Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/125797
IIDOAID'S 1OI1I8I1I1lfS You and the Media By Bill Spencer One of the greater inequities in the world of motorcycling is in the press coverage given to racing, all racing. The biatt time events are given much more prell; but in comparison to major league baseball and football, it is a far cry from good coverage.. While much of the problem .lies in general inadequacies in all forms of the industry, the major problem comes back to the public. That means you out there. The sport of motorcycling touches on some 10-million souls. But when you bitch about not getting any coverage for your race or the one you won, it all comes back to you. The gentleman from up here who wrote in wondering how come his track didn't get any riden. After all, if nobody knows, no one can come. I had heard little about the track but nothing specific. The newspaper in your own local area will not print anything, usually unless someone gives them the· information. Even then your lucky to get a mention in the coming events. I know; I write press releases two and three times a week and feel lucky to get anything printed. a The views expressed In this column ilnd other columns appurlng on the following pages ar. solely those of the authors Ind do not necessarily reflect the official position of Cyc" News West or C & 5 Publishing Co. Qualified readers wishing free and equal rebuttal space should contact the Managing Editor. John Bethea, by mall or phone stating your position on these fNItters. REBUTTAL In Respons~ To... meal winner except for two (eight out of ten) were from the San Francisco Bay area in the Trask Mt. Trials. MAUREEN LEE By Lewis Milligan I enjoyed and agreed with most of your article about the ISDT with one big exception. You stated that the best material for the ISDT is a good motocrosser or desert rider who are much better than a guy who "plops along on enduros and trials from week to week." When you speak of "trials" I assume you mean "observed" type of which I have no experience to make a commenton. As far as enduros go, one minute you speak of Dave Latham being qualified becuase of being the East Coast's top Enduro Rider and next you're saying desert or motocross are the only way. I don't think Dave's training is in ei ther of these. Don't you think riders like Malcolm Smith, Dave Ekins, Bob Steffan, Steve Hurd, Mike Patrick, etc., wouldn't have been just as good if they had ridden in the mud instead of the desert? Anyone of them will tell you that mud and/or snow can be very strenous for 100 200 miles in one day and averaging 24 MPH in these conditions can sometimes be sligh tly more than just "plopping" along. As far as motocrossers, how many of the top ones do their own mechanical work? Two or three, 30 to 40-minute motos is tough but it's not the same as 1000 miles in six days. Also, as far as overrunning the docks: in case you didn't know the idea is to get there early so you can do a little work on the bike. You don't bave to zero the checks (like on an enduro) in the ISDT. Your analogy of "a couple of chaps who were desert rats came back with medals", so it must be the desert is a little far-fetched. As far as I knoW' they have never had the ISDT in the desert. As long as you're mentioning guys who were left out how about some credit for a· few Nor-Cal riders too! J ahn Nelson (Silver medal in Poland ISDT, first overall Open Class Trask Mtn.), Ben Bowers (Gold meal Trask M.tn,. Gold medal-Bad Rock), Frank Diaz (Silver medal to fifth day at Isle of Man; Gold medal Trask Mtn.). In Fact! Every Gold 1 How come they don't print the stuff they set? For ODe, many of the papen and radio stations and TV outlets just plain don't like motorcycles. I stilI get the word on how much better we riders are now and how we really don't seem like the Hells Angels. I haven't seen a real- live Hells Angel since they made their last movie behind Sonny Kenyon's shop about three yean ago. In other instances, the sports wri ter may not like motorcycles or he might be a hone man or doesn't like the way the release is wri tten. That image is changing in this part of the world though as the three largest dailies have 1I\0tonport writen of those around the country but here in the Bay Area, Gordon Martin of the San Francisco Chronicle, Phil Finch of the San Francisco Examiner and Bruce Richardson of the San Jose Mercury all own at least one motorcycle. Finch is the most active and he and I will be riding just as soon as I fmish this article. In terestingly enough, Finch, a 23-year-old ex-Washing!:on Post sports writer just started receiving AMA press releases a few months ago after having been the motosport writer for the second largest daily newspaper in the area for two years; a circulation of 245,000 would seem to deserve a little . better. With the Northern California area producing as many big time pros as it does, the sparseness of Monday after the National information is something. I usually call the Kenyon house to see if Al (48) has called home. The only time any coverage seems to get back to this 1 FREE WRITE: HANGOVER, ROCKVIllE, MARYLAND 20852 Heath Services ad tv1eriti Heath AJi I ' ishalb I I 1 N .... ell ~ ~ w Z ~ U > U IF YOU'RE NOT SELLING CYCLE NEWS GET WITH IT i~-~~I I~ .m; EDlJ'ION:- N· * First with News * First with Fact ! * First with Profit You m'\ke 14f. on every copy sold. Plus you have full return privileges. The profit maker that cost you nothing. Minimum order is ten copies and we pay shipping (via 2nd Class mail). Your customers will come back for every issue of CYCLE NEWS. Each and every issue is filled with News of happenings in the two-wheeled sport. Motorcycles from mini to monster, coverage of competition events, all the AMA National Championships, local sportsmen events, local fun runs, tests of fact, new products, legislation, want ads, and a voice for readers. This is CYCLE NEWS. ~----------------------- , J" I ~\ o o o Cycle News East Cycle News Dixie Cycle News West (Check one, two, or all three) I wish to receive copies of: 10 15 20 25 3 WEST 35 ~ Address ~.v_\)D~l.(~ City National and Regional Coverage 0 50 00000000 Send CYCLE NEWS to: Name of stCll'e. - us. DEPARTMENT OF ffi4lJIt EDUCJ>J1ON i'Jo() WI3.f;41E .... • ATTE TI DEALE Okay, what can I lose. Start my store seiling CYCLE NEWS with the next Issue. I understand you will bill me month Iy and I ha ve full return privi leges on unsold papers,by returning the price tag with my check for the balance. . GET 10 POPULAR HANGOVER CURES PLUS LITTLE-KNOWN MEDICAL FACTS area is if one of the Harley guys Jfi:u and then Dud Perkins will call andJ tet something going. While the problem is everpresent, there is one great thing that the public can do and it is really easy. The next time you have a local race coming up, call the newspaper up and see if they have anything listed on it. If not, get on the club that puts it on that your paper didn't have any news about it. Then if the resill ts aren't in there, call again and ask why not? If the club hun't got them in, then you'll just have to live with it or get on the club apin: Many clubs do get in the results quite promptly and lovely ladies like Loretta Davidson of the Westside Eagles of Modesto are greatly appreciated by sports writers like Art Glatke of the Modesto Bee who will prin t them if he has them. On the National scene, you had better just wait until Cycle News comes out because the AMA still doesn't see fit to have the wire services carry the results and the promoters of most of the even ts are just as bad abou t getting the word ou t. I am sure that you will all agree that when Indy is over, the word is spread. When the Santa Fe National Sh.ort Track is over, don't expect to read about it the next morning unless your Cycle News ge ts there early . In almost every case, when the public unites, it gets things done. So, if in your area you want more coverage of the sport, get with it. A few letters to the editor or pbone calls to the radio, TV, newsies will get results. Do It.... _ _ State Zip Authorized by Mail fa: CYCLE NEWS WEST, Box 498, Long Beach, Ca. 90801 ._-~------------------------------_~ _ r I I ~I.--