Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1960's

Our survey questionnaire pub11sbed last summer, wII1ch so many ot you answered so well, hss been completed and the results tabulated. Five hundred and six survey questionnaires were talUed In ibis p1lot studY. These surveys were d1t11cult to tabulate because many ot the questions asked each Ind1v1dual to t1nd his own answers rather than giving blm a multiple choice or a "yes-no" answer. For example when we asked "what ce's do you ride? we received 39 dUferent sIZes In reply. When we asked for other hobbles we received more than flft;y dUferent avocations. The favorite riding areas llsted almost every open space In the state ot Callforntaand many In other stites. The fees suggested for riding ranged from notapennyto$25/yr. Our answers came from all across the United States, Europe and SontheastAs1a" Many ot you made spec1flc SlJ&gestlons or asked questions wII1ch we wish to answer as time permits. To all otyou we thank you for your time and efforl In replying to the questionnaire. There are some Impressive figures In the results with which we will work on the Legisla- ture. All ot the peoPle represented ride off- road, although many were also. street riding enthusiasts. 100% answered yes to the question "Do you ride or wish to ride off-the road?" 25% ride once a week. Another 20% ride "weekends" wII1ch may frequently be the same thing. 4% ride dally, 10% ride twice a week, 12% twice a month, 5% three times a month, 4% once a month and 8% ride as often as possible. 250cc Is the most popular sIZe bike, on and off the road. 35% of all otf-road b1Ites and 25% ot street bikes In the sur- are campsites. Trucks are used bY 72% of our riders to haul bikes, but not to the exclusion of trailers wII1cb are used by 36% (some use both), car racks and "vans" wII1ch accounted for 5% eacb. Z% ride their motocycles to their off-road areas and one rider uses a bearse for transportation. Riders will go great distances to ride sometimes but most prefer an area more accessible. One rider offered to go 6,000 mUes but 35% would like to go about 100 mUes for one day. 17% w1ll go 50 mUes and 14% will go 150. 8% w1ll go 200 and another 8% w1ll go only 75 miles. . For more than one daY,15%w1llgo 100 mUe~.I. 14% will go 150. 13% w1ll go 300 and lI10 place no 1lm1t on distance. In all, 85% of all respondents would 11m It travel for one day's riding to 150 miles or less. 63% would travel 300 miles or less to ride for more than one day. WhIle distances traveled were a very Ind1vidua1 thing, 88% agreed that they would l1ke to have an area In tbe1r Yic1n1t¥. Only 6% saJd they woakI not. 0rgan1zed r1d1ng 1a pqID]ar with 71% 01. the respondents, butprlvate riding was favored In 7Z% 01. the answers,lnd1cating that many people like both. 77% ask for traUs, 77% for cross country. 86% want bills, 51% flat, 6Z% ask for d1t11cult terrain, 74% Uke "In-between" and only 30% admit to 1lkIng .. easy" r1dlng areas. 91% like competition events. 68% want to partlc1pate and 49% want to watch, wblch again Ind1cates that many people like to do both. The choices of competition events were as varied as all the other cbolces. Motocross was a heavy favorite with 50'Y0. Enduros, desert and scrambles brought 20% each. Hare scrambles, hare and hound, trials, and TT's attractlO% eacb. Every competition event Imaginable drew some votes. 80% of riders are w1llIng to pay to ride, 14% definitely are not, 6% are not sure. Of these that are w1llIng, the fee varies greatly. 30% chose $1 as a reasonable price. 23% more named $2, and 13%took $1.50. All together 70% were for $2 or less. 5% were w1llIng to pay $2.50 and 7%, $3. Many Interesting suggestions were Included, such as yearly fees as are charged at some lakes. The yearly fees ranged from $2/yr. to $25/year. One fee allowed for brlng1ng a guest. Other practical suggestions were fees per truck or traUer of bikes, lesser fees for children who ride and dUferent fees for large and small bikes. 21% of all riders considered motorcycles to be their total rl!C1"eation. 14% constdered it to be 90%; 1%% saJd 80%. In all, 95% of those answering CODSidered motorcyc11ng to be ooe au or more 01. their recreational act1Yit;)'. 68% did all their motorcyc11ng offroad, and 8'7% considered 3/4 or more ot their motorcycle sport as off-road riding. Nearly all riders (91%) both single and famUy peoPle, coDS1der motorcycling a family activit;)'. Only 5% spec1t1ca1ly stated that they did not want the fam1I7 along. 74% of those replying said that they would ride more If they bad a couventent area wII1cb they knew was an.1lable. Several who Uve away from the cities replied that they presently have ample convenient space. A rider from the East wrote wistfully of the Western desert. Of the chosen riding area, many bad been told they could not ride there, m&IIY others bad not. Some bad been told that they could not ride In the same areas wbere others rePorted r1dlng regularl1 without Interference. Many riders do not know who owns the land they ride on and many more beUeve it to be owned bY the U.S. Government when In fact the areas they mention are privately owned. ThIs Is not surprising as the U.S. Government doesn't even know exactly what land it owns! The largest single bobby Interest after m/c1ng was bunting andflsblng,generally grouped together. Camping was next most popular and water siding came tblrd. Many listed several bobbles. About 10% said they bad no hobby other than motorcycles. SLOAN'S NO SLOUCH I BULTACO STORMS ASCOT vey are 260's. 10000 WGS tho DOxt m. u

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