Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

Fairings look just lovely on road race machines and probably add to the top speed due to streamlining. BUl the ones being used today hide the most interesting part of the motorcycle - the engine. I would like to see a rule change limiting the fairings to extend no lower than the bottom of the fuel tank, like the Norton production racer. These shoTt "Silverstone" fairings are very attractive, easier to work around and let the motor hang out for all the world to see, like a motorcycle engine should. There is no compelling technical reason for the old-fashioned, engine·obscuring fairings in use today. And now that all engines up to 75 Occ are racing, streamlining for speed is hardly necessary. What about the perennial question of so called ufire-engines" in AMA road racing? The will of the Congress is very clear on this point, since their reaffirmation of. the claiming rule last year. But now the AMA has in ternational commi tmen ls. Whal abou t the "200 .copies available for sale" homologation rule? Is a bike like the Ducati 750 V-twin, which is homologated in England, automaticcaly eligible to compete here, even if lhere is only one of them in the United States? To this question the Competition Congress should find an answer. Further. does the 200 rule apply to motocross? And how much leeway should a factory be allowed on materials and modifications to works motocross bikes? National Championships are much in demand, but should a promoter be given Natio,nal without even a track to run it on? More than a few Nationals have had to be cancelled at the last momen t because promoters put the cart in front of the course, while other good promoters. with bonafide tracks to race on, have been denied Nationals because the calendar was too crowded. This practice doesn't seem very professional. a 1l would make more Sense for the AMA lo require each promoter requesting a National to present proof, signed by the track owner or managemen t, that the designated race course is available on that date for that purpose. Next year will be that of the enduro. The International Six Days Trial (ISDT) will be held in this country, focussing attention strongly on lrail competition. Il would be good for this Congress to adopt the best available scoring system as standard for AMA enduros, and while they are at it, require the promoting clubs lo tally results within four hours after the event. Late enduro results are a big problem in the West, especially, where it often takes up to six we'eks for a club to figure them. Here is where a national association can be of real benefit, since other parts of the country have. developed an excellent scoring system, which their backward brethren will appreciate, once they leam to use it. .M.O.R.E. (Continued from page 46) off-road vehicles in the Temblor Mountain Area and Ballinger Canyon areas. If you have attended any of the foregoing hearings, you know as well as I that the land-use agencies are not interpreting Executive Order 11644 in a positive manner, in spite of what Mr. Whitaker thinks is happening. For thal reason along. I submitted the following letter to Mr. Whitaker on June 5th. He has had six weeks to reply or respond by issuing the requested clarifying directive to the land-use agencies. To this date, he has done neither. Dear Mr. Whitaker: I wrote to you on 22 March of this year explaining the reasons for the adverse reaction to Executive Order 11644 by this country's five million off-road vehicle enthusiasts. The person who directed me to you describes you as an understanding and cooperative person.-My faith in that person leaves me with no doubt that such is true. Perhaps, then, you can imagine my surprise upon receipt of your 30 March reply, to discover that you had' completely avoided my request for a follow-up directive to the applicable agencies clarifying that they should approach the ORV situation in a positive, rather than negative manner. Not overlooking the possibility that I may have been over-cautious, I have not actively pursued this matter for the past sixty days. Instead, I elected to adopt a "wait and see" attitude. During th is sixty day period, I have been in almost constant attendance and participation in committees and hearings involving landuse. Most of these meetings have been sponsored by the Departments of Interior and Agriculture. All of these . .. Most Powerful . .. MA CO .. COOPER MOTORS • .. West of Mississippi 110 E. Santa Anita Ave. Burbank. Ca. 91502 CO ... .. meetings have one thing in common: a federal jurisdiction. Notwithstanding constant reference to Executive Order that the President issued said 11644 and its mandate that off-road proclamation in violation of the powers vehicles must be tightly regulated and entrusted to him, the Executive Order is controlled. Mr. Whitaker, this is exactly being accepted and carried-out in a the situation which I warned you that negative vein by 'the Directors of the would happen in the absence of a agencies to whom it applies. The staff clarifying directive. And you have done has conveyed to use that the President nothing about such a directive, either by did not intend for the Directive to be personal volition or by higher directive. negative, however neither the President I find that I am now compelled to nor his Staff have seen fit to issue any initiate and promulgate whatever action clarifying directive of a positive nature becomes necessary to obtain a positive to the applicable Agencies. and proper mandate on the subject of More than five million citizens are land-use by off-road veh icles. Our first adversely affected by this Exectttive action will be to learn the position of Order. We cannot understand the the President's opposition with respect Administration's reluctance to mee.t our to Executive Order 11644. If we can't demand for a clarifying directive. In gain the cooperation of the present view of th is reluctance and lack of administration, perhaps we should look consideration by the present to a new administration for that support administration, we are now sounding and re.cognition." out the views of the opposition in the I have never allowed my own sincere hope that we can place our personal political beliefs to influence support squarely behind a candidate any of my decisions regarding who is both knowledgeable and candidates for public office. However, I considerate of our desires. must admit that in the paSt I have been We would be appreciative of your a supporter of Mr. Nixon in all of his views on both off-road vehicles and campaigns. Executive Order 11644. Your views, However, I feel so strongly abeut this along with those of other candidates. issue and its adverse effect upon will be published in context and off-road vehicles, that I can no longer , distr,ibuted for nationwide suppOrt anyone who shares the dissemination. " President's attitude in this matter. To The replies to the foregoing inquiry will be published in next week's me, it would be the same as supporting column. Perhaps, if you feel as I do. all of the radical preservationist these replies will. help you make your principles espoused by the Sierra club. choice when you go to the polls in For this reason, I have submitted the November. following inq·uiry to each of the candidates who will oppose Mr. Nixon NOTE: The foregoing is' the third in a for office in Novemeber: series of articles by Russ Sanford "On February 8th, 1972, President explaining his views on the Presidential Nixon issued Executive Order 11644 Proclamation (Executive Order 11644) for off-road vehicles. Next week's issue which mandates negative and restrictive of Cycle News will carry the fmal article regulations and controls for the use of in .this series. off-road vehicles o~ public lands under Hand I'D '" :::II: • Ridi"9 • Racing • Street GLOVES Washable Stay Soft .. 2: lIQ Othman Distributing Co, 18227 Ludlow St. Dealer Inquiries Invited Northridge, Ca. 91324 12131363-6230 ·.-K G,...engineering & _I11III F~AME MODIFICATIONS The questiqn of rider and bike selection for the Six Days Trial becomes even more important as the first USA-ISDT approaches. In the past, American en tries were selec ted by AMA staff members from among the hundreds who had ridden qualifying even ts. - This has caused disagreement, si.llce only 3D-some riders can be allowed to represen t the Yanks, and some were not selected who felt they should have been. Ugly accusations of "pull" and politics have been raised. One way to eliminate ISDT selection controversy is by establishing a point system in the qualifying rounds, and naming only the top 3D-some points winners to the American teams. But this might elevate the consistent-but-mediocre rid,er over a true champion who can't make all the even ts. There has to be some way for America to ou tdo the teams of the dictator countries that currently dominate ISDT competition. And it has to start witi) a better process for rider and bike selection. I wish I had the answer, bUl maybe someone in the Congress does. Last but most important item on the agenda that I would suggest for the 1972 AMA Competition Congress is the matter of Class A membership representation on the AMA Board. Last year at the AMA annual meeting, which follows the Competition Congress, there was a wholly unsatisfactory attempt to add a represen tative of the general membership to the Executive Board. Unsatisfactory because the member would have been "appoin ted" by the manufacturer (Class B) members who make up the board. This would have been worse than nothing, since the supposed $ 7-member rep would have owed his position entirely to the manufacturers who already dominate the AMA. A much better arrangemen t would be for the Congress to name two of its elected delegates to serve as representatives on the Board. This way, the S7-memberships would be answerable to the Congress and, ultlmately, to the AMA members who elec ted them. Th e Congress should vote to compensate tllese representatives by paying all expenses and a reasonable salary for their services on the Board. And the money for this purpose should be raised through the active membership and clubs within the AMA either by assessmen t or through the general dues. I recommend a minimum of two S7·member reps, because I know how hard it is for one person alone to make himself understood, much less believed. by - the motorcycle industry representatives. Also, if one delegate happens to be unable to attend a meeting, there would be at least one there to represen t the majority. There is no way that the Congress can force the AMA Directors to accept their representatives on the Board. But a resolution to this effect from the Congress would, I beJieve, receive favorable consideration at the nex t AMA annual meeting. Hodaka Greeves ~~~~ns Malco MAHA Sales - Service - Parts HaSqVa..na~ STREET-MOTOCROSS-DESERT 841 E. Whittier Blvd. La Habra (213) 691-8716 (714) 525·6200 KAWASAKI J's and HONDA 4'5 !! Crisp Performance - Precise Handling with parts, complete 'conversions... Disc Brakes, Mag Wheels and mar•. Send 25i for info. ~~~. .~~~~~ 959AW. 17th St. ICost. M.... CA. 92627 4/1_...... .. 'Sport Cycle (114) 893-7057 -Guv R. 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