Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

.i 0.. N .... en Q z o ~ w Z W :oJ ~ U Charles Clayton Sharon Clayton "IJI~I Tom Culp . John Huetter .. Art Friedman .. Dave Schoonmaker .. Ed Drechsler Kate Thorpe Rheba Smith . Marla Tarbet Bruce Diamond II•• America's Number weekly motorcycle newspaper. You'll ahvay.s see it rirst in Cycle News. ~-. .; _ DIRTY, BIKERS [M¥ir-) MOTOR~~~t"to' INDUSTRY COUNCIL ROTTEN, Paul B.oudreau ... NASTY Last nigh t, on television, I had the honor of both getting sick from the plot and elated by the action. Mod Squad did dirt riders a big---- in the ear with their mythical bad guys on their MXers who vandalized, stole shot people and always looked dirty. Hopefully, the neat shots of the riding and racing will help offset some of the damage done by the plot. However, I feel certain that there are thousands of people who now believe that gangs of motorcycle desert racers are roaming the hills of California, molesting fishermen etc. Bikers are always complaining about these scripts, but what actions are being taken? The stunt men who made "Mod Squad" were real liIe bikers, maybe even peopJe like J. N. Roberts. The bikes were ei ther owned by bikers or furnished Q-y a dealer. J realize that these people have to make a living, but would ct be pO'SiDIe to boycott certain scripts that damage motorcycling? Evidently motorcycles increase audience appeal. So where are motorcycledom's better writers like Bryon Black and Gordon Jennings to write scripts that could sbow bikers in a more favorable light? We had better do something before the bureaucrats who control the law forget that it is only on "Dragnet" where "The events are que, but the names have been changed to protect the innocen t. DUSTY SEWELL Beaumount, Texas . Steve Schiff ..... Howie Fowler Larry Grove,s Marion Hatashita Melvin Phelps Randy Dietzel . Barbara Bebeck . Marilyn Kirk . Squeeky Haynes Hector Aguilera Wendy Trindle National Advertising Director (Cycle News West. Cycle News East. Cycle News Dixie): Tom Culp . . Publisher .Business Manager . General Manager . . Managing Editor · Editor . Assistant Editor · Advertising Manager .Advertising Assistant Cycle News West. P.O. Box 498. LongCalifornia 90801. (213) Beach, 427-7433; L.A. 636-BB44. · Circulation Manager · • Circulation Assistant · Circulation Assistant · Production Manager . . _ Production Assistant · Production Assistanr .Lab Technician . Typographer TELEX NO. 673474 · Assistant Typographer · . . • . Bookkeeper · Bookkeeping Assistant · Bookkeeping Assistant General Secretary Computer Technician .......... Receptionist V Subscription: One year, second class mail 2 years, second class mail 3 years. second class mail Single copy price $10 $17 . $21 $.35 Major Inside Reports COLUMN: LATEST POOP ...................•......•...•......7 DESERT: SRA EUROPEAN SCRAMBLES .................•......9 ENDURO: CHAPARRALS COYOTE DERBy ........•...•...•.... 10 ROAD RACING: VACAVILLE AND CHAR LOnE ....•........... 12 NATIONAL: CHAMPION CLASSICS AT ONTARIO 14 FEATURE: YOUR HELEMT AND YOUR HEAD .........•........24 EDITORIAL - OPiNION ............................•...•....26 SCRAMBLES .....................................•........29 SPEEDWAY: WORLD FINALS ........................•..•....30 MOTOCROSS: 0·37 ARROYO, CMC, AMC, AME, ETC ...•..........34 FEATURE: CHARIOT RACING .......................•.......39 FEATURE: EVENING IN PERRIS· ...•......•................. .40 ~ECTION: CENTRAL .............•......•................. .41 SECTION: NORTH .............•..•...•..•.. : •......•...... .42 RESULTS ....................•.............•......•...... .4B CALENDAR ..................•......•..•...•..............53 NEW PRODUCTS ..............•......•.............•.......52 MX CAT GETS BUSTED ...............•.....................63 This concerns the last C.R.C. desert race held September 10. at Adelanto, Calif. I believe in giving credit where credit is due. At the race held September J 0, R.L. Gustason (360 Hus) wasn't the first bike across thc finish. I f you check, you will find ou t that a Yamaha 125cc with the number 2J4AX rode by. Fred R. Delbridge was the first to finish, but didn't see the checker flag and ran a fifth lap. MR. & MRS. FRED DELBRIDGE Rowland Heigh ts, Calif. MIKE CASH IS STILL OUT, DESERT PEOPLE CAN HELP For all you Cycle News readers and friends of Mike Cash. who was seriously injured at Bonneville. Mike is stiLI unconscious at this Lime. Unable to be moved, he is still hospitalized in Utah. !Lis wife Shirley is remaining at his side. His three daughters are at home witll relatives. I t would be a worthwhile project for any competition (or other) club that would want to sponsor a race in his name. For m ore information call 714/832-8068, or write J 3882 Tustin East Or. Apt. 113, Tustin. Calif. 92680. WI FE OF A DESERT RIDER OPEN LETTER TO THE AMA Tunes" ... Ed. I'm in a rage and I don't know how to ge t at the people I wan t to swear at. Thought I would write Cycle News for help. I took Papa's advice and watched Mod Squad last night. A whole bottle of Alka-SeLtzer couJdn't stop the acid stomach that show gave me. It was the capper on a series of bummer shows demonstrating just bow TV has "discovered" motorcycling. Talk about dying from overexposure, here's a short list of What's killing us. L. A "Cade's County" episode of last _ season showed the baddy harassing a horse (in a corral, yet!) and running from the fuzz---on a dirt bike of course. 2. An "Emergency" segment of about two weeks ago had two bikers hazing a pastured bull which promplty decked one of them. When rescued, the dingaling bikers (are there any other kind in TVland;) ask the heroes to go back in with the bull, shoot it and get the bike" These are sensible heroes so they decline, but the point is made bikers care nothing for people or animals, only for their machines. 3. A very miniscule bone was thrown us on the next item. An "Adam 12" episode showed some good material at Indian Dunes but only very tightly established that on. of the good guys (th. 'cops?) regularly raced dirt bikes and actually enjoyed it. They were much more elaborate in linking all cyclists together in a lunatic fringe area, in the most sympathetic sense. The exposure was biased in favor of the "biker-outIaw" theorem. 4. Finally, the bummer of the year, so far! A lot of points were made in Thursday's "Mod Squad" but the only favorable one was that the heroes w«e bitchin' riders. Not too surprising, since the basic premise of TVland is that the defined good guys are sup.rior at anything. The rest of tho show was an incredible dirt biker image ripoff! Notice the tried and true TV formuJa. Steal a successful movie premise (bikers are,-;:-,bAA1f~6a,:;~~~ .• "~wl.tai-;-"iP£ trimmings (Huskys for hard-tail Harleys Copyright€! Cycle News. Inc. 1972 all righ ts reserved ;;;;;;;;;;;;;iiiiiiiiiiiiiii;~~~~iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiOOiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiio=.l SO FAST YOU COULDN'T SEE HIM Most any record store should have the sound track. Look under "Movie Themes" or "Show HERE'S ONE OF THE GUYS WE WERE TALKING ABOUT 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 publishers. Advertising rates and circulation information will be sent upon request. See S.R.D.S. VOICES OF THE WEST and full helmets for full hair), pop it on the idiot tube and in one glorious hour of fun and profit, destroy the repu tation of thousands of dirt rid.rs. For those who missed this epic in character assassination, let me give the highlights. A GANG (yes, folks, a real GANG before your very eyes) of dirt riders, with bikes pain ted black and including a hack (Side Hack Association, where were you?) terrorize a constructioo site full of burly worlod,77-528~ . " ... ' " . _" •. #0- ,.~:.l:!i!J.~~ This letter is in regard to the new displacement for Novice riders and Short-Track. I would like to point out that I am against the rule for more than one reason. My first reaSon is simple. I cannot afford" new 360 or 250 Twin. Most manufacturcrs are getting about $1000.00, for a new machine f that displacement. Most of Lbose machines come in either !vlotocrc;ss or Enduro trim and require an extreme amount of conversion work for Flat-Track, Short-Track and TT Racing. Not even considering all the special engine modifications that are necessary for Flat Track and all the spares and necessary items a racer must carry with him, I assure you that the eventual cost of such a project has to exceed $2000.00, and $3000.00, would be a more accurate accoun t of the final cost. I am not the only racer, whether it be Novice, Junior, or Expert that is not in a position to go out, acquire new equipment, and foot the bill for conversion. In years past the 500-750 formula that was applied to one-half mile, mile, IT, and Road Racing, also applied to Short Track. In the late 50's or early 60's, the rule was changed to a 250 formula for Short Track, because' the power the 500-750's were putting out was too much for the close q uart.rs of Short Track, and many riders were unable to handle the power on such a small track. If this is tnie, I ask you to consider this; in the past decade the power output of 250cc machines has increased almost 100%. The 360's are putting out as much or more as the old 500's of the past. Its like taking an old rule that was discarded, rewording it, and putting it back into effect, but the very thing you wanted to change in the first plac. is still hanging over your heads. This rule is clearly designed to benefit the manufacturers and does not have the best in terest of the riders involved at hearts. May I suggest that the final decision be thrown open to all Professional riders and we all be given a chance to vote on the 360 rule. Also, may I propose that in the future, all proposed formula changes be voted upon by the riders who carry Pro licenses before they gec q m I I

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