Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

, .... '" N . ~ ~ ::;; ~ w Z W ...J U >U "America's No. 1 weekly motorcycle newspaper. You'll always see it FIRST in Cycle News!" ( .. Charles Clayton Publisher Editor Sharon Clayton Business Manager General Manager · . Tom Culp Assistant Editor · John Bethea Circulation Manager · Rheba Smith Circulation Ass't . . · Marla Tarbet .Diane Sosnoski Lab Technician . . . · .. Ed Randall Production Manager · Dorothea Lang Bookkeeper Bookkeeper Ass't · Eleanor Duke Delivery · . Larry Groves . Marion Hatashita Typographer Receptionist . Barbara Richard IT DOESN'T ADD UP "THE CLUB" DOES GOOD I have just read your write-up on Houston. On what basis did you get the National Poin t Standings? It had a $10,000. purse which gave 71 points for first place. adorn had a fmt at 71 and a 10th at 16, so it should only be 87 points. Is' this correct or 'was I misinformed as to the purse? CAROL MEIFERDT Joliet, III The AMA has again c~anged the point system which determines the Grand National Champion. Below you will note the new system in which only the top 20 finishers are awarded points. At Houston, both Nationals were worth $10,000 each. Odom's 10th place finish on Friday night gave him 40 pts., and Saturday's win added 82 to total 122. We apologize for not printing this system earlier... Ed. Recently "The Club", a family club interested in cycle races, camping, buggies and fun, held Operation Cleanup, which .was a big success. All you read in the papers is the way people are tearing up the deserl, learing up the hillsides, etc. I don't have to tell you, you're on our side. Can't seem to get anyone to print our side so maybe someone will see this in Cycle News. There is this area we received permission from the owner to use, in writing, that we keep on our person. Then we visit the Forestry and get a permi t so we can have a small warming fire to sit around on cold nights before the race. We try to do all the legal stuff 0) 0) 0) c: 0 'p 0 '" a.. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 EO) ;j 0). EV c:* ._~ ~s 82 74 67 61 56 52 49 46 43 40 37 34 31 28 25 22 19 16 13 10 80)· V e .N 10* ~o * .... 91 82 74 67 61 56 52 49 46 43 40 37 34 31 28 25 22 19 16 13 8 .. ell> .> 100 ~~ 101 91 82 74 67 61 56 52 49 46 43 40 so we can have some place to ride. People have actually been using this area for a dump, so we had a weekend to clean it up. We contacted the Sun Telegram. They write about protecting the lizards and snake trails that they make in the sand. They give a list of bike riders that get injured on a weeKend, etc. and are not even aware of the fact there was a Elsinore Grand Prix. They wouldn't write that we were having operation Cleanup because it was in a different county, so we called the Riverside Press. They were not interested either; no excuses, just "'no." Our people started arnVIng 0 n Saturday to pick up trash and fill boxes. It was a bigger job than we figured and you couldn't see anything being accomplished. Sunday a member, arrived 37 ACTION LINE to trace your order. Pacer's caUlog was also delayed at the printers and you should have it by now. It is never a good idea to send cash in the mails. A check or money order should be used instead... Ed. 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 2 years 2nd class mail 3 years 2 nd class ma it Single copy price .59.00 .515.00 .518.00 . . $.30 and then you upset the bucket by p';nting an article such as the "Great Expansion Chamber Contest." In an attempt lo gain fractions of a horsepower, you would condone the use of the most irritating piece of equipment that our industry produces!! I think you need your head examined! Instead of publishing .•- like this, at a time like this, you should run a comparative test on chambers vs. stock mufflers. Not only would this enlighten 90% of our fellow enthusiasts as to exactly how little (if any) an expansion cHamber gains over a good stock muffler but it would also get the motorcycle and accessory manufacturers to work harder on perfecting quieter and more efficient mufflers. Anyone who really knows high VOICES OF THE WEST 34 31 28 25 22 19 16 For several months, I have dutifully "enclosed cash, check, or money order" for mail order items, catalogs, subscriptions, etc., from the following firms, with the noted results: 9/19 Racecrafters Intl. - cbeck - 2 out of 4 catalogs rec'd. 11/20 Roehr 11/20 Roehr Van Tech. - $1.00 catalog - out of business. 11 /2 5 Cycle Guide - $1.00 "Yamaha Story" - not rec'd. 11/25 Cycle World - check - two books not yet rec'd. 12/6 Pacer Products - 25 cepts catalog not yet rec'd. The postal system is very inefficient, granted. But it would seem that the receipt of money on an order, from a two bit catalog to a $50.00 merchandise, could at least be acknowledged by a 6 cents post card 'with an explanation for delivery delay, if anticipated. Perhaps in some small way, this may serve to alert the advertisers to extend a bit more courtesy in the form of an order confrrmation to prospective customers, as well as to warn the en thusiastic to to beware of sending currency to some of these "care-less" businesses. SHAY ROMPELL Sun Valley, Cal. Racecrafters tells us that a hangup at the printers delayed some catalogs; you should have received yours by now. Cycle Guide could find no reason for the delay except possibly your letter was lost. Send your order to them again and they will send your book. Cycle World suspects a holdup in the mail ; if you'll send them the particulars they will try Cycle News East, Dixie Cycle News, and National Advertising information: Tom Culp, National Advertising Director. with this heavy duty equipment and dug a hole that would have taken 40 men a couple days to dig. Then they pushed the trash in, covered it up. Most of the surface junk was picked up - cans, bottles and stuff. While we're au t there here comes a guy with his truck full of tree trimming to dump. We got rid of him fast! Different members used their trucks and trailers to all load after load to the dump. But you never hear the good things the bike clubs do. There are many areas that need to be cleaned and it's not the bike people that are doing all the mess but we take the blame. So when you see a can, stop and pick it up. It really makes you feel good. Keep Our CountrY Clean, even though you may never get to use it. BARBARA COPPI Bloomington, Cal. performance motorcycle en!pnes will agree that there is very little (if any) to gain by changing the stock exhaust system. Ask Tony Nicosia and Jack Murphy if expansion chambers really help their Mach III dragster. I already have and the answer is NO! We've also proved it with our own modified 500; 115 mph in 11.70 E.T.s - with ?r without stock mufflers!! More and better proof for the dirt riders is my own Kawasaki Big Horn. I'm challenging any single·cylinder dirt bike to beat it in an electronically timed drag race. Rider weight at 160 lbs. I've posted $50.00 in merchandise for this class winner at the up and commg Irwindale National Drag meet so any noisy open class riders who think they have fast equipment should bring their cherry pickers up and collect! I'll lie there with all stock instruments, lighting equipment, AND STOCK MUFFLER! It's only fair to warn any Husky, Maico, Yamaha, etc. owners that this bike has already ran 92.86 in 13.76 with many back-up runs. That's pure horsepower, not super rider ability. This bike has also lapped Willow Springs in 1 minute 54 seconds at the last ACA road race. Before anyone says "Yeah, it's probably only good for drag or road racing" let me mention that it is our shop demonstrator and anyone may come up for a ride. It is for sale at the normal price. It has bags of low speed torque for the enduro type rider. My shop has only a few chambers left in stock and when they are gone I refuse to purebase any more! All sales now must be accompanied with at least a fiberglass muffler and a "free lecture." One more stunning example of stock muffler performance is the Ossa Stiletto! Put a stock Wildfire (their street model) muffler on it and it will be just ~ fast but oh, so quiet! One more thing before I get off my soap box. That row of Chambers .pictured in your article looks like just so many machine guns. I wish you were standing in front of all of them while operating. Maybe then you would understand! Also, why are Jack Smith and C.R. Axtell wearing those funny looking ear muffs? I'll tell you why; they would be deaf if they didn't! BOB NELSON - Owner Temple City Kawasaki 5663 No. Rosemead Temple City, Ca. 91780 We've published tests that Show the definite power gain on silenced ~chines. We also publish the other side of the story. We think that a good newspaper has the obligation to tell readers all sides of a subject. Look for future tech. reports of stock vs. modified exhausts as proved on Axtell's dynomometer - with and without silencers... Ed. MORE POWER TO YOU! PAY FOR PRIVILEGE Sometimes I wonder if you are really as dedicated to improving our off road riding areas as you would lead us to believe! You go to great pains to write letters, attend political functions, etc., This letter is written in interest of all concerned motorcycle riders, and especially to the members of the District 37 Sports Committee. MORE bas been fighting legislation, 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. Addressed, stamped envelope assures return of editorial matter. Reprinting in whole or in part only by permission of the publ ishers. Advertising rates and circulation information will be sent upon request_ See S.R.D.S. ' unfair laws concerning motorcyclists. The only way Mr. Sanford can do his job is by MORE support and money. My idea is that the Sports Committee add ane dollar to the entry fee of all races, enduro, hare and hound, hare scrambles, and other races, and donate that money to MORE. This sum of money is small compared to the privilege of using the land to ride on. JEFF CASE San Pedro, Calif. 3·YEAR-QLD CHAMP! Notice the insignia on the chestl·This is a 3·year old No. 1!, little Michael Koema.... Here's an American who is going somewhere. Hope by the time he's ready, we have an Olympic-type motocross team - so that he can race mOlorcycles and be No.1 in the world, if he so chooses. Michael's father is a several-time previous supporter of the American -Motocross Team. He, like us, is driving towards achieving an American World Champion. Hope everyone who would like to see America represen ted in a strong effort in the European Grand Prix circuit for a World Champion competition will send their support to the American Moto-Cross Team, Box 3276, Hollywood, Ca. 90028. Thanks very much. KIM KIMBALL HUSKY THIEF CAUGHT Our than ks to all wbo phoned and helped Junior and me recover our bike, especially Malcolm Smith and the ~ys at K&N Riverside. The ral actually tfled to buy a new pipe right in front of us! The thief is recuperating at home. I don't know what happened to him but it appears that he fell down about 10 flights of stairs. MIKE MATTHEWS SR. & JR. San Bernardino LETTER TO FORD February 8, 1971, on a network television show, HRowan and Martin's Laugh-In," your company presented a very offensive commercial, contrasting Ford quietness with motorcycle noise. As a two·wheeled enthusiast of some fifteen years and a California motorcycle dealer for three, I must register a vehement objection with your advertising agency's malicious stereotyping of our sport as simply "noisy". Let me add that responsible members of the motorcycle industry are attacking the noise problem directly. Soon, all amateur competition motorcycles will require muffled exhausts. Owners are being educated to leave their exhaust systems as the manufacturers designed them. CHARLES E. CARROLL, 111 Davis, Cal. Ford Motor Co. replies to a similar letter sent by the Ohio M/C Dealers Assn. . "The commercial to which we believe you are referring has completed its television cycle. As a matter of information, however, n~ one, including several motorcycle dealers In ~e State of Michigan, have ever heard of a qUIet motorcycle."

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