Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

~CYCLE iNEWS "America's #1 weekly motorcycle newspaper. You'll always see It FIRST In Cycle News!" A MOTORCYCLING HEART Effective January 1970 District 38 passed a regulation requiring riders to be 16 years of age. As a parent of an under age rider I wish to make comment about this Injustice. My son, Marc Barbani, recently turned 15 but has been racing two seasons. He Is always one of the "UP front" riders and has won trophies, even though he rides a 1967 120cc Kawasaki In the 125cc Novice class. He has proven himself to be a very capable and conscientious rIder, In fact, Marc Is a beautiful rider. He takes the jumps like an Impala and corners like a cheetah. His heart makes the sound of a motorcycle reving UP Its engine which will carry him to victory. Publisher•.•••••••• Charles Clayton Business Manager••••• Sbaron Clayton General Manager•.••••••••Tom Culp Advertising Manager••••.•Paul Cosner Feature Editor• ••.•••••• Terry Pratt Assistant Editor••••.• Gael Buchanan Circulation Manager•••.• Bruce Easley Circulation Assistant..... Eleanor Duke Production Manager.•..• ••Lilt" Lakich . Lab Technician••....••. /Jim Brooks Production Assistant..••. Jerry Owen Bookkeeper..... '. . . ", 8usan Whitelaw Want Ads .•.•...•..•Suzilee Evans Published weekly except the first and last week of the calendar year by Cycle News, Inc., Post Office Box- 498, Long Beach, California, also publishers of Cycle News East. Second Class Postage paid at Long Beach, California. Editorial stories, cartoons, photos, etc. are welcome. Write for information . Addressed, stamped envelope assures return of editorial matter . Reprinting in whole or in part only by permission of the publishers. Advertising rates and circulation information will be sent upon request. Single copy price •••••••• 25¢ Cycle News (West), P.O. Box 498, Long Beach, Calif. 90801 (213) 421-1433 L.A. 636-8844 Cycle News East and National Adver· tlslng Information: Thomas CUlp..Natlonal Advertising Dlr. 2499 Cerritos Ave. Long Beach. Calif. 90806 (213)427.7433 or636-&844 Telex 67-3474 Northern Office 1470 Broadway, Walnut Creek, Calif. (415) 934-1995 Subscription: one year 2nd class mall ••• $7.50 that many of the people who put them In office don't want their sport damaged or severelY restricted. In a recent conversation with Russ Sanford, the organizer of Motorcycle Owners, Riders, and Enthuslasts,I made the mistake of asking why MOREwas not concerned with road riders. I was prompt ly Wormed that MOREwas vitallY interested in all forms of motorcycling from the trail plodders to the road smokers. It turns out that not ouly Is MOREtrying to keep our natural wildlands open for us, but It Is fighting to keep us from being forced to ride with helmets. 1 wouldn't ride without my helmet, but that Is MY CHOICE. I don't want to be forced to wear a helmet or boots or a seat belf., voice. To remove such love from the racing field Is a sin. Why tell a boy like that he can't race until next year ? Our famlIy has been attending the races since Marc started and the only accidents we have seen Involved older riders. Never once have we seen a young rider hurt so this can't be the reason for the age change. All of we parents signed a waiver when our children started to race, now after two years they stop them - Why? Please find out what reasons Dist. 38 gave for establishing an age limit? Please remember men - these youngsters are your racers of tomorrow. Stand behind them - not against them. JACQUIE CASTILLO Chula Vista, Cal. District 38 is following the nation wide rule set by the AMA governing 16 year oIds. The ruling was presented. voted and approved by the AMA Competition Congress in October of 1969. All AMA districts are affected by the regulation ...Ed. EVEN EXPERTS CAN EXPECT THE FACTS I appreciate your printing a picture oi me In your newspaper (Cycle News, Dec. 23). However, National 87 did not pass me here. This picture was taken during the heat race. I beat Brelsford in the heat race and in the Semi. As a Novice rider I feel you should get your facts straight. If It wasn't for Novices, there would be no race program. JERRY BAUGH Sacramento, Cal. Perhaps It was Brelsford's determined look and hard riding that made us think that he got by just after that picture was taken. That was a fine job of racing, Jerry. to bold off the hard charging Brelsford... Ed. M.O.R.E. WORKS FOR ROAD SMOKERS TOO About a year ago, I Joined the Trail Bike Sportsmen's Association and became aware of the club'S concern with the adverse legislative control that has hung darkly over all motorcycle sportsmen. One of the clubs' officlals became so concerned about the impending legislation that threatens us that he decided to organize as many cyclists as he could to fight other interest groups like the Sierra Club. The idea of the club Is to awaken the state legislators to the fact or whatever others decide Is bestfor me. Vv'hat I am trying to bring out here is that MOREshould be getting support from road riders. We are the ones who have a lot to lose by not being organized. MORE offers the chance to get organized. All we must do Is join and support MORE. Joining MORE entails filling out a general Inrorrnatton sheet and one ' dollar. In turn, the organization will act as a lobbyist for motorcyclists rights in the state legislature. Now, It remains to be seen whether the motorcyclist Is going to sit by while nonmotorcyclists control his sport; or, whether he will use this legislative representation to Insure that his sport remains the way he wants . It to be. GARY DIEHL Sacramento, Call!. M .O.R.E. From The Capitol is a CYCLE NEWS Column written by M.O.R.E. President Russ Sanford. Ills reports about motorcycle legislation and whatM.O.R.E . is doing to bring represeetauonjo cyclists should be of interest to all riders. MORE's address Is P.O . Box 26062, sacramento, Cal. 95826...Ed. REGURGITATION After waiting two weeks while you were on Holiday leave 1 eagerlY opened the January 20th issue and was enjoying everything until 1 reached page 10. Would you believe that John Shedd's article casually mentioned Gary Baileys name 17 (yes, s-e-v-e-n-t-e-e-n) times In . the one short article? It is enough to make the reader vomit to read of one so conceited as Bailey as to enter events In his own spectacular and then have the unmitigated gall to have his personal press agent plaster his name all over the article. As a foot-note . you will notice that no mention was made of. the Junior riders who put on a fine show and were the ones that really made the Ascot Moto a success. JACK MANNING Tarzana, Cal. Although not accustomed' to readln g with a tally counter In my hand, I went back over the Ascot story and found that your figure of 17 Is quite correct (actually it is 19 If you count the headline and the photo caption). Gary Bailey's name Is certainly predominate In the story , but with wins in two classes, a trip to the duck pond and beln'g co-promoter of the event who Is to say that he wasn't predominate In the action as well. The Baileys do retain a professional press release writer for the promotion of their events but it Isn't John Shedd. Sbedd Is paid by CYCLE NEWS for his coverage. Vour point about the lineage given the Juniors is well taken but a good portion of the Ascot space Is devoted to pictures of Juniors that would have been crowded out by a longer story. While you were name counting. Jack , I'm surprised you didn't notice that Jim Wllson. who won bu t one class had 12 mentions. I'm glad that didn't upset you too ... Ed. Floyd Clymer Passes Away cal Books Relating to Automobiles & Motorcycles." . Floyd Clymer died Instantly of heart Arter selling and distributing many fallure while working at his desk in his famous brands of automobiles and moWest Los Angles home last Thursday torcycles In Colorado, Floyd, already a evening. He had grown up along with famous motorcycle racer, moved to Los motorcycling and the automobile, and Angles In the 1930'S and opened a mailwas for the past 26 years their bestorder parts business. Never satisfied known historian. His death came as a with only one line of endeavor, he also shock to all who knew him, for Floyd had promoted motorcycle races in the Los never seemed in better health or spirts. Angles area. , He never smoked or drank alcohol in his One of the ClYmer stories that I love whole 74 years, and wbile he often drove tells of how he was introduced at old a hard bargain, he was scrupulously Gllmore Speedway as a former "famous racer." Some of the lads in the pits honest in business. I first met Joseph Floyd ClYmer in expressed, loudly enough for Floyd to 1957 when he needed an editor for Cycle hear, their doubts of his ab1llty on the Magazine and I, fresh out of college, two wheeled tracks. A challenge was announced my willingness to start at any accepted (probably there was a side bet salary. Floyd took me at my word and I in there someplace), ClYmer in his 50'S worked for him one year at a salary at the time, borrowed one of the racing "Nh1ch, even in those days was considered bikes and, necktie and coattails flying, went out and set fast time for the eveextremelY modest. In that year Floyd taught me nearly ning. Asked if the story was true many everything I know about publishing, and years later, Floyd said It was, but though I left him for a competitor, which modestly added, "the really fast boys soon folded, as Clymer predicted they weren't there that night."_ would, we remained good friends. Gifted with total recall, Clymer's In those days, Clymer didn't forsee reminiscences sounded like carefully much of a future for motorcyclcing. His researched histories. He could rememyears as a dealer, racer and distributor ber everybody'S name that he ever met, for many famous brands had taught him and many things about them 'that they that "the motorcycle fever" was some- probably had forgotten themselves. He thing a few young men caught in their ' would retell whole conversations word youth and got over in two years. Weused for word, with the slang of the time to argue this contention whenever we peppering the dialogue, met. In recent years Floyd changed his His business habits used to drive view, even to the extent of lending us emplyees to distraction. Whenever his money to start this newspaper. office would plle UP with the letters and Of all his many claims to fame, Floyd documents that he received from friends ClYmer was proudest of the many famous and associates, all around the world, friends and acquaintances he had formed Floyd would simplY move into another in his years of business, promotion and office, surrendering the former one to publisbing. Floyd'S close friends would the clutter, and everyone had instructions fill a Who'S Who, including Dwight D. not to disturb the old haunts. Floyd could Eisenhower, Eddie Rickenbacker, Or- rummage briefly through the apparently ville Wright and former Chief Justice haphazard plle of papers on one of his Earl Warren. If he had any enemies, we dUSty old desks and come UP with whatnever knew of them, for Floyd never ever he was looking for in moments. said an unkind word about anybody. Now Floyd ClYmer is gone from this His fascinating anecdotes flU many world and our sorrow is for us, the volumes of reminiscences, published' survivors. His departure had diminished along with his famous "Motor Scrap- this planet by a great measure. With books," Floyd was born the son of a him, an era died, that had seen the country doctor In Berthoud, cote; in automoblle change from a novelty, to a October, 1895. His father purchased a uecesstty and flnally a nuisance. The new 1902 curved-dash Oldsmoblle which heritage he left us In his more than two young Floyd immediately learned to hundred published books and his remarkdrive. By age 11 he had sold several of able collection of antique cars, motorthe cars and blUed himself as "The cycles and memorab1lla will live long World'S Youngest Automoblle Dealer," after him. displaying a flair for the superlative He Is survived by his wife Meryl, a that was to continue with him the rest of son about whom little Is knowand several his life. The sign on his building at 222 thousand grieving friends. Funeral serN. Virgll Ave. in Los Angeles reads, vices are Tuesday, Jan. 27 at the Wee "World'S Largest Publlsher of Hlstorl- Kirk In Forest Lawn, Glendale, Call!. By Chuck Clayton

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