Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

.... .. N '"o g n. N .... '" :> 0 z ~ w Z W ...J U >- U by Maureen Lee We have another of our Classics in trouble. Tuning into a grapevine who spends some time in Elsinore at a lakefront cottage, it seems the city has now been sued for way over a million dollars by spectators. Let's face it, that's enough to rock any city hall, so there may not be another race. If there is, it would probably have to exclude the town proper and be out in the boondocks around the lake. But, once again, if we loose this one it won't be the racers who've caused it but Lhe damn spectators. So, if you're at a big one and can give a host club a hand by suggesting nicely, or if necessary, not so nicely, that people don't do dumb things, please do it. Rumors are whistling around, too, about the Barstow·to-Vegas run. It's on, so don't worry about it. I think, this years, they ough t to get J.N. over to the finish line first and give him a finisher pin. We all know that if it hadn't been for his unfortunate smack-up he'd be out there, and probably in front, with all due apologies to the rest of the desert shoes! We've got some mighty heavy racing coming up in the next couple of weeks. Baja is first and as far as I can check out, there is no truth to the rumor that next year they are going to run the whole thing on paved roads so the cars really don't have a thing to worry about. rm not trying to be a smarty and I realize that the flooding down there was pretty bad but the course was changed so the motorcycles would not be given a benefit. The way it looks now, the cars will be given the benefit. Boo! They've had it for quite a while, although the Baja is rough on you whether you're in a vehicle or on it. If you think back over the years of these big long distance even ts like the Baja runs and the Mint, anI! dig back through the results, you'll notice that when the bikes kept showing up the cars, the courses got easier, or I should say they put more high speed sections in 'em. Besides Baja there's the Trans-AMA motocross at Carlsbad, and we do hope that the FIM observers will see fit to keep it on the 1973 calendar as a Grand Pnx points paying round. It could be a little rough on the Europeans though when you think how far they'll have to journey when they are so used to popping from France to Germany to Sweden, etc., coun try after country in less time than it takes for us to go, say, from California to New York or Oregon or Texas, and for one round they are pu tting bags, baggage and bikes on planes and heading for California. But what a great end to the Grand Prix season to have America finally represen ted. While still thinking about motocross, have you been checking on the Trans-AMA 250 Support Class? On this subject we don't want to embarras anybody, but some of the names showing up in the Support Class shouldn't be there. You'll also spot people' in the International Class who could be riding support but because of pride and past efforts, choose not to. Some riders who are factory guys are in the Support when they are getting just about the help some of the International riders are getting. Some of them would no doubt prefer to be in the International Class but the sponsor says no even if they can hold their own against the Europeans. The AMA has to come up with some better standards as to who they allow to ride Support and who should be put into the International. In some cases, the rider can be put in a bind. How would you like it if the world knew you were riding for an overseas factory, and are a full-time professional rider, and you were in the Support Class and you won? People might call you a cherry-picker. It's even worse if you lose. But when you're in the In ternational, then there's no disgrace if you can't wallop the world's best, and chances are, at the end of the series you won't come out too badly, not with talent and backing. But if you have the talent, you should be in the International going against the Europeans, you're only going to get as good as your competition. Keeping many irons in the fire, as usual, we toddled up to Norton-Villers and borrowed one 0 f their big Norton . .~*~***.********* .JIM t-1SHBACK'S : Yama h a & : : Triumph : • Sales ParIs Sen'ice • DKW.~HODKA. BMW • 9008 Sierra Ave. • (714) 822-2252 • Fontana. Calif. In all seriousness, if you are in the mark.et for one of the big road burners, do check the Nortons out. Their manual is second to none, maintenance for the average rider is perhaps easier than the big Japanese multi-cylinder machines. It's not garish or ovc;r-done with chrome and it is quality. Even my mum, who fell off the back of one in ...well ..we won't go in to that, said it was still first cabin. Time may cheapen some things but not the Norton, and you only get what you pay for. You even get an electric plug-in so you can heat up your electric suit or booties for those chilly evenings, or in England, those God-awful winters and if you think I'm kidding, just look on the side. It's there, and a dirt riding friend though t we were kidding when we explained what it was for. When you ac tually start thin king about the differen t things that good motorcycles cover, from the lead dirt bikes, motocrossers, trails, TriaJs, flatrackers, on up to the road machines, they are a great machine and aren't you glad you ride one? We are. W ritin' Around ................... by Chuck Clavton '... I • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Ontario Raceway buuch, with a five or .. H ow to A ttrac t People to six million potential draw area like Southern California imported a Motorcycle Races" is a subject that keeps culminating . . current half·dozen European sidecar teams and conversations, usually leaving the their exotic, three·wheeled rigs? And what if their big, expensive advertising conversants compulsively contemplating campaign featured pix of six rigs in tigh t what if?s. pursuit, cutting daisies in a corner with An Average Person once confided to their passengers' heads? I have never me the confusion over attending his first seen the Real Thing, although I've motorcycle race at an age in life when enjoyed our home-grown Sidehack Role and Appearances were moderately Association clubman shows. I suspect important. HIf [ were invited to a that the European sidecaidsts make our Sultan's palace, I would have some idea own look as amateur as their of what to expect," he said. "But I motocrossers made our hottest haven't got a clue what a motorcycle scramblers look five years ago. race scene is like." Probably such an attraction would So you can advertise a motorcycle showcase best in a featured spot race to kingdom come, I conclude, but between the two heats of a major the Average Person won't know what National Championship road race. I am you are talking about. told that the upcoming Grand Prix Walt Von Schoenfelt isn't an motocross at Carlsbad, California will average any thing, so he nailed down an feature some imported dirt sidehack observation that none of us had made: teams, so the idea isn't unheard-of. "'Vhen you picture a road racer on a Th.at only leaves us wondering what poster, the Average Person thinks of the can be done about Marvin M{Average guy on a motorcycle who passed him in who doesn It know what one wears to a traffic," says Walt, "and he's surely not motorcycle race, whether the family going to watch that guy race." will be chainwhipped by drunken HMotorcycles are small, but outlaws, what the shqw consists of, spectators are kept away from the etcetera. Well, we distribute million tracks by fences designed for stock copies of Cycle News a year containing cars," chimed in another all that information, but that's barely conversationalist. "You can't get close to the action except at motocross." enough for r.."e people who already That's probably one of two reasons why know. Perhaps if Steve McQueen or some equally respectable celebrity motocross is so popular. You picture a would documen t the races from a guy on your poster flying th rough the spectator's standpoint (instead of air. That's something the average Joe always the participant's point of view), Blow doesn't see very often. Marvin McAverage and family migh t be But what does the average potential more inclined to accept the promoter's spectator of a road race have to look nex t invitation. After all, they'll forward to? I can on:ly answer that probably never get invited to a Sultan's hopefully with a few speculations: What palace. if some heads-up promoter like the 2,. : of Fontana • • • : Commando Interstates. It was the traditional black and gold and even came with a fairing, so for a couple of days we had a ball. Shot up the freeway to Ascot on it and experienced no discomfort at all with those infamous highway grooves, my pilot said he thoup;ht he could take his hands off the bars and the Norton would still track straight. Trips around included the Long Beach Harbor tour, past the Queen Mary so we had a good chance to really check out a great road bike and it was fun. The suspension was firm and not sloppy at low speed, just comfortable riding, but once you got a chance to crack it on ...whoopee! If you saw a bike with two up ear 'oling around freeway ramps in this vicinity, it was us. Like all good English bikes it dropped its little puddle of oil in the drive, but it didn't come from the engine. Brian Slark and his helpers had really oiled up things before we picked it up, and after the initial drop off the chain, no more puddle. Come, come, Norton. All good British bikes should leak. . • • • • • -****************- (Cont'd. fro m page 40) --------":'I-a1':'w-ay-s-f~o-r-ge~t-e-a-rp-l:-u-g-s.':'}------ THI~ 114.14 \\'H881.4 Competition tested and proven in the toughest terrain in the world! $74~t> add 5' .21" Akront rim ~~'0~DH\;~ tax • Heavy duty 8 gao spokes ·350 )( 21 big knobby tire • Laced in a special "3 over" pattern • Trued to + or ..010 'I'HI~ WIm.~I••:1.11..: Maybe not, but a motorcycle presents an awfully small image from the top of the grandstands at Ontario. You can't see the rider and the sound is one of the few things that really tells what he is doing way down there. I don't know if anybody knows what kind of people come to watch (and listen to) the Nationals. What percentage are cyclists and who or what are the rest? What do they come for? The new rule has much to be said for it. It is going to save the hearing and stop the headaches for a lot of tuners, pit crews. officials, trophy girls, and reporters, including me. (Especially me; P.O. Box 444, Cypress CA. 90630 (714) 827-7427 Dept. eN (O~1I'E11110N ,\101 ORe V( LE WHEELS DESIC,NLD. BUILT AND REPAIRED. WEST DES MOINES, IOWA - Fred M. Hagen, President of Midwest Mutual Insurance Company, recently announced the appointment of lack Snyder as their California Regional Sales Manager. lack's long ... ?ackground. in the motorcycle industry Includes being General Manager of Bud Ekins a'I~IIJI.1 DISPLAY ADVERTISING DEADLINE Honda Triumph in Sherman Oaks and at th~ motorcycle was Sales motorcycle importer and Editor of Cycle Magazine. lack was Secretary-Treasurer of A.M.A. Dist. 37 Sports Committee for several years and served many years on that organization's Board of Directors. Now beginning his new job, Jack will be ca Iling .... & California for the past ten years ~me time he operated his own Insurance agency. Previous he Manager for a West Coast on established Midwest Mutual dealer-agents in California as well as setting up new agents for the firm which was founded in 1948 as the first exclusive motorcycle, insurance carrier. He can be contacted through the Midwest Mutual California Branch Office at 9617 Lakewood Blvd., Downey, Ca. And there is one positive side to starting with the 250's. Although I don't have any decibel meter reading to back me up, J have always felt that the TD (250) Yamahas hurt my head worse than the TR (350) roadracers. And the Yamabas outnumber anything in the 750 classes and are virtually the only thing in the lightweight class. As long as everyone gets a decen t chance to know what is expected of his noise output and as long as spectators keep coming to Nationals, I will accept the rule with Un tempered enthusiasm. It sure will be nice to hear myself think. - Art Friedman

• Cover