Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

,~~: : : : :=;~el§§.~I ~ w Z W ...J ~ tJ Assistant Editor . . Circulation Manager . Lab Technician . !!='I' Advertising Asst. ! Bookkeeper Bookkeeper Receptionist Circulation Asst. "AmeriCan's No. 1 weekly motorcycle Delivery newspaper. You'll always see it F,IRST in Cycle News'" WHAT! THEM? YOU MEAN In regard to Jim Wilson's remarks in Cycle News that he couldn't get Greeves parts or bikes. In the four years he has been riding this English bike, 1 can't recall that he missed many races. This young man is a great rider. He would be outstanding on any of the top five import motocross bikes. I now ride a Greeves. In my association with all the dealers where I purchased my bikes, parts and bikes were always available. It's sort of pitiful when any dealer carries the load in free bikes, parts, entry fees, etc., that to compliment his new sponsor, Jim Wilson attempts to give the public the impression that his eX-iponsor cannot furnish bikes or parts. RICHARD POWER N. Hollywood, Calif. If Wilson's comments about changing bikes came across as derogatory, it is, perhaps the fault of Cycle News and not that of the young rider. When queried about the change, Wilson was all but reluctant in giving a response. And when he did, it was stated matter-of·factly, and certainly with no intent to malign his fonner sponsor....ed. Charles Clayton Sharon Clayton · . ;rom Culp · .TomWalsh · John Bethea · Rheba Smith · Diane Sosnoski · .. Ed Randell · Dorothea Lang · Eleanor Duke · . . Chris Pratt . Dorothy Apple · Larry Groves Flagstaff bolds infrequent, badly planned TT's. Motocross is now limited to Manzanita Speedway in Phoenix, and a track in Tucson. The new track at Beardsley folded for lack of funds. Drag racing is big at Mel Larson's Sportsland Raceway, 10·miles wt',lt of Phoenix. Desert riding for kicks IS being limited by the Federal and state governments. As you know, more than 65 per cent of Arizopa is under government control. With the danger of fire and the ecology thing, bikes are being pushed off the park lands and onto private lands. The U.s. Forest Service officials I talked with here were evasive and said the bikes were being destructive to many forest areas, and that it was more or less up to the individual Rangers who look like the Smokey Bear type. In the city, bikes have been banned from off·the-road use of all municipal land (we have the world's largest municipal park). And the city council has forbade the use of any vacant lot by bikes because of the dust and noise pollution problem. I'm sorry that the tone of my report is so gLum, but Arizona is fast becoming a sorry plac.e to own a bike. RANDY D. BAILEY Phoenix, Ariz. I.S.D.T. INFORMATION MEET AN "UNKNOWN" I read your coverage of the ISDT in Spain recently and would like to know what I would have to do to enter the one next year in England. Also when and where it exactly will be? My intentions would not be to be on the American Gold Medal Team, but ratherto bea private entry. I plan to ride a 1969 360 Maico X4A. I won the 1969 cross country championship in the 500cc to 750cc class, cross country sportsman. Could you also send mo. any information available regarding special travel arrangements, cost, etc. Are there any special travel arrangements for just the riders, or any that would include the accom'panimen t of wives and families, or would I have to make my awn arrangements? RONALD A. RAASCH, AJ.A. Anchorage, Alaska It would be in tcresting to run some pictures of some "unknowns" in a few issues of Cycle News. I was at the Whiterock Inter·Am and I saw this guy doing DeCosters over jumps and all, just super natural. He's 15 years old, lives in Tiburon, California, and his name is Gilly Norman. He wasn't way DOESN'T LI KE OUR TESTS Gilly Norman (for Debbie). up front, but a lot of these kids just starting out (I fo!,nd out this was Gilly's 3rd race) really put on a show. I think we'll see them take hold of the top someday. Well??? DEBBIE SANDERS P.S. Hey, how about another North vs. South challenge? I mean seriously where everyone shows up. ...•...............................• ARIZONA RIDING SCENE. Arizona, there is TT racing at Manzy, and Beardsley near Phoenix. Slaughterhouse Gulch, located near Prescott (northeastern Ariz.) has a fine cinder covered track. In Tucson there is Tucsoll- -Speedway. To the north, Cycle News (West), P.O. Box 498. Long 90801. (213) Beach, California 427·7433 - L.A. 636-8844. TEl.EX NO. 613-474 , Subscription: One Yllllr 2nd class mail ......•. $7.50 Single copy price .•............. $.25 Photo credit for last week's: coverage of the Trans·AMA event at : Saddleback was inadvertently: omitted. The photographer: responsible for the high-quality: pictures appearing on page 16-17 : was Ron Szilagyi. : As far as racing goes in .......•..........•....................: -- 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 assures return of editorial matter. Reprinting in whole or in part only be permission of the publishers. Advertising rates and circulation information will be sent upon request. After attending the Trans·AMA motocross at Saddleback Park (Nov. 15) I wonder if the sponsor and/or the A.M.A. have any brains. First of all a $5.00 entry fee is ridiculous. I saw more European stars and witnessed more races at last year's Inter·Am and paid $4.00. I then proceded to the pit area to get a glimpse of all the exquisite machinery. This was an impossibility because I was broke and there were security guards charging $1.00 for pit passes. So I waited one hour until 10:30 and a man announced over the speaker "the schedule of events". Practice was scheduled for one and a half hours (wow!), and the first event scheduled for 1:00. There were four events, two of which the Europeans participated in. It all added up to a poor program. I guess it is all that can be expected of the A.M.A. I am sure many people shared the same feelings about this poor excuse for a championship motox. By the way - Is the A.M.A. trying to better the sport of motorcycling? MARC KRATZER Claremont, Calif. 'extra' free edition certainly lends an importance to the message. For all bikes sold for normal street and trail use it had a point. 1 know how bad it can be, not being able to hear the person you're riding with on trails. Yet, I know I would miss the excited feeling I get whenever we near a track and hear the roaring of the competition machines. It's something unique - the quiet at the track when you arrive, the fl1'St few machines starting and coughing, then practice and yelling over the sound for a last adjustment, quiet during riders' meeting and National Anthem, and then again the straining of the machines during a race. And when it's all over, that special sound is gone, the smell of fud mixture burned fades, and it's back to that quiet, unpolluted-by-sound world. MARTY SCHREURS Des Moines, Iowa A point well taken. But it is our contention that you may soon "excite" yourself out of places to ride. F or it is the imitators of these track noises that cause non-motorcyclists to complain and, consequently, areas to be closcdoo.ed. WHAT,INDEED? SETTING SCHNEIDERS STRAIGHT EXPENSIVE DAY What can we do wout these laws keeping the desert riders off the desert? We have four trail bikes in our fantiJy. We like to ride in the desert on weekends and whenever we can. The new laws keep us out of the desert and it seems to me it is going to keep all clubs out also. It seems that dirt riders had better bancJ together and do something about these laws. What right has the county to say we can't .ride on open land that is not fenced or'posted? RONALD E. BRANDT Diamond Bar, Calif. LIKES OUR TESTS In your Nov. 10 issue - excellent test of Yamaha 650. I am really tired of reading normal "test" reporting_.14 and top speed and paint color. It seems to me one or two times a year cycle mags could do a good test, 5000 miles over a couple of months to really find out and report problem areas. L got a new bike and in six months had problems from leaky gas tank to bum low gear. Your type article shows, I think, almost a normal run of problems. E. ARMSTRONG San Jose, Calif. WAIT AND SEE ISDT entries are being handled through the AMA for the first time this year. They will probably designate several National Enduros as qualifying events. We will keep readers posted when the AMA reveals its plans. Meanwhile, you should apply for an entry to: AM A, Attn. Mr. March,. Box 231, Worthington, Ohio 43085. Travel will be inexpensively arranged by Studio City Tours. Wives are welcome. Good Luck!".ed. "Power of Silence" was the lst engineering type article'l have ever seen in a mot orcycle publication. Unfortunately, the 650 Yamaha road test was not. Both articles, however, clearly indicate that your primary obligation is to the reader and not the advertiser. Schneiders "",d Axtell are to be congratulated. AMOS GARDLIN Long Beach, Calif. Cycle News East, Dixie Cycle News, and National Advertising information: Tom Culp. National Advertising Dir. I went to the 'local motorcycle shoQ to get your paper. While waiting in line I went and looked at the Bulletin board and saw the poster for the Barstow to Vegas race. While reading it I noticed that this year they're going to start the Novices off 15 minutes later than all the Am/Experts. This is really dumb. If anything they should start the Novices first or the same way as last year. By the way, how are they going to tell the overall position for a Novice? How are they going to figure it out? Are they going to be clocking at the finish line? DENNIS TOMLINSON Bellflower, Calif. Search us. But the ~n Gabriel Valley M.C. usually knows what it is doin&-ooed. LIKES NOISE Our shop received your 'extra' edition concerning noisy motorcycles today. As business was slow, I had a chance to read through it. I was a bit miffed at your almost-exclusive mention of the Yamaha Enduro line, and never a peep about Kawasaki's E series, which also offers spark arresters and baffles to deaden noise, with the Krizman patent. Perhaps you could either not have mentioned any brands in particular, or all that carry good mufflers. Your article was a good one, and the We feel it is necessary to set Mr. Ron Schneiders straight regarding his reporting of the 1970 JACKASS ENDURO. Anyone who read his article migh t think that the en~uro was put on by a bunch of guys that took the money and ran. The Foothill 'Hawks M:C.have been around for more than 15 years and have been using the Red Mountain Trona area long before any other organiz;ltion. "." Mr. Schneiders stated the course was easy, yet he managed to lose 81 points. The more experienced riders did well, and said they enjoyed the course very much. If Mr. Schneiders would have taken the time to talk to other riders, he might have written an article which expressed popular rath~ than personal opinion. True, the early riders did fmish early but the last ride"rs fmished after 2:00 p.m. and our cleanup crews did not get in until just before dark! In spite of Mr. Schneiders' article we hope to see everyone out at the 1971 National Championship Jackass Enduro. FOOTIDLL HAWKS M .C. SWANSON THANKS YOU I would like to thank the guys who stopped and helped the injured 100cc Yamaha rider a few minutes after the start of the Jackass Enduro. I was in position No. 10. Also, if you have any info about the accident, would appreciate hearing about it. 1 got konked out and don't remember a thing. BILL SWANSON 746 Morada West Covina, Calif. HOUSTON'S NEW CYCLE PARK I am a motocross rider, and was very disappointed last Spring to hear that the best Houston·area track would be closed. Alas, it was no rumor, so I formed a unit to purchase some property north of Houston that would be a good investment, and at the same time, a suitable location for a cycle park. Cyclesports, Inc. was formed to operate and promote the races, and we were off with a racetrack. The park itself is on a river, and features a large lake. The motocross track is between the lake and the river, and is well shaded by large trees. The course is 7/10's mile (to be expanded) and features many good jumps, turns, sand, mud, etc. The rhythm of the course is very good, and althoullb it is a tough course, it is also lots of fun. The races are on the flI'St Sunday of each month. BOB ATKINS Houston, Tex.

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