Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

~. An Evening Wit. B.d Eiins (Continued [rom page 7) '" ct. en closely this time." ~ Col ~ Col ."J U ;..., U I had about run out of questions about the trials and, with the arrival of more drinks the conversation became less stilted and bounced easUy from topic to topic. Bud's daughter Suzie came out and sat with us for a wbUe, very quietly. Bud told some tales of the Bronson show. I thought that Bud's favorite Bronson show would be the one in which he had done so much that was centered about a desert race. Surprise. His favorite was the one in which Keenan Wynn played an old man with an ancient motorcycle. From there he went on to tell me of his owh collection of old motorcycles. He showed me a beautiful chest in which he was keeping rider's manuals and shop manuals for machines long out of production. Some had cost him $30 and $40. Somehow we started taIk1ng about the EuroPean motocross riders, some at wIlom stayed with the Eldns. Bud's wife, Betty, remarked that they were very similar in behaVior and attitudes to Bud wilen he was learning the motocross in France 18 or 20 years agoJ asked if they were able to discuss anything with them, like wbat their llfe Was llke in Czechoslovakia. They said no, that there was no common language at all, just a lot at smUes and gestures. The riders had no money at all, so the Ekins took them to Disneyland and Marineland. Having the RUSTY BRADLEY: National Amateur Winner . . . 1. DaYtona. Fla. - 1DO-Mile R"ad Race - 3170; 2. Talladega. Ala. lOO-Mile R"ad Race - 5170; 3. t"ud"n. N.H. - 60-Mile R"ad Race - 6/70. young riders there :was obviously one at the high points at the previous year. This year Mrs. Eldns was very much looking forward to the trials because it meant that she would get to see an old friend, Mrs.-Eric Cheney.As they reminisced, I began to put together a picture. Bud Eldns, businessman, stuntman, promoter at himself, successful, somewbat cynical, tough, the guy wIlo had it made. No reason for him to rlde the Six Days Trials, expec1allY at his own expense. But co-existing with that guy was another one, the one wIlo married Betty, grew uP in the sport, loved it, loved machines, loved people and tried to put the U.S, on the motorcycling map. That picture helped to clear uP some things, l1ke how Bud could see crummy stuff that was done on the Bronson show and stW have the perspective to recognize something really gOod; how he could see all the politicJdng and chicanery thatsurrouods the Six Days Trials, look at It honestly, and still see enough good in it that he would continue to ride in it with a broken leg (which he dld , one year). I asked Bud' how much at a factor luck was in the Six Days Trials. Bud didn't really believe in luck. ' ,You usually make your luck," he said. "1 lost my Gold one year when I took my gear box apart to free the selector. It I'd known my machine as well as I should have, I'd have known that I could just tap the gearbox with a rock to free it. The last time, Steve McQueen didn't finish because he crashed. But the real reason he was out was beca~e he broke'll chain. It jammedand it took him ten minutes to repair it." (I winced, th1nk1ng at the chain I broke in a sandwash. It took me a tull half hour to fix it.) "There's only two elements in the Six Days Trials," says BUd, "the bike and the rider. We've got bikes as good as any in the trials. Now the riders have got to learn the skills and discipllne necessary to win and then go over there and apply it. And one other thing," he said, the only time I felt myself really meeting those .kind at pale blue eyes, , 'you never, never quit." That's not the businessman talking, that's the guy that loves motorcycles and wins gold medals. BEACH CITIES CYCLES SOUTHERN ORANGE COUNTY MOTOCROSS HEAOQUARTERS Husqnna - Yamaba - Greens HOIIlIa ACCESSORIES -SPECIAUSTS 525 N. EI Camino Real Calif. 92672 £114) 492-6141 san Clemente, Area DISTRIBUTORS Wanted * Boots * leathers * Gloves * Tuned Ellbaust * Reeds * Chopper Items * Other BN SUPPLY 1 . EI Cajon BI. la Mesa, Calif. 114/4&5-1321 EDDIE MULDER: National Expen Winner . Sante Fe Park, III. - 25-Lap TT Race 2170. These top stars demand the best they chose Suco Safety Helmets for performance proven protection. See why more pro.fessional races are going to Suco Safety Helmets. send 25 cents handling cost for 1970 catalogue of the complete Sueo Cycle Accessory line. • ; I BUCO PRODUCTS 2400 FISHER BLDG. DETROIT, MI. 48202 Easy Writer "When tell1ng a story, start with a word that begins with W," wrote my favorite humorist Robert Benchley. Well, wbat worth writing was witnessed recently? How about the way motorcycle parks are spr1ng1ng uP in America? Since Saddlehack started publicizing the pay-as-you-ride concept of land usage perhaps two dozen similar schemes have started In Georgia, MIchigan, Ohio, North & South California and New York. It seems llke a good deal for everyone. The landlord gets his taxes paid and if he's lucky, breaks even, wbUe the bike buff gets' maintained facilities to· ride at, make noise and get it on. Fine as the -theory is, it has encountered some rough going most places. What starts as a place catering to fun- rlders soon finds.. that most motorcycle familles know lots at better places to ride for nothing so the:parks soon come to rely on sporting promotions to fUl their par~ lots. Race~ks. they are, where t\1e spectators are allowed to ride their motorcycles too. Recreation combined with entertainment equals show business on wIleels. Everybody gets into the act. Now Bob Batley has refined the idea further with his Cycleland, wIlere semi-toserious motocross practice is the game, with sidellne attractions and convenience added to the offering. I rode my shiny old Beezer to Cycle1and before it opened to have a look around. Nobody was there, it was deserted. Next to the rundown mintature golf course, a bombed-out looting streetcar. The neat motocross track was llned with new snow fence that rippled over the grassy greens at a laDkruPt golf course. It may not have seemed llke much to the golfers, but it looks llke motorcycle heaven to me. I know I'd much rather putt around on a scooter than with a llWe ball. It's l1ke your hack yard would be if you were a fast rough riding buff and you bad a m1ll1on dollars (if -you are reading this 10 years from now, make that two mWton dollars). Rldlng around the corner of Victoria and Figueroa to get a better view at the course I was startled to come uPon "Pet Haven Cemetery & Crematorium," one at L.A.'s casual mindblowers right there on the corner at Batley's loti Bemused by the inscriptions uPOD the final resting place at the earthly remains at pets, mascots, surrogate people lavishly sepulchered and flower bedecked, with today American flags, remtnding me that it's 4th at July 10 South L.A. Wow. I rode away home, past the laVish looIdng clubbouse, the paved parldng lot, the giant sign in the sky that Ascot clatmsit can't afford that wUl soon say "Cycleland." Batley has it all together, we fervently hope. NEXT WEEK: "CYclecology", A New Concept 10 Motorcycle Parks. -scram6Dn' around' By Maureen Lee Well, this is one at those doubled uP columns so we have quite a btt to comment on. For a COuPle at weeks we got out on the motocross circuit and did a btt at viewing. We'll say one thing, if you haven't popped over to View the CMC's Thursday night one at Ascot you've missed a good show. I have never, but never, seen so many riders go in the pond and have a feeling that. at night events their eyes don't adjust quickly enough to save them from that fatal plunge, and they can't see well enough at speed to react in time. Don't think I feet it's funny when a bike goes in deep water, I'd sit and cry my eyes out if mine did but it's tunny serious and really brings in the spectators. Then naturally we went to Saddlehack for the 4th at July (and remember if it wasn't for the British you wouldn't have that National holiday even if we did get the socks beaten off us at the timer) and watched part at that. However, the heat was so intense and since we dldn't have the assignment we split, and early! The heat didn't bother a lot at theAmericans to a drastic degree but Alan Clough and Arthur BrowniJig looked a bit done in, especially Arthur. It you ever get the chance to meet Arthur. do, he is a PATRACO HI-PERFORMANCE EQUIPMENT PO IIIx2&l1, Palos Verdes Pen., Calif. 90214 IIELCOM I ISINI , ••,1970 Is REI£011I 10_ YAMAHAS 2·'" IIUIT 'AlII( ·TIlIIE \l,",UIAHGI '",IUY"""'.."O.,UO "at .... n'.lls s", Parts;.-Service & Access. "n" , MfllOU GEftE H. MYERS YAMAHA IITIIESTEI! 4151 Redondo Beach Blvd_, LA_II, Ca C\,..ti\ j2Ul 1i42-484T ar.."". " . character and a half, not the least ~e Dave Bickers and Bryan Wade, or good old Jeff Smith. Our feelings about that event was that most at us know it is a promotional thing, most of the European riders stW have many commitments for the rest of the season on the Continent and, oh brother, it hur ts to see them flying around and to know they are Just "play'ing." It's sad but true that America is getting there but it' 5 going to be a longer struggle than many people thought it would be. Dragging out our famous liWe soap box I have a hunch that the best riders America wUl produce wUl come from the wetter sections of the country, not from our hard slick tracks although on their own tracks the Southern Califor- nians excel on the hard sllck stuff. This was proved in the East- West series and although we've gotten into several (and at times heated) arguments about always including a mud section. Some of the riders snivel "Ob, it ruins your bike, etc." but that's wbat a motocross machine is buut for, rough, tough work and properly cared for, a bit at mud isn't going to hurt It, and America could produce a world champion in a few years if the courses were tougher. Bet Russ Darnell agrees on that. Wh, wasn't 80b ',Grossi on t.e West tea.? SIGN LANGUAGE 15 OUT I.".,••e'i•• I.,••,., ~_ a-... ~ s.....I CIMo~~. /II 0 $pc,"s.,........u. 04' N. '_lh $1, • D." ••• he ,, 'h 'O•• 2~$.162' '" s r •• NPG lUBRICANTS P.O. Box 2831 Mission Vie'o Ca.

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