. Tan! has worked at U.S. Suzuki for three years. By Darryl Skrabak St. Louis, Mo., where we are presently stopped for a day because of rain and fatigue. Our plans for riding west across Canada are scrapped - done In bY early snows. Also gone by the boards is our usual rule of avoiding freeways. We have left the back roads for the Interstates. In our travels we have found the Interstate system a marvelously etncient 92 PAGES-19G9 CATAlOG Equipment and modifications for Hodaka, Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Bridgestone, sachs .. others. VAN TECH 317 North Victory Boulevard, Burbank, Calif. 91502. (213) 842-4847. ence. There Is no challenge to the road, no turns, stops or unexpected drOps, no small towns or farms to admire. There is only the constant terrible wind, and the mUes from home stead1ly decreasing. With the necessity to beaut back home 'before winter really hits, the Honda is taking its hardest treatment. The tach 15 up around 7,000 rpm all day, and we can only hope the little 350 will bring us In without bursting. So far the englne 15 up to the taSk, with only a bad load of fuel slowlng us yesterday. Then the motor coughed and ran poorly, and we feared It had started to blow. But after roadSide checks revealed no mechanical or electrical malfunctions, we decided to dump the gas we had just bought and try another brand. The motor responded immediately. With great relief we resumed speed. In another part, however, the motorcycle 15 showing its mUes. The leftfront fork seal has given uP. The fork leg 15 shrouded In olly dirt as a result, and some oU has blown back onto the engine. At this polnt the broken seal 15 a disturbing but minor annoyance. We'll have to buY some for k 011 soon, and keep ref1ll1ng the fork leg as It bleeds its way home. To pay the hospital b11ls for a ch11d Injured at a motorcycle race, local Las Vegas cycle clubs rallied forces last month. The clubs held benefit races, donated funds and raffled off a motorcycle to help cover expenses for little Michael Williams, a 5-year-oid Las Vegas boy who was hit at a race at Nell1s Air Force Base. The boy suffered a massive skull fracture from the accident, butanoperation by Dr. John E. Relnert, a local neurosurgeon, removed the pressure on the brain. Michael w1ll now be able to walk, run and throw a ball again. Mlcheal's mother, Mrs. Bob WWiams, responded warmly to the much-needed help: "There are so many wonderful people in the local motorcycle clubs who helped with those expenses from Michael's accident. Each and everyone of them deserve a tremendous amount of thanks and praise for their efforts and they proved they are loyal friends," Mrs. Williams said. This motorcycle journey, having endured some two and a half months and more than 10,000 miles, is being brought to a sudden concluston. Amidst the first coid breath of wlnter, Judy and I are riding back home to CalUornia as fast as we can go. The pace is swift: In four days we have ridden across Vermont, New York, and the Niagara Penntnsula to Detroit; thence through Michigan, Ohio and Indiana to rDBh~ra.. see the country. With its roadways, signs, neat gas stations and restaurants common across the country, the Interstate system disguises the land into sameness: Georgia looks much 111:peri- LAS VEGAS RIDERS PAY FOR CHILD'S RECOVERY Blllldled up In h. cold w.ather prb, Judy cont.mplat.s the lone journ.y back to California across th. froz.n C.ntral U.S. Judy and the Honda art In a park across thtrlv.r from downtown Detroit which looms In the dlstanc•• ... means to get from one place to another In m1n1mum time; but it 15 no way to 'ACO flAIL 100 - Now, ......., .... .h•• 1 perform.r - $219.50. Oth.r ........ low .. $119.95. Kita'" en- ._. duKh. dMift.s.-•. 9S. s.NI2kfar 1Mo. ..aloe- $' BSA CO., LTD. FORMS U.s. CORPORATION An American subsidiary of Birmingham Small Arms Co. Limited of Great Britain has been formed by the merger of four smaller U.S. corporations. The new corporation, Birm1ngbam Small Arms Inc., will direct the U.S. sales marketing and distribution of BSA and Triumph motorcycles. Peter Thornton, president of BSA Inc. announced that officers for the new company have been chosen from the former subsidiaries.

• Cover