Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

o ~ w Z w oJ o > o "American's No. 1 weekly motorcycle newspaper. You'll always see it FIRST in Cycle News'" Publisher . . . . Business Manager General Manager Advertising Manager Editor . . . . . . . Assistant Editor Circulation Manager Art Director .. Lab Technician . Advertising Asst. Bookkeeper Bookkeeper Receptionist Circulation Asst. Delivery Charles Clayton Sharon Clayton · . TomCulp · . Tom Walsh · Bob Sanford · John Bethea · Rheba Smith · . Uli Lakich .Diane Sosnoski · •. Ed Randell · Dorothea Lang · Eleanor Duke · . . Chris Pratt · Dorothy Apple · . Larry Groves Cycle News East, Dixie Cycle News, and National Advertising information: Tom Culp. National Advertising Dir. Cycle News (West), P.O. Box 498. Long 90801. (213) Beach, California 427-7433 - L.A. 636-8844. TELEX NO. 673-474 Subscription: One year 2nd class mail •......• $7.50 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, and Dixie Cycle News. Second Class Postage paid at Long Beach, Calif. Editorial stories, cartoons, photos, etc. are welcome. Write for information. Addressed, stamped envelope ~ssures return of editorial matter. Reprinting in whole or in. part only be permission of the publishers. and circulation Advertisi ng rates information will be sent upon request. Single copy price .....•.....•.• $.25 E FAULTV STA-RTER Please title my complaint as follows; ACAI PLEASE FIND ANOTHER. STARTER. In approximately November of 1969 I rode a moto-x at Ascot Park which required an ACA license. About six months later I finally received my card and last Sunday decided to get some of my money's worth and rode their moto-x at Saddleback Park. I arrived very early and looked around for a place to sign up but the officials seemed to be home in bed sleeping. About 9:30 they finally arrived and about another hour later we got to practice on a very poorly prepared track. At 11 :30 sharp there was a so-called riders meeting, and finally at noon the races were started, the time when most clubs are already starting their second motos. The 125cc and 250cc Junion rode two heat races and a combined main. After inquiring of three different officials, I found out that points in the heat races didn't transfer to the main. You just had to finish to get in the main and the place you .finished in the main was your overall standing. Dumb! Dumb! Dumb! I fmished 2nd in both of my heats and was ready to .start my third race. The starter picked up the flag and I started my machine. He tried to get fancy and stooped way d.own and pointed at riders whose hands weren't hiRh enough for about three minutes. .After two hundred continuous revs my plug finally quit and when my pit crew put in a new one the race was started. So even with my two second places I finish ed dead last. Well, I've learned my lesson. I'll never again ride an ACA race. I'm sticking to C.M.C. They know what they're doing. MIKE GARRETI Torrance, Calif. DUCATI-DESMO Regarding Frank Kolwicz's letter last week about the Ducati: If he had read more closely, he would have noted that the only reference made to the Ducati "Desma" was in stating that it was a fine engine. For the "Wonhop" article, it is stated the "250 model shown here". If this led one to believe it was a "desmo", I apologize for my inability to get this point across. I respect Frank for his interest in his brand and hope to acquire a 450 to do a tune-up article on in the near future. ROD BREAKER Los Angeles, Calif. BIG BEAR DIFFERENCe In response to the letter 'Bailey Honored?' in the Oct. 27th issue, I would like to add a few of my own comments. I'm only the wife of a guy who likes to race just for the enjoyment of doing it, which nowadays seems to be quite odd. But I do enjoy watching races and the people who race in them. I must say that the day of the Big Bear Motocross I learned quite a bit. I learned what a bunch of cry babies there are that are supposed to be "rough·tough motorcycle riders." A true racer should be happy to have the chance to try every kind of racing \ on every kind of track, not complain about the track (which wasn't Mr. Bailey's fault). So there's my gripe. I think they should worry more about whether they are able to ride such difficult tracks and different types of starts, etc., than about making such fools of themselves. I also noticed quite a few young, (14-15-16 year olds) giving it a try, along with a few girls. How about it boys? MRS. THOMAS C. MOCK Yorba Linda, Calif. BIKES 'SHAFTED' Geboers' Bikes Bagged SANTA FE SPRINGS, CALIF., Nov. 2, 1970 - The two works Suzukis of Sylvain Geboers were stolen from a locked van Sunday evening, it was leaJ'IRd today. ~ far as can be determined, the thieves drove the van about half a mile from the U.s. Suzki plant here and then removed all its contents, including the bikes, Geboen' leathers, tOOll, helmet, goggles and other personal items. The van had just returned from the race at Bay Mare where Geboers had raced, and it had not yet been unloaded. Police had no rePorted leads, but believe that the thieves do not know what they have. The other 370 works Suzuki is being shipped here from Atlanta, Ga. and is identical to the stolen machine, so ·the Belgian ace will (with luck) be able to continue his motocross efforts in the Inter-Am. Bud Parker, assistant service manager of U.s. Suzuki, said today that if the Suzukis were returned voluntari1y, no questions would be asked. The 250cc machine, which was ridden in the world championship has a value beyond its monetary value. If the thieves are caught, they will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law. The numbers on the bikes are: 250cc bike, engine, RN70360 N70-14 frame, NO-14. On the 370cc bike, engine, RH70250 HO-12, frame HO-9. Castrol GP Nears I am writing this lett~ to thank all of those people that stopped to help me after I had fallen into a mine shaft at the Shamrocks M.C. Hare Be Hound in LOS ANGELES, CALIF. - The Castrol California International Grand Prix, scheduled-November 21-22 at Orange County International Raceway, is shaping up to be "the biggest International road race in the Wes.tern Hemisphere," according to AFM official,Jim Manning. Top road race stars such as Gene Roniero, Rusty Bradley, Jody Nicholas, John McGillivray and Don Emde have already signed to ride, and there is a "pretty good chance" that Australian ace, Kel Carruthers will be on hand, Manning said. The AFM official also said that the largest number of sidecar entrj.es ever is expected and should reach more than 20 by race day. QuaIification for grid position will be held Saturday, with the feature races set for Sunday. Spectator admission is $3 on Saturday and $4 on Sunday. There is free overnight camping, and spectaton arriving on' motorcycles will be given free pit passes. BarStow. It happened on the fU'St loop of the race, approximately 15 miles out. I was riding about 100 yds. off of the main trail to stay out of the dust. I went over a small mound and the next thing I knew I was at the boltom of a 30 to 40 foot mine shaft. After the dust had cleared at the bottom of the shaft, I found that there was another bike down there besides mine. I thought I had landed on top of someone else, but a quick check revealed that I was the only one down there. I looked up to the top of the shaft and saw the bike's owner looking down asking if I was alright. He had come over the same spot I had just a few seconds before I did, but he was able to jump off his bike and land on the other side of the shaft. He stayed up there and waved the rest 'of the bik.es away from the shaft. All I needed was to have someone come down on top of me. A guy from the Antelope Ramblers M.C. stopped, saw what had happened, went back to the first check point, and was back within 5 minutes with some rope to pull me out of there. By this time about five more people had stopped to belp. We then lowered the guy from the Antelope Ramben down into the shaft by rope. He tied the rope to my bike and we were able to pull it out. All of this time more people were stopping to help. There were about a dozen people there all together. We lowered· the rope down again to the Antelope Rambler and he tied it onto the other bike. While we were raising this bike, the rope snapped and came down on top of him. Fortunately he wasn't seriously hurt, but I'm sure he has some pretty sore ribs right now. Well, we eventually got the bike out after having the rope break one more time (no one was at the bottom this time). I just want to express my deepest appreciation to all of those that stopped to help. It's really good to know there are people like this who will stop to help when they know someone is in trouble. I must Ic:ad a charmed life: After a fall like that, I only have a few scrapes and bruises. Once again, thanks everyone. AMA Takes Action. RANDY~BERG ,LOI Arigel'es, Calif. WORTIDNGTON, OIDO, Oct. 28,1970 - Following a recent precedent-setting legal success in the state of New Jersey, the American Motorcycle Association has decided to initiate a second suit challenging the authority of another of New Jersey's freeways where motorcycle traffic is prohinbed. In September of this year a New Jersey Superior Court Judge ruled that the Atlantic City Expressway's law banning motorcycles since 1967 was "arbitrary, capricious and unreasonablle," and ordered that signs prohibiting motorcycles be removed. The decision came at the conclusion of a two year court proceeding by 54 year oId motorcyclist Roland J. Ernst in which the sole expert witness was Michael F. Bondy, Vice President of the 120,000 member American Motorcycle Association. The time period in which the state may appeal this decision has lapsed, and the A.M.A. has decided to direct its efforts now toward New Jersey's Garden State Parkway where a similar ban motorcycles exists. Legal counsel for the American Motorcycle Association will engineer the case, and the Association will provide expert testimony and fmanc'ial support. 0'" Speedway Half-Miler GARDENA, CALIF., Oct. 30, 1970 - The spectacular fuel-burning speedway motorcycles, relegated to' smaller southland ttacks this season, get a chance to really open up as veteran dirt-tracker Sammy Tanner stages his second long-track speedway event on the rapKl Ascot Park half-mile clay oval Nov. 13. Highlighting the Friday night show will be Australian Speedway Champion, Jim _Airey of Wentworth,. Australia. Airey, pausing dn the U.S. to take in some speedway meetings before returning t.O his home for the summer season, is expected to perform excellen!ly o'! the 'big Ascot track. !he .captain of a First Division British League team, Airey, IS accustomed to the bigger and faster tracks and, barring mechanical ills, stands a good chance of picking up a big win. Airey, however, will have to face another top speedway rider: Rick Woods of Huntington Beach, the 1970 U.S. Speedway Champion. Woods raced at the Ascot speedway event last year and showed that the faster tracks suit him fine as he swept the show. Tanner has also signed up some top AMA talent: Tommy Rockwood, Paul Conserriere, Keith Mashburn, Jim Nicholson, all of whom are experienced at Ascot. Speedway Racing Association stars include Steve and Mike Bast, Mike Konle, Bill Cody, Dennis Gildehaus, Sonny Nutter and many more top names. Racing on the half-mile is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. and Tanner has conf'mned that motion picture star Yvette Mimieux will attend to present awards and trophies. EQropeanShorts..... Special from MOTOR CYCLE, England Have you heard about the 750cc three-cylinder, water-cooled, two-stroke Suzuki Roadster unveiled at a Tokyo show? It looks like a real monster. No details available except that red zone on tach starts at 7000 and the speedQ reads to 150 mph. Four exhausts, center pipe dividing into two. It also has fan-assisted cooling for traffic use. Eleven times British Trials Champion Sammy Miller is on the verge of losing his tide to Gordon Farley. Miller's Bultaco stopped with ignition trouble in the Pearce Simon Trials Sunday. Now he has to win the final round of series with Farley on a Montesa lower than tenth to take the tide for the 12th time. Greeves has a new ISDT bike with a 175cc Puch engine. Factory rider John Pease will test in Continental Events starting with the Dutch Two-Day European Championship round next weekend.

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