M
8.
"America's No. 1 weekly motorcycle
newspaper. You'll always see it FIRST
in Cycle News!"
Publisher Editor
Business Manager
General Manager
Assistant Editor
Circulation Manager
Lab Technician .
Advertising Asst.
Bookkeeper
Bookkeeper
Delivery
Charles Clayton
Sharon Clayton
.. Tom Culp
· . John Bethea
· . Rheba Smith
.Diane Sosnoski
_ . _Ed Randell
· Dorothea Lang
Eleanor Duke
· _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
Beach,
California
90801.
(213)
427-7433 - L.A. 636-8844.
TELEX NO. 673-474
Subscription:
One year 2nd class mail
Single copy price
,$7.50
$.25
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 by permission of the publishers.
Advertising
rates
and circulation
information will be sent upon request.
recrea tional vehjcles, etc. Since your
FILM FARE
To further motorcycling's image as a
practical and healthy sport, and perhaps
drum up a bit of business, we're
planning a get-acquainted party at our
shop. For entertainment, a couple hours
of films would be just the thing,. the
only hassle being that no one around
here has such things. Can you or any of
your readers help us out? Since we
specialize in motocross and trials, fUms
on these diversions woule! be ideal. Any
help you can give would be greatly
appreciated.
BILL KASSON
Austin, Texas
Try Clyde Earl at BSA, Inc., Duarte,
Calif. and Tom Patten at Bultaco
Services...ed.
AFM MADE A FRIEND
Before attending the recent CastroI
publication was recommended as one
containing a wealth of information on
motorcycles we are wondering if it is
made available to Motor Vehicle
Departments throughout the states.
CHARLES BOSCH
State Motor Vehicle Registrar
Bismarck, N. Dakota
Sure. We will starting sending you a
complimentary subscription...ed.
ALL IN A NAME
Hey J come on now, felIas, let's get
the name right! In the December 15th
issue you had an article under the
heading, "Trail Champ aN ovice" and in
it, you spelled my son's name
incorrectly three times!
He had been home after fifteen
months in Vietnam for less than a
month and had only had about three
days practice riding when he entered the
California Trailbike Championship race.
He came in first overall on his Hodaka
•
~olces
Grand Prix I wrote to Jim Manning
asking for info. as to the time schedule,
tickets, and track'location. In addition
to the desired info., Jim was kind
enough to send us two guest passes
saying "coming all the way from
Oregon, it is the least we can do." His
thoughtfulness was great and the racing
was great. It's men like Mr. Manning
that make me glad to be in
motorcycling.
MEL NORTON
Eugene, Ore.
LOOK OUT, EVELl
which isn't too bad considering he has
been in the Army for 2~ years and
hadn't even been on a bike for over a
year.
I want to make sure you get liis name
right because I think you're going to be
printing it often in the future as he
continues racing. So here it is spelled
correctly by someone who should
know: RICK DURAND.
HIS MOM
Granada Hills, Cal.
You've got us pead to writes...ed.
INVEST IN A STAMP
There will be no Dist. 37 Lightweight
Desert Numbers issued by hand. Mail
applications only will be accepted. I go
out of my way to run a first class mail
service and I would appreciate it if you
would honor my efforts and mail them
in.
LARRY HA1O or 100 vehicles. The
price is too high! There.are other areas
you and I could ride for less cost to the
public and ourselves.
FRANK H. KOLWICZ
Cyde News will be on vacation
Oxnard, Calif.
beginning December 22, 1970
All motorcyclists realize the need for
and returning January 6,1971.
riding areas is nut as great as the need
for
a
cleaner
and
_better
Wio-1'+<................~_~.--~..........~~t«~J~~.ed,
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MOTORCYCLES IN THE FUTURE
Predicting tile trends, based on the facts at hand and a positive attitude
We are devoting this Holiday Issue to a preview of the future developments in
motorcycles and the Iife'style of the motorcycle movement. With the year 2,000
A.D. drawing another notch closer, we think it is time that the people in
motorcycling started looking where it is going, even making some choice of where we
want it to be at the· end of the year, the millenium.
In 13 years, the motorcycle as an invention will be 100 years old, That doesn't
give us much time. The automobile, although historically younger, has progressed to
a point of development so great, that it may be on the verge of extinction, like the
giant dragons that once inhabited the earth. While the motorcycle, having suffered
second-rate consideration at the hands of the population for most of its existence,
now appears to be coming into its time of eminence.
For the first time th is year we have seen many motorcycles priced the same or
higher than many new cars. The Honda 750 sells for about $100 more than the new
Honda car. And in England, a new Triumph or BSA Three costs several pounds more
than a minicar. These are not specialty motorcycles, hand made for an elite market;
these are the bread-and-butter, transportation machines.
THE MOTORCYCLE VS. THE CAR
What th is seems to me to mean is that the publ ic on both sides of the pond is
falling out of love with its autOmobiles and into an affair of the heart with the motor
bike. In an era of population where environment and resources of space and time as
well as materials are becoming evermore critical, the ecological attraction of a device
which gets you around in style, with so little fuss and pollution, cannot fail to seduce
increasing percentages of the transportation and leisure market.
That trend is already evident in the vehicle registrations of the state of California.
In 1965 when we started publishing Cycle News, California had a motorcycle
registration of 250,000. That was less than 2 percent of the total vehicles registered
in the state. Now at the end of 1970, only five years later, the motorcycle count is
548,000 and amounts to over 5% of the vehicles registered. Our "share of the
market" is increasing. Other states not encumbered by restrictive legislation show a
similar increase, and I think that the national figures, when they become available,
will shock a lot of people in the automobile business as they learn that bikes are
biting away at their sales domain.
Once Detroit becomes interested in entering the motorcycle business, we can
expect a new explosion of the 2-wheel economy. Some of the technical features
possible on the new creations are previewed in the lead article of this issue. We have
concentrated this feature on technological advancements in the road motorcycle, for
my crystal ball reveals that the larger trend of development will be in the road
motorcycle field, with a concurrent popularity growth toward road racing.
MOTORCYCLE COUNTRY CLUBS IN THE FUTURE
Dirt' ridin'g will inevitably become like golf, insofar as its organization and
presentation are concerned. The rapid build-up of the 'country and the ecological
considerations are gradually forcing trail riding and dirt racing from a "cowboy
philosophy" to a "space ship economy." Much riding will be done at private
c1ubgrounds and public recreational parks. Already one corporation with which I am
involved in preparing to offer motorcycle country club franchises, with a policy
designed to produce reasonable profits through the year 2,000. Such private parks as
investments will equal the profit of other uses the land could be put to, and thus
instlre enou!tJ off-road riding area wherever it is in demand, for as long as necessary.
Like country clubs, these parks will include memberships and provide organization
for fun. To avoid overcrowding, riding will be on a reservation basis, just like golf
courses are now. If this seems to be introducing a new bit of bother into funriding,
think of the new delights and conveniences the Motorcycle Country Club will
introduce, like maintained grounds, clubhouse facilities, videotape tv, merchandise
discounts, insurance, etc. All of the benefits now enjoyed by motorcycle clubs that
were farsighted enou!tJ to purchase their own c1ubgrounds in the nineteen-thirties
and 'forties will be available to any group that can invest about 25 to 50,000 dollars,
and they can make a profit besides.
Progress of a positive nature like this, of course requires a positive attitude on the
part of the national sanctioning body, the AMA, for it is only through enlightened
management of competition events that such clubs can pay their bills without
assessing the members too heavily. At the same time that private parks will be
demanding sanctions for big events from AMA, the government sector may get into
the act on parks that it is already thinking of providing. This is a dilemma that I hope
the AMA will resolve in favor of private enterprise, although I know the temptation
to give Uncle Sam what he asks for will be enormous. As we have learned from
experience, to~ much of a good thing - too many nationals, too much exposure - ,
and can be a bad thing for the future of motorcycling.
I't appears that the AMA already is developing the positive attitude it needs. Its
recent courtroom success in overturning restrictive laws probably heralds a new
acceptance of the growth of motorcycling on the part of the authorities, or at least a
new respect for "motorcyclist power."
.
POLITICS AND THE MOTORCYCLE
Political trends in motorcycling indicate that we enthusiasts are becoming
significant as a voting politicking group. Two candidates in the recent California
election won close contests with the campaign help of organized motorcyclist. We
may see this trend continue as anti-motorcycle groups compel their legislators to take
firmer stands against funriding, We may just have to show them that we-count, too.
THE NEW IMAGE FOR THE FUTURE
As motorcycle enthusiasm gets itself together, and speaks out more on its behalf,
its image inevitably will undergo some changes. Until recently the only image we had
was provided by the Hells Angels and Wide World of Sports. Honda's "nice people"
campaign didn't count, because few people realized that a Honda is a motorcycle.
Now we have Bronson, Fauss and Halsey, and Easy Rider. The Bronson reruns, at
I(IfIfi·.181
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